Monday, May 31, 2010: Railroad Bar-B-Que (Manchaca, Texas)

Brad and I wanted to try somewhere we hadn’t been, but we weren’t up for a long drive, so we headed just a few miles South of the house to Railroad Bar-B-Que in Manchaca. Railroad has been around for years, and the place looks—inside and out—as if nothing’s change (and I don’t say this in a negative way).

There were only a couple of other patrons inside, so it was quiet. The food wasn't awful; it was just forgettable. As is the case with many places (maybe even most), there was quite a disparity in moistness between the wing/leg/thigh of the chicken and the breast of the chicken. A major negative here is that the meats are smoked at the Kyle location and then brought to the Manchaca location. All things being equal, serving BBQ that’s not prepared on site puts one in the minus column.

The lady who took our order was friendly, and the place has a big area out back that would be perfect for a private function, but the food wasn’t good enough to get us back anytime soon.

Drew’s scores – Chicken (dark): 7.8; Chicken (white): 5; Pork ribs: 7; Atmosphere: 7.25; Overall experience: 7

Brad’s scores – Brisket: 7; Pork ribs: 7.75; Atmosphere: 8.5; Overall experience: 8

Overall Man-Up Score: 7.5