<p>mommusic:</p>
<p>I had forgotten King’s BBQ. How could I have?</p>
<p>The best Texas bbq I’ve ever eaten was at Pat’s Pit in Edna. Unfortunately, the restaurant (term loosely used) has been closed for years…BUT I believe you can still get great dry deer sausage at Kasper’s in Weimar, off I-10 between Houston and San Antonio. For generations, during visits upstate, my family has always made their way to Weimar for sausage before they head back to the Valley.</p>
<p>A couple of other great bbq places, both located on Highway 59, south of Houston: Hinze’s near Wharton and Mikeska’s near El Campo. Both offer a great Czech take on Texas bbq. Warning to nonTexans…Mikeska’s has quite a zoo of stuffed and mounted game all through the restaurant…a real taxidermist’s heaven, but not everyone’s cup of tea. Hinze’s is literally built around a stand of hundreds year old oak trees…literally as in the trees are IN the restaurant and emerge through the roof and walls.</p>
<p>My favorite BBQ of all time is at Salt Lick BBQ outside of Austin, TX. The whole experience of going there and ordering family style at the picnic benches (indoors) is an experience. I love the sausage and the BBQ sauce - I’m picky about my sauce! We order it through mail order and on special occassions, instead of lobster or a good steak, we order the sausage shipped Fedex and we’re in hog heaven 
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<p>If you ever have to go through the Austin airport for any reason there is a Salt Lick takeout counter that’s just as good as the original. Wow I’m hungry now!</p>
<p>'Noles, how big can these feral hogs get? Hopefully they are not as large as the domesticated prize winners I’ve seen at some state fairs. More importantly, how do they taste. LOL.</p>
<p>Generally, they run from 75 to 200 lbs. Big ones can go 500, but rare.</p>
<p>That much weight, with large slashing tusks and a bad attitude. Plus, they’re smart animals. They’ll do more than just scratch up your ankles. (lol) Folks hunt them with dogs (100 lbs many times) and a wild pig can kill a dog with the tusks.</p>
<p>It’s a little different than domesticated pork, but you can get used to it.</p>
<p>
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH yes!! I’m from Austin!!! And yes, the Salt Lick is GREAT!</p>
<p>There also is now a Salt Lick in Las Vegas. Not as good as the original but good.</p>
<p>Kind of fond of Corky’s in Memphis.</p>
<p>The best BBQ in the world though was at Riga’s in Birmingham. Long lost to progress, it had great meat, and great fixins’. The best French fries ever made by mankind.</p>
<p>One:</p>
<p>NC BBQ takes awhile to get used to. I hated it first time I tried it, but once you have it a few more times it really grows on you! It’s like an acquired taste. Now, I’m craving for good NC BBQ but won’t touch anything up here because I know it won’t compare.</p>
<p>Two:
ldmom…
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<p>Which joint was it? There are a few Mexican places that aren’t good in Chapel Hill, but most of them are excellent! Best Mexican food I’ve ever had is from Chapel Hill and I miss it dearly! I’ve tried despeartely to match the Mexican food I got there up here in Madison, but I guess I’m trying in vein, there are two ok places but nothing like I got in Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>Mexican food places I recommend in Chapel Hill include: Fiesta Grill (way out on NC-54 but best Mexican food in the area, hands down!), La Hacienda (on 15-501, they like putting lots cheese on their dishes but have the best salsa I’ve ever had), and Patio Loco (on Franklin St. just next door to the McDonalds, it actually specializes in central/south american dishes, but have excellent empanadas and I personally love their gorditas flacas). There are a few places you can get a good burrito that isn’t super-authentic but is cheap for a college student. But for all means, stay away from Banditos!!! It is absolutely horrible and they basically splash marinara sauce over everything. I went there twice because it was cheap, but never again!</p>
