Johnny T’s Round Rock B-B-Q

With the plethora of internet rating and review sites these days, anyone can be a food critic, me included. This democratization of the ability to publicly rate and review restaurants has both its good and bad points. On the positive side, there are a lot more opinions, from a lot more people. No longer do we have to rely solely on the comments of those stuffy food editors, who it always seems to me, have some kind of mysterious rating formula that they rigidly follow instead of just using their common sense and letting us know whether the place was worth visiting or not. I always laugh when some of the professional critics come out with something cute like, and I’m only slightly exaggerating here, “I found the beans rather tepid for my palate.” How is a comment like that at all helpful to me when deciding whether to eat somewhere?

The down side to the general public's reviews and ratings is that there are a few people who don’t offer responsible and balanced comments. Many seem to take great delight in being mean. So many times I’ve read comments where, because of some slight imperfection, or inconvenience, it suddenly made the restaurant and it's dining experience no good. These thoughtless and unfair comments relate that the food was bad, the bathrooms weren’t clean, the waiter combed his hair the wrong way, the tables were arranged in the dining room oddly, and the parking lot was paved with concrete instead of asphalt. I have to laugh at these comments also, because, I can’t take them seriously. In all the years I’ve been eating at restaurants, if I’m truly honest with myself, I can’t remember a single one that did not have at least one redeeming quality.

No place or nobody is perfect, and both good and bad reviews are part of the cost of being in the restaurant business. And, there can be variances from day to day, including the mood and attitude of the person doing the eating, which may account for a disappointing result on one or more things during a visit. That’s why almost all restaurants on the new online review and rating sites usually receive a mix of both good and lesser reviews, but for the most part, they seem to be balanced. With respect to those reviews in which the reviewer can’t find a single thing likable with a restaurant, I discount it completely. I chalk it up to either a hidden agenda, or the fact that the reviewer is miserable person.

Now, why have I spent so much time writing about all this when I’m supposed to be writing about Johnny T’s Round Rock B-B-Q? The answer is simple. Unlike any other restaurant I’ve ever written about, I didn’t see a single negative comment about Johnny T’s on the review and rating sites whatsoever. And, I’m not just talking about not seeing mean or unfair comments; I’m talking about not seeing any negative comments at all. Perhaps there is one out there, but I found nothing but rave reviews about the place. Naturally, this piqued my curiosity, and so I drove over to Round Rock the other day, to check it out for myself.

Happily, Johnny T’s is no different from a lot of other barbecue places in and around the Texas Hill Country. It’s owned by real people, and not some large corporation disseminating a chain of franchised or corporate-owned restaurants all over the place. As I was not familiar at all with the menu, it took me a minute or so to get my bearing before placing my order. That was no problem to the man taking my order. He waited patiently for me to make up my mind and politely answered a couple of questions I had regarding the sides. Part of the problem I had, was that for a relatively small place, it had quite an extensive menu. I really hadn’t expected that. In the end, I opted for the large (moist) sliced brisket sandwich combo, which comes with a choice of a side and a drink. I took the beans and an unsweetened tea.

The food came quickly, and I was delighted with the overstuffed sandwich which was set in front of me. The extra large toasted bun was piled several inches high with thick slices of juicy beef brisket. Coming out with the food, was my very own “squirt bottle” filled with temperature warm barbecue sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet, a little tangy, and very good. I added to my sandwich by topping it off with sliced dill pickles and pickled okra. The end result of the combination of meat, bun, sauce, and toppings, was an excellent sandwich.

The beans were also first-rate. Flavored with what tasted like a little chili powder, there were also generous pieces of meat and onion floating among the beans. Washing it all down with the cold tea, it was a perfect lunch.

