Had dinner with the family at Podnah's on 8-21-2010 and them having ""great Texas BBQ"" is a blasphemous rumor. I have lived in TX and St. Louis and I feel I have a good idea of what good BBQ should taste like and this establishment falls short.
I was not impressed by the service we received. It was unprofessional and inconsistent. There were six of us and the menu states"" Free bread, Jalapeno's and onions"". Anyone who has eaten BBQ in Texas knows that white bread is a must when eating BBQ. We order a half rack of ribs, brisket, pulled pork, collard greens, beans, black eyed pea salad and potato salad.So she brings out a basket with 4 slices of bread (6 people). These are quickly eaten and we asked for more bread...She brings out 3 slices of bread this time..Again, eaten quickly and when we asked the 2nd time for more bread AND we got attitude from her....6 people, 7 slices of white bread so far and we get attitude. My initial thought is...It's white bread...If it was really ""Texas style BBQ"" they would have dropped a loaf on the table. Getting your beverage refilled was like asking for a loan. I can understand if it was really busy, but it wasn't.
Now for the food...The collard greens were nasty as hell, the beans were way too salty from the pork and bacon fat, The brisket was good, but not impressive, the cornbread had a funny taste to and I have had better pulled pork out of a frozen package from Costco. The black eyed pea salad was pretty tasty and so was the potato salad. I can't comment on the ribs because I didn't eat any.
To sum it all up, I would not eat there again even if my dinner was paid for by someone else. I've had better food and service at Buster's BBQ and they don't set a high bar. If you are looking for good service and BBQ, I recommend trying Russell Street BBQ. So far, it has been a great experience and the food is always good and you actually get your drink refilled without showing signs of dehydration.
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