Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Texas Through Time in Hillsboro

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Hillsboro – Texas has always been a popular place for earth’s inhabitants, even long before the Lone Star State became a state. Evidence of the biggest beings to roam the planet have been discovered in places like the Waco Mammoth Site and Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glenn Rose.

Conveniently located between both those sites is the Texas Through Time Museum in Hillsboro and it’s where you’ll find Andre Lujan digging through the dirt. “Texas is really unique because just about every geologic time period is represented in our fossil record. We had a flying reptile with a 40-foot wingspan, a flying reptile the size of a jet. We had some of the largest living land animals that ever walked the planet Earth. Amazing stuff.”

Andre is a self-taught paleontologist that put together this prehistoric place dedicated to telling the tales of Texas’ ancient past. From spiny creatures with sharp teeth to ancient alligators, Texas Through Time runs through the gamut of gargantuan and not so gregarious things that roamed these parts. “We’re really leaving no stone unturned. It doesn’t matter if the fossil’s the biggest or the best, if it’s found here in the state, then it’s part of our story. And they’re all important,” said Andre.

Getting to experience unique places like this is what we pride ourselves on showing here on The Texas Bucket List, but Andre has a different list he goes by. “Finding things that are on your bucket list. I found a saber cat skull when I was in the White River Badlands in South Dakota, and it was just so surreal,” he said.

Research and restoration takes place around the clock at Texas Through Time, and it’s work that you can actually witness. The prep lab is where the work gets done and where a lot of the dust gets made that you see on cases out front. Some fossils are displayed still intact with the rock in which they were found.

One of their trophy pieces at the museum is a cretaceous shark found in Uvalde. According to Andre, to find a skeleton of a shark is extremely rare, and to find one covered in skin is even more rare. This particular fossil represents the finest example of this type of fossil found in the universe, and it was found right here in the great state of Texas.

Andre’s expertise and passion for our prehistoric past has even made him an expert appraiser on Pawn Stars. “My knowledge of paleontology, which a lot of it’s been gained through experience and reading as much as I can, has kind of made me an expert in a lot of areas. So I’ve been called on as an expert for the History Channel and the other places to come out and share my knowledge and help them solve problems,” Andre mentioned.

But Andre’s biggest goal is to inspire the next generation of dinosaur diggers. He said, “when I have young people coming in here, kids that want to be a paleontologist, and I can put a fossil in their hand, and they can go in the lab, it becomes real for them. It’s no longer a dream, and that’s really cool.”

If you’re looking to learn more about our prehistoric past and want to see some cool fossils along the way, be sure to check out the Texas Through Time Museum. And just maybe, you’ll find as much interest in it as Andre, who will do this until he is also a fossil.

The Texas Bucket List – Walburg German Restaurant and Biergarten in Walburg

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Walburg –When fall finally finds its way to the Lone Star State and October rings in the festival season, there’s no shortage of places to raise a pint or liter at. But up on the north side of Williamson County is Walburg, a small German community that’s got a reputation for having a good time. “You can bring your entire family from one to 99 out here and everybody’s entertained,” said customer Deborah.

Ronald Tippelt, the owner of the Walburg German Restaurant, hails from Munich, Germany. Ronnie said his parents made sure he stayed in school so he didn’t end up as a restaurant owner. But here he is, ending up with a restaurant anyway.  “all my family’s in Munich. I’m the only defector. They feel sorry for me. I feel sorry for them,” joked Ronnie.

To say Ronnie enjoys owning this restaurant might be an understatement. This German party started off as an adventure for him back in 1987. It was then that a 27-year-old dude from Deutschland decided he wanted to start off an adventure in a German town that wasn’t in Germany.

What makes Ronnie’s place really unique is the authentic Bavarian buffet on the weekends, a boat load of German beers, a beautiful beer garden, and the fact that Ronnie himself sings to his customers. If you guessed yodeling is his specialty, you guessed correctly! Ronnie never thought his singing skills would pay off in the Lone Star State. “I played a few gigs and the people liked it. I said, “Well, I’m going to start going that. There’s actually money in it,” Ronnie said.

