http://www.woodshedsmokehouse.com
Being a fan of Tim Love's "Dirty Love Burger" and having never visited his Lonesome Dove restaurant in the Stockyards but hearing great reviews, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with his newest culinary and dining destination, Woodshed Smokehouse. Located along the bank and a stone's throw from the Trinity River, it has the perfect setup. With party bulbs crisscrossing above your head, trees wrapped with white lights, fire pits and picnic tables, there you may forget you're right outside of Ft. Worth and if not for a lion's roar...the Ft. Worth Zoo.
Woodshed uses Hickory, Pecan, Mesquite, and Oak to smoke the meat. Much like a key to a map, on the menu you will find the wood used beside each food item. Sitting outside on a semi-cool March evening the aroma of different woods from the smokers were abundant. Heads up...if you're looking for a true smoke flavor you won't find that here. This is gourmet BBQ and for some reason what I've noticed with these type of restaurants...that often translates into "smoke free". Are the wood piles out front just a ploy?
To the best of my ability I ordered my standard. Market sausage happen to be an ironic concoction of hunter and prey, Rattlesnake and Rabbit. A half rack of pork ribs and half pound of brisket were ordered as well. Throw in the Mexican corn for amusement. The sausage was good but having two mild game flavors mixed didn't provide the pop I had hoped for. A bit of spice would've been a nice addition. One look at the brisket served and I knew what was about to come. No smoke ring or bark...tender roast beef.
Daniel Vaughn had reviewed Woodshed Smokehouse in September of 2012 remarking the lack of brisket on the menu with the statement "this might be the only smokehouse in Texas whose smoker hasn't seen a brisket"( http://fcg-bbq.blogspot.com/2012/09/woodshed-smokehouse.html ). Well now it seems that the brisket still hadn't found the smoker or rather the wood hadn't found the smoker. I was absolutely baffled as to how this could be? Surely Tim Love wouldn't neglect the brisket and surely his kitchen team would be knowledgeable in smoking brisket. It didn't seem right and it didn't stop there as the ribs were next. Smoke-less as well. Heavy on the parsley, maybe sage, rosemary and thyme. Its almost as if Simon and Garfunkel were the inspiration for the rib seasoning. The texture was spot on and I'll give it credit for the moistness and overall good flavor. They were unique but due to the word "Smokehouse" within the restaurant name...I was judging as a purist.
I left here with my belly full but with my BBQ soul empty. It's good and obviously has the business. You can't take away from the creativity and atmosphere. If the items ordered actually had a hint of the wood used, as noted by the menu key, this gourmet BBQ would have been completely welcomed and appreciated. But it's no authentic Que joint. Luckily I can enjoy it for what it is. If I walked around with a closed mind then I'd never learn. We're not in Central Texas anymore and that's what I must remind myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment