Tucked away in the middle of nowhere East Texas. Chuck knows how to make excellent BBQ the right way. No short cuts here and nothing fancy, just great tasting smoked meats. The brisket has a nice crispy bark and the meat is tender and flavorful. This is about as good as brisket gets. The sausage tastes great as do the pork ribs. The flavor is spot on. The warm BBQ sauce only enhances the experience. Nice touch. The pinto beans were my favorite side. Perfectly cooked with chunks of meat in the broth. Yummy! Not a fan of the potato salad because it's mustard based and I prefer mayonnaise but really it's fine, it's just a matter of preference for me. The staff is incredibly friendly and quick to check on you to see if you need anything else. read more

Chucks Country Smokehouse - 2 meat plate brisket and sausage - Smokehouse Near Me - Carthage, Texas

I'm willing to say we caught them on a bad day...but I'm not sure. Okay, let's break it down. First, I'm not writing this in anger or mad at the restaurant. They are hard working folks that were very friendly. I'm only coming from an honest opinion of our visit and the food we were served. We were in town for the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and as always...looking for a good BBQ joint to check out. We ended up out at Chuck's and were to say the least disappointed. From the reviews on Yelp, it looked very promising. However for me and my wife it ended up being underwhelming. We got two two meat plates with brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and the ribs (let's us try everything and get the whole experience). Both plates came with two sides (we chose potato salad, pinto beans, Cole slaw, Mac n cheese). Added two drinks...for a total of $39 rounded up. I thought it was a bit high but I have paid more for BBQ and I had high hopes for Chucks. The place was what you expect for a BBQ joint out in the sticks. No complaints there at all. The staff was friendly even though a few customers came in about 10 minutes before 4 (their usual opening time). Got our order in at the counter and got our drinks. The place filled up pretty quickly and it built my anticipation of this BBQ even higher. When they called our name to get our food. My first thought was (the brisket was a little chintzy). One slice of top and one slice of bottom cuts only (I had asked for only top). My wife only got two small ribs on her plate. But hey, I get it...we live in a very different world than we did a few years ago...everything has doubled or more in price... Okay, so how does it taste? For me, brisket always first! Hmm, tender and moist to the touch and flavor was good...but nothing to write home about. Wifey goes in for the ribs...again tender and moist...fell off the bone. But, didn't jive with the flavor. Okay, let's try the sausage...MMMMMmmmm juicy and full of flavor and in a real sausage casing (if you know, you know). How bout' that gorgeous pile of pulled pork? Hmmm...not much flavor at all. Almost tasted like it was steamed or boiled in water...then smoked. Okay, let's try the BBQ sauce on it all now. Hmmm, sauce was very hard to place...didn't have a deep rich red color like most BBQ sauce does...it was lighter almost like it had a cream of some sort in it and the flavor was not working with my flavor palette. The sides, all okay (again nothing to write home about)...except for the Cole Slaw...it was very earthy and had a very mild sweet flavoring which I didn't enjoy at all. My wife kept saying she tasted something that reminded her of Asian food...I hadn't tasted it that all. Then she offered the last bite of her ribs. There it was!!! That Chinese food flavoring...I think it was Five Spice. Neither of us enjoy that spice. Not meant to be on BBQ of any kind (in my world). Anyway, overall we were not fans of the food. I appreciate the effort and work that goes into smoking BBQ and would never say don't go to Chucks...I just think they experiment with their flavors and I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to BBQ. Clearly by their YELP reviews there are WAY more people that enjoy Chucks BBQ than people who don't. I'm just giving an honest review from a BBQ fan. Hope it helps. read more

Chucks Country Smokehouse - Front of Chucks...looks like a country BBQ joint. - Smokehouse Near Me - Carthage, Texas

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We try to eat here when we visit family. This last stop did not disappoint. Their baked potatoes are great, their ribs are delicious and chopped beef sandwiches are good too. I like that we can get the sauce on the side. read more

Absolutely amazing little gem!! Found this driving home from Galveston. The food was some of the best BBQ I've had, but what made it 5 stars was the owner and the restaurant's mascot Roscoe! The owner was very friendly and down to earth, chatted with us and gave our boys candy. Roscoe the cat was very friendly and welcoming, all around great place. Very nicely decorated, reminds me of a good ol southern bbq spot you would see in a movie. read more