Craig Bond is the head chef at the Walburg German Restaurant, and he happens to be English. Turns out he married a girl from Texas who got him to leave jolly ol’ England for the finest place on the planet. Craig has been working in the kitchens for about 18 years, but he had a specialty for seafood. Thanks to Ronnie relinquishing his recipes to Craig, he’s now serving up sauerkraut and schweinebraten. He said, “Food makes people happy and this is the perfect setting and environment for people to do that.”

We always talk about bellying up to the bar, but for the first time on The Texas Bucket List, we decided to belly up to the buffet. The buffet had a combination of German and Texas favorites, and after putting together a plate the size of Neuschwanstein Castle, I was ready to chow down.

I headed straight for one of my favorite things – sauerkraut. With the nice vinegary taste and rye seeds, it was fantastic. Then onto the schweinebraten, wiener schnitzel, and finally, the brat. Everything was top notch and made my German meal complete!

If having some incredible German food or just toasting to the day is something you’re looking to do, coming to Walburg is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – The Place in Normangee

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Normangee – If you’ve never been through Normangee, you’re not living outside the norm. Located a few miles off I-45 in between Dallas and Houston, this town of 772 folks moves slower than most. But right on the edge of town is The Place, which has become a popular destination for folks to eat in town.

Candy Tinkham owns The Place and has lived in Normangee since 1996. When Candy purchased this old house in 2018, she did something she sometimes can’t even believe.  She opened a restaurant.

Candy had the faith it would work out. Candy said, “if it wouldn’t have been for that, I would’ve quit or maybe never even started. It was a process that God just took all the way through.”

One of the most unique aspects of The Place is that it doesn’t look like any place at all. It simply looks like an old home on the side road, and some people in town still think that’s all it is. “It’s amazing how many people in town still don’t know because they don’t go any further than the grocery store,” Candy said. “We’re on the edge of town.”

Fortunately, Candy has a great support staff of local women that always keep things positive and uplifting. “We have a lot of fun and if it gets stressful, Lynn makes us stop and pray, like this morning. If it gets crazy, we’ll turn on the radio, start singing, dance a little bit,” Candy reflected. “We pray every day. That’s a must, yes.”

Daisey Garner is one of the cooks at The Place and she put together two sandwiches that this place is known for – the chicken bacon ranch and the pimento cheese.

Daisey got going on the chicken bacon ranch by toasting a sub roll while grilling marinated chicken and bacon. Mozzarella is melted onto the sub roll, and then comes the ranch. Bacon, avocado, and sliced chicken complete the Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich assemble.

This sandwich is probably their most popular, and I can see why! It was awesome with so much flavor and it even smelled amazing. The mozzarella was extremely cheesy and combined with all the other ingredients, it made for an incredible sandwich.

Next, the Pimento Cheese sandwich starts off with a toasted jalapeno sourdough bun that gets topped with a large helping of homemade pimento cheese. Throw on some bacon and avocado and that puts it all together.

The pimento cheese was everything you’d expect – salty, gooey, and delicious. Another great sandwich!

“It’s hometown good,” said customer Mary.

If you’re looking for a place that’s got the perfect pimento cheese sandwich or a nicely sized chicken bacon ranch, coming to The Place in Normangee is the right place to be, right here on The Texas Bucket List.

The Texas Bucket List – Laura’s Cheesecake in Mount Pleasant

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Mount Pleasant – On any early morning in East Texas, as the moon still shines over the Lone Star State and the hustle and bustle around Mount Pleasant begins, cheesecakes are already coming out of the oven in a commercial kitchen just off the square.

When you walk through door, the smell of butter emanates through the air. “Yeah it does. We like butter,” joked baker Robin Croley.

Robin is the head baker at Laura’s Cheesecake and she’s up all night making sure these delicious cakes are ready for the new day ahead. Her passion and positivity, combined with her East Texas charm, might make her sweeter than the treats she’s putting together. Robin said, “it’s not just about a cake, it’s about a Laura’s cake to me. That says something.”

Suzanne Walker is the current owner of Laura’s, but she’s not the second or third owner. Laura’s has traded hands four times since Walter and Laura Bass created the Main Street Bakery in Dangerfield, Texas back in 1989. But there has always been one consistent component to this place, and that’s Robin. “I wouldn’t have bought this place if Robin didn’t come with it. She had to be a package deal,” Suzanne joked. “Her work ethic is incredible. She truly does care about people and that’s what she does.”

For Robin, it’s about making more friends and more memories. She said she’s made friendships with all of the owners and has worked with many great people. “Every owner has brought their passion to the table and their strengths and has helped escalate Laura’s to the next level. But the most beautiful piece of it is Robin, who’s that common thread who weaves it all together,” Suzanne said.

This decade Robin will be hitting 40 years of doing this, and she is proud that Laura’s is still in business after all this time. “She came in with a baby on her hip and looked at Walter and she said, “I need a job and I’m going to have a job today. You can hire me or I’ll find someone that will.” He thought, why not? So he rolled the dice and it was the best dice roll he ever had,” said Suzanne.

After learning how to make these legendary cheesecakes from Laura herself, Robin has been regulated to continuing this East Texas tradition. Suzanne makes sure Robin always has everything she needs. “We haven’t altered it. We haven’t changed it. We took what was working and kept it,” Suzanne mentioned.

Robin said, “we still get the cheese from the same company. We still get the eggs from the same. It’s still Daisy sour cream. To most people, that wouldn’t mean that much, but it really does. It does to the baker.”

When you come to Laura’s, you get to start off with a tried-and-true regular cheesecake.  With absolutely amazing flavor, it is the perfect cheesecake. The texture is great, it’s so buttery smooth.

Now if you’re someone who thinks the best cheesecakes come from a big ol’ city, Robin has flown the coop on that idea. She said, “this is a Texas cake, I guess.”

If you ever find yourself in Mount Pleasant, you need to have a piece of Laura’s cheesecake. Like Robin said, “all the rest is just cheesecake.”

The Texas Bucket List – Hallelujah BBQ in El Paso

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El Paso – Blake Barrow is a man with a passion.  A passion for cooking on a pit. “Obviously, I love the barbecue. I have been a student of central Texas barbecue for at least 45 years,” said Blake.

Most days, you’ll find Blake tending his pits in a downtown El Paso parking lot, preparing part of the meal at this heavenly hot spot called Hallelujah BBQ.  But this isn’t Blake’s full-time job, this is sort of a side hustle to his head duties as the CEO of the Rescue Mission of El Paso.

“The barbecue is simply a means to an end. And the end is restoring people’s lives,” Blake explained. “Hallelujah BBQ is our vocational rehab program.”

Blake practiced as a lawyer is the past but back in 1997, he found himself drawn to helping the deprived.  “We’ve got up to 190 beds. That’s 190 broken lives. And I get to be part of putting them back together and helping them become productive. The bottom line is this is a divine calling and God called me to basically quit law and help people who are homeless,” Blake went on.

Those hungry are welcome to a meal at Hallelujah BBQ. There are also plenty of people who are willing to pay for a meal.

Fred Johnson now works at Hallelujah BBQ but first came to Rescue Mission of El Paso in February of 2018 to get help. “I fell into drug addiction and ended up getting in trouble. I got busted and ended up in jail. And the federal judge actually asked, I asked him for help. And he said, ‘well, I’ll send you to a program at the Rescue Mission,’” Fred explained.

“Fred went through our drug and alcohol program. I believe he’s been clean about three years now. He’s reunited with his wife and his two kids, and he’s got his own apartment and his own car. That’s what it’s all about. That floats my boat,” said Blake.

David Myers has also been blessed by BBQ. “It saved my life, this place here, and I know it’s saved countless other lives,” David said.

Hallelujah BBQ has created a welcoming, loving environment that is projected to the people that are homeless who come to the door. When I asked Blake why he thinks God called him to this, he stated simply, “God fills the deficiencies I have. And really, if you want to boil my job description down, all I do is pray and listen, that’s it.”

Those prayers are being answered through the success of the smoked meats and those who go through the program. In fact, Hallelujah BBQ is getting a new home in a 100-year-old building that’s only a few feet away from the rescue mission.

“If anybody is struggling with an addiction and needs help and they really want to change their life around, this is the place to come,” noted Fred.

“I wish we could do this a hundred times around Texas. That’s what we need. This is a model for what a shelter should be. And the food is better than anywhere else,” Blake said.

At Hallelujah BBQ, they’re remedying the feelings of being unwanted and unloved with the richness of soul and spirit, all while serving up some sensational sustenance seeped with holy smoke. This unique mission that serves up some great BBQ is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Boot Hill Cemetery in Tilden

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Tilden – The landscape of McMullen County is what you’d expect in south Texas.  It’s a desolate land covered in mesquite, brush, and the occasional cactus. Tilden is the county seat of this sparce part of the state, and it happens to be in the 5th   least populated county in Texas.

“The population’s about 800.” The whole county? “The whole county.” Wow. “Yes, that’s correct.” You’re not kidding. There aren’t- “No, there’s not. And about 1,160 square miles, so it’s a big county with few people,” said McMullen County Judge James Edward Teal.

Teal is a 5th generation Texas who was raised in this rustic region.  James has served as the County Judge since 2010. “Every ounce of soil that’s in this county, I have a huge fondness for,” James said. That includes the old cemetery located right outside of his office in the center of town. Contrary to most historic cemeteries, this graveyard isn’t grandiose or even of great notoriety.

The Boot Hill Cemetery was established in 1858 and has become an odd sight given the town has grown around it. According to James, “McMullen County, and Tilden especially, were on a trade route from San Antonio to Laredo and a lot of shady characters came around. There were a lot of people that were killed under mysterious circumstances, or by murder.”

When asked why it’s called Boot Hill Cemetery, James said that the story he was always told is because men died with their boots on.  Assassinations, gun battles, cholera, and being thrown from a horse were the ways of the west back then. Not so peaceful endings!

“A lot of them were killed on the streets, and one of them killed because he was wearing a top hat and a guy thought that he could shoot a hole in the top hat, and he ended up shooting the guy in his tracks and killing him. He’d had a little too much to drink. So that’s the story that floated around here, anyway,” said Teal with a chuckle.

There are some more established grave sites that are obvious for a reason. “What I’ve been told over my lifetime is that these graves that are covered with concrete and rock were actually graves of people that had died of cholera,” James said. “The residents were definitely afraid of the spread of cholera, so they covered the graves in hopes that the cholera wouldn’t leach through the ground.”

We also saw a grave site that was the most pronounced grave in the site, and it was very different from the rest. With a massive solid slab gravestone surrounded by a rusted iron fence, it’s the most ornate grave on the grounds. “This young man died in a horseback accident. He’d fallen off a horse. And whenever news got back to his family, his family actually shipped this wrought iron fence and the granite covering,” Jim explained. “The young man’s name was Greer. I think he was 25 years old or so when he passed, so this is a permanent monument that his family set up for him. And it’s been right here, of course, since he was buried in 1874.”

Now in their eternal rest, these pioneers have put Tilden on the map in a unique way, by kicking the bucket with their boots on. James noted, “it’d be very, very interesting to know the real truth. What the real truth is, and how accurate our stories have been passed down. It would be great to know that.”

If you’re interested in old lore and tales of Texas, the Boot Hill Cemetery is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Goodstock by Nolan Ryan in Round Rock

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Round Rock – Cattle ranchers across Texas work all day, every day, to produce some of the finest filets of beef you’ll find. The best place to find these cared for cuts of beef is your local butcher, and in Round Rock, there’s a meat market that showcases a particular rancher’s array of beef, Goodstock by Nolan Ryan.

Nolan Ryan is a name any red blooded, meat eating, baseball loving person in our part of the world should know.  Considered the greatest major league baseball pitcher of all time with his 5,717 strikeouts and 7 no hitters, he dominated the diamond for over four decades, playing for the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers. “I was very fortunate that I was able to spend 14 of my 27 years in Texas playing for one of the Texas teams,” said Ryan.

Nowadays, Nolan still has his hands in baseball as a co-owner of the Round Rock Express but when he’s not dealing with business at the ballpark, he’s got beef on his mind.

When asked if it harder to tame batters or bulls, Nolan answered, “Well, let’s put it this way, we call bulls on disposition and you can’t call hitters.”

In 1966, when Nolan made his MLB debut with the Mets, the life of professional baseball player was a bit different then. Having a beef business had always been on the back burner.

“While I was playing and never anticipating my career to go 27 years, I started trying to prepare myself for what I wanted to do and would probably do after I retired, and the cattle business was definitely one area that I had a passion for. And I had a passion for it from the time I was five or six years old. Why that is, I don’t know, but baseball allowed me to pursue that,” Nolan said.

Winning his World Series Ring afforded him a reliable job for a really long time and he was able to purchase his first piece of property that he still owns today. “Being on a World Series team in ’69 with the Mets. In those days, what we called your World Series check was three times what my salary was, so that was a big windfall for Ruth and I to be in a position to receive that kind of money. And so I took that and bought the first piece of property that I own, and I still own it today. And so it allowed me to start pursuing what my interest was,” said Ryan.

Nolan is still active and out on the ranch doing things today. He said, “I think that the challenges of being active and being involved in things that you have a passion for makes a difference. We take a lot of pride in the cattle that we raise and have established, I think, a reputation of having good cattle.”

That’s why Nolan created Goodstock – a chance to show off his beef in an old school butcher shop.

“Ranching’s a passion of mine. And so, to be in the retail beef business gives me an opportunity to see how our product performs and I feel real good about it. And when I sit down and have a steak and it represented what I was anticipating, I feel really good about it,” Nolan stated.

Goodstock is awesome because fans can actually come in and see some of Nolan’s ranching memorabilia, as well as have an opportunity to talk to the butcher and discuss different products, which broadens their perspective on beef. The memorabilia you’ll find at Goodstock is different than his baseball memorabilia, such as a set of spurs Nolan’s friends had made for him and the books he used to read while on the road during his baseball career about the cattle business.

While we know there are a lot of amazing moments in Nolan’s baseball career, there have also been some on the ranching side that are comparative. “Well, when I received a Golden Spur Award, I was very proud of that, and I was very honored that I was selected for that. And that’s voted on by the Quarter Horse Association, Texas Feedlot Association, Texas Southwest Cattle Raisers, and the Farm Bureau,” Nolan mentioned.

But if cooking meat isn’t really your forte, you can always experience Goodstock at some of our favorite BBQ joints across the great state of Texas, including 1775 Texas Bit BBQ in College Station and SLAB BBQ in Austin. “I think barbecue places do a real good job of promoting their product and promoting their individual restaurants. And when you have a popular place, you take a lot of pride in the fact that they’re using your product. And so, you want it to be a good experience,” said Ryan.

With their beautiful selection of beef, Goodstock makes for a great stop on The Texas Bucket List.  For me personally, it presented  chance to check something major off my bucket list.  Playing catch with Nolan Ryan.  Talk about checking off the list!

The Texas Bucket List – Cowboys and Indians in Houston

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Houston – In a town known for its cultural diversity, it’s no wonder you’d find a restaurant like Cowboys and Indians.

“Classic Texan cuisine, authentic Indian cuisine, the Houston way,” owner Imran Khan said.

Imran is the man who has brilliantly marketed this fusion food restaurant.  He was born in India, but grew up in Ohio and moved to Houston in 2000 for a career in oil and gas. 22 years later, he now owns a restaurant too.

Walk into his restaurant and you’ll find all his family working there. “My uncles work in the kitchen. My mom and my aunts created recipes, and we’ve added different folks to the family. And it’s just great to be able to see all that,” says Imran.

Alongside Chef Jamil Bhutto, the family cooks up creative dishes that pay tribute to two cultures on opposite sides of the world. Imran noted, “we’ve put together a great menu set-up that doesn’t have too much Indian food and doesn’t have too much Texan food, but it creates a unique concept.”

