Barbecue: A Texas Love Story (2004) User Reviews

Brisket tastes good. Pork ribs taste good.

[grrrlygirl · 7/10 · 22 December 2005]

The term "barbecue," as any Texan can tell you, refers to a certain painstaking (nay, ambrosial!) preparation of specific cuts of meat. To Texans, merely grilling hamburgers in the backyard is NOT barbecue. Grilling hot dogs is NOT barbecue. Slathering bottled barbecue sauce on a piece of charred chicken: DEFINITELY not barbecue.

"Barbecue: A Texas Love Story" explains what all the fuss is about, and why at least some Texans (like me) scoff at those who presume to use the term "barbecue" broadly. Overall, "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story" is an entertaining yet respectful overview of a regional culinary art, an art that cuts across all socioeconomic barriers. The choice of Ann Richards as narrator, plus the inclusion of commentators such as Kinky Friedman, was genius, helping illustrate the broad appeal of a good slice of beef brisket or some succulent pork ribs. Indeed, true barbecue is found and appreciated all across the state, from the wards of populous Houston to the isolated West Texas desert.

That said, given what little I do happen to know about the making of this film, I'm a little surprised they didn't reveal more about the making of the meat (referring not to the cooking of beef but the raising of beef). There's a lot more info on the film's web site if you're curious.

this explains a lot

[toddbradley · 7/10 · 14 January 2007]

I once watched a documentary on TV about chili. One scene had a couple old Texans sitting around talking about what makes good chili (or chile, if you're close to the border). One guy mentioned how he'd seen people in the big city make chili out of lima beans, and the other guy replied, "I believe I'd kill a man who put lima beans in my chili." That, more than anything else I've heard, sums up how Texans are serious about chili.

"Barbecue: A Texas Love Story" does the same thing for barbecue. It doesn't purport to explain the whole story of where this style of cooking comes from, or how it differs across the world. For that, you can turn to Steve Raichlen's seminal works on the subject. No, this film, more than any I've seen, shows Texans who like to cook and Texans who like to eat, as well as a few Texans who like to philosophize.

The filmmakers visited several locations all around the state and interviewed a good cross section of barbecue fans. They explain what makes Texas barbecue unique, how it's part of the culture, and why people take it so seriously. This film mixes together famous personalities with regular old people, and shows that - in Texas - barbecue cuts across ethnic lines, racial lines, and economic lines.

As a film, this work suffers slightly from a lack of tight focus. Like a good visit to a barbecue cook-off, the movie samples a little bit of everything but lacks a greater sense of direction. Technically, it's pretty good, though not perfect. But it's got an outstanding soundtrack.

Overall, I'm glad I own this DVD. And I guess the best testimonial - it made me really hungry for pork ribs, beef brisket, and sausage.

Captures the "flavor" of Texas barbecue, but not the "meat"

[ubiquity-3 · 8/10 · 23 January 2006]

This enjoyable documentary is more interested in the kind of people that enjoy Texas barbecue than it is in facts and figures. In particular, it doesn't really explain what makes Texas barbecue special, or talk much about the history of the art, or any of the controversies that make it a subject of conversation throughout the state. It DOES feature enjoyable people enjoying barbecue, and conveys the spirit of how Texans feel about their native dish. As the producers dash about Texas looking for different barbecue spots and events, the film sometimes seems more like a travelogue than a documentary about a type of food, but there's nothing necessarily wrong with that -- Texas is a big state and probably any attempt to examine a phenomenon with such a broad appeal as barbecue is bound to come off looking something like a travelogue.

Good, but perpetuates myth that County Line is any good

[BenedictCummerbundVest · 7/10 · 21 December 2005]

Clearly a great deal of research and work went into this film. They certainly hit all the meccas of barbecue. That said, I do have a few criticisms:

1) The feature runs 46 minutes. They have far more material than that, and thus it's hard to catch everything without rewinding frequently. The film could have run 1:15 and would have been well-paced at that. We're talking BBQ here. It takes time to make and time to eat. So let's ease up on the MTV-style jump cuts.

2) Obviously there's just a ton of great 'cue out there and yes, the tip top best are right around Austin (Llano, Lockhart, Taylor), and yes they went to Houston, DFW and the Big Bend, but I would have liked to have seen some more coverage of east Texas, south Texas, and panhandle 'cue.

3) This is my biggest complaint. County Line is junk barbecue. They should be flogged for the bone-in pork jerky that they call ribs, and their brisket is consistently chewy. They drown their meats in sauce to try and hide what sins they commit, but to little effect.

The staffer from County Line at one point comments that they don't take their pork ribs when they cater off site because they're too messy. Guess what, they're too messy because they have to be soaked in sauce to try and salvage these abominations.

And yet, the documentary insists on perpetuating the myth that County Line actually produces good barbecue. They use it as an example that a chain restaurant can actually produce good barbecue. You know, it's possible that a chain may produce good 'cue, but County Line is NOT an example of that. Nor have I ever heard through a reliable source of such a chain.

I feel bad for anyone who might see this film and be tricked into wasting their time and money going to County Line, when there's so many better 'cue joints within 45 minutes of central Austin.