As road trips go, this was a short one, just 30 minutes upriver from my New Orleans home to Luling, home to Gonzo’s Smokehouse. But in the logistics, timekeeping and excited anticipation it felt like a bigger journey.
We had a smorgasbord platter of barbecue in mind, an ice chest on hand to bring home a particular Cajun-meets-Texas boudin from Gonzo’s freezer case and a brewery taproom visit on the agenda too.
Gonzo’s has earned a following around Louisiana for the best Central Texas-style barbecue this side of the Sabine River. But it serves this barbecue only at lunch on Fridays.
These ingredients have made lunch at Gonzo’s into a happening. People line up outside even before the doors open each week. Now it’s more of a destination too.
Last spring, founder Jason Gonzalez moved Gonzo’s to a new riverfront location which happens to be right next to the German Coast Beer Company brewery and taproom.
Barbecue, boudin and beer add up to the kind of an eating adventure worth planning weeks in advance, like Friday lunch at Galatoire’s or Saturday night at Mosca’s.
So I recruited a few trusted trenchermen and set out to Luling for a feast.
The foundation of Gonzo’s is the Central Texas school of barbecue, with its straightforward salt-and-pepper seasoning and long, slow smoking times. But it’s Gonzalez’s inventive swagger with specials that adds spark week to week.
Classic brisket is the king cut here, with a beefy flavor as deep as marrow. The same brisket goes into Gonzo’s specialty boudin. Smoky, salty hunks of beef add an X factor of flavor between the rice.
The full Gonzo’s experience is to gather a few hungry friends over a mixed meat tray.
As our lunch progressed, the teeth got sticky with salty beef fat, the chitchat fell away and the napkin pile grew as the fingers gleamed. A cold beer next door beckoned at German Coast. Is this barbecue heaven? Nah. It’s just another Friday at Gonzo’s in Luling.
