(This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Last but not least: Fort Worth, Texas)
FORT WORTH, Texas β When in Rome β err, Texas, it's highly encouraged to eat at the panoply of barbecue restaurants. Even gas stations in Texas are capable of producing top-tier barbecue.
The contingent of Dallas-area media, TCU athletics representatives and Texans provided a laundry list of barbecue spots to try out. We landed on a Fort Worth staple, "Railhead Smokehouse BBQ," moments before closing following the Arizona Wildcats' 49-28 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs.Β
Restaurant:Β Railhead Smokehouse BBQ
Food: Barbecue
The rundown:Β Charlie Geren, a republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, and business partner and barbecue pit master Harry Pilcher opened Railhead Smokehouse BBQ nearly 40 years ago on Montgomery Street, which is about a 10-minute drive from Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Railhead nameΒ "pays homage to the time in the late 1800s when Fort Worth was the westernmost railhead and a transit point for shipping cattle east," said congresswoman Kay Granger. In addition to having a large dining area and bar, Railhead also has a drive-thru.Β
The motto at Railhead: "Life is too short to live in Dallas."
Railhead prepared roughly 300 boxes of food for the Arizona football team on Saturday night. Railhead staffers began preparing food for the UA football team around 4 a.m. on Saturday.Β Β
The order:Β Combination plate: pork ribs, brisket, jalapeΓ±o cheddar sausage, a side of barbecue sauce,Β beans, potato salad, onions, pickle spears, white bread and slaw, with fried cheddar poppers and ranch.Β
The final verdict:Β First and foremost, the hospitality and customer service at Railhead was top notch. The staff was very attentive and generous with portions, which turned into breakfast on Sunday morning before flying back to Tucson. I devoured the jalapeΓ±o cheddar sausage instantly; it was flavorful, juicy and not too spicy. The ribs had a smokey crust, but it was easy to eat and had a good amount of meat on the bone. I also cut up the brisket and placed it on the two pieces of white bread, drizzled barbecue sauce on the meat and made a barbecue sandwich.Β Β
I like to think of myself as a macaroni and cheese connoisseur, so it was slightly disappointing to hear Railhead doesn't serve Mac, but I pivoted and ordered the closest thing: fried cheddar poppers, which had diced jalapeΓ±os. That was the second item on the platter to go.Β
I didn't know the order came with coleslaw or else I would've asked for a substitution, but I'm not going to knock Railhead's rating just because they can't read my mind and didn't know I ask for no slaw (sub extra toast) at Raising Cane's. I prefer my slaw to be marinated with apple cider vinegar instead of mayonnaise β and slapped on a pulled pork sandwich. Despite the untouched slaw and no mac, Railhead gets a 10/10. IΒ didn't have enough room in my big ol' gut for peach cobbler. Maybe next time.Β Β Β Β
This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up first: Kansas State.Β
This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up next: Utah.
This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up next: Provo, Utah.
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This college football season, Arizona football beat reporter Justin Spears is trying out popular restaurants in towns the Wildcats are playing in. Up next: Orlando, Florida.Β
