Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Craving a taste of home, three American friends launched a Southern-style barbecue restaurant serving up some of their favourite family recipes featuring mouth-watering meats, saucy sides and deep fried delights.
When Bryan Mallone, Rad Cox and Mildred Rayos cooked up the idea, they spent three years chasing their restaurant dreams.
Last year, in April, it finally became a reality and was well worth the wait. Since opening its doors at the Best Western Plus-The Olive Hotel in Juffair, the Big Texas Barbecue & Waffle House has been attracting food lovers from across the kingdom hankering for a bite of authentic smoked dishes and grills.
Mallone said: “This place is like a piece of home for the Americans in Bahrain but has also been popular with others as well. We’ve had people thank us for serving some of their home favourites that they miss. Others thank us for giving them the chance to taste food they have only seen on TV and never dreamed of eating in Bahrain.
“We want people to feel like they are at home. I know that saying gets used up a lot but we really enjoy seeing people appreciating the foods we grew up with and love. We use the best quality ingredients and meats because we want to serve our guests nothing but the best. Millie and I spend hours at the restaurant to make sure that every recipe is followed perfectly and that all our guests are happy and comfortable.”
With Mallone handling the smokers that supply the rich flavours and tending to customers, Rayos dishing out recipes and Cox managing the logistics, the trio has struck gold. It’s obvious that a lot of passion has gone into developing this meaty concept.
The restaurant, which can seat 125 diners comfortably, is set up like a giant country cookout featuring grand wooden tables, comfy booths, brick pillars and large windows for an airy-type ambiance. The eatery also has a sports lounge with televisions and a large screen blasting the latest games and, well, whatever guests fancy.
Aside from scrumptious food, the venue offers a touch of Southern hospitality with a warm and inviting team of waitresses, seven chefs, three bartenders and two supervisors.
When I told my carnivorous husband, Sam, that we would be sampling an assortment of barbecued savouries and sugary treats at the Big Texas, he couldn’t contain himself. Tender meat, wholesome sides and grills… what’s not to love?
You see, food plays a major role in my household. Even when we travel, our mission is to sample all the different cuisines. We simply love food. So going into the barbecue haven, we made sure to prepare for a great feast. He wore his baggy jeans and I strutted in with my leggings. A girl needs room too.
A friendly waitress took us to a long table in the sports lounge, which Mallone insisted we would need for the amount of food he had in store for us. He also explained that he downsized the portions so that we would be able to get a bite of everything. We were more than happy with that option and asked for the best sellers such as the beef brisket and ribs along with other favourites.
First up was the deep fried pickles, smoked beef sausage, an assortment of chicken wings and a Southern must-have at every traditional barbecue joint called burnt ends. Being a huge pickle fan, I couldn’t stop nibbling on the crispy creations. Sam and I enjoyed the smokey beef sausage and demolished our chicken wings, which included flavours such as lemon pepper, smoked, hot and good ol’ barbecue.
The winning dish though was the burnt ends. It had the juiciest chunks of meat that I had tasted. For those that don’t know what burnt ends are, they are flavourful pieces of meat cut from the point half of a smoked brisket. At Big Texas, they smoke their beef for 14-16 hours for a sensational smoldering taste. It’s a Kansas City classic.
As soon as we finished off the burnt ends a pile of food arrived including another Southern staple – chicken and waffles. According to Mallone, the best way to eat the crispy fried chicken that was sitting on a fluffy waffle was by putting hot sauce on the chicken, buttering the waffle and then smothering both it with maple syrup. I asked Sam to keep the hot sauce to himself and I dipped my chicken and waffle in the sticky syrup. It was a divine combination.
Another tasty treat was the hush puppy which is a golden brown ball of deep fried cornmeal, onion and corn. Mallone suggested to cover them in melted honey butter and we were thrilled he did. The sauce was amazing. It doesn’t usually come with it so make sure to request it. You do not want to miss it!
Other heavy hitters on the table included smoked beef brisket, ribs and pulled chicken. The chicken steak was also delicious combined with creamy gravy. The sides were just as good. I couldn’t get enough of the macaroni and cheese dish featuring smoked Gouda, cheddar and Asiago cheese. I could swim in that bowl of comfort food and almost didn’t share it with Sam.
Mallone gave us a rundown of all the sauces to have with the meats and it all depends on what part of the US you are from. Apparently it’s a big deal so make sure to find out what sauce suits your needs best. And, if all else fails, you can’t go wrong with Kansas City barbecue sauce.
As much as we tried to finish off the heavenly sample platters, we couldn’t and had to tap out. Can you imagine if they served us the full portions? I was grateful for my leggings. After a few minutes, Mallone and our waitress brought out three ‘can’t miss’ desserts including a key lime pie, Nana’s pudding (which is banana pudding) and bananas fosters bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream. I know I usually say there is always room for dessert, but after a few bites of each delectable dish, I had to admit defeat. Rayos and Mallone broke me with their sumptuous soul food.
Business is so good that they will be launching a breakfast menu including biscuits, smoked sausages and more in a couple of weeks. I have my fat dress ready in anticipation!
The restaurant is open from 11am to 2am and features a country gospel duo six-times a week from 7.30pm-11.30pm. While people dine they can enjoy the musical styling of Grammy nominee Rusty Golden and Nashville beauty Nicky Daniels.
Once breakfast is launched, the venue will be open from 6am.
For more info, follow them on Facebook at Big Texas Barbecue, on Twitter as Big Texas BBQ and on Instagram @bigtexasbbq.
