They were just 4 days from opening their brick-and-mortar restaurant, East Texas Rust BBQ in Gilmer, Texas, when tragedy struck owners Clyde and Leann Osborn.
But let’s bring up the past first.
Six or seven years ago, Clyde’s oldest son decided he wanted to start having pig roasts like Clyde did in the Marine Corp. So, as one does, Clyde and his buddy Greg decided to build a pit in the backyard. And that’s where it all began.
Soon they turned that into an offset smoker and started working on briskets; “really, really bad” briskets as Clyde described them.
From there, Clyde and Greg started their food truck, serving weekends at a brewery in Winnsboro, Texas. Clyde worked full-time as the superintendent of a gas plant, but when it sold out, the compensation package they offered him to stay was a big pay cut. So he figured, if he was going to take that big of a pay cut, he might as well work for himself. A few weeks after Clyde left the gas plant, he was driving through his hometown, Gilmer, when he saw the old filling station for lease again. The owner standing outside so he stopped to visit, and the guy cut him a hell of a deal.
East Texas Rust BBQ was just four days from opening. Clyde had finished his work at the restaurant, his wife, Leann, had finished her errands in town and they both started home at the same time. They were going to meet and pick up their daughter to pick out a puppy for her.
Clyde was headed out of town, 70 mph, when “one of those freak East Texas rain storms hit.” Suddenly, cars started locking up their brakes, and Clyde swerved into the ditch to avoid hitting the one in front of him. When he came to a stop, he saw something large and dark in front of him. Jumping out of his truck he saw that it was an engine; someone had been in an accident ahead of him and that’s why the cars were slamming on their brakes. He started running towards the accident, and the closer he got he could make out an East Texas Rust sticker on the back of Leann’s Blazer.
She’d hydroplaned when the rain hit, going head-on into an oncoming one-ton dully truck. It obliterated the front of Leann’s Blazer; leaving her engine on the ground in front of Clyde’s truck. When Clyde got close, he saw her slumped over the steering wheel and thought she was dead. Moments later, he saw her move; she was alive. Yanking on the driver’s door did no good; a man ran up and helped Clyde open a backdoor, and began Clyde hacking at the airbags with his pocket knife. “It seemed like forever but was probably only two or three minutes” until EMS arrived. Leann was freed; stood up, walked to the stretcher, and got on it by herself.
She had a broken back, neck, ribs, lacerated spleen, and other injuries, but she walked out of the hospital two days later, on her own. “She’s a little bitty thing, but she don’t act right,” Clyde told me with a chuckle and a sparkle in his eye thinking about her.
They opened East Texas Rust BBQ a week later, in July 2023, with Leann making all of the sides and sauces herself, and she still does today.
Not everyone serves beef ribs, and definitely not everyone does them well. The outside of
the rib was coated with a thick layer of rub, full of savory seasonings that enhanced the meat's flavor, and juices gleamed on the cut edges. The meat itself was tender but held its form well when I took a bite. This is a big meal on its own, approximately two pounds of meat, and when you add some sides to it, you’d better be wearing your stretchy britches.
The moist side of the brisket is always the best in my opinion. Puddles of glistening juices formed on the platter as it waited for me to make my way to it. I picked up a slab of the flavorful protein, the weight of it sinking heavily against my fingers. The rich smoke ran deep through every crevice, and a shining black bark sat tight against the maroon smoke ring. With the ideal proportion of firm meat to melty fat. Taking a bite was like cotton candy, melting into pure bliss.
The beef rib burnt ends were one of my favorite bites of the day. A big hunk of meaty, tender beef, with a sticky raspberry chipotle glaze. The smokey chipotle paired with the sweet raspberry couldn’t be a better compliment to this hunk of deliciousness. So tender that the slightest pressure easily pulled it apart.
I made my way to the pork rib next, the bark a dark red, carrying a lighter layer of rub. The meat was tender, but structured, as it pulled away from the bone with little resistance in one big chunk. Each bite of pork was infused with subtle smoke.
I moved on to the succulent, un-sauced pulled pork mounded on the platter. Trying it by itself first, proved to be a good idea; it didn’t need sauce to be enjoyed, but it did make a banging sandwich with a bit of sauce and their house-crafted pickles.
