Lubbock

[JosephB]

I hope you Texans can help me out. My wife and I will be in Lubbock on Sunday, May 2, 2004, just for the day. Can someone recommend a good place for lunch. We're looking for something characteristic of the area.

Thank you kindly.

[russ parsons]

i haven't been back to lubbock in several years, but i believe stubb's barbecue is still open. it's not what it used to be (or even where it used to be), but i found it to be much more than a shadow of its former self. there is also a county line barbecue and as i recall it was much prettier, but i can't say i ever cared that much for their food.

[JosephB]

i haven't been back to lubbock in several years, but i believe stubb's barbecue is still open. it's not what it used to be (or even where it used to be), but i found it to be much more than a shadow of its former self. there is also a county line barbecue and as i recall it was much prettier, but i can't say i ever cared that much for their food.

Thanks Russ. Any thoughts on Dallas? We're there for one full day and night on Sat., 5/1 - lunch and dinner.

[russ parsons]

i'm sure there are people better advised than i on this list. but there's good Q and good tex-mex in dallas. is stephen pyles' place still open? i've always liked him and his food (his mom and dad used to run a truck stop in big spring where i always stopped back in my sportswriting days).

[slkinsey]

Dude... you're going to Lubbock?! Interesting town. Very flat.

On a more serious note, I have a number of relatives in/around there and will inquire. You can check out the Best of Lubbock web site, but it's pretty grim... to the extent that I thought some of the entries were jokes (Best Sandwich: Subway, Best Pizza: Pizza Hut, Best Seafood: Red Lobster). Better might be the Lubbock Restaurant Guide. Your best bet is probably Q at someplace like Bingham's Smokehouse or County Line Barbeque.

[JosephB]

Dude... you're going to Lubbock?! Interesting town. Very flat.

On a more serious note, I have a number of relatives in/around there and will inquire. You can check out the Best of Lubbock web site, but it's pretty grim... to the extent that I thought some of the entries were jokes (Best Sandwich: Subway, Best Pizza: Pizza Hut, Best Seafood: Red Lobster). Better might be the Lubbock Restaurant Guide. Your best bet is probably Q at someplace like Bingham's Smokehouse or County Line Barbeque.

County Line seems to be on a lot of lists. Thanks for the tip.

[foodie52]

Ha ha ha ha ha !!!!!

[memesuze]

Haven't eaten in Lubbock, but my recollection of the County Line's here in Austin are that they are pretty "sanitized" versions of Texas BBQ - nothing like what the recent Texas Gluttony Tour found between the Hill Country and the coast. I'm not knocking the food, but the Lubbock operation probably is "just like" the Austin operations - and that doesn't seem to be what you are searching for. Check out the recommendations at texasmonthly.com

[russ parsons]

Haven't eaten in Lubbock, but my recollection of the County Line's here in Austin are that they are pretty "sanitized" versions of Texas BBQ - nothing like what the recent Texas Gluttony Tour found between the Hill Country and the coast.

that's exactly my recollection. most folks order beef ribs there, which i consider an abomination. i will repeat my recommendation of stubb's barbecue, if only for historical reasons. when i lived in lubbock (uh, 25 years ago), this was one of the most amazing places on earth. great bbq and stubb was a great fan of musicians, who repaid his interest by coming in to play a 25-seat bbq joint on their nights off. regulars were guys like joe ely, butch hancock, jimmie dale gilmore, stevie ray vaughn, los lobos, terry allen, etc., but i also saw ray charles play piano there one night, and ate ribs with muddy waters! that place is long gone (though there is a statue of stubb in its place ... drive out east broadway and you'll see it). the current stubbs barbecue is much bigger and somewhat more corporate-seeming (granted, most anything would be more corporate-seeming than the original stubbs). but i took my daughter back 4-5 years ago when her godfather [just bragging: jd gilmore] was inducted into the west texas music hall of fame and the bbq was quite acceptable.

[Richard Kilgore]

JosephB -- Here's a link to a recent thread on DFW indigenous barbeque, tex-mex, and fine dining that should get you started. There's more detail in other threads, but this one may tell you what you want to know. If not, let us know on that thread or a new one.

[Luggage386]

I was in Lubbock last September and can report that Stubb's has been definitely closed for quite some time (like, 20 years) -- only the Austin location remains; but do make time to visit the statue and plaque at the original location (put up by musician/sculptor Terry Allen, and funded by scores of musicians of greater and lesser note, whose names are inscribed in the patio bricks). I've heard that decent barbecue can still be found at Whistlin' Dixie, 3502 Slide Road (tel. 806-795-9750; try the burnt ends and brisket plate).

If your horizons expand beyond barbecue, go to the Hub City Brewery in the Depot District for great beer, pizza and pub grub in general; I ate there more than once and it's a nice friendly place to meet the locals, if that's your idea of a good time. It's also walking distance from the Buddy Holly Center, which you shouldn't miss if you're any kind of a fan of Holly and West Texas music in general. (For a truly loopy Lubbock experience, visit the Hi-D-Ho diner, in the middle of an industrial district -- it's the last descendant of a '50s chain where Buddy Holly and his friends ate and reportedly played (on the roof), and where Stubb himself worked as a fry cook back in the day -- owned by an ex-employee of the original drive-in who is a true character in his own right. "Don't say hello, say hi-d-ho.")

Believe it or not, Lubbock is also home to one of the finest bagel shops in Texas, Hoot's Bagels at 8201 Quaker. Of course, if you're only going to be there for the day...

Hub City Brewery:

http://interoz.com/lubbock/brew.htm

[russ parsons]

I was in Lubbock last September and can report that Stubb's has been definitely closed for quite some time (like, 20 years).

are you sure about that? i know the great east broadway is closed, but i was positive i ate at a stubb's barbecue that was out about 50th street. kind of weird location. big hall where they also had music. i may hallucinate about stubb's barbecue, but i'm usually aware that i'm doing it.

check this out:

http://www.interoz.com/lubbock/stubhist.htm

[Luggage386]

Perhaps I spoke too soon: check out this site.

http://interoz.com/lubbock/stubsmen.htm

Apparently it's on 19th St., not 50th. Perhaps Stubb's is really a mirage, or Brigadoon? (Come to think of it, I kind of got that feeling about Lubbock as a whole...at least that would explain all those musicians coming out of there.)

[jscarbor]

Stubbs was reincarnated some time ago after originally closing. It came back more as a live music place.

As for food some of my favorites were Spanky's across from Jones Stadium for the best and biggest fried cheese anywhere. It is the only place I will get fried cheese and that's once in a blue moon since I have only been to Lubbock 2 times in the last 10 years. The burgers are good.

Cho Chai on 19th has very good thai food in a very small hole in the wall type joint. I always got either the gar yang(I think, I always asked for green chicken) or the exceptional pad thai they have.

Josies Mex (my favorite is on univ) is one of my alltime favorite mex places. The breakfast's are alays good. and for some reason the chips and salsa are addictive. My guess is just about anything is good. I also remember eating a lot of carne guisada tacos with sour cream.

If Mesquites is still around I would say that's very Lubbock. Look it up.

There is a new oplace in/near the cultural center I believe at 19th just off University that is supposed to have very good food. From what I've heard Its owned by the people that owned Grapevine bar/cafe some years ago and there food was very good.