Monk: LJ’s BBQ started as a side hustle by owners Corey Cook and Matt Lowery in 2015 and moved into a brick and mortar in 2017. Outside of the kitchen they proceeded to get the building ready by themselves to save money. This first part of a two-part video explores the origins of LJ’s before heading back to the pitroom to check in on pitmaster Josh Jalomo, who cooks by touch.
Description: LJ’s in Brenham, Texas, began as a pop up by Corey, Leah, and Matt and now it’s a Texas Monthly Top 50 joint. They talk to us about their journey.
Name: Haywood Smokehouse Date: 1/27/24 Address: 403 Haywood Rd, Dillsboro, NC 28725 Order: 2-meat combo platter with pork and brisket plus cole slaw and collards (Link to menu) Price: $$$
Monk: After some really positive experiences at Ridgewood Barbecue and Old Hampton Store in late 2023, could my luck with mountain barbecue continue into early 2024 at the Dillsboro outpost of Haywood Smokehouse?
Haywood Smokehouse is a small three-restaurant mini-chain with other western NC locations in Waynesville and Franklin. They specialize in Texas barbecue and at least in Dillsboro smoke with hickory wood using a gas-assist smoker located just off their small parking lot.
Open the door into a cozy dining room, and you are greeted by wood paneling and wood tables. As with many NC barbecue joints back east, you are greeted in short order by a waitress to take your drink order and within just a few minutes of sitting you have placed your food order as well.
For my two meat combo, I selected pork and brisket and all of our orders were brought out rather quickly. No complaints there. As for either meat, while slightly above average, neither the chopped pork nor the brisket stood out. The pork had plenty of bark chopped into a coarsely chopped but the brisket could have used some trimming and in fact some of it was unrendered as if it had been sitting for awhile (possibly overnight?).
For sides, the story continued with neither the cole slaw nor the collards standing out and if either were pre-packaged or semi-homemade (Sandra Lee style) it wouldn’t have surprised me.
Alas, it would not be a three-peat for mountain barbecue. While Haywood Smokehouse is fine, it doesn’t reach the heights of either Ridgewood or Old Hampton Store in large part due to its use of a gas-assisted smoker.
Monk: From November 2023, CBS Sunday Morning sits down with Kareem El-Ghayesh of KG BBQ, Don Nguyen of Khoi Barbecue, Tatsu Aikawa of Kemuri Tatsu-Ya, and Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn to discuss the newer fusion barbecue places in Texas that spotlight flavors not native to central. Just don’t call it fusion.
Description: The Lone Star State’s distinctive barbecue is getting some impressive variations, with the help of pitmasters with roots in such places as Egypt, Vietnam and Japan. Correspondent Lee Cowan talks with some of the new bright lights of Texas BBQ, and with Daniel Vaughn, barbecue editor of Texas Monthly.
Monk: Resident Culture’s Southend location has officially unveiled their barbecue menu, helmed by former Noble Smoke and Sauceman’s pitmaster Edgar Simoes.
The food will be smoked at the Southend location of the brewery but also available from a food truck at the original Plaza Midwood location.
Today’s the day ➡️ Nuthin’ But A G’s Thang smoked Vienna lager collab brew release & Jon G’s BBQ food truck pop up at the North End Taproom! pic.twitter.com/yDWHGBeCjE
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