won't be back (cont'd) .... yes, there are two sides to every story, although i don't read any denial of the facts set forth in my witness statement, which was written immediately after the event.
anyone can pick up the phone to call the police, but that doesn't mean that they are justified in doing so. especially as i felt threatened with a gun, i left immediately after returning the change, so there was no trespass or other criminal act by me or my son.
anyway, i have no reason to be "jealous" or to share any inaccurate information, nor is my sharing accurate information in any way "sabotage." like most people who read/share reviews on urbanspoon or elsewhere, i just care about finding good food served by friendly people in a safe environment.
even more so as i have reflected upon the incident, what happened yesterday was scary, especially experiencing with my young son present how a previously kind man could become so volatile and have a gun on hand for a paying customer, merely because i mildly challenged an unposted policy and our treatment in connection with such policy.
to be clear, i am not part of the restaurant industry except as a consumer. i mostly lament the decline in civility, especially in the owner-customer context, and that there is not betterbbqin the dfw area.
-----10 aug, 2010-----
won't be back .... i tried this place last year, after i read about it on the full custom gospelbbqwebsite. last year, i got a mixed plate of ribs, sliced brisket, and sausage and was completely underwhelmed. the meats were dry and didn't have memorable seasoning or overall flavor; they seemed to need to rely on the sauce to cover all sins. still, the appeal of ordering through a window and talking with the one-man crew (the owner) who was working last year was appealling, and i was happy to support a local business.
fast forward about twelve months. d magazine apparently has named meshack's the bestbbqjoint in dallas - which, by the way, isn't saying much, especially if you have even cursory knowledge of luling, lockhart, llano, or lexington. also, apparently the owners' daughter now works the window and loves pointing to the sign from d magazine to anyone who will listen. ...
anyway, i was heading back from rowlett about 11:15 this morning with my 10-year-old son, who loves goodbbq(we toured the aforementioned towns over a few days last year), and on the spur, despite not having been impressed with meshack's last year, but mostly because hwy. 66 turns into avenue b and takes you right past meshack's, i said "you've got to see this place!" he was interested and as we pulled up and parked about 20 feet from the window, the one other customer was leaving.
we placed an order for a mixed plate, with the daughter saying that we could get anyone combination of the four meats offered, and then she said "that will be $11.50." i advised that the posted price for the mixed plate was $9.50 (no indication of a "two-meat plate" or anything like it), and she said that it was more since i got three meats. huh? anyway, i didn't argue and paid the full amount, giving her a $20.
my son and i stood there for a minute in the 100f+ direct sunlight - remember, no indoor seating or service - and i suggested that we get back in the car for the a/c. no other customers were around, and so i pulled up by the window, thinking that the meal would be about ready and thus that we could reach across from the car window. a few moments later, i was told to move the car, as this is a walk-up place. after clarifying that no one else was around, and with the daughter's blood pressure clearly rising, i said "okay, but can i go ahead and get my change," to which i received the terse retort, "i'll give it to you when i bring you your food. you drove off when i was going to give it to you before." drove off? huh?? i said "look, just give me my change before you lose a customer," and then was getting back in my car as she slammed the $8.50 in change outside the screen window. i picked up the change and moved the car about fifteen feet forward, with the windows rolled up to keep it cool.
not thirty seconds later, i hear a man yelling at me from outside the shack's door that the food was ready and that i needed to come get it. it was the owner who had been so kind on the preceding visit.
i picked up my food from the window - no the daughter didn't bring me the food - and as i was walking back to the car, the owner starts heckling me, driving home the point that it's a walk-up window. (note: no other customers had arrived since we placed our order, walked back to our car, moved our car close to the window, moved our car again, or even as we were leaving a few moments later.)
i paused and turned around, walking back to him to explain that i really didn't like the way that i had been treated and rehashing the facts of the situation. the daughter chimes in and starts yelling at me through the screened window. the owner's wife pulled up about this time, aghast at what was going on, and she seemed to be the only reasonable one of the family.
i said "look, we just happened to be driving by, i really liked you personally last year, yourbbqis okay but 'it's not all that' that i should have to disrespect myself or you to get it, and at this point i would like my money back." of course, the daughter pointed to the d magazine poster, as if i must be wrong in my culinary assessment. i handed the paper sack ofbbqback to the male owner and he threw it acrss the parking lot toward his wife's car, a gold bmw sedan.
anyway, things digressed as they returned my money. the male owner yelling to the daughter to call the police, the daughter yelling to get my license plate numbers, my wondering out loud what i had done to break the law, and the wife trying to calm them down. in their anger, they returned my $20 bill to me, without requesting the change that had already been delivered, and i went back to my car for the change.
as i went to return the change to the door of the shack, i heard one of the women yelling for the man to put away his gun. i set the change down and left, my ten-year old son ducking in the front passenger seat of my car as we drove away.
needless to say, i won't be back.