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This is Texan staple food.
Tim’s Texas BBQ – each of these three words has a strong impact on the experience you will have at this establishment. But let me explain in detail.

Tim: The owner of this BBQ restaurant frequents the place a lot and loves to socialize with the diners. If, you see him, it is imperative that you approach him. This laid back Texan loves to tell a good story, especially over red wine or a margarita. And when the live band starts playing, he is one of the first to go up and belt out a country or rock n’ roll tune! He also loves his sport, and will show everything from American football, to European rugby, to cricket to Australian Rule Football. As, Tim puts it, he got into the restaurant business because he drank too much and that shows a lot for the quality he gives.

Texas: Tim’s BBQ is the only establishment that serves Texan BBQ. It is the exact opposite of Australian or Korean BBQ. Instead of thin slices of meat dipped in sauce, like the Koreans or large cuts cooked at high temperatures like in Australia, Texan BBQ is large slabs of meat cooked at low temperatures for long periods of time over wood. For example, the beef brisket is cooked for 15 hours to ensure its flaky demeanor. This style of cooking makes the meat very tender and ensures a strong smoky smell and taste. Tim’s also does Tex-Mex, using cumin, chili powder, pepper and jalapeno, and is currently the only establishment to culture its Tex-Mex to authentic Mexican flavors.

Tim’s is also very much geared as a man’s place. Inside is a full style Texan cowboy bar, with lots of men drinking and playing darts. However, women seem to enjoy it too and there is even room for kids to come along. The atmosphere and food is catered for a relaxed fun loving crowd. With vinyl table cloths, this is the place to come for quiz nights, drinks, and big portions. This is Texan staple food. Happy hour is from 4pm-8pm and includes 30% off premium beers, and 50%frozen margaritas.

BBQ: Besides, the fact that Texan beef is cooked at low temperatures for an extended time, Texan beef is also heavily marbled. Whereas Australian beef has a large outer layer of fat, Texans prefer to have marble spread throughout the outer and middle layers. This allows the meat to self-base itself during the long cooking period. Tim recommends the Beef Brisket, 85rmb, which they are famous for, and the Pork Ribs, 80 rmb, which he says are to die for. In fact, Tim’s has become a hit with corporate jets who by their beef from him, and with champion sportsmen including Yao Ming and many Olympians during the 2008 games. Even Airline flight crews make a bee-line for Tim’s when they land.

Tim insisted we try Tim’s Top Shelf Margarita, 45 rmb, includes cuervo gold, cointreau. In Texas, they tend to have their meat with margaritas or beer. The margarita was sweet, with a hint of lemon, and strong on alcohol but didn’t taste like it. It was easy to scull, so those who like their Margaritas to pack a punch will want to try one of the traditional ones.

Everything is made from scratch and for appetizers the Quesadillas, 45 rmb, had a heavy wood smoked taste and odor, and packed a big meat taste. The secret is that they used barbeques chicken. The melted cheese was not store bought, and was not too gooey, but instead really molded into the quesadilla well.

The combination platter of beef brisket and pork ribs was impressively sized, and had large bowls of Cole slaw, potato salad, and baked beans. The baked beans were plump, big and held themselves together instead of being mushy or runny like most baked beans. The potato salad had a strong pepper seasoning and lemon taste, but lacked enough mayo and was too dry for my tastes. The Cole slaw was actually very good, and my favorite, and like the beans was not as mushy or runny like traditional coleslaw. You could see and taste each of the ingredients used in the Cole slaw, and was creamy but still light. Each of these three side dishes is better than what you would get at most buffets or mid-range restaurants.

We had a red Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in Australia to go with the meats, and it was excellent Australian wine. Its dry quality went well with the strong meats. Tim’s has a great selection of wines and beers and cocktails. The meats had a blackened flaky outline which is intended, so that sauce is not needed. In fact, Tim does not like to rely on sauce. Whereas most places specialize in sauces for the steaks, Tim’s specialized in charring the meat into a perfect bastes. The beef brisket also had an intensive charred smoked wooden flavor, and was presented in thin slices. Very tender, the knife easily sliced through it. The pork ribs had a nice thick layer of fat surrounding it. For someone like me who lived in Ukraine, the land that loves their salo or pig fat, I have to say the fat was impeccably juicy and sweet, and the way fat should be served. The meat was very tender and fell of the bone, but personally I thought the meat of the pork and beef were a little dry, so I used the home-made sauce which was sweet and mild.

The Enchiladas, 68rmb, served with Mexican salad and rice was also grandiose. The Enchiladas were soft and mushy like traditional enchiladas and was spicy. It is a dish that needs to be eaten straight away and hot! It definitely stood up to the challenge of doing Tex-Mex right. The rice though was dry and too crunchy.

For dessert, we had a traditional American dish, a chocolate brownie with ice cream. This brownie definitely rivaled its competitors at TGIF and Outback. With a potent lingering brownie smell, it was decadently moist and rich and warm. I quite enjoyed the brownie, and found it to be better than what I can recall having in the Midwest or the East Coast back home.

So that is Tim’s Texas BBQ explained in full. To end this brief tour into the establishment, I leave with a fact Tim told me, “Texans love it, and no one has said that it ain’t Texas.” Well ain’t that the truth.

-- by Larissa Paschyn

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