Helberg Barbeque
8532 N. Texas Hwy 6, Woodway, Texas
254 848-8200
Our Overall Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (Seven Hearts Out of Ten)
On Sunday, December 5, 2021, I drove to the Dallas area to attend my neice’s wedding. I decided to break up the drive that morning by visiting the two barbeque joints in Waco, Texas that made the 2021 Texas Monthly top 50 list. I left home at 7:00 a.m. and pulled into the parking lot at Helberg Barbeque at 9:30 a.m. I was the first one there, and enjoyed stretching my legs with a walk around their place. I was happy to see, and smell, the smoke coming from the pits out back. When Helbergs opened at 10:00 a.m., I was still the only customer there. Once inside, I was greeted by a fresh-scrubbed, young crew of friendly, happy, young people. I placed an order to go for a sliced brisket sandwich, 1/2 pound each of the brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. I also ordered some of the Chimichurri slaw. My plan was to eat the sandwich for lunch (a little further down the road) and put the rest of the order on ice to take back for Dorothy and I to sample the next day, after my return home late Sunday night from the wedding. I really liked this place! The high-ceilinged dining room was comfortable and decorated in what I would call “Casual Texan”. The friendly staff made me feel right at home, and I got the definite impression that they were happy I was there. A couple of hours later, I stopped at a rest area off IH 35 north of Hillsboro and ate my sliced brisket sandwich. The brisket was excellent — thickly sliced, a smoky flavor without being overpowering, extremely tender, and with just the right amount of fat. I had gotten both kinds of sauce, and found the red-colored sauce more to my liking. The next day, Dorothy and I had the brisket, ribs, sausage, and Chimichurri Slaw for lunch. Here are Dorothy’s comments…
“The Helberg brisket was tasty and not too fatty. The pork ribs were also tasty, not fatty, and were very tender — they literally fell off the bone. The sausage was well-seasoned, not at all fatty and was very tasty. The two sauces were okay. I liked the orange one best. The red one was too sweet for me. The Chimichurri Slaw was very good and had an unusual taste. I had never had that type of slaw before, and I would highly recommend it, not only for the taste, but for its low calorie content.”
We decided to rate Helberg Barbeque as seven out of ten hearts. Next time we visit (yes, we will return some day!), I want to try some more of the sides and some of their banana pudding. An added bonus to this joint is that it is located near the Waco Wetlands Preserve, which is a beautiful place to take a walk (which I did that morning after making my purchase) and burn off a few barbeque calories. Here are a few photos from my visit to Helberg Barbeque.
