Gourmet BBQ? Â Now I've seen it all.
The important thing is somebody here really knows how to cook meat. Â I ordered fatty brisket and burnt ends and it came out beautiful. Â Tender and flavorful, fatty and delicious. Â Four stars based on the meat alone. Â Good job sir pitmaster - you are a craftsman. Unfortunately, everything but the meat was BAD.
This place is located in the Pearl, so they try to be gourmet fancy and inject weird flavors into everything. Â The rub on the brisket was an odd flavor and ended up a detriment. Â I'm not sure what it was, but it did not work. Â Fortunately it was drownable in sauce, which itself was better than the rub but still not very good. Â
The sides were again hoist-toity and abysmal. Â After one bite, I said, "Oh, this is interesting!" Â After three or four bites, my taste buds were blown out and I was getting notes of sage and goat's sphincter. Â I would NOT recommend the burnt end beans or the potato salad. Â They were both completely inedible. Â
In football terms, I would equate the Granary pitmaster to Tony Romo: a talented player surrounded by total ineptitude and management that is too "clever" for itself. Â I would come back for the meat and the home-made rootbeer, but I would sneak in a bottle of another BBQ sauce.
BBQ butter made from the bbq drippings. First of all- WHAT?!?! Who was the evil genius that thought of this?!? Deep fried grits with a red ale mayonaise. WHHHHHHHHHHAT.
 This place is full of delicious and clever surprises! Between their gourmet bbq, house made beers and fountain drinks, this place is definitely a gem! I am still spinning with delight after getting a dose of this new brand of bar-b-que. If you're in the area, and even if you're not, you definitely need to get your keister over here because something magical is happening. Â
What I had and can't get enough of- BBQ Board. Be warned, the ribs are a little bare, but the flavor is explosive (in a good way).
The Granary is not your standard bbq and I understand that. The food was pretty good with the exception of the ribs, which were very tough and had hardly any meat. The beans were very good, along with the pulled pork which was moist and tasty.
The sweet tea was some of the better tea I've probably had anywhere. Not sure what they put in it.
I had to take away a star due to the service. Our waiter was usually nowhere to be found. We had to wait what seemed like forever for the check and we didn't get it until one member of our party went and asked.
First off, let's talk about this history of Texas BBQ. It's an institution of affordability, lack of pompousness, and the love of fire and smoke. This doesn't hit on any of those facets. If you are a true friend of Texas BBQ, you will not only avoid this place, but tell anyone and everyone that you hold dearly to stay within 100 ft of the front door.
A Texas BBQ joint doesn't flip its menu into an evening duck dish for the evening hours. A Texas BBQ joint doesn't sell meat by the 1/4 pound and doesn't have visible smoke plumes from the establishment. The Granary is nothing more than an attempt to take common-man food into an aura of pretentiousness that frankly, doesn't belong. The fact that media elements such as Texas Monthly bought into this sham of a restaurant and put it on its Top-50 list only brings shame onto its traditionally spot-on assessments.
I actually have friends that went for lunch to The Granary ... left their food on the table ... and drove north to the BBQ Station.
Stay away. Stay far, far, away.
Small, inventive gastropub in search of adventurous, hungry beer drinkers.
Interested in young professionals, middle aged hipsters, and aging partiers.
Likes: fusion cuisine, thinking outside the box, traditions, wood paneling.
Strengths: supplementing the decent in house beer with fabulous local draught finds, frying grits, techno-savvy.
Weaknesses: Close talker (and sitter), a bit fatty (the brisket, of course).
I liked it! Good beer, good brisket, good pork, good turkey, good beans, good cole slaw. My only dislike is the line to order. It's fine the dirt time, but I think it's ridiculous for a place that specializes in their own brews to make someone who wants a second beer (or third!) to wait in a 20-minute line again with everyone ordering meals. There needs to be a beverage only line or something. We would have stayed for another couple of beers but left in lieu of getting back in a line that went to the door....
