Smokin’ Charlie’s BBQ

Place is always «CLOSED»

I know that when you’re in SA town you don’t think of BBQ, however most outsiders see TX and think BBQ. During my outing for good BBQ, sorry Rudy’s & County Line. I came across Smokin’ Charlies.
Upon pulling up, I thought… are they even open. Why yes they are. My friend had the chopped bbq. It was tasty the sauce to meat ratio was just right. The bun was nice and soft, however managed to uphold it’s job as a meat vehicle. The portion on the sandwich was XL which is always a plus.
I had the ribs, I wish I could tell you which kind they were. They seemed to me like spare ribs though, considering it would have been a monster pig if it were baby backs and there was no curve to the bone. The ribs were pretty good, nice depth of flavor, fall off the bone, meaty and a bit greasy. The potato salad was ok, I don’t think it was store bought, however it could’ve used a little more zing to the party.
The bbq sauce tasted vinegar based which made up for the lack of zing in the pot salad.
I will be back for more of their selected meats, but they’re doing a pretty good job so far. Is it the best in town? Probably not, but it ain’t half bad either. Oh and once again the prior establishment had a bar downstairs and there is lots of extra floorspace so don’t expect to be wow’d by the décor.

The hours are not consistent and they are closed on Mondays, which means you need to call before going. The décor is sparse and many items have their price tag still on them. The brisket was WAY over smoked both times. The chicken was extremely dry. While the sausage was okay, there was nothing about it that would make me want to go back. The potato salad looked and tasted like it came from Walmart. The Mac and cheese made Kraft look and taste like high end Mac and cheese — point blank, it was bad. The corn was bland and over-​done. The cobbler also had the look and taste of frozen store-​bought. Given the lack of quality, the prices were way too high. This was our second visit (we thought the first might just be an off-​day) and we will not be returning; there are far too many better BBQ restaurants in the local area.

Good things up front: The brisket was amazing! Very tender and juicy without being greasy or fat. Lots of flavor packed in and not too salty. Right up there in the top birskets I’ve had in Texas. Next time, I’ll probably get a pound to carve up at home.
The ribs on the other hand were really fatty and greasy. They were also a little on the short side, which isn’t bad, but if big olé eat with two hands ribs are your thing, this may not be the place. The meaty parts were flavorful, but not really my style.
The sausage I had to write off. It wasn’t very good even with sauce.
Speaking of, the sauce was OK. The meats were so packed with flavor on their own that they didn’t really need it. Which is good! When applied, the sauce seemed to be neutral enough to allow the meat flavor through without overpowering. Slightly tangy, smooth smokey taste to it.
There is a LOT of stuff on the menu that I want to come back and try (fried oysters? chicken? pies?).
The negative is the hours. They’re only open from 11 to 7. For what they’re doing, you could really see more business if they were open a bit later. The space is gigantic and open and the mind wanders at the ways it could be filled by a dinner crowd. Just two more hours please?

