#44 - FARGO'S PIT BBQ - Eating Good on the Hood

On September 16, six months after Covid-19 shut down the world, I ventured out of my socially distanced cocoon, packed up my mask and hand sanitizer and headed to Bryan, Texas.  

It felt good to hit the road knowing that my next stop was Fargo's Pit BBQ.  That's right, an honest to goodness pit stop, the 44th one on the way to eating at all of Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas. 

After hearing months of doom and gloom about Covid-19 and its effect on our state, I expected to find an empty, dystopian world.  Instead what I found on I-45 was a highway full of Texans lurching around like a bunch of zombies. Every car, pickup and semi-truck slowing and speeding and zipping and dragging their way down the road.  It's good to know that some things will never change.

However, a lot has changed in BBQ Land since March 2020. At one point, brisket was up almost 3 times its regular price per pound. Some BBQ joints are still closed, others have limited menus and some are doing takeout only.

Although there was nobody in the Fargo's parking lot was empty (it was 4 pm on a Wednesday after all), the restaurant was open for business.  Masked and sanitized for my protection, I opened the door.  

It was empty, some chairs were up on the tables and no one was inside.  Fargo's was open for business, pandemic-style.

Plastic shields covered the cash register.  The servers were masked and gloved up.  Even the brisket was protected by a shield that was higher than usual.

But let me be clear.  BBQ during a pandemic is still BBQ, God's most perfect food.  It's a reminder of all that is right in the world. 

Fortunately, Fargo's was ready with plenty of brisket, sausage and ribs, ready to go.  And a friend had tipped me off about the beef rib after a recent stop in College Station. I placed my order...brisket, sausage, a beef rib and collard greens with cabbage.  

"How's business?" I asked from behind my mask.  

"We're doing good, better than some who are closed," came the muffled reply.  "We're one of the fortunate ones.  We're busy even though you'll have to eat outside since we can't seat people in the restaurant." 

With my food in hand, I headed to my car and spread the meal out on the hood.  It was quite a banquet, a meal fit for a Pep Boy or even a Service King.  

The moist brisket was wonderful, the German-style sausage delicious.  The star of the styrofoam was the beef rib.  Tender and juicy, the perfectly seasoned meat fell off the bone.

Ah, it's great being a meatatarian, especially on days when you can embrace your inner Flintstone and chow down on a delicious beef rib. 

Fargo's is, without a doubt, the best place to eat in Bryan.  It's also the only reason I will ever choose to go near College Station.  Mask down, horns up!