Review Source:I'm astonished at all the people comparing this place to Rudy's or other BBQ joints. You don't come here if you want a slab of meat soaked in BBQ sauce  and boring slices of white bread on a  sheet of wax paper.  What you do come here is for an amazing culinary experience where you want to enjoy a mix of flavors and savory smells and tastes that quit honestly no other joint I've ever been to can come near.
This is the only establishment where I have been able to enjoy a beautiful craft beer, a testy dinner and desert and have the entire experience match from beginning to end! Â
My wife and I started out with the amazing fried green tomatoes. Â Grilled to perfection and paired RANCH ICE CREAM of all things.. Â odd, but amazing!, The tomatoes still hot off the fryer with the cooling ice cream ranch and a dab of red onion marmalade, Wow, flavor explosion and this is just the appetizer!
I got the "beef clod" which is a brisket with an awesome quinoa crunch and tomato caramel sauce and pickled celery. Brisket was cooked perfectly and the quinoa added a perfect slight crunch.. I couldn't stop smiling as I savored my dish!
Wife got the Brisket Ramen with the amazing smoked broth and onsen egg cooked to perfection. yes, smoked broth. Never had it before, this place pulls it off. The noodles are great, the brisket was great, the crispy collard greens were simply awesome.
We ended with Buttermilk Chess Pie and the soft serve "Beer & Pretzel" ice cream. Who knew that ice cream, mustard caramel and pretzel brittle would go together so well!  Everyone in the house was finishing  with the ice cream and I so look forward to being able to enjoy some in the future.
Did I mention that the Brown Ale went with the entire meal? Â Yes, it was great with appetizer, yes, it was great with the beef clod, and yes, it even worked with the PIE and the ICE CREAM. Â I used to think that was IMPOSSIBLE but this place finally broke the mold!
Waiter was awesome, explained the whole experience and all staff that brought all the food in explained everything very well.
If you want rich, flavorful and delightful food that will leave you absolutely satisfied without feeling the post BBQ bloat, this is your place.
If you're a BBQ traditionalists who would rather pile on mass amounts of meat and BBQ sauce, this may not be the place for you.. (Or go here for Lunch, more traditional bbq menu). Â Their dinner experience is something I can only describe as "simply special". Expect the unexpected and walk out delighted!
Very innovative chef. The Fried Green Tomatoes are accompanied by a ranch dressing flavored ice cream and a red onion marmalade that are very out-of-the-box. The Brisket Ramen was flavorful, but far from a typical ramen. For a non-beer drinker, the beer was very good.
Over time, as the restaurant side further defines itself and the menus stabilize, it will be a great go-to place when in need of trendy bites to go with the house beers.
You might be thinking: "Granary?? Â I thought it was grainery." Â Don't worry. I've done the research for you. They're the same word, just alternate spellings. On to the review...I had the Beef Clod. It was a unique twist on traditional BBQ but was a shoulder cut so could have been more tender. It's not the good 'ol Texas brisket you're used to. Â The wife had the ramen brisket. It's a soup and was the winner at our table. Beef was tender, noodles good and broth awesome. Be sure to get a piece of Lady Baltimore Cake. Don't let the size fool you. My wife and I split it and it was plenty. They had 4 brews on tap when we went, all decent, and a handful of other local brews. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly and service was good; prices fair. We will definitely be back until we've sampled the whole menu.
Review Source:A little overview...This restaurant is in the Pearl Brewery area, and has a fun, hipster vibe. Â All their ingredients are locally sourced, if you're concerned about that kind of thing.
As for our experience...My husband and I showed up on a Friday nite at 8 pm and only waited 10 minutes. We had a flight of beers at the bar while we waited. Â The table was ready before we finished our drinks....instead of making us tab out, they just transferred the tab to the table, which is a BIG PRO for us (it's just annoying to pay 2 tabs). Our waiter was friendly, but not chatty, and quick.