Johnny T’s has a wide variety of food offerings, which include, brisket, Elgin sausage, pulled pork, turkey, pork ribs, chopped beef, and chicken. The meats are complimented with a nice selection of sides. Those getting a side can choose from a list which includes coleslaw, potato salad, fried okra, cream corn, green beans, baked beans, pinto beans, fries, sweet potato fries, and something called tamale potato casserole. There is also a senior plate and a kid’s meal. Of course, a number of homemade desserts are also available, if you are so inclined.

The patience shown during my slow ordering at the cash register, the fact that I was asked how the food tasted, and that I was thanked for my visit and told “good-bye” when I left, demonstrated that the customer service matched the delicious food.

Like most barbecue places in Texas, Johnny T’s isn’t a fancy place, but, then again, it’s not supposed to be. This is, after all, a Texas barbecue joint. Like all the other common folk who have rated Johnny T’s highly, for both food and customer service, I absolutely concur.

A Great Hamburger Is More Than Just The Sum Of Its Parts

In my opinion, you can’t judge a hamburger by any one of its many individual components. When determining whether a hamburger is worthy or not, you must consider it as one whole package. Praising the meat while damning the bun, or vice versa, makes no sense to me. A hamburger should be considered on how all of the components (meat, bun, toppings, and condiments) come together, because, unlike components of a traditional meal, the ingredients of a hamburger are eaten all at the same time.

Having said that, I do believe that the most important thing which determines whether a hamburger is the best it can be or not, is the bun. A great hamburger bun can make up for less than tasty meat more easily than a delicious meat patty can provide cover for a less than desirable bun. Over the years I’ve stopped eating burgers at more than one place because they decided to change their hamburger buns in some way. In some cases, they started serving less expensive buns, with predictable results. In other cases, they stopped toasting or grilling their buns. Despite how good the actual meat might have been, the bad bun tainted the entire experience. Like I said, with hamburgers, you must consider the entire package.

Because good meat, good hamburger buns, fresh toppings and quality condiments are so easily procured these days, it is no wonder that there are literally thousands of places around the country that serve great hamburgers. Despite all the variations of hamburgers there may be, the one common denominator of a great hamburger is that the preparer in each hamburger location clearly understands that a hamburger will rise or fall based upon just one of its individual components. In that regard, it’s like the old adage about a chain being “only as strong as its weakest link.”

When a hamburger place gets all of the components of a hamburger melding perfectly together, it is a wonderful thing indeed. It’s that first bite you take when you know whether you have a winner or not. It either works, or it doesn’t. It really is that simple.

Moonie’s Burger House in Cedar Park is one of those places which understand how important it is to blend good things together in order to make a great burger. There is no doubt, and certainly no secret around these parts, that the bun at Moonie’s is something special. But the meat is also very good, and the toppings are fresh. For two years straight, it has been voted as having the “best burgers and best fries” locally. I haven’t tried every place in the area, so I can’t offer my opinion on that, but what I will tell you is that the burgers here are excellent, and the first bite taken works every time. There is no weak component in a Moonie’s Burger.

Moonie’s offers a wide selection of hamburgers. Every one of the beef selections has a corresponding chicken offering, with all of the same toppings. Many of these selections are rather unique, including, but not limited to, “The Blue Moon,” which features bacon, tomato, red onions, and blue cheese, and the “Chili Cheese Burger With Frito’s On Top,” which has chili, cheese, Frito chips, lettuce, and onions. There is also a vegetarian offering available, called, appropriately enough, the “Veggie Burger” which consists of a veggie patty, lettuce, red onions, pickles and tomato.

My wife and I go to Moonie’s a heck of a lot more than once in a “Blue Moon” and we normally get the same thing every time we go there. I get the beef “Plain Jane with Cheese” and she gets the chicken “Plain Jane with Cheese.” The “Plain Jane” comes with mayonnaise, onions, lettuce, pickles, and tomato. Our preferred side is the sweet potato fries, which are always hot but not overly fried.

Moonie’s is one of those many hamburger places around the country which have figured out that a great hamburger is more than just the sum of its parts. And luckily, Moonie’s is located in the Texas Hill Country town of Cedar Park.