Texas is famous for our BBQ, and if you live here you probably have your favorite place, but it's time to venture out of your comfort zone and make a trip to Bumbershoot BBQ. Brought to you by the people behind Earl's 377 Pizza, Bumbershoot is located in a natural enclave inspired by the casual backyard BBQ. Wood tables, tall trees, gravel, and cheerful red umbrellas make up the pet-friendly patio. A 32-foot long trailer serves barbecue as the smoker cooks the next batch of meat on the side. This feels more like Austin than Argyle, tucked into the trees, a hidden gem. We got the early scoop on their menu, featuring brisket smoked with hickory and pecan, a smoked potato salad, and three pounds of loaded tater tots.
3 Meat Plate - Sliced Brisket, Pulled Pork, and St. Louis Ribs
The Sliced Brisket had incredible flavor, no homemade BBQ sauce needed here, but it was sliced a little too thick for my taste. If you like hearty brisket slices, go for it, but you can always get the chopped brisket by itself or in a sandwich with Texas toast. Their brisket is smoked for 14 hours with hickory and pecan.
The Pulled Pork was exceptional! During the 14-hour smoking process, it's injected with a purée of sliced apples, brown sugar, salt, and Jack Daniels. I could easily eat a pound of it alone, because I don't stop eating when I'm full, I stop eating when I physically can't eat any more if it's this good.
The St. Louis Ribs are flavored with a Brown Sugar Chili Rub prior to the smoking process, giving them a slightly sweet taste, which I loved. This type of rib typically has more fat content, so they were perfectly juicy and required many napkins worth of cleanup. Tip: do not wear lipstick here.
Loaded Tater Tots (they aren't kidding)
So start with a pound of tater tots, then add everything you've ever wanted on tater tots. Loads of melty cheddar cheese, chopped brisket, sour cream, BBQ sauce, and jalapeños make this a superstar side. I loved the BBQ here, but this dish is enough to feed a few people easily. It's a delicious take on a loaded baked potato, topped high with brisket and cheese without being overwhelming. 10/10, get this when you go.
Sides - Slaw, Potato Salad, Baked Beans
Their slaw was unlike any slaw I've had before, you can definitely tell chef Chad Kelley put his own twist on classic sides. Made with green apples and a light vinaigrette, the slaw is a welcome break from the other heavy dishes. It's fresh and cool, featuring locally-sourced vegetables.
The Potato Salad is definitely a love/hate dish, and I loved it. Smoked red potatoes are mixed with brisket and chives, more hearty than sloppy like most potato salads.
Cheerwine Soda
This is definitely my current soda obsession, and I rarely drink soda! Semi-sweet with strong flavors of wild cherry, this is a rare soda, as far as sodas go! It goes perfectly with BBQ and the Loaded Tots.
Bumbershoot BBQ will be open at 5pm daily, and will run until they sell out, so get there quick! They are located behind Earl's 377 Pizza in Argyle, Texas (about 8 miles south of Denton). They will be open for lunch at 11am soon and run until they sell out, reopening at 5pm. Let me know what you get//what you think!!
Bumbershoot Social
Instagram: @bumbershootBBQ
Website: bumbershootbbq.com
Facebook: Bumbershoot Barbecue