Big Jake's BBQ — Restaurant in Texarkana

Alright, folks, let's talk about Big Jake's BBQ, where the meat's so good it'll make you forget about the propaganda blaring from every TV in the joint. I swear, I haven't seen this many screens pushing agendas since I accidentally wandered into a political convention.

Now, don't get me wrong, the food here is fantastic. Their brisket is so tender, it practically melts in your mouth like butter on a hot summer day. And those ribs? They're so good, you'll be tempted to gnaw on the bones like a starving dog. Hell, even their sides are worth writing home about. The potato salad could make a grown man weep, and the beans? Let's just say they're magical, but you might want to sleep alone that night.

But here's the kicker, folks. You walk in, ready to stuff your face with some of the best BBQ this side of the Mason-Dixon line, and what do you get? A wait time longer than my last relationship. I swear, I've seen glaciers move faster than the service here. And the funny part? The place is emptier than my bank account after a weekend in Vegas. I mean, come on! Are they slow-smoking the menus too?

And don't even get me started on the TVs. I came here for ribs, not a political science lesson. Every screen is tuned to some talking head yapping about how the world's going to end if you don't vote for their guy. I haven't seen this much propaganda since I accidentally stumbled into North Korea. (Okay, that didn't happen, but you get the point.)

So, Big Jake's BBQ gets four stars from me. The food's a solid five, but I'm docking a star for the slow service and the fact that I now know more about current events than I ever wanted to. But hey, if you've got time to kill and don't mind a side of political commentary with your pulled pork, this is your place. Just bring a book, or better yet,...

Ran across this place in my travels and decided to give it a whirl. There is plenty of parking here. You walk in and order at the counter, and the menu is posted on the wall to your left, coming in, above the ordering counter, and on the counter where you place your order. The young guy taking my order could not answer what type of sausage was that was listed on the menu. He also had a hard time hearing me for some reason. It's a seat yourself kind of place, and you dump your own trash and place your basket on a shelf above the trash can. I ordered the medium plate with 2 types of meat with cole slaw and baked beans. The beans had a decent flavor to them, and the cole slaw was good and crisp. The sausage was s polish kielbasa type and was good and juicy and flavorful. The brisket was sliced but was lacking in any good flavor. It did not have a deep smokey flavor at all. I had to use BBQ sauce on it to help it out, and it was a bit on the dry side. They did have pickles and onions on a little condiment bar, and they had multiple BBQ sauces to choose from. All in all, it's an okay place, but they need to have a better smoky flavor in their meat. 1 1/4 thumbs up...

Like I state in all of my reviews, I do not write good, nor do I write bad reviews... they are earned. I followed the billboards from I-30 Ex.2 in Texarkana, but it doesn't tell you is "no truck parking" at all. Which would have been helpful af trying to maneuver through in this 18 wheeler and trailer. When you walk in the smoke smell just hit you in the face, and that's a good thing. I ordered the 3 meat (double rib and sausage) plate, and like I mentioned earlier in my review, the smoke smell. I've been driving and reviewing long enough to know pit from smoker from pellets from baked from boiled ribs, and these are definitely ribs that are not from a pit. You see with a pit, that smoky goodness just resignate clear to the bone and your on fingers. But this is definitely some smoker, which probably sits overnight and ready in 18 to 20 hrs. or so. No bark and no seasoning. I did not say they were flavorless, just not seasoned well. So what was good? The sausage was extremely juicy and my sides (slaw, potatoe salad) were delicious with the toast. No sauce...tried it once, really not in favor of, but try it for yourself and let me know if it is a...