As for the food...I had the Brisket Ramen. If you like big noodle soups, you'll love this. I was't impressed with the egg they put in there, though. It kind of disintegrated in the dish...I didn't even taste it. Â The crispy collard green was very greasy, but i loved the crunch. Â My husband had the Beef Clod. The beef was very lean (as in, not moist and amazing), but the dish had some great flavors and textures. Â For dessert, we had the Lady Baltimore ....it was just so delicious. Simple white cake, with the perfect merengue, raisins, pineapple, and pecans. I'm not easily pleased with desserts, but this was a stellar cake.
In all, if you're looking for traditional BBQ, this isn't the place, at least not for dinner (the lunch menu is totally different). The dinner is more of a "spin" on BBQ. The entrees we had weren't perfection, but it was fun and different - a definite place to try if you like adventurous menus.
The Granary was a expensive let down. 2 people with one having a beer and iced tea and the other with their root beer with each having the brisket/ sausage plate cost over $40.
The beer was average, not as good as the Freetail but will get points for trying
The tea was added with like rose water or something like that. It was over priced and nasty.
The root-beer had a weird after taste.
The brisket was moist but not very seasoned, definitely needed sauce (which was good)
The sausage had a weird texture and was kinda flavorless and grainy.
The "coleslaw" was just cabbage and carrots and shown a picture of dressing. Really needed more dressing and seasoning.
The potato salad was just gross. weird taste
Pickles were sweet butter pickles instead of sour where it would have helped to  blend the flavors.
The bread was good!
Overall , I just don't think I'll be back
May be a great restaurant, but it isn't a barbecue restaurant. Â Brisket had too much visible fat (see photo). Â Rudy's moist is better brisket - before we ever get to Franklin, J Mueller, et al. Â All brisket portions being 1/2 lb points to pre slicing. Â Sausage had some strange taste, like someone was being too creative. Same affliction on the potato salad. What's wrong with executing mustard potato salad to perfection? Â Cole slaw was meh. Â Homemade bread was a nice touch, as were the pickles.
I'm sure they will make it. Â I hope they do. Â Will have to come back and see if this was a one time occurrence.
The Granary has a lot going for it - a beautiful location in Pearl, some great hype, and the bonus of having a brewery serving up craft beer that has just as much attention as the meats.
At our table we had turkey, brisket and pulled pork. Before we get into that, a note on the bread. AMAZING! The bread alone is worth stopping by for. Home made, slightly doughy and a nice crisp crust. Beats the heck out of Butterkrust from the bag any day!.
The turkey was the clear stand out. Beautifully prepared - moist, melt in your mouth good. The flavor was there, but was greatly helped by the sauce. Easily the best turkey I've ever had in Texas.
The pulled pork followed suit. I prefer mine a bit dryer, but this was well prepared. Moist and just a little bit of fat remaining in there to help ease it along. Sauce was a nice compliment to the already well flavored meat.
Great disagreement at the table about the brisket. It was of the more marbled variety with a nice trim of fat along the bottom. I felt it was too fatty and the fat overpowered the flavor. Others who enjoy a fattier brisket said the balance was perfect. It was pretty dry, but we were there at the end of the day and thus can be overlooked.
As others have mentioned, the prices are significantly above what the average BBQ joint charges. If the premium is worth it or not will depend on the taster.
One final note - forget the beer, go for the ROOTBEER! If you have never had it home made, you MUST try it here! It has that awesome, molasses old world kick missing from the mass produced stuff. You will never look at it the same again.
I really like this place. it is something of a combination of regional Texas BBQ and sophisticated flair. It's quite different at lunch and dinner; this review is about lunch, as I generally go for lunch. Â
The BBQ itself is as good as it gets. Â The flavor is spot on. The meats are juicy and flavorful.
The side items are somewhat bland. However, they're just right with the meat and a bit of sauce. The bread is homemade and would be worth a visit in itself. Â
I also truly love the housemade root beer!
