Man-oh-man I was hoping for some pit gold here, but not the day I visited. This is the kind of…read moreplace that has all the intangibles, a place that you want to love, but my first time did not elicit the enthusiasm I came prepared to offer.
New Zion is an old House set just a couple of miles from 45, slightly south of Huntsville proper. Started originally as a fund-raiser for the church some 30 odd years ago, the bbq garnered such acclaim as to warrant it opening for business permanently. The woman who spear-headed the phenomenon has long since retired as she's in her 90's now. And because this is the House of The Holy Smoke, all of the original church ladies but one have reached very impressive birthdays.
I can't help but think that with the retiring of the original cast, something special left with them. I have heard of this place in myth and legend for years now, but have had horrible luck finding them during business hours. For the record: they are open Thurs - Sat 11am - 3pm. In the meantime I had been running through the lexicon of Texas BBQ heavyweights from Luling to Llano.
So when I drove up Montgomery Road this past fateful Thursday, it was almost a feeling of gratitude that met the site of tendrils of smoke billowing out of their front yard smoker. I parked in the shade of a tree in the empty lot next door and practically ran to the door before they could change the sign to the dissappointing "Closed" I'd seen so many times before. Inside you realize that this is every bit a house that happens to be a restaurant. There can't be more than 5 lunch tables inside that work as community seating. Proceed past them to the man-in-charge, Clint, sitting at the counter to the rear. As you order, he calls the order back to the kitchen staff to assemble your meal. Meat from aluminum trays, beans from a crock pot, and potato salad all served on grandma's china! Not really, but it feels like you're at a small community pot luck. Like you've been personally invited into someone's home.
I ordered what I always order, the Holy Trinity (sticking with the theme here) of Texas BBQ meats: 1. Brisket, ribs, links. If able, I order beans, potato salad and cole slaw. No slaw was to be had this day. I washed it down with sweet tea, which I'd bet dollars to dimes was a powdered mix. And for some reason I loved it. But then I realized that's what Grandma always made when she'd take me to the beach as a kid, so it was a bit of personal nostalgia.
The beans were well-cooked, but bland. The potato salad was basically grocery store quality and of the classic mustard type. So the sides were nothing but average, but that isn't a deal-breaker for me. The brisket was just not very good. It was a well-trimmed lean cut with minimal smoke ring and a grey-ish color. It comes pre-sauced, which isn't my preference, but I try to check hubris at the door and eat the meal that the cook prepares. The sauce is good. Not too thick or sweet. The sausage is from a meat company in Bryan and is not the crumbling link style popular in the Central TX joints. It's well-processed and dense with a oh-so-slight kick. Once again, it was good, but I've had better sausage dozens of places. The ribs were damn good. Far better than LCM on Richmond, but nowhere near Burn's in Acres Home. So really, it was a satifying meal, but not in my top ten, and no single item would qualify either. I wanted more. I'm not dissappointed in the food per se, but just that I'd hoped my lofty expectations were reasonable.
The staff, however, is top 5 quality. Unbelievably nice and courteous. As I ate my meal I began to laugh to myself as I realized what song I was hearing on the radio. It was a mix of shame and surprise as I made out the notes to Celine Dion's "Near -Far" (something like that) as played instumentally by KENNY FREAKING G! I laughed as I said to Clint at the counter that I would have never guessed that would be their music selection. The guy behind Clint, who was in charge of slicing the orders that Clint called out, asked "Which one's your favorite?" I begged him to not make me choose. We then joked for the next 5-10 mins where we'd all heard it, finally leaving it with "That movie." At this point, roughly 1:30, I was the only person in the room and it was a great opportunity to visit with these folks. Clint was wearing a trucker hat that said "Church" in small letters at the top with a large "Q" in the middle. It was classic, and I needed one. But alas, there were none to be had because Clint makes them himself. Seeing my dissappointment, he took my address and promised to mail me one. For that alone, I'll eat here every chance I get.
All-in-all this place has above average Q, but not the legendary status it once had. And while I hoped it would rival some of the state's best, this is still the kind of place that needs support because it's part of the community.
