Joel's Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Flatonia

We ea had a Brisket Sandwich. The brisket was cooked to perfection! Brisket was served w/o BBQ Sauce--YAY! We prefer to add our own. The place was clean, cozy & comfy. There was a pet-free indoor dining & a covered roomy, shady outdoor area(pets ok)....much appreciated bcuz we had our pups w us. The dining areas & the bathrooms were VERY Clean & Comfy. I would have given this est a 5 Star rating-the only complaint was that they were stingy w the brisket on the bread. The sliced brisket sandwiches are served on reg sliced bread w/o sauce. Our sandwiches each had three small pieces of brisket on them...this allowed the flavor of the bread to overwhelm the yummy brisket. I would have gladly paid a few more dollars to add a few extra slices of brisket on our sandwiches. If we ever pass thru Flatonia, Tx again, we'll stop by & eat here again. The other items on the menu looked yummy. I will also pay Extra to get a heaping sandwich full of that delicious Brisket! In all fairness, the prices are GREAT.. & it could have been a stingy employee that prepared our food. We'll def eat there again when we are in the area again. **The Store next to it is Stocked with the CUTEST & TRENDIEST Items at VERY Reasonable Prices!! The selection was Inspiring! There was everything from home decor, to kitchen accessories, artisan made glitter soaps that smell divine, jewelry, purses, wallets, stuffed critters for the lil ones,a HUGE gift selection, & GORGEOUS shoes & boots & more!! Both the restaurant &the store are great places to stop & enjoy on...

I was raised on southeast Texas creole barbecue. This means homemade links...not sausage. In the Houston area where I live we had the master of homemade stuffed links, Greens barbecue, on Almeda close to town as long as I could remember. Mr. Green passed and it eventually closed some years back and I’ve never had a link that has come close with that delicious vinegar based sauce that, thank you Lord is not sweet. I know it’s what I’m used to but I just hate a sweet barbecue sauce. My son actually called me when he happened to stop at Joel’s on the way to San Antonio and said...”mom, I think they resurrected Papa Green because I ate a link and the sauce was great! To make a long story short, I was able to get some and although we will have to drive 2 hours one way, this will be a regular trip my husband and I will happily make. We will have to just stock up and freeze it but are so thrilled to know there is still a place that does homemade links and sauce the way we had as kids. We are in our 60’s now so that is saying something that we are so pleased with these links. We searched for years. Broussards in Beaumont is good but just not quite “it”. Patillos in Beaumont was great once upon a time but has lost something. Their seasoning is different and odd now. So I just want to say please keep it up. My husband is creole and he says this is definitely creole style links and sauce. I don’t know if these folks are creole but we don’t care...We just want to say the links and sauce are from our dreams and we will see...

Stopped in on our way to houston. We got the two meat plate and a one meat plate. Here is what we thought:

Cole slaw is not super creamy but still not bad! Ribs good flavor, Not fall off the bone but still a decent rib. Potatoe salad is ok-sweet but yet tangy, maybe red peppers in it? Grocery store vibes. Good smoke ring on the sliced brisket. Beans are the least favorite. Almost taste like chili beans. Sauce is not thick enough. Kinds just taste like your eating beans. BBQ sauce we liked, more vinegar based Jerky is okay. More flavoring is needed. Sugar cookie was good. Soft and buttery. They only have can drinks for soft drinks.

The biggest downfall was the service. The older lady at the front needs to be replaced by a friendly face. Better order fast or she gets frustrated. She got upset we were taking pictures to give them a review. Commented on how odd our new American express card was. She wouldn't allow for a picture of their smoker. We asked if it was for secret reasons and she said no. Only thought is maybe she thought we were a health inspector? Lol it's not a bad spot but could be much better! Always room for improvement. Prices as of 5/28/23. I feel like you should get a little more...