Two house-made sausage links neatly sliced with crisp, dark red casings sat side-by-side on the platter. The meat inside was a course grind, with enough beef fat to bring in the rich, buttery flavor. The jalapeno cheese sausage had pockets of bubbling, yellow cheddar and substantial pieces of jalapeno. The house sausage was my favorite of the two, filled with hunks of gooey white cheddar and enough heat to be pleasantly warm for me. The jalapeno cheddar was a step up in warmth.
The homewrecker is their take on a Texas Twinkie, but it's bigger and better. A poblano pepper stuffed with their house jalapeno cheddar sausage, then wrapped in maple bacon and dusted with 3 seasoning blends. Sweet, spicy, and savory - a trifecta of deliciousness. I'd been eyeballing this thing for months and it did not disappoint.
The brisket boudin made in-house also, was coarse and meaty and exploded out of the casing as I tried to cut it. With just enough spices and heat, it was a solid choice of entree on its own. I decided to add a bit on top of the mac and cheese it was an amazing combo. I’m a casserole kind of girlie; I love to combine foods and see how the flavors meld or shine separately. These worked well together but maintained their individual flavors, one not overtaking the other.
This turkey breast was a far cry from the sadness that graces so many Thanksgiving tables. Smokey, with a lighter flavor than the other meats. The rub for the turkey starts with their top-secret base rub, then adds in a few flavors that pair well with the bird, including rosemary; then slow-smoked to succulent perfection.
The brisket taco wasn’t a typical taco, and it was one of the things that I just couldn’t put down; one of my favorites of the day. A flour tortilla went down onto the flattop grill, then generously sprinkled with shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheese. As the cheese started melting, it was filled with a heaping scoop of shredded brisket, house-crafted slaw, drizzled with BBQ sauce, sprinkled with cojita cheese, and folded into a taco. The cheese, slaw, and sauce fused to create the most luscious sauce, coating every bite of brisket. With so many flavors and textures, this was a dish that I would never get tired of.
Clyde’s sister owns a bakery, Provision Farms, in Gilmer and provides all the homemade sandwich breads and cookies. She was already closed by the time I was headed out of town, but you can bet your sweet ass, the next time I’m in town, I'll be stopping at her store to pick up a loaf or two of bread. The sibling sandwich was two slices of her jalapeno cheddar sourdough, grilled on the flattop grill, then stacked with brisket, slaw, and BBQ sauce. It was a big, warm, hearty sandwich, that I would love to make a regular appearance in my life.
Elote is not usually the star of the show, but at East Texas Rust, you better get there early on a Saturday, because Saturday is the one day they offer it, and it runs out quickly. The perfect balance of fresh and decadent flavors and textures. The corn was crisp tender, and coated in the sauce made from mayo, lime juice, a house blend of seasonings, herbs, and cheese. I’m currently in the process of trying to figure out how to order a big bowl of it to be shipped to me.
Potato salad is a common side with Texas BBQ because it cuts the richness of fattier meats, and cools your mouth from some of the spicier flavors, and this one is made for that with its cool creamy texture, and well-balanced flavors.
The white cheddar jalapeno mac and cheese is another one of their Saturday-only specials.
The cheese sauce was silky, thick, and gooey. The mild cheesy flavor was an impeccable balance with the hint of jalapeno.
Familiar and comforting on this cold, rainy day, the pinto beans were made exactly how I would eat them at home. The bean broth was thick and creamy from the beans simmering low and slow. They were modestly seasoned, letting the flavor of the beans shine through, making them a complimentary side for the more decadent proteins.
Y’all, I was going to skip the pickles because they looked like reg-lo Del-Dixi that I have at home. No sir, these bad boys are homemade. And, I’ll warn you, they are sweet pickles. But if you like sweet pickles, they’ll be the best damn sweet pickles you’ve ever had in your life. So crisp they almost felt candied.
To finish it all off, I got the most incredible apple cobbler. A golden brown crust, similar to a pie crust, was snuggled up on top of warm, spiced apples that still had a bit of crunch to them. The gooey filling was sweet, decadent, and delicious.
While I was there, Clyde told me that East Texas doesn’t get enough credit for the amazing barbeque, and I think he’s right. Looks like I’m going to be searching for more mom-and-pop spots up there in the days to come because I just can’t get enough of how unique, and flavorful everything was.
If you’re looking for BBQ done bigger, better, and more original than anywhere else in Texas, you need to take the backroads on over to East Texas Rust BBQ, because there’s literally no other way to drive there. Tell Clyde and the crew that I said hi, and get there early because they sell out. You’ll be glad you did!
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227 W Tyler St, Gilmer, TX 75644
