Welcome to Schoepf's

Schoepf’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
702 East Central Ave
Belton, TX 76513
(254) 939-1151
Schoepfs


The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You
Part X

“Schoepf's is a Texas favorite and has been featured by Texas Monthly Magazine, Ride Magazine, Texas Highways, The Food Network, and PBS. At Schoepf's, we pride ourselves on the fact that we repeatedly have been given the highest ratings for our great barbecue.”

Today after taking my dad to the Temple VA for a checkup, we decided to head further south down to Belton for some supposedly excellent BBQ. Schoepfs is a 16 year old family owned and operated Texas BBQ Joint, who excels at customer service and food.

As we pull into the lot you can see the smoke, huge load of lumber and several pits in the back. They burn the mesquite wood in a large "furnace" (pit) and when it burns down to coals; they use those coals to cook all their meats. This is where the technical term of BBQ gets tricky though.  When you use just coals, it might not seem like true Barbecuing... but it most definitely is, you just don't get as strong of a smokey flavor. That that doesn’t mean it isn’t great food. Now let us get to the food and the inner operation… shall we.

As you walk in there is a counter with two cutters behind it, and behind them is 2 more giants pits with several meats on them ready to be devoured, and a big ole menu above them. There is a lot to choose from: sirloin, brisket, turkey, four kinds of sausage (including venison), thick pork chops, chicken halves, pork ribs, and chopped beef or pulled pork for sandwiches. You can buy a sandwich, buy the by the pound, 2 different sized 2 meat combos plates (one is 1/3lb & one is 1/2lb), and they also have family packs for take-out. They also have a few sides, different kinds of breads and plenty of desserts to choose from.

I decide to go with the large 2 meat combo plate and get some brisket and their venison sausage. For sides I snag some slaw and potato salad with some of their jalapeno corn bread. So we get our food and our drinks, I pick up a shirt and then we sit down to chow down.

The first item I try is the venison sausage. Hands down some of the best sausage I’ve ever had. The venison was flavorful, the seasoning was good, the casing wasn’t too tough. The brisket was good flavor and tender, not very prominent smoke ring or smoky flavor due to their cooking process; but still pretty good. The slaw was fresh and crunchy with a little sweetness and just enough juice. The potato salad was pretty dang good; they leave some of the potato skins in for flavor and texture, throw in some pimentos, pepper, other seasoning and such and you got a great white German potato salad. The jalapeno corn bread was pretty good, was a little disappointed that it was served at room temp and not warm… but it had good flavor and wasn’t dry. Last but not least, their house BBQ sauce. It was like a sweat and spicy ketchup…. Was pretty good.

After eating I decided to get something to eat later for dinner, because I didn’t feel like cooking tonight. So I went back up to get a pulled pork sandwich. While waiting, once of the cashiers came up to the cutter asking about the price of so much sausage, instead of using meat from the pit to get the wait, he grabbed some trays and put them on the scale one at a time until they got the desired weight. Really surprised the cashier and I; it was pretty quit thinking on his part. So I got my sandwich and picked up a piece of butter milk pie. The pulled pork was pretty good; had great peppery flavor, with a hint of the BBQ sauce, was juicy and tender. The butter milk pie was the most disappointing. Was kinda dry, had a smoky flavor to it, and wasn’t very sweet…. Nothing like the butter milk pies I am used to.

Besides the pie, I was greatly pleased with my dining experience and would really like to go back there to try more of their dishes. I would also like to go back one day when they are hosting a concert. Ya, that’s right, behind the restaurant, they have a huge concert area; stage, bar, etc. They’ve hosted bands like Stoney LaRue and Whiskey Myers.

So if you are every heading down south on I-35, they are a great place to grab a bite to eat…. Right off I-35.

Ring the Bell Bubba

Bubba's on Hewitt
1520 B Hewitt Drive
Waco, TX 76712
(254) 420-3500
http://www.eatatbubbas.com/specials.html


I don’t play WacoBoard.com as much as I’d like, and usually the main reason I check it is to see if any new places have joined that I’ve never been to or heard of. Last week while goofing around on the site I found Bubba’s. It is a country style dinner, with two locations (one in Hewitt and one by Lake Waco Golf Course). I visited the one on Hewitt Drive since it is closer.

Contrary to what their website says, they are no longer open on Mondays… I learned that the hard way. But whatever…. I still found a decent lunch last Monday.

It’s a small little joint, kinda hidden away. When you go try this place, look for the Dominos, it is right there. I went a little before the busy lunch hour, while it was slow so I could take my time and chill. I sat over in the booths so I could recline… naturally. (I can’t be the only one who does that, can I?)

The waitress came over and told me the daily special and took my drink order. The special was the Club Sandwich, that didn’t really interest me. I wanted something that was more challenging. They have a pretty vast men with salads, wraps, plenty of different burgers, steaks and sandwiches, even a kids meal and breakfast. I was stuck on getting the Burger, Chicken Fried Steak or Patty Melt. I was really hungry so I went with the Chicken fried steak, mac and mashed. I originally wanted slaw, but they were out… ehh whacha gonna do.

