#43 - BAKER BOYS BBQ - Come and Taste It, Pt 3 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. 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.
Where the heck is Gonzalez, Texas, and why does it matter? I've got seven words for you: Come and Take It and of course, Baker Boys BBQ.
In 1831, the Mexican government loaned a group of Texans a small cannon so they could protect themselves from Indian raids. Four years later, when unrest grew, the government demanded the return of the cannon to the Mexican army, and they sent a group of 150 soldiers to Gonzalez to take the cannon back.
It didn't go too well. The cannon was fired at the Mexican troops, and a group of men raised a flag with the words "Come and Take It" with a lone star and the image of a cannon on it. Thus was born the Texas Revolution.
In 2015, Phil and Wayne Baker opened Baker Boys BBQ in Gonzalez after growing a reputation for themselves cooking BBQ in Luling. They found a metal building on a highway near downtown, filled the smokers and threw open their doors. It went very well, and thus was born one of the newest additions to Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Joints in 2017.
After my brisket breakfast at City Market, I headed 18 miles south to Gonzalez. I had been looking forward to the trip for a long time, mainly because my daughter went to college with the niece of the Bakers, so the reputation of the BBQ preceded my trip.
Once inside the restaurant, I was greeted by the friendly staff and placed my order of brisket and sausage. This time I switched things up a bit and added smoked chicken. You won't see it in my pictures because I was too full from City Market to eat it, so I took it to go. It was fantastic with a cold Shiner Bock, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I was early and had the restaurant to myself. The interior of Baker Boys BBQ is familiar to any Texan -- a cavernous sheet metal man cave with wood tables, flags and banners on the wall -- perfect for big groups and parties hankering for a hunk of meat. The BBQ, however, is anything but typical.
The brisket was outstanding...it would have taken a cannon to get me to share a piece. It had a great salty bark, was cooked to moist perfection and fell apart on my fork. The sausage was fantastic too, with a little bit of Luling influence. All in all, great BBQ from some great people.
Afterwards, I took a tour of downtown Gonzalez, where I found some historical markers, antique shops and restaurants. I even looked around town for the Come and Take It cannon, but didn't have any luck. Of course, I found out later that night that the actual cannon is in a museum somewhere in town...a lost opportunity for a cannon selfie. But I had bigger plans that day that required arriving in Shiner, so I tipped my hat to Gonzalez and headed east.
Where the heck is Gonzalez, Texas, and why does it matter? I've got seven words for you: Come and Take It and of course, Baker Boys BBQ.In 1831, the Mexican government loaned a group of Texans a small cannon so they could protect themselves from Indian raids. Four years later, when unrest grew, the government demanded the return of the cannon to the Mexican army, and they sent a group of 150 soldiers to Gonzalez to take the cannon back.
It didn't go too well. The cannon was fired at the Mexican troops, and a group of men raised a flag with the words "Come and Take It" with a lone star and the image of a cannon on it. Thus was born the Texas Revolution.
After my brisket breakfast at City Market, I headed 18 miles south to Gonzalez. I had been looking forward to the trip for a long time, mainly because my daughter went to college with the niece of the Bakers, so the reputation of the BBQ preceded my trip.
I was early and had the restaurant to myself. The interior of Baker Boys BBQ is familiar to any Texan -- a cavernous sheet metal man cave with wood tables, flags and banners on the wall -- perfect for big groups and parties hankering for a hunk of meat. The BBQ, however, is anything but typical.
The brisket was outstanding...it would have taken a cannon to get me to share a piece. It had a great salty bark, was cooked to moist perfection and fell apart on my fork. The sausage was fantastic too, with a little bit of Luling influence. All in all, great BBQ from some great people.Afterwards, I took a tour of downtown Gonzalez, where I found some historical markers, antique shops and restaurants. I even looked around town for the Come and Take It cannon, but didn't have any luck. Of course, I found out later that night that the actual cannon is in a museum somewhere in town...a lost opportunity for a cannon selfie. But I had bigger plans that day that required arriving in Shiner, so I tipped my hat to Gonzalez and headed east.
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