I had the opportunity to get in the kitchen and meet his uncles while also cooking up three unique dishes at this awesome restaurant. The first dish we made was a traditional Indian dish known as Beef Nihari which also happens to be Chef Jamil’s specialty.

Cooked 7-8 hours, Chef Jamil starts with a pot of sauteed onions and adds ginger and garlic. Then the Indian spices are added, and next is the beef shank. Then, more unique herbs and spices are added.

While that was cooking and simmering, Uncle Akbar got started on the Naan-chos which is a fusion dish that is similar to nachos but made with Naan bread instead of tortilla chips. It’s layered with mozzarella cheese, chicken, and a house made topping called the 65 sauce which is like an Indian barbecue sauce, according to Imran.

Our last dish was a unique take on chicken fried chicken which is prepared the same way you’d find at any old café in the Lone Star State. When it comes time to top it, you can get it with the butter chicken sauce which is unique to Cowboys and Indians.

Each of these dishes had an incredible, unique flavor that I’m sure you can’t find anywhere else.

“You can get nachos everywhere, but you can’t get Naan-chos, I don’t think, any place, but here,” said customer Don.

“It’s really got its unique flavors. And I think once you try it and you aren’t so intimidated by it, you’re hooked,” said another customer, Linda, when talking about the chicken fried chicken.

“The different flavors, the different everything. It’s just something absolutely brand new,” Don said about the Beef Nihari.

If you’re looking to travel the world and try a little Indian cuisine along with some classic Texas favorites, Cowboys and Indians is well worth a stop!

“Something I’ve always loved about Houston is whatever you’re in the mood for, you can find it,” noted Imran.

The Texas Bucket List – The Menger Hotel in San Antonio

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San Antonio – The stories of old San Antonio go back centuries and on some of the most hallowed ground in the whole state, you’ll find the Menger Hotel. This hotel has been a popular place for nearly 200 years.

Garvin O’Neal is the general manager of the hotel that is located right next to the Alamo. He has worked in many prestigious properties across the Lone Star State, but the hospitality industry wasn’t his original plan. “I was in chemical engineering,” said Garvin. “I got a D in calculus my freshman year, so I said, maybe this ain’t for me.”  Garvin also does an amazing Robert De Niro impression and has even been confused for the famous actor!

After his long career, Garvin received a call from the Moody family who own the Menger Hotel to take over. Garvin answered, “I’m in… I love this hotel for years. Stayed in this hotel lots and got the Menger. Yeah, it’s a great hotel.” When asked what resonates the most with him about this hotel, he said the sense of history it has.

The Menger Hotel opened in 1859, just 23 years after the fall of the Alamo. It was built by William and Mary Menger who originally built it as a brewery with a boarding house. Ultimately, the Mengers used their profits from that to build one of the finest full-service hotels west of the Mississippi.

The hotel was redesigned around 1909, but the original 1859 lobby has the same bones. Soon after the hotel opening, the restaurant was added. The hotel then underwent more construction to add the east wing because of the large success of the place.

While walking through the hotel, you will still find some of the original furniture the Mengers had a hand in putting in. According to Garvin, “The Mengers went to Europe between the fifties and the seventies to buy great pieces of antique furniture like [the] Steinway. And as you look through the lobby, you see some pieces that are original to the Menger Hotel in the first phase and were purchased by William and Mary on their trips to Europe.”

Many people have stayed at the Menger over the years, including celebrities like Roy Rogers, Babe Ruth, and presidents Grant, Lee, McKinley, Eisenhower, and Clinton. Additionally, several Texas history authors, such as Sidney Lanier and O’Henry, have spent weeks at a time at the Menger.

The Colonial Room is one of the most famous areas where people have gathered over the years because of its reputation for serving a tasty treat. This restaurant has become known for its homemade mango ice cream, and let me tell you, it is fantastic!

There is another aspect to the Menger Hotel that is a popular topic – the spooky stories. “I think when it comes to paranormal, it’s the power of suggestions. So people come in thinking, ‘wow, this place is haunted.’ Then you walk the hallways over there and it is wooden floors and they creak, right? They creak and you’re like, ‘wow, that’s weird,” said O’Neal.

