#35 EVIE MAE'S BBQ - Go Forth to Woolfforth

Texas is a really big state.  In fact, I had lived here for more than 25 years before I made my first trip to Lubbock.  I had been in West Texas before, but there was never a reason to go to Lubbock until that fateful visit to Texas Tech.

As soon as we were west of Ft. Worth, the landscape changed dramatically.  We were deep in the drought years and everything was a delightful, dusty brown.  Wide open spaces, leggy mesquite trees, truck stops, pump jacks, dust devils.  Wash, rinse and repeat, all the way to Abilene.

Turning north towards Post (aka the Dark Side of the Moon), our cellular connection died and a line of windmills marched towards us like giant pinwheels threatening a burned out Teletubby Land.

It was a long drive, a quick visit, and one I didn't expect to repeat.  Years later, after putting three kids through Texas Tech, I am very familiar with the 6-hour drive from Dallas to Lubbock.  Thanks, Karma.

Lubbock, Texas.  The Hub City.  Home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Buddy Holly Museum, the National Windmill Museum and a bunch of prairie dogs.

Fortunately, one of Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ joints is right outside Lubbock.  Best of all, you can get there faster than a haboob.  Just head west to Woolfforth, and you'll find Evie Mae's BBQ.  Evie Mae's exterior is atypical in that it looks like a standard brick office building.  But inside, the miracle of smoked meat is performed by the Evie Mae's team.

We arrived on a game day Saturday, hot, hungry and ready for barbecue.  The line was long when we arrived, but the meat locusts had just about picked the place clean.  No turkey, no chicken, and wurst of all, no sausage of any kind...it was only 1:00 pm!  Once the shock wore off and I realized that burnt ends were still available, I started the countdown.

You know the countdown.  When you stand in line at a BBQ joint, counting the people in front of you, hoping they won't be the ones to get the last order of what you want?  Time stands still at that point, and you pray that every person between you and the counter doesn't know the difference between a baked bean and a burnt end.

Fortunately, cluelessness prevailed and I scored.  When I reached the front, I ordered moist brisket, turkey, burnt ends and beans.

I don't want to overstate this, but if you only need one reason to go to Lubbock, Evie Mae's is it.  The barbecue here was fantastic, easily among the best in Texas.  Moist brisket with a deliciously seasoned bite that stands with some of the best in the state.  Well-seasoned turkey that will melt in your mouth.  And salty, barky burnt ends loaded with smoky, beefy flavor.

I didn't get to order any pie (they didn't have any left that day), but I feel like I've gained 10 lbs from following Evie Mae's on Instagram. Since you can't go wrong with sugar, I can only assume they taste as good as they look.

After you finish your meal, the good folks at Evie Mae's have a market where you can buy some of the desserts and beef they use in-store.  If the distance between Dallas and Lubbock wasn't so far, I would have bought that Aukashi tri tip.

Lubbock or leave it?  Thanks to Evie Mae's (and the fact that I still have a kid at Texas Tech), I'm looking forward to returning to Lubbock. Here's hoping for a short line and a full menu on my next trip!