A Taste of Texas

Today for lunch we decided to try out a local restaurant just five blocks from our apartment that came with strong recommendations from a variety of Richmond sources. It so happened to be called "Alamo BBQ" and boasted a menu that was very familiar to new neighbors who hailed from Texas. Just three months old as a business, we were impressed with its setup: they provided a simple menu of BBQ - mostly sandwiches including pulled pork, Texas brisket (with jalapenos and onions), and BLT on Texas toast, as well as slabs of baby-back ribs and a BBQ portabello sandwich for the veggie lovers. They also had a great lineup of sides (jalapeno mac & cheese, potato salad with cilantro, Texas caviar, cowboy beans, corn & black bean salsa, etc.) and seriously tempting desserts. Two things that make them unique are that they're take-out only and they have no fryers, so you won't be finding onion rings, french fries, or fried okra on the menu. We took home a Texas brisket sandwich, BLT, and BBQ portabello sandwich with the potato salad and corn & black bean salsa plus sweet tea on the side and a tasty slice of lemon crunch cake for dessert, and we were very pleased! The meal was a nice taste of Texas, and we're sure to be regulars as we look forward to trying out additional items on the menu. I couldn't help but think of how my brother, dad, father-in-law, and friend Brent Watkins in San Antonio would enjoy this little restaurant, as all of them are avid BBQ fans.

One final note: as I was placing the order, Aubree encouraged me to ask if they truly had the qualifications to claim to know what "Texas" brisket should be. I decided to find out...
Me: "So are y'all from Texas?"
BBQ Guy: "Yeah, from the Houston area. You?"
Me: "We're from San Antonio."
BBQ Guy: "Cool...how long have y'all been in Richmond?"
Me: "About five days."
BBQ Guy: [chuckle]

It's nice to know we have a little slice of Texas in our neighborhood up here in Virginia.