One of the most famous spots for hauntings is the King Ranch suite. In this very room and even exact bed, Richard King, the founder of King Ranch, passed away in 1885. Garvin said “it’s also the most requested room in the hotel because people want to go and have Richard King visit. He’s the most popular ghost, apparently, in the hotel.”

Garvin chalks up the creepy noises and creaks to the hotel’s old age. Although, he did mention he has had one creepy encounter of his own.  “I’ve had one fleeting moment of something very bizarre. I sensed somebody being next to me up there. But I haven’t let it get to my head.”

There is also the Menger Bar which deserves a story of its own! But this time, we only checked in on one of the most storied places to stay in our great state of Texas.

If you’re looking to see and experience Texas history, a stay at the Menger Hotel is a great spot on The Texas Bucket List. Like Garvin says, “If you want to get a sense of culture and go back in time to the late 1800s and get a feel of San Antonio from that perspective, then you probably need to stay at the Menger.”

The Texas Bucket List – Brantley Creek BBQ in Odessa

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Odessa – Finding craft BBQ in west Texas is not always easy to find. So when I heard about a BBQ trailer in the middle of an Odessa parking lot, I wasn’t sure if it would be a big hit.

We happened to be in Odessa when I saw the barbecue truck with a really long line, so we figured it was time to see what Brantley Creek BBQ was all about. We came to understand why this place has such a good reputation!

Brandon McPherson is the owner and pitmaster that wears his Texas pride on his sleeve. Growing up in Odessa, he started off his career working on the pumpjacks but always had barbecue in the back of his mind. “It’s nice to bring something to Odessa that hasn’t been around, a craft barbecue,” said Brandon.

He grew up with his grandfather always barbecuing in his backyard and loved the smell, taste, and the work it took. “I feel like it was a challenge,” Brandon said. Being in west Texas, a challenge it is.

Brandon got started making BBQ after losing his job in 2019. Despite the pandemic, Brantley Creek BBQ boomed. “Opening a food truck during the pandemic really helped us out. Being COVID, nobody wanted to go inside anywhere. We had lines all the way to the fence back there,” Brandon noted.

One of the big hurdles Brandon must overcome is finding where to get the wood from. There aren’t many trees in Odessa, so it can be difficult to find a good wood source. He gets his wood from the other side of Abilene because the little bushes near by won’t cut it according to him.

Brandon has another small disadvantage. He’s never tried any of the big-name BBQ joints across the state, so he doesn’t have much to compare his food to.  “There’s so many places I want to go try and people I want to talk to, but I’m a lone ranger out here,” he mentioned. “It’s a little bit scary. I was a little leery, but we just keep fine-tuning it and going with it.”

It was time to put together a platter! Brandon sliced up his prime beef brisket that he cooks on a 1000-gallon offset smoker using mesquite and oak. Then ribs are were added to my plate. Brandon’s family recipe of pinto beans is a popular side, with a subtle tone that goes perfectly with the barbecue. The mac and cheese is another popular side dish. It’s ooey, gooey, and gushy, making it the perfect addition to your plate. Add in a Texas twinkie with the jalapeno and cream cheese that provides a little sweetness, and all that adds up to one massive plate of meat.

“This gives that true barbecue and everything. You can order it for a good, decent price and eat some good food,” says patron Brandon Watts.

I could tell by the aroma in the air that it smelled just like some of the best, because at The Texas Bucket List, we set the bar high when it comes to barbecue across the great Lone Star State. We’ve had some of the best, and if you’re wondering if Brantley Creek BBQ measures up, yes, it does!

“Good, very good. It’s awesome. Good stuff,” said customer Sai Tavarez.

Despite his incredible BBQ, Brandon is a humble man of few words. When asked why coming and trying Brantley Creek BBQ is something every Texas must do before they kick the bucket, Brandon answered, “Man, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Well, because it’s the best barbecue out here,” says Sao.

“Good people, good barbecue. It’s just good,” notes Elizabeth.