We traveled to Shoreditch for a taste of the US: The Texas Joe food is proper American food from the heart of Texas. Well, almost. Quite a lot of it is spicy, there is a lot of meat, and it all tastes and looks authentic.
I had the sampler; beef brisket- cooked perfectly and very tender, smoked chicken-very tasty and well-smoked, Brewdog Shoreditch had to remove two doors to get the smoking machine in, hot link sausages- proper meaty sausages, taste great and slightly spicy, beef rib-the rib was huge and very well done. The sampler also comes with beans, chilli and sauce.
On the side we had chilli cheese fries and jalapenos stuffed with brisket and cheese and then wrapped in bacon. Rather stupidly, I underestimated how hot the jalapenos would be. The chilli is also hot (I know, obviously). My colleague had the hot link sausages, he pointed left to right to the food (chilli cheese fries, hot link sausages and stuffed jalapenos) hot, hot and hotter he said.
If you love meat and you love spice you will love the Texas Joe pop up restaurant. There are things that are not spicy though. Like the smoked chicken. The food is good and authentic. It is hearty, filling and very American. Very different.
On the side we had beer from Brewdog. I don’t like beer but I had a raspberry fruit beer which was actually nice. My colleague loved the beer he had, which can be seen below. Brewdogs ‘punk’ beer is anti the big brand generic lagers. Brewdog refuses to compromise on ingredients for its beer to save on costs just to boost profits. It shows in the taste as well. The beer is excellent and noticeably better.
Dragon’s Den star Joe Walters has today announced the launch of his pop-up Texan BBQ at BrewDog Shoreditch. The maverick cowboy will be cooking up a storm in the East London venue, following his standout pitch for his beef jerky company on the BBC 2 entrepreneurial show in August. Texas Joe’s BBQ will serve a full range of smokin’ Southern delights including slow-cooked brisket, beef ribs, chili-dogs and fresh cornbread.
The first Texas Joe’s BBQ will be hosted at BrewDog Shoreditch, and the company plans to open a series of standalone restaurants in the coming months.
The opening of his first pop-up BBQ joint completes a rollercoaster period for the cowboy, which saw him officially launch his jerky company and secure a nationwide deal with Sainsbury’s to stock his product.
Millions of viewers watched Joe pitch his beef jerky company in a rhinestone suit and Stetson this summer on the Den– a pitch that included a performance of the song ‘Put that jerky in your mouth’ by Sunday Best’s recording artists Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.
Joe secured a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones of immediate edge, although the Texan is now operating without the assistance of the ‘Dragon’.
However, BrewDog co-founder James Watt saw the potential in the Texas Joe’s brand and invested.
Watt was recently named Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year and BrewDog beers have previously been used in Texas Joe’s jerky recipes.
Texas Joe’s founder Joe Walters commented:
“Since appearing on the show, the response to our Texan jerky has been so phenomenal that we knew we had to expand our offering and bring a little South hospitality to London. With our first pop-up BBQ joint we’re giving people a taste of authentic Texan BBQ and we know they are going to love it.”
