We have a new restaurant in town. It's called BJ's Brewhouse and it has lots of big screen televisions and an extensive beer selection and a menu the size of a dictionary and a dessert that's worth a trip there all by itself.
In fact, there's a video about it on our blog page, so for more information about BJ's Brewhouse, go watch it.
But right now, I want to give a little attention to one of Waco's oldest restaurants. Because brand new and fancy and flashy is fantastic, but it doesn't automatically equal greatness. Consistent greatness equals greatness.
That's Tony DeMaria's, which has been a credit to Waco's barbecue scene for going on seven decades.
My friend Giles Rudolph came by my house to mow my lawn and give me advice on my general landscaping needs. So I made a run to DeMaria's to pick us up barbecue sandwiches. That leads to my summary de jour of DeMaria's.
I could pontificate about why Tony DeMaria's barbecue kills it, but Giles put it succinctly.
"Man, that sausage is outtasight," he said.
Actually his mouth was full, so at first I thought he said sauce. Either way, he was right on the money. When I pressed him, though, he clarified that the sauce indeed was tasty, but the sausage was so good that it didn't need sauce.
Someone asked me on Monday if I thought the Waco restaurant scene is booming with the addition of new and big-name chain restaurants. Yes, I suppose it is. However, Waco's reputation as a restaurant town is built on a foundation of places like Tony DeMaria's.