So while waiting on my food, which really wasn’t very long, a couple groups come in to chow down… one seems like they visit regularly. It finally comes, a big ole CFS, scoop of mac and homemade mashed potatoes, toast and of course plenty of gravy. The CFS appears crunchier that most others Ive had. It’s a good tender cut of meat. The breading was pretty thick, nice and crunchy, and a little flaky; it was a pretty good CFS. The mashed potatoes were pretty damn good too. They left some skins in them, and I love when skins are left in the mashed. They had good consistency and flavor. They were probably my favorite part of the meal. The mac was my least favorite. It appears cheesy and gooey… but the flavor just wasn’t there. Seemed really bland; which was really disappointing for 2 reasons. 1) Cause all the other food was pretty good. 2) I love Mac N Cheese.

Over all I enjoyed the meal; It was filling, good price, nice atmosphere. I think next time I go I’ll grab either a burger or patty melts. Id really like to try their Breakfast… but I don’t think I could stand the drive… I want breakfast close. Haha.

If you are ever down in the Hewitt area, give them a try. They have a good menu, good food (so far), service and good atmosphere. All equaling a seal of my approval.

Super Duper Burger

CLOSED CLOSED CLOSED


Garretts @ 725
725 Austin Avenue, Waco, TX 76706
(254) 752-8700
Tues - Thurs: 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
Fri - Sat: 5:00 pm-12:00 am

Part 3:

I usually don’t write 3 part reviews… but this burger and this evening…. I just had to share it.

So a couple days ago while at work I was scanning Facebook on my iPod when I came across a photo of this big ole burger, posted by Chef Rolf and Garretts. It looked just….. just awesome, so I had to see the details on it: 1/2 pound house ground sirloin burger with aged cheddar, green Chile pulled pork and radish-Serrano pico. Made my mouth water…. Then I read that it was for the lunch menu that they are starting next week (8/16/2011) which was really disappointing. So I messaged Chef Rolf to see if he might be able to pull one little ole burger together for me to chow down on for dinner. He said he probably could pull something out.

I finally head to Garretts after drinking a few brews up at the Salty Dog. They have a nice little crowd sitting in, I go sit down at the bar area like usual. I like the bar cause that’s where most of the workers hunker around when its slow or when they need to place an order, and it’s fun talking with them all. Rebekah is there working away like usual, Charles is working the bar… and there is a new face (kinda, Ive seen her on Facebook). Her name is Aoife… pronounced “EE-fa”, not A-Oi-Fe… like I mistakenly thought.. but even she pronounces her name wrong, so its all good- lol. Remember this and don’t make a buffoon out of yourself like me…;) Cause I couldn’t get it right all night… I’m gonna blame the booze though. Mr. Bill Garrett was there too, eating a nice steak and hanging out with friends or family.

I place my order with Rebekah, since its kinda of an ‘off the menu’ item as of the moment and order a Dos from Chase. So while waiting for my food I talk to the crew, catching up, talking about business and such.

This monstrosity of a burger comes out, looks just massive. People are people I wont be able to finish it all… blah blah blah. To quote Burger King- “I am MAN hear me Roar!” (too corny?).

I start to chow down on this awesomeness that is a burger. The beef patty is thick, medium rare, juicy and very flavorful (cue the gay jokes). Most burgers that size Ive had are dry or flavorless… so I was very happy this wasn’t. The pulled pork was tender, juicy and could greatly taste the awesomeness that is Green Chiles. The cheese and pico were also greatly goodness. With bits of extreme heat punching you (due to the Serrano and Green Chiles) and with the cooling effect of the radish & cheese… Combined it was like a mini orgasm in the mouth. While eating, and conversing and drinking… Chef Rolf brings me out something they have been experimenting with lately, something very interesting; seared pork belly with a thickened au jus, mashed potatoes and green beans. Oh man oh man… that’s pretty much pure fat with a little bit of pork meat on it… melt in your mouth goodness. “EE-fa” didn’t like it, apparently she doesn’t like fat on her food (doesn’t know what she is missing). Before I touched it, I wanted to (have to) finish the burger.

After a couple more beers, I finally finish the burger… HA. Sadly by now the pork belly is a little chilled, but no worry, with its high fat content… it was still Delicious, I could’ve eaten a whole plate of that stuff. The homemade mashed potatoes… also amazing. After finishing everything Mr. Garrett comes up to me and offers to pay for it all if I finish a second burger… how tempting… but I feared I’d have to be rolled home if I did. Heck, this is the first time I haven’t ordered dessert.

Before I bowed out, I looked over their menu for lunch to see what they had installed. It is a much lighter menu, in price and style, but still looked very good. There were a couple things that really caught my eye and Id like to try… like the blueberry chicken salad. It was just an amazing dinner and, great music, great company… just one awesome evening.

So if you want to take some clients, friends or family out to a truly awesome lunch or to just try one hell of a damn good Gourmet Burger for a reasonable price you definitely gotta stop by Garretts.