Don’t let the looks of this unassuming building be deceiving. Neither be dissuaded by its rather sparse interior décor. The smoked selections offered by this humble establishment are among the best we’ve had, and will give nearby Harmon’s a run for their money, albeit winning the race in the end.
The menu includes barbecue by the plate or pound, poorboys, burgers, seafood, and a children’s menu.
Originally, Smokin’ Charlie’s was a barbecue joint located a couple miles down the road in Seguin, Texas until 2007, when co-​owner Larry Nesbitt lost his partner and beloved brother to cancer. The devastating loss brought about the closing of that location with no plans for reopening.
With a lot of encouragement and help from a fan-​turned-​partner, Smokin’ Charlie’s Pit Smoked BBQ has been reborn in Schertz. Larry is the «pit chief» and «smoke-​ologist», while his wife, Lana, runs the front of the house and also helps out in the kitchen.
BBQ by the plate offerings: a single meat plate, or a two– and three– meat combo, all with two sides, pickles onion and bread. More about the sides later. As of 9÷1÷2011, the single is $ 6.59, the two meat $ 7.95, and the three meat combo $ 9.95. Choices are brisket, chicken, sausage, and ribs.
I’m generally picky about sausage in a barbecue joint, but I had never, until today, thought to ask where it’s from. I was pleasantly surprised (to say the least), to find out that Larry and Lana get theirs from the right-​venerable Penshorn’s Meat Market in nearby Marion.
Dad ordered brisket and sausage with beans and french fries; I ordered ribs and sausage with beans and potato salad (for me these are the two classic sides for any barbecue plate.) I also ordered a serving of their beer-​battered onion rings.
Our order arrived quickly. I was pleased to find three meaty ribs and a generous portion of sausage on my plate. Ditto for the sausage on dad’s plate, and the brisket slices were nicely trimmed with just a thin band of fat on one of the lenghtwise edges.
Barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, ketchup and other condiments are available at a station that is centrally located in the dining room. The barbecue sauce comes in 2-​ounce disposable ramekins. We helped ourselves to several of these, ketchup, salt, pepper, and a bottle of Chipotle Tabasco sauce.
First, I sampled the onion rings. The moment they arrived in their basket, the aroma announced «beer in the batter.» I rearranged them so that there was room to add ketchup and a healthy splattering of the Chipotle Tabasco along with some ground pepper. I grabbed one of the rings, used it to mix my concoction, and took a bite. These are the very best beer battered onion rings I have ever tasted — just the right amount of beer to let you know it’s there, without being overpowering. The batter is crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and the onions are done just right.
Then, I speared a slice of sausage that had been smoked in Larry’s pit, dredged it in the sauce, and took a bite. MMMM… Penshorn’s, alright, complete with their signature crispy casing, and cooked just right by Larry. The barbecue sauce is homemade, on the sweet side, with no overt vinegar taste, and finished with visible pieces of fresh cracked pepper. It’s good.
Since I like a kick in my sauces, I added some of the Chipotle Tabasco, separated a morsel of meat from one of the rib bones, dipped it in the sauce and popped it in my mouth.
Smokin’ Charlie’s ribs are very meaty, pull off the bone with ease, and cooked to perfection. They have just the right amount of smoke, and just the right amount of texture. They are cut St. Louis style – lots of meat, minimal amount of fat and gristle.
I shook myself out of a gastronomic stupor long enough to check on how Dad was faring. He had the same ravings about the sausage as I, said the brisket was neither tough nor tender, but very good. Throughout the meal he kept saying that he would go the extra distance to eat at Smokin’ Charlie’s over Harmon’s Barbecue, his *previous* favorite.
Sides are potato salad, macaroni salad, corn, green beans, pinto beans, okra, coleslaw, french fries, and beer-​battered onion rings.
We had potato salad, pinto beans, french fries, and onion rings. The fries are commercial, but everything else we had is homemade. The potato salad is a mayo/​mustard combination with a hint of caraway seed. The mustard takes a backseat to the mayo, which is just fine by me. The pinto beans are tasty, but my serving had too much garlic powder and not enough salt. The onion rings were the hands-​down winner in our order, IMHO.
In closing, Smokin’ Charlie’s Pit Smoked Barbecue is screaming to be discovered by a Food Network road trip program.
If you’re a Harmon’s fan, I dare you to sample the fare at Smokin’ Charlie’s and not change your allegiance. :)
For the inquiring mind, the restaurant is named after Larry’s father, Charlie Nesbitt.

This place is newly opened. Originally it was some organic restaurant I been wanting to try, but they closed down. Now it is a BBQ joint. Drove by many times and couldn’t resist to come in and give it a shot. It was pretty quiet after lunch hour, I was the only costumer there with maybe 5 employees. I ordered the combo plates togo which was all under $ 10, you get the bread, pickles, and any two sides. I ordered the ribs and chicken. The ribs was awesome. The chicken was dry on the around the edges, but once you dig into the breast it is more moist. I ordered corn on the side and tasted like it was left in the water for too long. Overall experience I would come for the ribs.