Roscoe's Smokehouse ~

Last visit: Jan 2018 (Keller - closed)

First visit: Feb 2017 (Keller - closed)

They're still open in Burleson.

Time to ring in the new year. And what better way with some meaty barbecue! As mentioned in the 2017 recap, Roscoe's is a place we visited once earlier in the year, but didn't get any notes down. So it was first on my list to revisit.

Many old time Keller residents will most certainly remember Up-N-Smoke, a very good BBQ place, but sat in a dilapidated old building that was in much need of repair. The original owner decided to retire and the place sat vacant for a short while. Southlake's Feedstore stepped in, spruced it up, but they didn't last too long in that location. It was probably too close to their flagship restaurant, and likely ate into the same client base (so to speak). This was followed by Roscoe's from Burleson - now we're talking a new client base! They expanded even further the original building, adding a full bar area, with flat screens and the whole nine yards. Roscoe's feels like a Texas barbecue place - lots of wood, beer signs, and the smell of smoked meat. And for our money, better barbecue than both of its previous tenants (who we also enjoy/ed as you see from the links above).

On this visit, I was determined to try all of their meats, and they offer a sampler platter called Moo-Oink-En platter, that includes sliced brisket, pulled pork, chicken breast, ribs, and sausage. The latter we had a choice between jalepeno cheddar and "regular" sausage, and I chose the former. It retrospect I should have asked for a split of both. And that's because you get a LOT of meat on this sampler. Combine that with 2 sides and Texas toast for $15, and it's a heck of a deal honestly. Mrs. RJG helped split the meal with me, while enjoying one "Brisket Street" taco. We both most enjoyed their sliced brisket, tender and very flavorful. The chicken breast (sliced) were also a hit with great smoked flavor, and the sausage was spicier than normal, another plus. Nothing wrong with the ribs or pulled pork mind you, just excellent verse superior. Mrs. RJG also thoroughly enjoyed her taco, loaded with sliced brisket and "burnt ends". As for the sides, we tried the mac&cheese as well as the "street corn". As for the latter, the cooked kernels come in small cup, and I have to say it's some of the best corn I've ever had, with a great smoked flavor and some Mexican spices. And the mac& cheese is super cheesy, which we have down as a plus, though not everyone likes it that way. So all in all, a very good experience. Word on the street says to try their hamburgers as well.

As mentioned, Roscoe's has a full bar. They have a decent set of taps, with a handful of craft beers. Nothing too exotic or unusual, so I settled on Keller's own Shannon Red, and the Mrs. grabbed a Deep Ellum IPA. You wouldn't come here just for the beer, but it's a better than average selection. And the place is usually lively, so I can imagine it being a good hangout place during the weekends / evenings.

Of note, you have two choices of how you would like to be served. One - you can order at the counter, or two - if you sit in the bar area, there is full service. You can also order at the counter, and then start a tab in the bar area.

Going forward, I'm going to add in the the type of music they played while there. On this visit they had an early 80s pop rock theme going (think early MTV here), with a smattering of 70s rock, reminding me all too much of my high school years. Haha.

Roscoe's sits in Old Town Keller on the west side of US 377, just south of Keller Parkway. You can't miss it. Plenty of parking in the back provided by the city, so don't sweat that too much if it appears full on arrival

2/25/17; 1/1/18 (new entry)