Meat U’s second location is on ’cue

It’s never unusual to see people waiting in line at a barbecue restaurant. But the line at Meat U Anywhere BBQ in Trophy Club is different from that of your average barbecue joint’s: It starts at 6 a.m.

While most ’cue joints are open for lunch and/or dinner only, Meat U is open for breakfast, too — one of the cool idiosyncrasies of this local mini-chain.

Former Rudy’s Texas Bar-B-Q executive Andy Sedino opened the first location in 2014 in Grapevine, an area starved for good barbecue. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner — a rarity in the barbecue world — the original Meat U pulled in big crowds, so big that Sedino hired valets to handle the crazy traffic.

This summer came the location in Trophy Club, another area lacking decent barbecue. With the same menu, it’s basically a bigger version of the original, outfitted with more extras: a nice patio , a large parking lot, plenty of seating and, thanks to the larger space, much more food.

When it comes to smoking the ’cue, few corners are cut. Instead of the less-painstaking gas-fueled smokers, Sedino uses wood-fueled J&R smokers. Over hickory and oak, meat is smoked, as it is at the Grapevine store, the “slow and low” method — a low temperature for a long time.

Meat is served by the pound, sliced in front of you by apt cutters, then piled on butcher paper. A definite plus: You can get as much or little as you want, down to a single rib or slice of brisket. Sandwiches are also available and, in the morning, breakfast tacos; there are no combo plates.

The restaurant excels at brisket ($19 a pound), which you can order moist or lean, with the crust and fat off or on. It’s best to leave both on: Smoke and crunch from blackened crust combine with buttery tufts of fat for dramatic, near-perfect bites.

Two kinds of sausage are served — a German beef link from Thorndale Meat Market in Taylor and a commercial jalapeño-cheddar pork link (both $15 a pound). Surprisingly, the jalapeño link was better, as it had a richer, more enjoyable flavor. The texture of the beef link was unpleasantly mushy and the casing was chewy.

St. Louis-style pork ribs ($17 a pound) were bountiful, offering plenty of meat, outlined in smoky bark with sweet, caramelized edges. Those who prefer fall-off-the-bone tender ribs will dig these, even though the ease with which the meat slid from the bone meant that it was overcooked.

At some BBQ restaurants, poultry is often handled with less regard than beef and pork. A half-chicken ($9), however, boasted moist and tender meat, and was more than enough for two. A sample of turkey ($18 a pound), likewise, yielded good results: juicy meat, well-seasoned with herbs.

Among the half-dozen sides ($2-$4), jalapeño mac and cheese is a standout, thanks to bacon crumbles generously sprinkled throughout. Ordinary-looking pinto beans contained a neat little surprise: tiny patches of brisket. Old-school coleslaw was good, too, creamy and slightly sweet.

As is the case with most barbecue joints, time can be on your side or someone else’s. For dessert, the party in front of you may get the last piece of cobbler, and you may get the first dollop of banana pudding.

As food is cooked throughout the day, there is no good or bad time to go; it’s a game of chance, like luck and love.

This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 5:43 PM with the headline "Meat U’s second location is on ’cue."