Chucks Country Smokehouse - a bbq sign in the background - Smokehouse Near Me - Carthage, Texas

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Off the beaten path, but well-worth the side trip! If you are looking for some of the best BBQ in Texas, this is it! Huuuuge menu of specialty sandwiches, all served on a jalapeño cheddar bun: the Wicked Pig and the Krabby Patty are too good to miss! Don't forget to also order some sliced brisket and sausage to go; you'll want some for home too! Cute country atmosphere complete with cowboy decor and a metal bull out front. If you're lucky you might spot the resident goat and big orange Tom cat cruising around outside too. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

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Sought out this place as we were close to Carthage on our way back to Tyler. I have been trying to eat as much BBQ as I can while I am in the area and the Yelp pictures looked tasty. We arrived fairly close to closing (Chuck's isn't in Carthage-a good 15 miles out of town or so). We had the dog with us and they were very accommodating in allowing him to sit on the screened in prior with him, which is great because the car was hot and too many bugs to leave the windows down. The place was pretty busy although not packed. I ordered the two meat dinner for around $13-$14. Kate ordered a sandwich with Mac n cheese on it but they were out of the Mac n cheese. Bummed out she got some sort of Frito concoction with brisket. The food was fairly fast and our total bill was around $30. Seemed a bit high for what we got and if I had it to do over I would have just ordered meat by the pound because the per pound prices were very reasonable. And frankly since there wasnt Mac n cheese the other sides are an afterthought for me. Now on to the food. I'll start with the ribs. EXCELLENT! I usually like a little tug on my ribs and these were a little past that, but I gotta say, it didn't matter. These were the best ribs I've had in quite some time. Barky, hot and tasty. I would probably make my next order a couple slabs of ribs. I also got the brisket which also was quite good. The sides were surprisingly good too. I'm not one who turns up my nose at those who enjoy sauce. I grew up on Kansas City style BBQ, so for me, sauce is important. I didn't really care for Chuck's sauce and that's probably my only complaint. Really, it isn't even a complaint. It wasn't terrible sauce, just was a little sweet for my taste. I figure if it doesn't enhance the Q, why use it? So I didn't use much. The restaurant is a cool little place, a great BBQ atmosphere and a very nice staff. While not as good as Hickory Hill that I previously reviewed this week, Chuck's can stand proudly knowing they serve really good BBQ. Easily a five star BBQ joint in my book. read more

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4100 miles into this road trip hitting some of Texas's top bbq joint I've found my favorite thus far...Chuck's Country Smoke House. Road trips are about experiences and Chuck's is a great one. A very cool joint set in the countryside outside of Carthage the owners, Chuck and Mayo, serve up some great bbq. Brisket was perfect. Jake, my GSD, and I were lucky to experience what has been bringing locals and people internationally to this special place for over six years. Thank you! read more

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Food is fantastic. Service was great cute place for family. Hopefully there will be some ribs left over next time

I drove out of my way to have lunch here. Took me 20 minutes to get there and it was closed. Update your hours, or let people know you're not going to be open. I have no idea what the food is like. read more

My wife and I made the trek to Chuck's while coming back from Shreveport yesterday. It was well worth the detour and not that far out of the way. We got there way early, but the owner was very gracious and could not have been nicer! He went out of his way to make us feel welcomed. I had the 'Suzie Q' and my wife had the 'stuffed baked potato' with brisket. Both were outstanding!!! We even took home some ribs and sausage for later this week! I recommend anyone who wants a taste of good old fashioned Texas country cooking and hospitality to make the stop here! read more

Chucks is fantastic, Central Texas Style BBQ in East Texas! Try it once and you'll be back! Cool atmosphere, great tunes playing in the background, and a great staff to serve you! read more

Stopped here on our way back to Texarkana from Galveston from a cruise we just got off of. There's not much food that a cruise ship doesn't serve but one is good, smoked, BBQ! This down home, southern joint hit the spot!! You could tell it was the hot spot in town because several locals started pulling up after we got there. Great portion sizes and service. Im stuffed and somehow have to manage to stay awake for the other 2 hour drive home! read more

Chucks Country Smokehouse - The law breaker. - Smokehouse Near Me - Carthage, Texas

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This is the barbecue around!! More than plenty of meat on every order too! Owner and staff are exceptional as well. Cant say enough about this place! read more