We had just finished a fun Saturday morning at the Farmers Market in the Pearl Brewery and checked The Granary out for lunch. As soon as we walked up to the door, my 3-year old was drinking out of a water bottle (and it was just water) and the man demanded that we throw away the water bottle before entering. He said it was against TABC rules to have any drink enter the restaurant. Understandable.. but I found it a bit strange especially since they have limited beverages (that aren't alcoholic), so I had to order him a water which came in a glass which really isn't appropriate for a 3-year old. Vent over.
The two guys behind the counter were pretty enthusiastic. We had entered and shortly after a few other families entered so he was shouting out all the different beers they had and explaining how to order, i.e. order drinks with him and scoot down the bar to order food with the other guy at the register. We ordered brisket, turkey, sausages, corn, and beans. Only one person in our family ordered a beer, so the total came to $50 or so, which isn't too bad. The food came out in probably ten minutes or so and they called our name and we went to pick it up.
The dining area itself is pretty neat. There are two small separate dining areas with benches and then outside there are benches to sit.
The food was fine but nothing that I would be dying to go back to ever get. Rudy's in my book is hard to beat and for the amount of money we paid for the amount of food we received, it likely would've been cheaper to go to Rudy's. The brisket was flavorful and the turkey was yummy. The sausage links tasted spicy to me and just not how I would expect BBQ sausage links to taste. That was pretty disappointed. Burnt beans were fine and the corn was OK. Overall, the food was just OK.
We were probably in-and-out in 30 minutes or so once we ordered our food, so it was nice for the food to be out so quick, especially when you have anxious kiddos with you. Overall, I likely wouldn't come back here. The area is not somewhere I visit frequently enough and I would definitely prefer to go elsewhere for good BBQ.
Bad Food, High Prices. Â I only write reviews if I hate something. Â I live next door to this place and it is sub-par. Â I have no problem paying a lot of money for good food, I have a problem spending $9 on a brisket sandwich on white bread. Â Been there 3 times, everytime I ask why I went back, everyone Ive ever taken with me hates it too. Â The BBQ sauce sucks, and so does the sausage, anyone who thinks this place is good has only had BBQ in San Antonio. Â Its one step above Bill Miller (for those who know what that is).
Review Source:Went there for lunch to see if this place really should have been in the top 50 issue of Texas Monthly. Â Based on this lunch visit - most definitely!!
I had brisket, from the moist end, sausage, and ribs. Â Let me just say, whatever seasoning they are using on the ribs and brisket are "money".
I don't need sauce for my BBQ, but the bites I had with sauce were good. Â
If you like pickles, you will like these. Â They were kind of a bread & butter type. Â They make them in house.
My coworker is from the Carolina's and thinks the only good BBQ is pork. Â He went pork crazy with the pulled pork. Â He's an expert on pork, and he thought it was really good. Â He bought extra to take to his wife.
Most of the places that I have tried from top 50 list are really outstanding. Â This really deserves to be on the list.
New item on menu - Lamb Breast (appetizer). Â Ordered two. Â Both were very fatty. Â Had to leave most on plate and was only able to retrieve a small morsel of lean lamb. Â Fried Green Tomatoes were quite different, but very good. Â Desserts were okay, but the dark ale accompaniment (might have been complimentary) was terrific...almost a liqueur. Â Like the location and the restaurant motif. Â If in the vicinity anyway, we would go back,
Review Source:First off, loved the ambience of the restaurant! Made me feel like I was back in Brooklyn in a good way, kind of a hipster vibe to it. Stood at the bar waiting for the other people of our group to join us, kind of small area, but you can go outside on the porch, which is nice.
When we got seated, it was like at a picnic table, which was cool. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about all of the food. Unfortunately, they ran out of the venison right before us, I was real sad, but I dealt. I got the chicken... Small but good, boyfriend got the BBQ plate, also decent, but kind of standard. The beans were probably the best part. Overall, food could have been more, but it was a fun place for a night out!
