George’s Restaurant (Post, TX)

About an hour into our drive from Lubbock to Austin I spot a BBQ sign. I can tell from appearances that it’s probably not a chain. We’re not quite ready for lunch but I’m too curious to let this one pass me by. It might be the best barbecue in Texas and I’m not willing to loose sleep wondering if maybe I should have stopped. What if the next ten restaurants are those crappy burger joints. We pull off the highway and park up. There’s a sign indicating that truckers are welcome. That’s to do with parking, I’m sure. But it’s also enough to remind me that we’re entering unfamiliar territory. Suddenly this is a good thing. The diner is a small Ma & Pa outfit, operated since ’79 and the Texas accent is like sweet music to my ears. We order up a sandwich each and some buffalo wings. You can tell before the food even reaches your lips. There’s the authentic smokiness that you won’t find in anything that isn’t barbecued with heart. More nuanced than something that’s been simply grilled or had smokey essence added to it. It’s a flavor I’ve been striving for. The food is great. I’m so glad we stopped here. At this point I feel like even if we come away with mostly mediocre food for the next 6 weeks we will still have had two damn good dining experiences in the USA. If you’re going anywhere near Post, Texas then consider this a stop sign.