Old Jimmy's BBQ #EstanzuelaTx — Restaurant in Nuevo León

Texan here. Been eating and cooking barbecue for 20+ years.

This is the second time I've visited this location and I must say, the food has certainly improved from the first visit.

The meat is good and the portions are so-so for the price. I firmly believe that the concept of barbecue has been skewed in recent years. Growing up in TX, the best barbecue wasn't "fancy" food. A good barbecue place understands that less is more. There's no pickled onions and macaroni in Texas barbecue. The best barbecue places had good meat, baked beans, and a good sauce, that's it. Everything else is fluff. White bread, not honey butter bread, and if you're gonna use coleslaw, you put it on the side, not in the sandwich, and definitely don't go cheap on coleslaw. It's cold slaw, for God's sake!

People try to do too much with barbecue cause they wanna copy what they see online. Use local woods, instead of sourcing expensive woods.

Another misconception about Texas barbecue; Texas barbecue is not a specific type of wood, it's the style in which you season and cook your meats. Try using local mesquite wood. It's cheaper and would give you more depth of flavor (if used properly, wrap with butcher paper 6-7 hours into the smoke) and is a local flavor that people are familiar with in this region. There's no point in using pecan or oak cause few people here have a reference to distinguish between them.

I understand why barbecue is so expensive these days, I know what is involved in making it, but there has to be value in those prices that make people return on the regular rather than just making it the occasional expensive meal.

Last thing I'll say is, if you can't source brisket cheap enough to be able to slice it traditionally, just take it off the menu. NO ONE likes chopped brisket. That's what you do with leftovers. Respect the brisket or don't sell it. Stick to the pulled pork.

Other than that, beautiful place, decent food, failry high prices, lots of road noise, and questionable bathrooms. Service could be better as well. You're selling $10 (USD) pulled pork sandwiches. Try smiling and building rapport with your customers to make them feel welcome.

Lots of room to improve, but still miles ahead of most other barbecue...

Fui hoy, no había pollo, no había hamburguesas, el mac and cheese sabía horrible, no sabía nada a queso y el codito esta duro, apenas lo probé y lo dejé, el lugar está muy descuidado, el dueño 0 atención, ni porque había poca gente fue para acercarse con los clientes, estaba como en plan tipo: vengan, paguen y vayanse! La comida esta muy sobrevalorada las porciones pequeñas y el menú super restringido, de lo que pregunte hoy no tenían ni la mitad del menú. Y al cobrar la muchacha que solo están contando dice, quiere dejar propina? y to dije pues propina porque? ni siquiera hay quien te atienda, tu tienes que ordenar tu tienes que ir por tu comida, tu tienes que recoger tu charola y tirar la basura, y todavía quieren propina???? hasta risa me dio! Lugar para conocer y no volver! mala experiencia y mega tacha...

Fui en sabado 4 pm la comida estaba fría a medio calentar no di propina a la chica porque desde que llegué estaba con su carota y como que no la agarre en su momento me atendió de mala gana y al cobrar me pidió propina y le dije que no claro que empeoró el trato le pedí hielo y me dijo que le lo daba con la orden ya había pagado mis refrescos y no le pude tomar hasta que me entregó la orden por los autos hasta ese momento me entregó el hielo ósea ni te sirven ni van a ver si ocupas algo en la mesa muy ahuevo me quieres dar hielo y todavía quieres propina estás bien mal mija la vdd ni comí agusto jamás volveré está muchísimo mejor el lugar de bbq en Linares claro está mas lejos pero vale la pena y aparte de todo caro mi novia y yo nos gastamos 1300 pesos cuando en el otro...