Dinner Report: Dickey's Barbecue Pit

My wife and I have been meaning to try out this new BBQ place that recently opened on Bandera and Eckhert in Leon Valley called Dickey's. According to a friend of my wife, this place is the cat's meow. So, we took a little drive over and gave it a try.

First mistake was deciding to go at the exact same time every other person in Leon Valley got the bright idea to try it. We stood in line for close to twenty minutes, primarily because they only have a single cash register/order taker. So, if you try Dickey's and see a long line, be prepared for a wait.

The crowd also resulted in a seating situation. The dining room is small so people were literally standing there waiting for other people to un-ass their seats so they could sit down. Again, timing is everything, because by the time we had finished eating, (around 7PM) seating was not an issue.

I would like to point out kudos to a proactive floor manager. There was a large table of folks sitting next to us (8 to 10 people) who had clearly finished dinner, had to-go containers filled and were sitting there enjoying after dinner conversation. This is perfectly fine and a reasonable thing to do if the situation permits. But in the case of having people literally standing there waiting for a table to sit at so they can eat their food, most reasonable people will get up and leave. The Dickey's manager came by and asked the people how everything was and if he could get them anything else. They said it was all great and no, they were fine. So then he gave them the boot. Bravo.

To the vittles. I genuinely had a hankerin' for catfish and had thought about it all day long. I figured my wife would get some brisket or something and I'd get fish. Important note: You are not at Grady's and there is no fish.

When we started looking at the prices for what she wanted and what I wanted (since there was no fish, I was going to try some pulled pork and some brisket) we decided it would be cheaper if we went all out and ordered what they call the Full House. You get 2 ounces each of the eight different meats they serve so you can get an idea of what it is like. You also get rolls and two sides. Dickey's does not skimp on the portions, so this Full House platter could easily feed a family of four.

They have a condiment bar so you can load up on the standard pickles, onions and other needed accoutrements to dress out your buffet, and I especially liked that they had a selection of three or four sauces that were in heated tins. You basically grab a plastic tub and fill it with the sauces of your choosing.

Though it took an eternity to order, our food was out rather quickly and by the time we had filled our drinks, gotten the sauces and prepared ourselves for a heart attack worth of food, it was delivered to our table.

I found it all to be fine. I had no issues with any of the meats or the two different sausages. Both the chicken and the turkey were cooked nicely and they were not dry. My wife said a piece of ham she tried was hard, but the piece I had was fine. The order came with a single pork rib which we took turns gnawing on, and it was cooked to be very tender. The pulled pork had great texture and the brisket was fine. For me, the key to all of this was the sauces. I took a bite of each item without sauce, and then tried the "Hot" sauce and the "Sweet" sauce. The Hot had a nice taste to it but I've had better. The Sweet was very nice and complimented all the meats. My wife felt like the Sweet had a bit too much of a kick to it, but I was already numb from the Hot, so I guess I didn't notice.

Our sides included the Onion Tangles (onion rings) and green beans with bacon. Oh, the green beans with bacon also included cooked potato slices. A nice touch and very tasty indeed.

We really couldn't make a dent in the full platter and opted instead to finish dinner with a soft serve cone, sort of like they used to have at Bananza.

Okay. I'd say give it a try. It may be that we are just hard core Grady's people, but overall, I didn't see this as being anything special. My wife was a little more blunt in her evaluation, giving it an Eeee-Yuck! I don't know how that translates in restaurant review jargon, but it definitely means we probably won't go again. But I'd say it is worth giving a shot. Just don't go at 6PM on a Saturday night.

And just remember, if you don't like it, Grady's is just across the street.