Not Really A Cupcake Eater

What About Cupcakes
108 North 25th Street
Waco, TX 76710-7403
(254) 224-6610
Cupcakes


So apparently this place has been around since April 2008, and only a few blocks from my parents place… I somehow never knew it existed until I became a member of Waco Win Board. They are an eatery that “offers specialty cupcakes to match your tastes in flavor and appearance.” Today I had some spare cash and decided to go give them a try after running my errands.

You walk in and a hit with a sweetness in the air. It’s a small little joint, with a front area with the Cupcakes, shirts and other items and a side area where you can sit and enjoy the Awesomeness that awaits you. There are a couple of young ladies in line choosing their poison, so I browse a little until it my turn. They have a nice selection to choose from; not only in flavors but also sizes. I know I wanted to pick up at least two to try, but then I saw they had mini Cupcakes for only 90cents a piece. So after talking to the young lady at the register, she was very helpful, I obviously decided to buy one of each kind, in the mini form. I ended up leaving with one of each of the following: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry Oreo, Peanut Butter, and Margarita. They didn’t have one of the Neapolitans in mini form…. So next time I go on a Wednesday I’ll have to “force” myself to get a regular size one…. What torture.

Before I get to “dissecting” the cupcakes, I should probably say I’ve never been a big fan of sweets- cakes, pies, pastries, etc. I’m not a big eater or baker of such items; though I did take the Advanced Pastry Class at TSTC under Chef Fahler. I keep my cooking to the other realms of the culinary world, so my knowledge of all this stuff is very limited. But that doesn’t change my taste buds.

So let us now dive in to my thoughts on each individual Cupcake:

--Vanilla: Before biting into it, I breathed in the aroma… what struck me was a hint of fresh vanilla and sweet sugar. The frosting was light and sweet, with a hint of vanilla… not over powering like some places. The cake portion was also vanilla, tasted like white wedding cake and was very moist… even after sitting in my room for a couple hours.

--Chocolate: To be honest chocolate is probably my least favorite flavor when it comes to cake and cupcakes….unless it’s paired with something else that helps to calm down the chocolaty flavor. This cupcake was straight up chocolate. So I was a little reserved about eating it, and probably why I ate it faster than the others because I didn’t want to be over "chocolatfied." But I really enjoyed it, was the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever had. It was smooth, creamy, moist and not overly chocolaty.

--Strawberry: I love strawberry flavored desserts and candies. This was probably my second favorite out of the batch I bought. It reminded me of Bluebells Strawberry Ice-cream. The aroma itself reminded me of it, I couldn’t wait to take a bite, and the smell was strong enough to give you that taste in the back of your tongue… but not overpowering. This cupcake was very well made.

--Oreo: Who doesn’t love Oreos and Milk? It’s one of the best treats on a hot day for a sweet treat. You get a light chocolate aroma coming off it, with a hint of vanilla from the frosting. The frosting really tasted like cookies n cream ice cream. Was pretty awesome. Coupled with the moist chocolate cake and the Oreo slice on top… was a most excellent cupcake.

--Peanut Butter: I love peanut butter, and it doesn’t help that Im allergic to it. Just gotta remember to pop a Benadryl before I indulge myself in the awesomeness that is Peanut Butter. So I had very high hopes and expectations for this one, based on the ones Id already eaten. Topped off with a M&M, you get a hint of peanut butter aroma and chocolate. The frosting was very smooth & creamy, tasted just like fresh peanut butter. This was my favorite cupcake out of the bunch.

--Margarita: The most interesting one of the bunch. Topped with a small lime slice and lime green frosting you get a sweet citrus aroma. The frosting tasted like a mix between key lime pie and a virgin margarita… if only they would add a little tequila flavor to it… oh ya. The cake had a slight vanilla flavor to it, and like the others was moist and fresh.

Over all I really enjoyed my Cupcake experience. The lady working the register said I will visit them again, and she was right: Not only for my personal indulgence, but also to get some for friends, work, parties, whatever. If you like cupcakes you definitely need to check this place out.

 Slight Up-Date 1/23/12:

Over the months myself and my family have become very fond of this place. My mom especially has enjoyed their little treats. She bought some for her office Christmas party and some to bring to our family Christmas get together. There were no left overs from either of those :(  People love the mini cupcakes, they are just perfect for these sorts of things and great little midnight treats.

Ive also tried a few of their new/specialty items:During the Thanksgiving and Christmas time they tried out some seasonal flavors like Ginger Snap and their Push-Up Cup Cake. Both were very delicious. The Push-Up was the most interesting of them all though. Most of us remember the Flintstone Push-up Ice Cream that you could get from the Ice-Cream man. Well this was very similar, in that it used almost the same prop, except this one was of solid plastic. It has 6 layers; Frosting, Cake, Frosting, Cake, Frosting, Cake... with sprinkles thrown in. They came in 4 different flavors- Oreo, Strawberry, Chocolate, Wedding cake. I went with the Strawberry. I tried to just eat one layer ate a time, and even tried to save some for the next day..... but I failed. It was soooo good.

And I'm STILL not a cup cake eater.