| rev:text
| - I saw this place open a few weeks ago and decided to let them settle in before trying it, and certainly before writing a review. I can't imagine how or why people would knowingly post a review complaining about nervous new workers and startup glitches at a new business, what kind of lives do they have that they never started a new job or learned something new? Oh wait, don't answer that!
Here is a little tour of my visit for a late lunch today. Pretend I've got a GoPRO camera and you're following me:
1. Arrival - the entire place is surrounded by an iron fence with only one tiny driveway toward the back. I'm not saying that's a negative only that it is kinda like arriving at San Quentin during a lockdown. However PLENTY of parking and with that huge fence you can be sure your car will be safe.
2. First impression - the place is absolutely huge, I guess that's one of the dangers (or benefits) of taking over an existing building. There is a very large outdoor patio with more TV's than I could count.
3. Walking in the door - a little odd, there is no one at the front door to greet you and your choices are to turn left to the bar or turn right to enter the restaurant but if it's your first time you might stand there waiting for someone to show you to your table. But no, instead you hear a friendly voice from somewhere inside the restaurant accompanied with a welcoming wave to come on in.
4. Approaching the order counter your eyes glaze over at the menu choices on the big board over the counter. But rather than be confused there is an eager, friendly and helpful young man who takes the time to go over all (I mean all) of the menu choices. He does so patiently and without that "hurry up" feeling you get at most restaurants. Ask him a question and he has the exact answer you're looking for.
5. While ordering you have a choice of grabbing a beer, soft drink or other beverage (even milk) from in huge tin bucket filled with ice, real down home style. They also have a soft drink dispenser.
6. The previously mentioned super-helpful young man gives you a ticket once he takes your order and asks you to step down a few feet to Marilyn who is waiting at the cashier table. She's the same person who gave you the howdy welcome when you first walked in and she's about the sweetest nicest person you will ever meet. She actually made my day. While paying I can't help but notice that the cook and several people who look like owners/managers are watching everything that's going on. I took that as an indication they were genuinely trying to iron out any grand opening wrinkles and see what works and what doesn't work. Which is why a review written in the first few days a restaurant is open should have given them the benefit of the doubt before blasting them.
7. The food is delivered to the table in a reasonable amount of time on parchment paper on a tin tray. I remark that this is exactly how it is served in some of the best hole-in-the-wall little BBQ places I've discovered in Texas and I'm told guess what, the owners are from Texas.
8. I ordered a meat sampler to get an idea of what they are capable of. I specified brisket, jalapeno sausage and barbecue chicken priced at $13.99 (dirt cheap for any barbecue place anywhere unless your idea of barbecue is a McRib sandwich). I posted a picture. It is not only a good value, it is a great value.
9. The tablecloths are red checkered, the napkins are paper and the utensils are plastic. If you arrived in your Rolls Royce expecting fine china and sterling silver you don't know a heck of a lot about barbecue, do you?
10. Reading the rest of the reviews some people say it is the best barbecue they've ever had. They are probably relatives of the owner. Some people say it is the worst. They probably would have been better off with a McRib. I say it is good and reasonably priced, not the best I have ever had but I'll be back to see how they mature. The brisket was better than average, the chicken was maybe just slightly better than average and the sausage was good but there was so little of it I didn't feel I got a good enough taste. The sides (mac/cheese, and potato salad that I ordered as an extra side) were marginal, but to be fair even at the best little barbecue places in Texas it is rare to find really great sides.
For now I can't rate Red River BBQ as a perfect 5 because they haven't earned it yet but overall I liked the atmosphere of a "real" (non-chain) Texas barbecue pit in the neighborhood, good food at a good price and a super-friendly staff that made me feel like an old friend.
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