<p>If you want any other suggestions (such as the best place to get x y or z) or want to ask me about other Mexican food places in Chapel Hill or Durham (I only have been to a few in Durham, but all in Chapel Hill). Feel free to drop me a PM, I am a proud Mexican food snob!</p>
<p>ophiolite - It was the La Ha on 15-501. </p>
<p>Maybe it was just a ‘different’ thing, but we didn’t like it. My husband, who is Hispanic, was trying to explain in Spanish to the waiter that we were expecting grilled skirt when we ordered fajitas…the cut of meat was all wrong. (Actually, skirt is the American cut, in Mexico the cut is the ‘girdle’.) The meat we were served was pale like pork and looked like restaurant supply meat for a Chinese place…lol! And the salsa was cold, though I do know warm salsa is a Texan thing. </p>
<p>I’ll chalk it up to a geographical issue. My husband’s family hails from Northern New Mexico where grilling peppers is a fine art…and I’m from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where all burritos are served fried with sauce and you get the REAL TexMex. Actually, most of the menu items in Mexican food restaurants in the US were invented far north of our stomping grounds. :-)</p>
<p>Thanks for the other tips though…we’ll check 'em out the next time we are in Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>PS…If you are ever in Houston, skip the Pappasitos and try Molina’s, Chuy’s or Ninfa’s for great Tex Mex.</p>
<p>I love Carsons in Chicago but it’s been 25+ yrs. I took my sister when she visited, I thought about the leftovers all day while I was at work. Came back to an empty container. Sister still laughs at my reaction to the empty bag. Tempted to try the mail order to CA, but wonder if it’s worth it.
I heard of places near USC (CA) but never got around to finding them.
RE mexican food-sometime it seems to be based for the white bread neighborhood.</p>
<p>As a “raised in NC girl,” when selecting local vinegar based bbq, you have to ask the local community. Don’t just stop in anywhere…ask around. I happen to love the vinegar/pepper sauce. I think the tomato based is yucky on chopped/pulled bbq pork.</p>
<p>
ld~</p>
<p>There is also a Chuy’s in Austin, down by Town Lake. Hey?? Have you ever been to Felix’s in Houston? My mom used to eat there all the time when she was pregnant with me, so of course, I ADORE it! 
Their queso is really different…and GREAT! OMG, I am <em>SO</em> hungry! </p>
<p>BTW, if you are familiar with Houston, you probably know of Westheimer Rd. In the old days, that was a country road that led out to my great-grandfather Westheimer’s farm! Of course, it’s a bit different now…<em>sigh</em></p>
<p>Have you ever been to Trudy’s in Austin for a Mexican breakfast!? YUMMY!!</p>
<p>~berurah</p>
<p>I know berurah…I get hungry just thinking about TexMex! (And a top shelf Margarita on the rocks, no salt, to wash it down…lol!) Btw…I wondered if the Chuy’s here in Houston is affiliated with the Austin Chuy’s. My brother (and a ton of aunts and uncles, great grands, etc…) have lived in Austin for years, so I’m familiar with the famous Austin Chuy’s. I haven’t been to Felix’s in Houston, but I’m adding it my list! Nothing like first hand endorsement from a fellow Texan.</p>
<p>And yes…lived in the Westheimer-Memorial area (near Memorial Athletic Club) for awhile before we moved out to the boonies (actually Far NW Harris County…lol!). So you are a Westheimer? That’s a grand old Texan family right there! :-)</p>
<p>
YEP!!! My maternal grandmother was a Westheimer. ~berurah</p>
<p>I was a Trudy’s regular back in my Austin days. Also the little Mexican joints in east Austin for Migas.</p>
<p>
barrons~</p>
<p><strong><em>OMG</em></strong> MIGAS!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! That was what we always hit Trudy’s for…esp. when I was in grad school at UT! ~b.</p>
<p>Gee, the cafe is smokin’ tonight. 
I am so hungry reading that I could eat my keyboard smothered in sauce.</p>