After a wonderful first lunch at Hootenannies, Keith McLendon and I drove out across I-95 to Gary Lee’s Market on the landward side at 3636 US 82 .
The only sign I noticed was on the side away from the interstate, over by where we parked.
Gary Lee’s is easy to miss unless you know to look for an Israeli flag. The presence of multiple police cruisers in the parking lot is another clue, and evidence of excellent, reasonably priced food — unless of course guns are drawn. Gary Lee’s is at base simply an old fashioned butcher and grocer. It’s not much from the outside,
and not much on the inside, at least in terms of decor. Gary Lee’s is like any other country store, except for the meat counter and the eat-in/to-go food. The dominant feature is the inevitable line.
The line moves at a decent pace, and the folks in line with you are friendly. Having just overeaten at Hootenannies, we just ordered brisket
and ribs.
The ribs were very good. One was a little stale at the tip, but the area along the bone was outstanding, porky, smoky, and with a great meaty texture. You want to order ribs at Gary Lee’s.
The brisket was even better — terrific. Just look at the interstices of fat in there! And it had a wonderful bark, not the usual pepper-heavy bark you get at the new brisket places. This bark was deeply caramelized meat, delicious in the way that the crust of a perfectly cooked steak is great. The brisket was very tender, with a meatier texture than some of the top places.
The difference between Gary Lee’s brisket and that at newer top places like, say, Lewis, ZZQ, or 2fifty, comes, I believe, from a different cooking method. Gary Lee’s has been in business for some 50 years, even before Miss Tootsie joined Snow’s and long before Aaron Franklin decoded the really interesting part of the Rosetta Stone and revealed to the world the mystery of cooking great brisket. Indeed, I’d heard a lot about Gary Lee’s brisket many years ago. Gary Lee’s was plugging away, making universally praised brisket, oh, 36 years before Franklin opened his trailer in 2009. This is craft, not formula. Gary Lee’s brisket reminded me of the Original City Market in Luling’s brisket — essential and unadorned.
Go to Gary Lee’s. Obviously, you’re going to have to stay a couple of days in the area to try B&J’s, Southern Soul, and Hootenannies, among other standout places I wasn’t able to try. Maybe a week at the beach would be good. And see if you can get Keith McLendon to go with you.
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