good q. i was in mesquite the weekend of may 20-21 to attend a scale modeling show. my wife and i were looking for a bbq restaurant and found a nice place in mesquite bbq.
located in downtown mesquite, about a mile and a half off of 635, mesquite bbq is a mom-n-pop type place, not a chain. i ordered "off menu" because i wanted a good sampling of what i consider the signature meats of any texas-based bbq joint (brisket, sausage, ribs).
the ribs were perfect - they were tender and moist with a little bit of the chewy bark right on the surface. the brisket was tender and good tasting. my personal preference is for brisket that is well smoked with a nice red smoke ring and a bit of bark on the outside. the brisket i had that day at mesquite bbq needed more kick to it and needed to be more smokey tasting, but that is my preference. it may not be yours. the sausage was some of the best tasting sausage i have had at a bbq joint (rudy's "hotties" are tops so far), but like the brisket, could have benefited from heavier smoking.
the sauce was a red variety - slightly sweet with a vinegar twang as is common in texas. the sauce gets a solid four stars.
overall, i give mesquite bbq 3.75 stars out of five. i can't give it a solid 4 stars because of my personal preference for meat that is smoked more heavily. mesquite bbq serves up good food at a fair price and i will definitely return if i am up there again. however, not being bbq that i would spend hours raving about keeps it from getting five stars. good,solid bbq....just not great bbq.
if you like meat with a milder smoke taste, then mesquite bbq would probably be more to your liking and would probably receive more stars. if you are in mesquite, check them out.