Easter In East Texas: Secret Barbecue Joint Revealed

Posted on April 13th, 2009 11:33am by Nancy Nichols
Filed under BBQ, Travel

shep1shep2If you’re a barbecue junkie and want to take a half-day road trip to East Texas, I’ve got  two under-the-radar joints for you to try. Today I tell you about one–Shep’s Bar-B-Q in Palestine. Google all you want, you won’t find any write-ups.

Pay no attention to the cracked Naugahyde booths oozing upholstery foam, head straight to the cafeteria line and step up to the nice man behind the red heat lamp. His chopping block is surrounded by huge slabs of juicy brisket, sausage, hot links, chicken halves, and ribs. All of the meat is smoked out back in a rickety old smoke house surrounded by piles of wood.

 The sausage is Eckridge so we skip it and go straight a two-meat platter with ribs and brisket. I’m telling you the ribs at Shep’s are some of the best I’ve ever eaten. The tender beef is covered with a deep red crust and once your teeth piercethrough it your mouth is filled with smoky meat that slides off the bone. The brisket is equally juicy–we  always have the carver make us a sandwich the way Sonny Bryan used to make them on Inwood Road–half chopped, half sliced and doused in tangy, slightly sweet and smoky sauce.

 There is nothing special about any of the sides or cobblers. This is a place to eat meat.

8 comments

  1. Must have ribs and brisket right.now.

    @ 12:15 pm on April 13, 2009

  2. woof

    @ 12:55 pm on April 13, 2009

  3. Did you mean “the tender pork is covered with a deep red crust”?

    @ 1:09 pm on April 13, 2009

  4. Well, to prove that the word from La Nichols has made more than one aged beef Texan a fatted calf, I am loading up the hounds right now and headed to this joint. The photo was to me a teenage boy catching a glimpse of a topless tart. Shall I head out 175 and take 19 south?

    @ 1:18 pm on April 13, 2009

  5. Yea, right.
    No write-ups at all.
    None.
    NADA.

    http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=shep%27s+%2B+palestine&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=1158199111729282950&dtab=2&ei=3Z_jSfDmF9bwnQf_6qSlCQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=result

    http://local.yahoo.com/info-18817578-sheps-bbq-catering-service-palestine

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/sheps-bar-b-q-and-catering-service-palestine

    http://www.boorah.com/restaurants/TX/palestine/sheps-bar-b-q–catering/2EC93A6346-reviews.html?f=y

    @ 3:29 pm on April 13, 2009

  6. Bill, I’m so glad you have nothing better to do. I guess I was not clear enough. I meant by food publications like TEXAS MONTHLY or BBQ blogs. those are all reader reviews. NADA.

    @ 3:34 pm on April 13, 2009

  7. Next time you’re in East Texas you should also try Country Tavern in Kilgore…the ribs are delish!!

    @ 3:57 pm on April 13, 2009

  8. I’m going this weekend, so I should have something on my blog early next week.
    http://www.fullcustomgospelbbq.com

    @ 2:15 pm on April 14, 2009