Traveling the Texas Barbeque Trail Pt. 1

Texans do not take their barbeque lightly. When it comes to smoked meat, it is all serious business.

Silverado Smoke House, Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi is a mecca of chain restaurants, but among this sea of culinary mediocrity, there are some gastronomic highlights.

The Silverado Smoke House is an independent family-owned business with a single outlet just off a major highway.

Everything is served cafeteria style. You pick the meat(s), then the sides, pay the cashier, grab the tray and go to the table.

The menu carries an extensive array of meats; beef ribs, St. Louis style pork ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken, chopped BBQ, chicken salad, pork loin, turkey, and ham. It also has Frito pies, and salads (What’s the point of going to a smoke house for salad?).

As a man of modesty, I chose one beef rib, a few pieces of pork ribs, and a little moist brisket for dinner.

The beef rib was like butter. The meat was soft, tender, and just melted in the mouth. It did not have too much of a smoky taste. Some may consider that bland; I call that not over-seasoned with the dry rub.

  

With a nice pink smoke ring around the meat, the pork rib was juicy and off-the-bone tender. The BBQ sauce was a bit on the sweeter side with a strong accent of molasses. It could use a bit of a kick in spice and some tanginess.

The moist brisket was…moist! The fat had given it so much moisture and tenderness that the entire piece was just a joy to eat. Ordering brisket moist is the only way to go for me.

The okra stew was delicious. It had just the right amount of spiciness, sweetness and seasoning.

The cole slaw (top edge of the picture) had a nice crunchiness and just the right amount of balance with sweetness and sourness. It served perfectly as a mouth cleanser for in-between bites.

These two side vegetables were my healthy option for this meal.

I also filled up a few dishes with salsa and peppers from the condiment bar across the dining room.

The salsa consisted of onions, tomatoes, radishes, and a few herbs. It had a nice crunchy bite to it. The peppers were wonderful; Jalapeño, California Green, Cherry…, I love pickled peppers!

I washed everything down with the sweet tea. It was just the perfect thing to calm down the spices in the food.

All the meats were very good. I found them standing up on their own quite well without the sauce. Eating the meats without the sauce allowed me to experience the subtle taste in them. My favorite was the beef ribs. It was just so incredibly tender and full of flavor.

No meal is complete without dessert. Next to the self-serve soda machine sat a soft-serve ice cream machine. It was included as part of the meal and of course, it’s self-serve. It did take me several tries to make a perfect cone, but the more I practiced, the more I got to eat. Yes, I ate several mini-cones and I also made myself an ice cream float. Burp!

I absolutely enjoyed my meal at Silverado. For a town better known for chain restaurant dining along the main highway, this was a good find. For everything that I had eaten, it only cost me $20.00!