This date was the first day of my "big" trip on my new 2008 Goldwing. I had mulled over in my head many times about where I wanted to go and how far I was willing to travel. The closer my vacation got to be the more apprehensive I became because the weather forecast kept changing every 5 minutes, or so it seemed. So my final plan was to head straight to Omak WA and skip any extra running around. The day before my trip the weather forecast lightened up enough for me to leave a day early and that is just what I decided to do. Being the Labor Day weekend and the last minute I was pretty lucky to find a vacancy in the Riverview Lodge, located in Hood River Oregon. Of course, me being the self proclaimed BBQhunter, I had to at least make the attempt to find BBQ on this trip (little did I know just how hard that would be). My first attempt to find BBQ was in Vancouver WA. My GPS insisted that there was a BBQ joint called Joe's BBQ Bus in Vancouver. I drove around in circles before I came to the conclusion that this place doesn't exist anymore. The best I could tell is that a church resides at that address now. The next closest BBQ was located in Portland OR. No way I'm crossing into Portland. That town is nuts! So off I went east down Highway 14 (the Washington side of the Columbia River). Not a very auspicious day so far. Almost got run over by a crazy lady on I-5 and no BBQ in Vancouver. A couple of miles out of town I took another look on the GPS just in case there was BBQ ahead of me. My luck must be turning, because in Camas WA is a place called Big Lou's Texas BBQ. My fervent hope is that they still were in business and that they would be open. They were! Easy find and at the sight of that magnificent pit a big smile crept across my face. It got even bigger when I could see that they were open. Now, lets see what they are all about.
Taste: I was so happy when I walked in the joint, that when I was formally welcomed to the establishment I blurted out that I had traveled 120 miles just to eat there. Its not a complete fabrication, it really was 120 miles from my home to there. I even told them that I had tried to find another place first. Didn't matter, they thought it was still pretty cool and welcomed me with true southern hospitality. A gentleman standing behind me at the condiments bar had this great looking sandwich he was dressing up. I was told it was chopped mesquite smoked brisket. WOW, looks good, so that is what I ordered. The person taking my order said I could get the "plate" which included 1 side and a drink for 8 bucks and that is what I went with. Chopped Brisket Sandwich, Cold Slaw and Iced Tea. The sandwich was every bit as good as it looked. A giant scoop of tender brisket with a great mesquite presence. The slaw was fresh and crunchy and it was liberally sprinkled with celery seed (one of my favorites, by the way). The iced tea was super cold (not sweet - THANKS!) and cut a huge path through the road dust caking my throat. I would be truly remiss if I awarded anything less than a 9. Great job!
Value: 9 stars. All this for $8. Are you guys actually making any money?
Staff: Where do I start. From the second I walked in the place I felt like I was truly the most important person in the restaurant. From the waitress giving me a big handshake to the Owner/creator of the restaurant talking it up with me and the local owner giving me a travel bag of 2 ribs for the road gratis (that means free). These people are the definition of hospitality. Another 9 stars.
Ambiance: Big Lou's radiated BBQ from the very start. The pit was located street side where everyone could see and smell it. The building screamed "Hey dummy, look at me". It looked, felt and most importantly smelled like a BBQ joint. The menu was just what a BBQ place should be. Simple and to the point. Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned Texas Style BBQ. 9 stars! Another job well done!
Friends: I would recommend this place to my friends and even suggest it to strangers in passing if I knew they were headed to or through Camas WA. If fortune favors me and I'm in that area again I will definitely make this a stop. Don't wait for me to bring it up, just go! You won't be sorry. 9 stars
Overall: I'm sure you can guess what I will give Big Lou's Texas BBQ. But in case you just fell off the turnip truck I'll post it anyway. 9 Stars. This is one place I would consider awarding 10 stars to. I know....the sun almost stopped shining for a second. If I had 1/2 stars, then they would be 9 1/2. Folks, do yourself a culinary favor. Make the trip to Camas and try some really good BBQ and remember to say that the BBQhunter sent you. Their information is as follows:
Big Lou's Texas BBQ
1924 NE 3rd Avenue
Camas, Washington
98607
MON to THU 1100 to 2030
FRI & SAT 1100 to 2100
Phone 360-834-4114
Fax 360-833-1992
www.bigloustexasbbq.com
Later.....
Taste: I was so happy when I walked in the joint, that when I was formally welcomed to the establishment I blurted out that I had traveled 120 miles just to eat there. Its not a complete fabrication, it really was 120 miles from my home to there. I even told them that I had tried to find another place first. Didn't matter, they thought it was still pretty cool and welcomed me with true southern hospitality. A gentleman standing behind me at the condiments bar had this great looking sandwich he was dressing up. I was told it was chopped mesquite smoked brisket. WOW, looks good, so that is what I ordered. The person taking my order said I could get the "plate" which included 1 side and a drink for 8 bucks and that is what I went with. Chopped Brisket Sandwich, Cold Slaw and Iced Tea. The sandwich was every bit as good as it looked. A giant scoop of tender brisket with a great mesquite presence. The slaw was fresh and crunchy and it was liberally sprinkled with celery seed (one of my favorites, by the way). The iced tea was super cold (not sweet - THANKS!) and cut a huge path through the road dust caking my throat. I would be truly remiss if I awarded anything less than a 9. Great job!
Value: 9 stars. All this for $8. Are you guys actually making any money?
Staff: Where do I start. From the second I walked in the place I felt like I was truly the most important person in the restaurant. From the waitress giving me a big handshake to the Owner/creator of the restaurant talking it up with me and the local owner giving me a travel bag of 2 ribs for the road gratis (that means free). These people are the definition of hospitality. Another 9 stars.
Ambiance: Big Lou's radiated BBQ from the very start. The pit was located street side where everyone could see and smell it. The building screamed "Hey dummy, look at me". It looked, felt and most importantly smelled like a BBQ joint. The menu was just what a BBQ place should be. Simple and to the point. Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned Texas Style BBQ. 9 stars! Another job well done!
Friends: I would recommend this place to my friends and even suggest it to strangers in passing if I knew they were headed to or through Camas WA. If fortune favors me and I'm in that area again I will definitely make this a stop. Don't wait for me to bring it up, just go! You won't be sorry. 9 stars
Overall: I'm sure you can guess what I will give Big Lou's Texas BBQ. But in case you just fell off the turnip truck I'll post it anyway. 9 Stars. This is one place I would consider awarding 10 stars to. I know....the sun almost stopped shining for a second. If I had 1/2 stars, then they would be 9 1/2. Folks, do yourself a culinary favor. Make the trip to Camas and try some really good BBQ and remember to say that the BBQhunter sent you. Their information is as follows:
Big Lou's Texas BBQ
1924 NE 3rd Avenue
Camas, Washington
98607
MON to THU 1100 to 2030
FRI & SAT 1100 to 2100
Phone 360-834-4114
Fax 360-833-1992
www.bigloustexasbbq.com
Later.....
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