MEGA Texas Barbeque — Restaurant in Fresno

Went in around noon and got two 2 meat platters costing around $52. As an avid BBQ lover and one with a wide understanding of real Texas BBQ, this place has its good moments and also its bad moments. The order placing system is very inefficient , in traditional Texas BBQ, you order with the butcher and it’s ready as soon as you pay, however this system requires you to navigate straight to the cashier and order, with the cashier lady having no access to a POS system and instead taking orders through a notepad and payments through a phone. She would have to walk all the way to the butchers with your order before taking the next customers order. This system of order placing is inefficient and can take a lot of unnecessary time. Wait times were averaging 10 minutes even though it was not busy. Solutions: create a POS system so butchers can see the orders immediately and not have to rely on a yellow piece of paper. Another option is to relieve the otherwise very shy and timid butchers behind the counter, when I went they didn’t even make eye contact with you or smile, wave, they all just kind of stood there waiting for an order. Make the butchers raise their voice and take your order in front of you. This system would make customer experience much more gratifying, and also create a big engagement and welcoming opportunity for customers to experience Texas BBQ. Cashier lady was nice, but she was only doing so much in her power, having to take payments through a phone only and taking your order through a yellow piece of paper and having to walk all the way to the butchers to place it, is going to be hours wasted in the long run. Building was very well decorated , beautifully maintained and unique architecture, I commend on there. Owner was also present in the building however he didn’t engage with customers much and was just in the background, nothing too bad about it, still a good opportunity for customer engagement as many who come here most likely have never had Texas inspired bbq. Now, on to the food. I ordered brisket and tri tip with coleslaw and rice pilaf, while my partner ordered ribs and pork belly with potato salad and Mac and Cheese. Brisket is approved very well, one of the first things to judge at any bbq restaurant is how they smoke their brisket. Very tender, juicy and you can tell they use a lot of beef tallow on the brisket to retain moisture and give it that fatty taste. Well done. Tri tip was delicious as well, it’s hard to make good tri tip since the meat is mostly lean and muscle, however they did a good job with it. Pork belly was delicious as well, fatty taste but not overwhelming. However the ribs, the ribs were underwhelming. In traditional Texas competition bbq, The ribs are usually on the sweeter side, most Texans prefer sweet ribs. The ribs here at mega Texas, were very peppery, you can see the high mesh black pepper and peppercorn, I believe either it was over seasoned or maybe that’s just how they want it, but a bit too peppery for my taste. For local Fresno residents who have no idea of the heaven of real Texas bbq, they will all think this is the best. However real bbq enthusiasts might disagree with some parts. The sides we ordered were also underwhelming, being neither good nor bad, rather just “alright”. The coleslaw was very creamy and runny, and the Mac and cheese wasn’t cheesy. Rice pilaf was actually good, so points for that. Potato salad was “alright” at best. I thought the Hawaiian bread roll they give you would actually be bad, but it was actually pretty good, although a bit underwhelming on the fact you’re getting a grocery store piece of bread. The portion sizes is spectacular as well, I recommend the two meat platter if you want to be full though. This location has a lot of opportunity to grow, and I hope they improve their customer experience as well as their side menu, I guarantee more people will love sweet ribs then peppery ribs, so I would suggest experimenting with that. Otherwise, great place, a bit pricey, but still a...

Being Mega Texas, the brisket lives up to the name. The perfect midsection of the brisket with some lean and flat is my favorite. The golden fat melted as it touched my tongue and the flat was super moist. It’s that perfect texture that I always took forward to with every brisket. The ribs were sweet and had the perfect bite. Not too tender not to tough. The perfect baby bear bite. As much as I like glazed pork belly, I would 100% rather have it unsauced. It lets me enjoy the taste of pig in nice bite sized pops.

If you do come here, GET THE LOLLIPOP CHICKEN. The way that it is frenched removed the tendons unlike other lollipop chickens I’ve had. The way that the bacon is wrapped is perfect. I took a bite, and the bacon stayed stuck to the chicken.

If I went to the doctor and had to get a shot, this is the lollipop I would want.

On the note about the bacon wrap, the same perfect wrapping was done on the Texas Twinkie. This might just be me, but I think I got the perfect jalapeño. Not too spicy with the perfect amount of kick. These bacon wraps are perfect.

Both the sides!!! In case you cant tell in the picture, the topping on the Mac and cheese is chicharrones. The extra flavor and texture that adds to the mixture is divine. The more I eat the more I enjoy the contrast in textures and this is a prime example of that. I needed rice and the pilaf was the right choice. After all these rich meats it brought me back home. It literally tasted like home. Like the staple of every meal for a warm home cooked meal warming both the body and heart.

The strawberry shortcake parfait was mixed with a custard with whipped cream folded in that kept it light but creamy. I wasnt able to touch the parfait for a couple min because I was occupied with the meats, but there was none of the liquid that you find being pulled out of the strawberry. The tres leches corn bread at the end solves the issue of a tres leches cake that is too moist. The corn bread holds the shape and because of the masa creates another interesting texture versus the mush that is a normal tres leches cake. If you are in the Central Valley, stop by and get some...

First-Time Visit — Worth the Hype (Mostly!)

I visited this spot for the first time after a co-worker raved that it’s the best BBQ in town. We initially tried calling in an order, but the line was busy. Online ordering wasn’t working either, so we decided to go in person.

We arrived around 12:45 PM and waited in line until 1:14 PM to place our order. By the time we reached the counter, they were already out of beans, chicken lollipops, and macaroni — which must be amazing because they were completely sold out! They do offer cups to serve yourself iced water which helps with how hot it is inside.

I ended up ordering the tri-tip sandwich with a side of pilaf rice. The total came to $26.16 (including a $3 tip). Let me just say — the tri-tip sandwich was incredible. Tender, flavorful, and the spicy BBQ sauce took it to another level. The toasted bread! Dayum! Was perfection with a buttery crunch. One of the best I’ve ever had. On the other hand, the pilaf was underwhelming — bland and soggy, lacking even basic seasoning.

A big shout-out to Rosa, one of the employees, who went above and beyond. She kept the dining area clean, made sure the BBQ station was stocked, and provided excellent customer service. She also let us know that online orders can be placed through their Instagram page.

The dining area was quite packed, with no designated waiting area and poor ventilation. Even with floor fans running, it was uncomfortably hot. Parking is limited as well, though we lucked out with a good spot.

All in all, our total wait time — from arrival to receiving food — was about an hour, which aligns with what other reviews on Google mention. Despite the minor inconveniences, I’d definitely return, especially to try the sides I missed out on. Hoping the online ordering works next time to skip...