Foodie News
A first-day look at Phil's Texas Barbecue: A new Washington Ave. meat market
The cavernous building on the southeast corner of Washington dates from the 1930 as a garage, mechanic and auto dealership. Not that you can tell after stepping inside the new Phil’s Texas Barbecue, with its white walls, polished concrete floors, limestone columns and big, open spaces.
Phil's Texas Barbecue opened on Thursday and CultureMap was there to give you the early scoop.
Though antique signs and photos add some personality to the place (we particularly like the watering troughs used as planters on the patio), the place in some ways feels entirely too clean-cut — this is barbecue after all — and in need of some playful charring. "Corporate" was the word someone used, though of course on Washington Avenue that's hardly a slur.
The setup is nice, though. Walk in, grab a beer from the ice bin (or a Phil's root beer if that's more your scene), pick up a tray and request your meats from the cutting station. Finish off with sides (mac and cheese, baked beans, potato salad) and, if you can handle it, a slice of chocolate pecan pie.
Both the main dining room and the spacious mesquite-wood bar area are about the same size but at opposite ends of the restaurant.
We tried pretty much every meat on the menu: Sliced beef, ribs, regular and jalepeño sausage, turkey and chicken. The menu also boasts stuffed baked potatoes, salads, po'boys, a burger and barbecue sandwiches. Pit master Gilbert Arismendez gets a good, consistency and flavor out of the meats with Phil's two J&R smokers, though the sausage seemed to be the weak link (pun not intended).
The bone of contention centered around the barbecue sauce. Dark and sweet, it had a heavy dose of molasses flavor, a flavor profile that reminded one of us of mole and an aesthetic that reminded another of the oil spill. Some loved it, others not so much, and without it the meats were a bit dry. There's also a spicier sauce, but we didn't realize that until it was too late.
The sides were tasty, particularly the garlic cheese grits, and the Bananas Foster bread pudding has earned raves. But when it comes down to it, we're just not sure about Phil's yet.
Maybe dirty it up a bit, guys? It just feels so weird to eat barbecue in the clear light of day.