Tried this place for the first time last night and I am still dreaming about it. Every part of this experience was stellar.
First off, The Granary has such a cool, vintage vibe. It reminds me of a restaurant I would find in Austin. The wood paneling, light fixtures, and wood benches are beautiful. I will also add that their music selection was on point, which definitely added to the experience. Our waiter was extremely nice and helpful to us, and offered some great recommendations. They had a ginger beer in cask that we tried, which was outstanding. For food, we ordered the fried green tomatoes with ranch ice cream, barbecue plate, and brisket ramen-- all of which were incredibly delicious.
What I love especially about this place is that everything is homemade, even down to the pickles and bread (which blew my mind, as well). The portions are smaller than your average restaurant, but still very filling. It's quality over quantity, and these guys really have it down. I cannot wait to bring my friends and family here to experience this great place.
So I gave The Granary another try, and I'm very glad I did. I popped in without a reservation on a Friday night and immediately got a seat at the bar. The servers were friendly and quite knowledgeable - as a beer geek I was impressed with their banter and knowledge. They had a ginger IPA in the cask and it was quite nice. A bit too heavy for BBQ, but that's no biggie. It's a very good time to be a beer geek in San Antonio, and The Granary is right up there with the other brave microbreweries in Texas putting out delicious bubbly treats.
I ordered a BBQ plate and a side of pastrami and sauerkraut. And I saw the light. Quite possibly the best smoked beef I have ever eaten, and I'm not even a big fan of brisket. The turkey was also outstanding, as was the burnt beans. The sauerkraut was a very nice touch. Presentation, pacing, and service were all top-notch. The Granary has earned a new dedicated customer.
Before you write a review on BBQ (particularly in Texas), please understand the basics:
(1) We do not care about sides. Â Period. Â Do not whine about "watery" cole slaw, or "dense" homemade bread. Â BBQ is about BBQ. Â Learn that, damnit.
(2) What's really important: Â Brisket and Sausage. Â Here, at this juncture, "The Granary" shines. Â This is all that matters, folks, and if you do not understand this point, go color.
(3) Â The Brisket: Â OK, there is a "flat" and there is a "point." Â Yes, these are different cuts of meat from the same brisket, and do in fact have distinctly different profiles. Â Flats are lean. Â Points are not. Â IF you want one vs. the other, kindly specify at time of order and spare us your newbie comments that "The Brisket was dry" or "The Brisket was fatty."
Please. Â Learn, damnit. Â This brisket is fantastic, and has a nice,moist bark that is the mark of knowledge in this business. Â
(4) Sausage: Â The best in Texas. Â Yes, I have had Kruez, City Market, Elgin, Smitty's, Black's, Coopers, Pecan Lodge, Gatlin's and a host of others. Â Their sausage is the best in Texas. Â If for no other reason, you should go to The Granary for this item alone.
(5) Service: Â Sort of weird. Â NOT the people, just the mechanics of navigating the Beer / Food dichotomy. Â Get over it though. Â Order a beer, drink it, and shut up.
(6) BBQ sauce. Â Fantastic. Â Nuff said.
(7) Price: Â OK, it costs more than Bill Miller's. Â And your point is....?
(8) Beer: Â Really great, and I'm referring to their In-House brews, of which I had two: Â Rye Saison (off the charts) and IPA (a hop fest.....tasty.)
(9) Portion Size: Â San Antonio regularly tops the charts with its ranking as "Most Obese City In the USA." Â This is a meaningless ding on this establishment. Â Plenty of *quality* BBQ on your plate, and just enough to not feel like you've been a test Goose in a Monsanto test facility for increasing pate production with a feed tube inserted.....(sort of random, I know, but you get the point....)
