Schoepf’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
Belton, TX 76513
Hours: Open Mon–Wed 10–8, Thur–Sat 10–9, Sun 11–8.
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Texas Monthly rating: 4.50
TEXAS MONTHLY SAYS: Line up in front of the big, smoky outdoor pit and choose your meat by scent (or from the hand-written menu). Mesquite-cooked brisket, pork ribs and chops, chicken, and sausage are all offered. Then line up again, this time inside, for fine sides such as pintos, potato salad, slaw, green beans, and cheesy au gratin potatoes. Our group, all under five-foot-five, felt like little kids sitting at the oversized indoor picnic tables. Call for information on Schoepf's Killeen outpost. BYOB. Open Sun 11-3, Mon-Thur 10-8, Fri & Sat 10-9.
2008: The moment we entered the smoke-filled patio and beheld the meats-a-plenty (brisket, chicken, pork ribs, pork chops, sausage, sirloin, turkey breast, and venison sausage), we knew we were in business. The pitman was patient as we made our exacting selections, then—plop, joy: the tenderest of briskets, the thickest of pork chops, the happiest of bellies.
BBQ SNOB SAYS: 2009: The brisket had the same roast-beefiness as it did on my last visit, but this time the slices had no crust, and therefore, no real smoky flavor. The ribs had plenty of flavor from the heavy salt and pepper rub, but the meat had dried out and was a bit tough. The black pepper was also evident on the pork chop, which was so juicy and tender and smoky it made me wonder if it had been smoked alongside the brisket at all.
2008: Off of I-35, there’s an exit into the middle of Belton, just south of Waco, that’s really worth investigating. This joint was bustling on a Friday evening, and for good reason. Meat is ordered straight from the pit. I knew I was getting some ribs and brisket, but the pitman also suggested the house-made jalapeño sausage, which had lots of black pepper and a good smoky flavor. The texture was the perfect balance of coarse and fine. The ribs were thick baby back ribs with about an inch of meat above the bone. This rub had little crust and was monochromatic gray, so I didn’t have much hope that all that meat would be adequately tender or flavored, but the first bite rocked my taste buds. The meat needed just a little tug to come off the bone. The only flavor lacking was smoke. They obviously cooked this protein low and slow, but not much smoke was used. The same went for the brisket—there was no smoke line beneath the slight crust, but it was lean, tender, and perfectly rendered. This was the most excellent slice of roast beef I’ve tasted, but it was lacking some of the keys of Texas ’cue. Even with these technicalities, I’ll be back, and I’ll be sure to order more.
