re: Offset Smoker BBQ soft opening in BR, June 1 @ 11am til everything is sold

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So they posted they won't be serving plates, platters, or sandwiches for the foreseeable future.

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Here's what the $100 sampler has (from 225 Magazine):

That's a lot for the money but probably a decent price. Can feed a whole family of four at the very least.

Their sides:


This is generally what I've seen from BBQ joints in TX, but with a few more options (beef ribs, flavors of stuffed sausages and mac & cheese, sandwiches) and this should be more than enough for BR residents.

From the 225 Magazine article online here's some more details:

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But what makes this new barbecue option different from other local joints? Tuan and Hue say it’s their technique. It all starts with post oak wood and offset smokers. As pitmaster, Hue took classes with some of the top-ranked Texas barbecue spots to learn the ins and outs of smoking meats. After learning in the Texas heat, he says he’s not worried about smoking meats on Louisiana summer days.

The duo sourced two smokers from Georgia made from refurbished, 1,000-gallon propane tanks. This type of smoker has a firebox on one end and a smokestack on the other for even temperatures and smoke distribution during the hours-long process. The result? A subtle, smoky flavor.

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Another massive detail to know:

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Though Offset Smoker will only be open on the weekends, Hue says getting ready to open is a week-long process. Meats are delivered on Monday. Tuesday is for trimming and protein prep. Wednesday calls for sausage making and prepping the sides. Smoking begins on Thursday as early as 6 a.m. for business on Friday. The process is repeated on Friday and Saturday, ensuring fresh product for the weekend days.

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To make a local comparison, here's the menus between Offset & Gonzo's. Note the Gonzo's photo is the best I could come up with


Brisket alone is $7 more / lb than Gonzo's. If you're selling at least 50 lbs of brisket / day starting Friday, that's $4,500 over a weekend. $234k over a year. That should not be too hard to do. It's the only beef option right now. I'd like to see th em add more. The pork prices are pretty high up there as well. $22/lb for pork belly is a bit crazy.

I have to say, the $100 sampler looks small in the photo because of how jammed in everything is. That tray has to be big in order to justify spending that kind of money. I think the sides are reasonably priced and probably of decent quality baseed on the photos. The beans look like they can be a tiny bit more seasoned. Mac & cheese can be a bit cheesier and with more options there as well. I hope they do well.

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Brisket alone is $7 more / lb than Gonzo's.

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That’s a old Gonzo’s menu I believe… I was there a few weeks back and I think brisket was $32 a LB… might’ve even been $36

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Though Offset Smoker will only be open on the weekends, Hue says getting ready to open is a week-long process.

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this alone makes them one of one in Baton Rouge. If he can make money doing that then that’s exactly what this city needs, and maybe he can start expanding and extending hours

Lolz

So the owner of the BBQ controls the writer of the story?

The menu suggests you should get off of that high horse sir.

Pictures make it look like they have outdoor bench seating. No idea on alcohol, may be BYOB

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Gonzo's looks dirt cheap for brisket compared to most places in TX today. Unless that menu is outdated. Most TX BBQ joints are selling brisket for $27-35 / lb. Even Rudy's is selling their moist / fatty brisket for $28 / lb.

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While this is not the same, I paid $12.50 for .51 lbs. of brisket at Whole Foods yesterday in Baton Rouge.

Went around 1:30pm and the following was sold out (that I can recall):
- sausage (original & jalapeno cheddar)
- pork belly
- at least one more side dish but I do not remember

For $64 I was able to get the following:
- 1 lb brisket
- 1/2 lb pulled pork
- 1/4 lb turkey
- medium serving of mac and cheese

We aren't terribly hungry so me, Mrs. BTB, and Baby BTB all ate enough to have leftovers for another time. My thoughts on each:

- Brisket - 10/10
It's pretty damn good. Juicy, tender, flavorful. Seasoned perfectly. I have zero complaints. Price is steep but this is a once in a very long time purchase. I can make my own brisket but not to this level, and I'm content with that.

- Pulled Pork - 7/10
Tasted like sloppy joe meat. Not a bad flavor, but felt like it was just smothered in its own fat and juice to where I needed it on a sandwich. Considered adding BBQ sauce but it was surrounded in plenty of liquid already. I'd probably put that on bread next time.

- Turkey - 8/10
Surprisingly good. Juicy enough, plenty of spice/flavor along the ends. Not something I would actively seek but figured I'd give it a shot and was pleased.

- Mac & Cheese - 2/10
Not cheesy at all. The macaroni used is fine, but the cheese tastes like Kraft and I'm getting way more mac flavor than cheese flavor. I wouldn't be surprised if this was mass produced with synthetic cheeses, but I could be wrong. It just didn't hit well at all.

Overhearing one of the workers (possibly owner) talking to a patron who he knew. They set out to cook 18 briskets today (probably their biggest money maker) and by 1:30 they had 3 left for the day. Guessing that briskets would run for about 12-15 lbs each, they stand to make between $6,480 - $8,100 max on their brisket for the day. Having gone though over 80% of that within the first 2.5 hours is great. Sausage being done by that time too is also a healthy sign.

One thing I found odd was that they're blindly measuring the meat and automatically charging what's being asked for instead of charging by the literal weight in front of you. I mean, maybe they are getting it exact without me noticing? I'm used to TX places measuring it out on a scale in front of me, calculating the price and getting close to the weight I asked for. If it's over, oh well, I'll pay it. I guess it would be pretty tough to do it that way considering you have to order behind a window and the cooking/serving stations are all in a tunnel behind the counter. Not a complaint, just found it odd.

He also mentioned that he just can't get the supply. I don't think that's a bad thing, they just need to keep getting customers in the day. Grand opening was last Saturday, so they're probably still bringing in people that couldn't make it then and a little bit of their hype from recently opening. Overall I think they'll do pretty well if they can keep aggressively advertising their business throughout the summer. Looking forward to trying other stuff out next time.

Thought about stopping today but ended up at Mid City instead, should have gone to give it go

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Yield on a brisket is about 50-55% of the untrimmed packer after cooking

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This point here is why I rarely smoke briskets but instead grind them into awesome hamburger for the family. At Rouse’s you can often find them for under $4 a lb.