You get to towns like Bryan, Texas by driving long miles. You drive past grazing cattle. You drive past trees of oak and mesquite. You drive past the ingredients, what the barbecue is made of.

Summary graphic: A pile of sliced sausage links with a pork chop in the background.

Our visit to Schoepf’s was an aberration. We didn’t explore Belton, TX, we sat and took our time, and we didn’t try their brisket. None of that means that we didn’t like what Schoepf’s had to offer.