#46 - SNOW'S BBQ - There's No Brisket at Snow's BBQ (So Ship It)

Every Texas BBQ fan knows about Snow's BBQ in Lexington, TX.  They are currently sitting at the top of Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ joints in Texas.  Their pitmaster is Miss Tootsie Tomanetz...85 years old and making the best BBQ in Texas.  If you get the chance to see the awesome episode about Snow's and Miss Tootsie on Netflix's Chef's Table you should watch it.

Sadly, every Texas BBQ fan knows that Snow's is temporarily closed because of the stupid pandemic.  This presented a dilemma for me since I was planning to make Snow's the final stop on my quest to visit all of the Top 50 BBQ joints. With the Texas Monthly challenge ending on Dec 31, 2020, should I wait for Snow's to open this year and risk not getting to visit?  Or should I take a chance on a drive-by visit to request a sticker?  

After my trip to Truth, I chose to gamble and head to Lexington.  The one-hour drive was markedly Texan...county road after county road, field after field, bulls chasing cows and barns with Texas flags painted on them.  

Upon arrival in Lexington, I found that there wasn't much there there. It's a small town -- about 1,200 people and a main road but it is the home of the greatest BBQ joint in Texas. I pulled up across from Snow's and parked next to a grain silo.  No one was anywhere to be seen, but I forged ahead, determined to at least speak with someone and see if I could get a Snow's sticker.  

Ignoring the chain with the closed sign on it, I walked towards the pits and found none other than Clay Cowgill, one of Snow's pitmasters!  Cooking!  On a Saturday!  With NO ONE IN LINE!

I was floored.  It wasn't like meeting Paul McCartney, but still, this guy is a national treasure.  I introduced myself and told him why I was there. He jumped up and went to find someone who could rustle up a sticker for me.  

While we waited, we struck up a conversation.  I learned that Clay was there manning the pits for Snow's shipping business.  Although they are closed, they have been shipping their famous BBQ to hungry meat heads around the world.

We talked about some of the different BBQ joints, and he was very complimentary of each one.  When I asked Clay why they were closed, he said, "There is no Covid in a small town like Lexington. But when we're opened, the world comes to town." He hoped they would reopen in 2020.

Why invite trouble when you can ship the greatest BBQ in Texas to the world?  Makes sense to me.  After a few more minutes of BBQ banter, I collected my sticker, thanked Clay and headed to my car.

This sticker means a lot to me.  Even though I didn't expect the pandemic would keep me from visiting the #1 BBQ joint in Texas, I did get to experience it in a way few BBQ fans do.  No line.  No food.  No Tootsie.  While it was definitely not the best way to enjoy Snow's, it was unique.  Rest assured, I'll be back when they reopen.