#41 SMOLIK'S - Line up for Late Night BBQ, Pt 1 Texas BBQ Blitz
It was the best of times, it was the best of times.
February 2020, when freedom ruled Texas and COVID-19 didn't. It was a time when masks were worn by cattle rustlers and horse thieves. When take-home BBQ meant you were too weak to finish your three-meats and a side plate. A time when no one questioned whether disinfectant could be effective on more than just surfaces.
I had planned one weekend in February to accomplish a feat that would make any Texan proud: Three BBQ joints in two days, a stop in Shiner, Texas, capped off by a bonfire with college buddies. No mask required, only the sheer joy of beef, sausage, ribs and beer.
Late on a Friday, I began the first leg of my BBQ journey. My car pointed west as I drove into the setting sun, headed toward Smolik's Smokehouse in Mathis, TX. This was a different BBQ quest, one that required arriving at the joint before it closed at 9 pm instead of waking up at the crack of dawn and standing in line. After a long week, I was up to the challenge.
The route from Houston to Mathis looked simple. It was a straight shot out of town through Sugar Land onto US-59, running parallel to the Texas coast. Take a right at Corpus Christi, head northwest and you'll run smack dab into Mathis.
Of course, in the dark after a long week of work, the three-hour trip felt like a lifetime. Long stretches of road marked with glimpses of beautiful bays and lakes turned into long stretches of darkness marked by that son of a gun coming toward me with his brights on. When I caught a whiff of suntan lotion from the Corpus Christi beaches, I headed toward a mass of blinking TV towers. I don't know about you, but there's something weird about blinking TV towers at night. It's like they're watching us, tapping out a Morse code pushing the next episode of The Price is Right or CSI: Vegetarian Edition. Soon after, I saw a roadside billboard for Smolik's, and knew I was near my destination.
Smolik's has been operating in Mathis since 1928. There are two locations, one downtown and the other near the highway. The Smolik family is known for their Czech sausage, so I was excited to give it a try.
The Smolik's on Highway 359 is the new location, and it's mighty fine. Outside is well lit and inside, the walls are decorated with murals showing the history of Mathis and of the Smolik family. It's got a homey, well-worn feel to it
They've also got quite a reputation. I pulled into the lot at 8:00 pm and inside I was greeted by a long line of hungry BBQ customers studying the menu.
Needless to say, I was impressed. I had assumed that at this point of the evening, no one would be inside. I was wrong, way wrong, and even after I was seated I watched people coming into the restaurant to dine.
When I got to the counter I ordered the three-meat plate with the Texas Trinity (brisket, sausage and turkey you heathen) and two veggies, beans and cabbage.
But the shock of the night came immediately after placing my order, when I was greeted by a waitress, who directed me to a table. That's right, a real-life, honest-to-goodness, friendly human waitress at a BBQ joint! She took my drink order and headed off to the kitchen. When she returned, she had my plate and my drink and I tucked into it.
It was darn good. For some reason I had assumed that the late hour plus the highway would equal BBQ dregs, the bottom of the barrel. On the contrary, Smolik's saved the best for last.
The brisket was moist, flavorful and fell apart on my fork. The turkey had a great smokey flavor to it. So how was the Czech sausage? It was different from traditional Central Texas sausages...garlicky, snappy casing, moist but not greasy. I'd have to leave it to the Bohemians to tell me what makes it different...other than it's made by a Czech.
By the way, I've found a new favorite side dish at a BBQ joint. Cabbage features prominently on the menus of many Slavic countries, like the Czech Republic. The cabbage at Slovik's had chunks of sausage and onion and had a nice crunch and natural sweetness to it. It was a great, unexpected alternative to coleslaw, aka cabbage masquerading as a sloppy bowl of sugar.
The only thing that would have pushed the meal over the top would have been a late night beer. But with a trip to Shiner on the docket, that would have to wait for another day.
February 2020, when freedom ruled Texas and COVID-19 didn't. It was a time when masks were worn by cattle rustlers and horse thieves. When take-home BBQ meant you were too weak to finish your three-meats and a side plate. A time when no one questioned whether disinfectant could be effective on more than just surfaces.
The route from Houston to Mathis looked simple. It was a straight shot out of town through Sugar Land onto US-59, running parallel to the Texas coast. Take a right at Corpus Christi, head northwest and you'll run smack dab into Mathis.
Of course, in the dark after a long week of work, the three-hour trip felt like a lifetime. Long stretches of road marked with glimpses of beautiful bays and lakes turned into long stretches of darkness marked by that son of a gun coming toward me with his brights on. When I caught a whiff of suntan lotion from the Corpus Christi beaches, I headed toward a mass of blinking TV towers. I don't know about you, but there's something weird about blinking TV towers at night. It's like they're watching us, tapping out a Morse code pushing the next episode of The Price is Right or CSI: Vegetarian Edition. Soon after, I saw a roadside billboard for Smolik's, and knew I was near my destination.
The Smolik's on Highway 359 is the new location, and it's mighty fine. Outside is well lit and inside, the walls are decorated with murals showing the history of Mathis and of the Smolik family. It's got a homey, well-worn feel to it
They've also got quite a reputation. I pulled into the lot at 8:00 pm and inside I was greeted by a long line of hungry BBQ customers studying the menu.
Needless to say, I was impressed. I had assumed that at this point of the evening, no one would be inside. I was wrong, way wrong, and even after I was seated I watched people coming into the restaurant to dine.
When I got to the counter I ordered the three-meat plate with the Texas Trinity (brisket, sausage and turkey you heathen) and two veggies, beans and cabbage.But the shock of the night came immediately after placing my order, when I was greeted by a waitress, who directed me to a table. That's right, a real-life, honest-to-goodness, friendly human waitress at a BBQ joint! She took my drink order and headed off to the kitchen. When she returned, she had my plate and my drink and I tucked into it.
It was darn good. For some reason I had assumed that the late hour plus the highway would equal BBQ dregs, the bottom of the barrel. On the contrary, Smolik's saved the best for last.The brisket was moist, flavorful and fell apart on my fork. The turkey had a great smokey flavor to it. So how was the Czech sausage? It was different from traditional Central Texas sausages...garlicky, snappy casing, moist but not greasy. I'd have to leave it to the Bohemians to tell me what makes it different...other than it's made by a Czech.
By the way, I've found a new favorite side dish at a BBQ joint. Cabbage features prominently on the menus of many Slavic countries, like the Czech Republic. The cabbage at Slovik's had chunks of sausage and onion and had a nice crunch and natural sweetness to it. It was a great, unexpected alternative to coleslaw, aka cabbage masquerading as a sloppy bowl of sugar.
The only thing that would have pushed the meal over the top would have been a late night beer. But with a trip to Shiner on the docket, that would have to wait for another day.
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