Texas West BBQ (Sacramento)

Texas West BBQ
1600 Fulton Ave
Sacramento, CA 95825-5112

There are a few things in life that are guarantees for me. I have never had a shopping cart at Trader Joe's that worked properly. I have never found an Adam Sandler movie even remotely humorous. I have never met a German whom I did not like. And I have never eaten at a barbecue restaurant with the word Texas in it that was any good. Texas West, however, turned out to be a spectacular exception.

The first time I went there, I got the chopped pork po' boy sandwich. This was fantastic. It was covered with so much sauce that I didn't think I was going to like it, but the sauce was pretty damn good. The meat had plenty of smoke ring and was melt-in-your mouth tender. The french roll it was served on could not have been more than a couple hours old; it was the perfect match for good meat. The fries were well done, which is exactly how I like thicker-cut fries. My friend's hot links were very good, too.

That was for lunch, but I liked it so much I went back for dinner (my friend wouldn't join me; she said eating at the same barbecue restaurant twice in one day is "too weird," which I suppose is true, but, whatever.) This time I got the "Memphis Pulled Pork" sandwich. Usually when a BBQ joint calls a sandwich Memphis-style, especially in California, they mean it is served with slaw on the sandwich. This came with slaw on the side. There was nothing really special about the slaw, but it was still good. The pulled pork was good, probably the best pulled pork sandwich I have had in my many trips to Sacramento, but it still wasn't in the same category as the chopped pork sandwich I had for lunch.

I also had an ice cold Budweiser. I don't know what it is about Bud, I never drink it (I'm pretty much only a Guinness man) except when I eat barbecue. I would say that the last 50 times I have eaten barbecue (which covers at least the last three weeks) I have either drank iced tea or Budwesier.