hays co. bar-b-que

great place and busy at peak times. the only thing i can think of is they might do something about their sandwich buns. they are left unwrapped too long and they get dry due to all the heat in the prep area. both mine and my wife’s were that way.

#42 stop in our texas monthly 50 bbq challenge.

wow, really neat as it is - and shortly they will be moving into a 8000 sq foot purpose-built facility just behind the current site. the new facility will even have a glass viewing wall so you can watch the huge show-pit they have had constructed. this will be a grand facility allowing them more capability to expand their offerings. pictures of this work in progress are posted here due to a very friendly and engaged management team that let us tour the current pit and the new facilities.

but we eat in the here and now so here is the review:
ordered a pork chop and the beans. we were given a sample of the jalapeno cheese sausage because the owner wanted us to try it. we're so glad he did so - it was great.

the pork chop was amazing. it probably is not what you think. these guys have a big rack of pork chops prepared. when service time comes they carve the next chop off the
rack (kind of like ribs are done). this results in a pork chop that is moist, tender, and visually enticing. they gain a great deal more control this way. this is seriously different from the single chop preparation methods that often are dry and/tough.

the jalapeno cheese sausage was rich with cheese and small pieces of jalapeno. as good as the pork chop was, the sausage was at least as good, perhaps even better as they are totally different items and both are amazing.

the beans were excellent. they contained lots of bacon and a remarkable amount of black pepper. often folks add a marked amount of the really hot peppers. this creates a pain spike. the other way is to create a low but slow lasting heat. this technique seems to be employed in this dish. the effect is an undercurrent of heat without being painful. in fact, it deepens the flavors and helps create a more satisfying offering.

the service is of course excellent and the current seating is quite adequate. of course, one would expect them to reach a new level with the completion of the new facility.

stopped here after a long day on the road. ordered some chopped beef sandwiches that were amazing! the coleslaw and banana pudding were unbelievable! stop by you won't be sorry!

i love bbq & always looking for good eats. hays co. bar-b-que does a good job. had 1/4 brisket link of cheese/jalapeño sausage. might suggest having a jalapeño sausage link without cheese as a choice option. sauce is good as well. brisket is very tender & some slices melt in your mouth (i say 'some' because a few slices were a little drier/tougher & may be due to the cutter giving wet & dry though i was not asked). beans are tasty & rate well as they have a tad of brisket shreds instead of the traditional pork...

had the pulled pork sandwich for lunch. i died and went to heaven. tasty, juicy without being sloppy. it was so good i came back for supper. (we were staying at a nearby hotel). supper was superb. i had a sampler plate with turkey, brisket, rib and jalapeño cheese sausage. each one was some of the best bbq i've had. the sausage was incredibly tasty.

 but what if i told you that a mere 30 min drive can get you to some of the most delicious barbecue in the state, if there is a line it moves extremely quickly, and they won’t run out of food because they’re open all the way through til 9pm? yeah, i’d probably get straight in the car, too! run by michael hernandez (who is in hot contention for the title of most hospitable man in barbecue), hays co has been doing it’s thing since 2007. michael’s son aaron is the pit boss around here, and has been manning barbecues since the tender age of  15 which means he’s been playing with fire before most of us were even legally allowed to drive. lemme tell ya, for a young bloke, this guy sure knows what he’s doing.  the menu is generous in terms of variety, the standouts being the sausage, pork chop and even the chicken. michael insisted i try the chicken (which i often overlook as being a choice for lightweights!) and i’m certainly thankful he did – the mahogany skin gave way to gorgeous white and softly-smoked meat, a welcome complement to the intense in-your-face flavours beef usually brings. ahaley particularly lost his mind over the pork chop, not an item that is easily found these days, he claims the ratio of tender to moist was masterful. finally, michael told us to grab an avocado and tomato from the self serve fridge, that this was the real way bbq should be served. they were chopped, seasoned with pepper and added to our tray, and brought a welcome freshness to the meal, completely cutting through the heavy, fatty smokiness, and the buttery texture of the avocado enhanced the tenderness of the meat. point is, if more places offered these additions, i would undoubtedly order them every time. it’s hard enough finding a place that st

does hays live up to the hype?. hays outgrew its original location and moved to what use to be a car dealership. hays had its grand opening and i was invited to come out. walking in is a cluster...we literally walked into the line which were trying to order. you got cold sides pre-packed sitting on the side in a fridge....oh im suppose to see this? menu is confusing and they have self serving for the beans. girl working at counter taking my order didn't want to be here and quite frankly at this point, neither did i. dining area is cramped but they do have a huge area outside also and on this day they did have live music.


i got 1/2 lb jalapeno and cheese sausage and 1/2 lbs pulled pork with a self serve beans side and a drink, this came out to $16! got to try the ribs and brisket which my friend had ordered.

ribs were dry
brisket was just ok
sausage was excellent
pulled pork was just ok
self serve beans with bacon was really good and may be what i will remember about this place.

i don't really think i would come back here other than just to get a huge side of beans. this place is much better than lets say..bill miller but thats not really saying much..... 2/5 stars

as we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, i smelled the smokers and saw the barbecue pit out back surrounded by firewood. this was a good sign according to what i’d heard...

the brisket was falling apart and fatty. bill millers's bbq is way better and that's sad.

a thick cut of pork chop was a bit dried out, but the remaining crust was probably never as crisp as i'd prefer. a couple of sad dry r