Ringo's BBQ and Burgers Review

First things first: Ringo's is the #1 restaurant we've been asked to review. That being said, we had high expectations going into this because it came so highly recommended from friends. Come to think of it though, it wasn't so much "oh this place is great, you have to try it" as "I'm interested in hearing what ya'll have to say" about this one.

There are four types of BBQ: Memphis, Texas, Kansas City and the Carolinas. Texas' meat of choice is beef, most famous being our beef brisket. Most Texas pitmasters choose oak to smoke their meats (Ringo's included) but here in South Texas our abundance of wood is mesquite. It's a sin to put barbecue sauce on Texas BBQ because the complex meat flavors speak volumes yet you find it at all BBQ restaurants. Texas barbecue sauce is a tomato-based sauce that's spicy and tangy with some sweetness, otherwise known as "sweet heat".

As we approached the restaurant, we noticed there was no outdoor smokehouse. Looking in the kitchen they had an indoor electric smoker which is not considered to be Old Fashioned Texas barbecue. The reason people use electric smokers is to keep a consistent product but you lose out on the genuine human craftsmanship that a pitmaster would possess.

Doc Holliday Burger 

All burgers come with your choice of bread which include simple white, sourdough or jalapeño cheddar which we chose as our option. The Doc Holliday burger came with one butterflied sausage link piled with chopped brisket, a half-pound beef patty, cheddar cheese and topped off with an over-easy egg. From my experience there's nothing more satisfying than popping the yolk in an over-easy and watching it smother down the sides of your burger. Given all the ingredients listed, this dish was sure to satisfy so we decided to give it a try. It arrived hot, the fries were fresh and it came with a side of lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions. Once these were added the already ambitious burger grew in size and this jaw-breaker soon became too big to handle. The first bite taken was strictly sausage and trying to get past that was a pain in the jaw. Therefore the sausage was removed and what was left had to be smashed down in an attempt to finish eating it. The burger had good flavor but mid-way through it started falling apart as the bread became too soggy to handle the weight of the ingredients. This burger could possibly be improved by cutting the sausage link into thin rounds.

Doc Holliday Burger mid-way "fell apart"

Three Meat Plate

The Three Meat Plate comes with your choice of three meats. We chose Pork Rib, Turkey and Sliced Brisket. All meat on this plate was dry. The sliced brisket had no seasonings or flavors on it beside the smoked flavor.

Jalapeño Cream Corn

The sides were the unsung hero of our meal. The cream corn was creamy, thick and had a subtle jalapeño taste that wasn't overpowering.

Beans

The beans were firm yet soft with good flavor. The juice was a little spicy, peppery and it became enhanced when we added the house sauce. The house sauce was tomato and vinegar based which tasted more like a Memphis or Carolina BBQ sauce. Its downfall was it was quite watery and not full or thick the way you'd expect a Texas BBQ sauce to be.

 Sausages

As a side to our Three Meat Plate we ordered Regular and Hatch Sausages but instead of Regular we received Cheese Sausage (which wasn't on the menu). The appearance was wrinkled which means during the cooking process the sausage tore and all the fat leaked out causing it to wrinkle, become dry and overcooked.

The Ringo name and menu are modeled after the gunslingers of the West as seen in their burgers: The Hoss, Six Shooter, Doc Holliday and Tombstone. Prices at Ringo's are moderate, not overpriced but appropriate. Their menu on the side entrance wall was a bit awkward to read. Wooden tables, benches and wall accents give the restaurant a true BBQ feel. The atmosphere is fresh thanks to wide open windows flooding the dining room in natural light. We went to Ringo's expecting a different experience but were unfortunately let down by the dry meat. Every restaurant deserves a second chance so we may return as a redemption but won't be going for lunch any time soon.

Tasting Spoon Grade for this experience: B-

Other Reviews:
Pho Oi 
Loncheria El Popo 
El Puesto