Amazing boudin! I always get the two Meat BBQ Plate & order two pieces of boudin for my two meat choices & two orders of the potato salad for my two sides. The Pulled Pork sandwiches with the sauce on them are also really good. Nice & cozy atmosphere & Chuck is really nice! They have live music on occasion & the staff is friendly. The service is excellent! read more

Chucks Country Smokehouse - Menu! The BBQ plates are epic! - Smokehouse Near Me - Carthage, Texas

Chuck's is a few miles from my house, and I try to stop by about once or twice a month. I have never had anything I didn't enjoy there. Some of my favorites include the Frito Bomb, the Rajun Cajun, and the ribs. My one complaint would be the hours, but I understand why they are the way they are. I definitely recommend stopping by if you're within driving distance. It's the best bbq in the area, and I think will only improve with time. read more

Great BBQ and perfect atmosphere. It's worth the drive from I-20 to stop by this East Texas treasure. While many BBQ places feel trendy these days, the atmosphere Chuck's is the real deal (including a solid collection of NASCAR memorabilia). The brisket had a great flavor and was tender. The sides are solid. Make sure to leave room for dessert--the cobblers are amazing, and the portion size of the cobbler is very generous. I had the apple cobbler, and I hope to try the peach cobbler next time. We definitely plan to come back to Chuck's! Chuck's made Texas Monthly's honorable mention last round, but I suspect it will make the top 50 next time the rankings come out! read more

Great place to gather with friends and family, lots of country style atmosphere for all to enjoy. Have visited this restaurant 2x with mixed service levels and food quality. Nice screened in patio to eat. It's on the way to the lake so nice "pit" stop It's bbq has good flavors, Chuck is super nice and inviting . read more

Excellent meat, perfect bark, doesn't give me heartburn...smoked with different types of oak, great cobblers and Blue Bell! Chuck is a great guy and the ambiance is fantastic!! Made a couple honorable mentions for his ribs and Boudin in the 2017 Texas Monthly 50 best BBQ in Texas. read more

Amazing brisket with great bark, juicy sausage, good boudain and the pulled pork with their sauce aint bad either. The greater Buncombe community once again has a delicious bbq institution! read more

The best country BBQ in Panola County. It's well worth the drive out to Gary to enjoy the great atmosphere and food.

We live in Shreveport, and decided to take a "country drive" out of town to eat someplace new. Carthage is about 45 miles. I Found this place when we Googled "Best places to eat in Carthage". The reviews were all glowing, so I tried to plug in their address to my GPS. (4934 FM-1970 ). but Couldn't find it- So I had to call and get directions. "Go 7 miles south of Carthage, and turn left go 5 more miles." My first impression was to just "skip this" - but decided to be adventurous and go anyway. I guess if you live at Lake Murvall it's right down the road. Took about an hour to get there, it's not all that fancy, just a small place in the middle of no-where. The front is an Old wood frame patio, and a creeky screen door opens to the restaurant. A Wonderful BBQ-Wood smell hits you. Then you see the chalk board menu and old wood bench tables. Ordered the pulled pork and Brisket two meat plate, pinto beans and tater salad. It came served on Trays with parchment paper (no plates), stryro held the beans and Tater Salad. On the Paper where piled sliced pickles, onions and jalapenos. Plastic forks and spoons. Nothing fancy here! The pulled pork was delicious, But the BRISKET - maaannnn!. It was a huge single 1 inch slice of meat that was sooo tender, it was like eating "prime rib". Put your fork in the meat and it just falls away. No knife needed here! Chuck apparently uses a course ground pepper seasoning, sprinkled liberally and then is slow cooked with an offset cooker. The pepper definitely sets it off, and flavors everything. It sure beats any thing we can find here in Shreveport. We finished this off with a Huge serving of black berry cobbler and ice cream. Chuck said it is home made by his mother. Took home two pounds of ribs.The ribs are just as tender, and huge, being about the size a roasting ear. Will definitely be coming back! This is what BBQ "should be" like ! Jim and Alicia read more

a long way out of town but worth the drive. i'd love to see more folks going out there for lunch. great bbq. love the brisket and ribs and smoked boudin. i've never taken beer out there but was told if i wanted to bring a Shiner or two, it would not be frowned upon. read more