Sometimes good things come from very unexpected places. And, wow, did we find one of those places today. Bolivar St. BBQ in ole' Sanger, Tx. If you've heard of Sanger, TX, it's probably due to Babe's, you know, the chicken place… Well the original is there, which is great in its own right. Let me tell you hwhhat (channeling inner Hank Hill voice), there is new competition in town and well worth the trip up north for a try.
Woke up still tired Sunday morning in Ray Robert's state park after a very long night of windy, loud thunderstorms crashing around our tiny, little RV. Hit the road and debated what to do for lunch and where we would park the RV; ended up deciding to drive to Sanger to see what was there and saw this place, parked the RV in a vacant lot around the corner and ventured in to Bolivar St. BBQ.
First off, the owner, Cody Cook, greeted us and gave us a run down of his concept, his top quality meats, his recommendations and how he believe his BBQ can hold its own with the greats of Pecan Lodge and Lockhart's in Dallas. Our mouths were already watering. Then, he sold us on something I doubt we would have tried otherwise. He pointed to the top right hand corner of the menu he was holding out for us: American Egg Rolls. He said they were truly something special and recommended splitting a 2 meat plate and an egg roll between us.
We did just that, picked Brisket and Jalapeno Sausage plate with a Buffalo-Chicken-Ranch Egg Roll. Man. I want to go back there just thinking about it. Okay, time to describe the food… where do we even begin.
To start, let's review the cut of meat that all Texas BBQ stops should be judged upon. The Brisket. The brisket was on point. Cut right off the fat cap, super moist with a true black Texas bark that melts in your mouth like butter. If you have had good brisket before, you know the feeling. If you haven't, you now know where to go. It was absolutely how it should be and cooked to perfection. Michal's exact word's were "I don’t think I have ever had brisket just fall apart so easily before." The girl knows her meats and that is one hell of a compliment.
The Jalapeño smoked sausage, hands down, might be the single best bite of sausage I have had in Texas. Both Cody and the hostess recommended it and it was something special. Served up with some of their vinegar based bbq sauce which really enhanced the natural smoke and head of the meat, was a bite worth it's weight in gold. Something you should know about me…I typically don't get into BBQ sauce. It's all about the meat. This sauce, unlike most, truly brought out the flavors of the meat, the smoke and enhanced the food 100%. Eat your heart out KC Masterpiece.
As for the sides, the cowboy beans were top notch as well. Smokey, yet sweet and perfectly prepared. They would hold their own anywhere. The onion rings were fair and as we both agreed were our least favorite part of the experience. But hey, who goes to a BBQ joint for onion rings? We certainly don't and certainly will be back regardless.
You know what else we don't go to BBQ joints for? Egg Rolls. Who get's a freakin' egg roll with their brisket and sausage? Anybody who eats at Bolivar Street and knows what's good for them, that's who. That thing was unreal. Really, we both took a bite, set it down and simply smiled and said 'wow.’ Made out of a fried flour tortilla and filed with buffalo sauced chicken and cheese. This is what truly sets this place apart. Unfortunately we were only able to try one of the four different egg rolls offered because they are about four times the size of a normal one, but hey, it's only an hour drive, and we plan to be back.
We can type out all the glowing thoughts and comments in the world, but at the end of the day, none of that really matters until you get yourself there, split an eggroll, eat some sausage and brisket and see for yourself. It is a fun, delicious experience that we couldn't recommend more. Now, go out and get you some! #WKNDR
