Sean L.
Yelp
"I pulled into 1701 hunting brisket, but what I found was a full-blown smoke show with a side of glory."
TL;DR: Rolled up at 10:45 AM and parked myself first in line at 1701 Barbecue. By the time the doors opened, there were 20 folks stacked up behind me, hungry and jealous. I walked out with brisket, ribs, sausage, banana pudding for the road, and a half chicken for dinner. The bark was crusted brilliance. The rib was hearty and full of flavor. The sausage had snap, juice, and no nonsense. The place was spotless, the staff was welcoming, and the smoke lingered in all the right places. That bird? Reheated like a champ. Stamp 23 secured.
It was Saturday morning, and I had meat on my mind. The road took me to 1701 Barbecue, where the pitmasters don't mess around and neither do the regulars. My internal alarm clock nudged me into action, and by 10:45 AM I was in the lot staring at the closed doors like a kid outside a candy store. A few clouds rolled by, the sun climbed a little higher, and before long a crowd had built up behind me like a tailgate line at kickoff.
When the doors finally swung open, I had one mission: Texas Trinity + banana pudding + peace offering poultry.
Here's what hit the tray:
* Brisket: Rich bark, tender middle, and seasoned with purpose. They don't overdo it. They let the smoke speak.
* Pork Rib: Thick, meaty, perfectly cooked. No tug-of-war, no chew-fest, just a clean bite and a flavor that hangs around.
* Sausage: Juicy and bold with a casing that snapped clean like a green branch in deer season.
* Banana Pudding: I tucked it in the to-go bag for the Side Dish Queen. She wasn't with me this round, so it doubled as both a dessert and a peace treaty.
* Half Chicken: I knew we'd need dinner. That bird got packed up and rode home like royalty.
The joint itself was clean, cool, and buzzing with good energy. Staff had that Texas hospitality gear running smooth and friendly. Inside was all charm and calm efficiency. Plenty of napkins, plenty of smiles.
When I got home that evening, I warmed up the half chicken, expecting some loss of luster. Nope. It was moist, smoky, and full of life. Even the Side Dish Queen nodded her approval.
Stamp count: 23 down. 27 to go. 1701 brought the smoke, and I'll be talking about that tray for a while.
Dad Joke Sign-off: I asked the chicken how it stayed so good after the reheat. It just winked and said, "I don't wing it."