Barbeque Beef Brisket: A Little Piece of Texas

As my husband and I strolled down the sidewalk of Worthington Street, Downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, we neared Theodore’s Blues, Brews and BBQ. Before we reached the entrance I could already smell the familiar smoky scent of barbeque beef brisket, which reminded me of being back home in Texas on a Saturday afternoon watching football and smoking brisket all day with my family and friends. Stepping into Theodore’s, we entered a rustic atmosphere with friendly staff and great blues music playing in the background. We were not in Massachusetts anymore, we were in Texas.

Theodore’s is a popular restaurant in the heart of Springfield’s entertainment district and has been open for twenty-nine years. They are known for hosting the best in national, regional, and local blues on Friday and Saturday nights. Also, Theodore’s was named “Best Blues Club in the Country,” a KBA award (Keeping Blues Alive) from the Blues Foundation.
Barbeque beef brisket is the national dish of the Republic of Texas. Brisket comes from the chest of the steer, and there are two per animal. I have helped my grandfather smoke a brisket dozens of times, and let me tell you, every Texan has his top secret method of cooking a brisket. I can tell you that one of the fundamental keys of successfully cooking a brisket is to smoke it, and to smoke it slowly. Twelve to fifteen hours is the optimum time to smoke a brisket, and that is exactly what Theodore’s in Springfield, MA does. Theodore’s slow smokes all of their meats over traditional hickory wood, which is a key element of flavoring. You also have to rub the brisket with spices, and Theodore’s does just that (although they would not tell me which spices they use). As a general rule of thumb for rubs, you can never go wrong with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic, but everyone has their own way of blending spices together to create a beautiful concoction of flavor. Now, when most New Englanders hear the word brisket they automatically think of corned beef brisket, which is in no way the same thing. Corned beef brisket is preserved with salt and flavorings and is meant for boiling, not barbequing.

I have eaten at several barbeque joints around Texas including Bigham’s Smokehouse, J&M Barbecue, Rudy’s BBQ, Dickey’s BBQ, and Mesquite’s to name a few. When I tried the brisket at Theodore’s, I was thoroughly impressed with everything- the brisket, the collard greens, the jalapeno corn fritters, the BBQ baked beans, the cornbread, the honey slaw- everything was a perfect representation of how “it’s done” in Texas. The brisket was juicy and flavorful, and the BBQ sauce complemented the brisket perfectly. The collard greens were cooked and seasoned to perfection. The jalapeno corn fritters were hot and fresh and were served with a bold, spicy southwestern dipping sauce. Everything on my plate down to the last morsel of cornbread was a glorious escape from the bland, tasteless world of typical New England food.

Stepping into Theodore’s makes you feel right at home, and the southern feel of the place and the blues music is good for the soul. Overall, the experience was good, the food was great, and the staff was very friendly. The prices are a little steep, but totally worth it for a misplaced, homesick Texan.