This is not the Doc's Hot Links that Gilmer has know for decades. After running Doc's since buying it in 1969, the Henderson family decided to retire. A lot of people, me included, feared that it would be the end of an era and Gilmer would not have East Texas Hot Links. But then a ray of hope popped up, the Henderson family had a buyer for the building and business and Doc's would continue. There was joy and dancing in the streets of Gilmer when word got out that Doc's wasn't going anywhere.
And then the hometown supporters ate the new links.
No more joy. No more dancing. The ray of hope had gone black.
The links being served now are not the Doc's links of old. Sure the new guy will tell you it is the same recipe and the Henderson family meticulously showed them how to cook the links, etc..........That is fine and well, but the links suck. They suck BAD.
The links are now bite size. No kidding, at most two bites, but a lot of "East Texas Hot Link Eaters" will pop these little things in their mouth whole. They are that small. Oh yeah, they are also $1.00 a piece now. Of course the new regime will tell you that the Henderson family was about to go up to this price, but didn't since there were about to sell the place. They will tell you that their links are "all beef" and that Pittsburg links are made with "beef and pork" and that is why Pittsburg links are cheaper and Doc's cost so much. Of course a quick look at the Pittsburg Hot Links website or a quick look at the ingredients on the package of their hot links in Wal-Mart or Brookshire's will show you that Pittsburg links are ALL BEEF and don't have any PORK.
So the links are small and overpriced, but hey, at least they still taste great right! NOPE. The links now are vastly under-cooked. The casing is very rubbery and does not break or even cut clean. The new guy will tell you, well what you need to do is order "well done" links because some people like them a little more cooked than others and that is the was the Henderson's taught them how to cook the links.
To that I say in my deepest East Texas Drawl: "Let me tell you something sonny boy, I been eatin' links since before you were born, understand. I ain't never ordered no well done links. I just ordered links and they were always cooked right. Don't give me no nonsense about "Well Done" links. We ain't talkin' about steak, we talkin' about East Texas Hot Links. There is only two ways to cook them, the right way, and the wrong way. Guess which one you are doing junior."
That felt good.
Oh, and the problems don't stop there. The links taste different. They are now filled with some kind of "meat paste" that is a completely different texture than real Doc's Hot Links. Not sure what they are doing, but it is not the same. The taste is not just a texture problem either, they just taste different now. They kind of have a lingering sour taste or something. It's kind of hard to explain. They have a strange aftertaste now that I have never tasted before. I'm not saying the links taste sour because they are ruined/spoiled, it has something to do with the seasoning that is being put in them. Same goes for the chili. It has a more watery texture and the taste is different from what is was in the many decades past.
Normally I would call for this place to go out of business and fail miserably, but I really don't want that to happen here. I love East Texas Hot Links. It is getting harder to find them in a lot of towns that used to have hot link stands. I sincerely hope that this new owner gets his stuff together and starts making links the way the Henderson family did. For that to happen, the links have to be bigger, cooked longer, and taste the way they used to. Same goes for the chili. I would not mind paying $1.00 per link if I was getting the same link that the Henderson's were selling at this time last year, but that is simply not the case.
To the new owner, I say this: CALL the Henderson's and have them come up there and help you get the legendary Doc's Hot Links back up to the high standard that the Henderson's set many decades ago. If you are still in business in a year or so, or if I start hearing better reviews from many of the people that hold the same views that I do, I will try the links again. Until then, I guess I will just buy Pittsburg links at the store and cook them myself.
P.S. I know the owner will have people tell them that the links taste exactly the same or even BETTER than they used to. Please, Please, do not let this go to your head. The links are NOT the same or better. Remember the emperor and his new clothes? Don't let that happen to you. CALL the Henderson's and get some advice. read more