“I didn’t know that you could turn something like this into a business.” When Trey was a kid he wanted to be a truck driver, because that was what his grandpa was, then later he went to college and the military, because that’s what you’re supposed to do - something hard, not something fun and easy. And that’s what cooking, bbq’ing, and hanging out with people is to him; fun and easy. Now he’s enjoying good times and good people, doing something fun and easy and making a business of it.
I opened the door to a bustling dining room, music and laughter in the background, and the smell of delicious food floating in the air. You walk up to the counter to order, go down the line choosing what you’d like, and then settle in at one of the big wooden tables. Whether you're looking for amazing BBQ, fresh-cut meats, or a friendly smile, Thorndale Meat Market is the place to go.
Frank Felton III, Trey, has owned the property since 2008, but it goes back much further. In 1946, Trey’s great-grandfather, Bill, a first-generation German-American, owned the property in Thorndale, Texas. He built houses for a living, was an entrepreneur, and butchered as a hobby. Later his son, Dusty, married and he and his wife took the butchering to the next level, basically starting a little meat market out of their garage. Over the years the property degraded, many of the family’s businesses closed, and the family land started slipping back in time instead of continuing to grow.
Trey had a 10-year military career and a successful IT career, but his family history called him back home. In 2008, he bought the property from his grandfather, then in 2011 built the current meat market. For the first couple of years, Trey was working IT full-time, dumping all of the money that he could into the meat market to help it survive. Then in 2013 he finally gave up to the darkside and started working full-time at Thorndale Meat Market.
Now he spends his days, “smoking sausage, not drugs,” as their slogan says, and I got to spend a few hours visiting with everyone, learning about the history, and tasting so many delicious dishes.
We’ll start with the sides. Corn, green beans, pinto beans, squash, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and rice casserole, German potato salad, mashed potatoes and gravy. Takes a deep breath Oh my! All of it was fresh and seasoned to perfection. Pinto beans tasted just like my Momma’s. I was incredibly excited to see squash and Brussels, two of my favorite veggies that aren’t served in a lot of places. The broccoli and rice casserole was topped with gooey cheese, it was creamy and flavorful. The mashed potatoes were smooth and the gravy was homemade, which automatically has my heart.
All of the sauces and seasoning are house-crafted, and most of them were handed down from Trey’s dad, some getting tweaked over the years; like adding more black pepper to the brisket rub because he likes the depth of flavor it gives. Let me tell y’all, I could drink that BBQ sauce. You already know I’m a saucy kind of girl, but this stuff, I had to dip everything in it.
The brisket was fall-apart tender, and even the lean brisket had enough juice to warrant the roll of paper towels on the table because it was so juicy. Trey keeps everything simple, letting the flavor of the meat shine. So while I plunged hunks of brisket into the sauce, he was probably cringing with every over-sauced bite. Sorry! (Not really.)
Like the brisket, they want their customers to be able to taste the flavor of the meat, so they don’t sauce the spare ribs. Tender and meaty, I could just pull the meat off the bone with a tiny tug.
But y’all, do not mistake me. The ribs and brisket don’t need the sauce. They are flavorful and finger-lickin’ good all on their own, but I just couldn’t stop myself.
They’re known for their sausage at Thorndale Meat Market, and for good reason. It’s a nice course grind, with the right amount of spices. With a smokey flavor and a crispy skin, it was a perfect bite every time.
For a while, Trey hesitated on selling burnt ends because it’s not a traditional Texas BBQ item, but after being hounded by customers, request after request, he caved. And thank God he did!
The Porkbelly Burnt Ends fell to pieces with the slightest pressure from my fork because they were so tender. The flavor of slow-cooked pork is unmatched, infused with the juice from the fat.
But to be honest, the Brisket Burnt Ends were where it was for me. The pull-apart brisket texture, the buttery beef fat, and the sticky, smoked sauce coating, had me going back over and over again. That my friends, is the way to my heart.
Let’s talk about turkey breast. We all know it can be a struggle for restaurants and home cooks everywhere to make a delectable turkey breast, and there’s no shade there. It's a tough bird. (HAH see what I did there?) So we can’t blame someone when it turns out as dry as a Texas highway on an August afternoon.
But I don’t have anything bad to say about this bird. It was so succulent that even when I had it the next day (yeah, I’m a leftover girlie) it was still moist! It had a beautifully seasoned crust on the outside, and a smokey flavor that ran through and through.
It would be a toss-up for what my favorite was that day, the brisket burnt ends, or the turkey breast. I have to say though, for me, the burnt ends would be an occasional treat, but the breast I could keep in the fridge every week for a more health-conscious protein option.
I’m just going to lay this out here for y’all. The pickles weren’t homemade, and there’s no shame there, but I'm going to have to ask where they get them from because I think if I take the bottom shelf out of my fridge I could fit a whole bucket in there… Just a thought.
When someone hands you a pint of banana pudding, when you’re already stuffed, you can’t just say, “Oh no, I’m too full.” Remember the rule is to always say yes to dessert when you can. So, I said yes, and I was glad I did! Smooth, rich, creamy, cold there’s a reason this is one of the best desserts after a big ‘ole tray of BBQ. And this one was perfection, with a secret recipe to make it all their own.
So, make sure you take the backroads, because there’s really no other way to get there, and head on over to Thorndale Meat Market. Tell Trey and the crew I said hi, and get you a big bowl of banana pudding when you’re done. You’ll be glad you did!
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300 West Highway 79, Thorndale, TX 76577
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