We had a $10 off coupon and it was pretty good anyway...

Living in Texas we eat our share of BBQ.  And if you're from Texas you know all BBQ isn't alike.  We have just smoked, dry rubbed and smoked, smoked and sauced, sauced and probably a few more.  The purists say you smoke a brisket, serve it moist ( fat and lean together ) and don't even think about needing a sauce.  Let the meat speak for itself.  Well I can't deny a good chef doesn't need the help of a sauce if it's cooked just right but for me I love some sauce.  At Dickey's BBQ in Cedar Park, on 1431 and a little east of Bell, you can eat your BBQ either way.

I know I'll get eye rolls for talking up a corporate BBQ joint but really they aren't bad.  You won't walk in and see 100 years of tradition or get the smells of hickory or mesquite smoke but you will find a large selection of meats and sides.  Two meats and two sides run $10 bucks plus your drink.  They also serve beer if it's after work.

I had a plate of brisket and spicy cheesy sausage.  The brisket was nice and moist but had little fat.  It also lacked a good smoke ring on the side so it was a little like eating roast beef rather than BBQ.  I still give them props for getting it so moist and tender so don't think it's bad.  The spicy cheesy sausage was better.  Take your standard smoked sausage and add some jalapeno and cheese bits to it.  I dunked both in their spicy sauce to add a little more kick to the meal.  Steph had the Polish sausage.  She said she liked it but felt it had a funny smell to it.  I did note that it smelled a little too much like liquid smoke kinda chemically but she described it as smelly socks.  It tasted fine though and the sauce covered up the smell.

We had four different sides between us.  I had the cole slaw and mustard potato salad while Steph had beans and mac n cheese.  The cole slaw was fresh and creamy with a good crunch to it.  It's really good in my opinion.  The mustard potato salad was made from mashed potatoes, like my Mom makes, with some bits of pimento or red pepper.  It was tasty but could have used a little more zip.  Steph didn't like her beans.  They looked pretty standard BBQ beans but they had some flavor she didn't like.  She's picky as you'll find out if you keep reading my little stories of food.  I didn't try them but I'll get they weren't all that bad if you aren't picky.  She liked the mac n cheese saying it was cheesy enough and the noodles weren't "squishy."

Overall I'd say Dickey's is good if you get their "special" for the day or if you have a coupon.  I'm not sure I'd be completely satisfied with the experience if I had to pay full price.

Until next time keep that smoke out of your eyes...

If you want to see pics and get a different perspective on Dickey's just visit Steph's blog: Dickey's Barbecue Pit