(10) Give these guys a chance. Â San Antonio is known for Mexican....really, really good Mexican....so cut a tiny bit of slack for some of the peculiars at this establishment and order the Brisket and Sausage....you won't be disappointed. Â As a side note, the chocolate sheetcake's icing is loaded with butter. Â Delicious, but someone will complain that the Lipitor dispenser on the table was missing.
Sit down, shut up, and order the sheet cake.....
I just tried this place for the first time for lunch on a Sat. The atmosphere was really nice. It's got that speak easy vibe of lots of dark wood and big windows. It has a great shaded porch and pecan trees next to it. Overall the feel was more hill country house than downtown eatery which we liked. There were couples with little babies, groups in business suits, and large extended families eating. The mix of large plank tables and benches  and small two seaters made it easy to find a table.
My husband had been there before so he suggested some of his favorites as we ordered. The food came out very quickly despite the party of 8 in front of us. We each got the 2 meats plate with various sides. I got turkey and pulled pork and he got sausage and brisket. We also ordered a side of pastrami ribs. Â It was one giant rib and really flavorful. I thought the meats were all quite good. The turkey was really juicy and tasty and the pulled pork had a good tang. The pastrami rib was the best however. The smokey briny flavor was perfect. I liked the sauerkraut and mustard with the rib. With the extra rib order, we had too much food for two people. I thought the servings were good sized and we left stuffed. I can't imagine ordering the three meat plates with any extra sides or apps.
The sides were fine but the pickles, bread and beans really stood out to me. They were divine! The bread was actually fresh and really springy. I'm picky with my german potato salad since I grew up on it and their's lacked vinegar and sugar in my opinion. It did have the requisite bacon though. The coleslaw was more on the vinegar side than mayonnaise but I wished it had been tangier. I also liked their bbq sauce and it came on the table so you didn't have to wrestle anyone for the sauce bottles like at some places.
I liked their beer choices and it seemed to have enough to try something new with each visit. Overall I liked the Granary. It has lots of promise and the food was tasty enough to bring me back for more. My only suggestion is to change their system for food delivery. It got crowded at the check out area which was immediately adjacent to the kitchen window where they called out orders when they were ready. It might be nice if they had someone to bring your tray to your table. Just my two cents..
So congratulations, you've made the Texas Monthly BBQ issue for 2013!
Now this is based on my dining experience only. First off, it's located at the Pearl complex, so I expected it to be on the pricey side. I can only imagine how much they pay in rent. The ambiance is cute, a little house transformed into a bbq & beer establishment. If I had a garage I would love to make in house beer & bbq everyday for my friends.
We got here around 6:15, about 45 min. later it was packed full of customers. Now from what I understood this is the first time they were doing the order style for dinner. Which means you go up to the counter/bar order drinks walk to the register & order food. Which the menu was on a chalkboard behind the bar. I did not see any exotic meats or apps. Just the usual bbq fare; good cuz that's what I came for.
I got the 3 meat with potato salad/cole slaw. My friend got the pulled pork sandwich a side of mac-n-chz w/peppers & baked beans. My meats were turkey, brisket, & sausage.
The brisket left my heart feeling broken.... it was from the "flat" side which was the more leaner cut. I prefer the marble but it should all be good. It was dry and I didn't get that smokey flavor from it. Also, it was cut pretty thick, which didn't help. The turkey was pretty good, nice & juicy & great flavor. I liked the sausage, I think it's made in house because it had that natural casing look to it. The sausage gave off a little kick and the meat was not greasy at all. Now for the picky eaters, such as my friend.... it looks different than your typical grocery store sausage. Maybe it's not made from beef or pork, I don't know. It looked underdone for her liking so she did not par-take in it.
Her pulled pork sandwich is meh.... it seemed to lack flavor to it. From my experience I like the tangy flavor that accompanies most pulled pork. Maybe they treated it like a brisket, not sure. I wasn't a big fan of it.
Sides: Mac-n-chz- good; not your typical Velveeta style & a bit spicy.
German Potato Salad- ehhh....no bacon, no onions, no vinegar. It tasted like buttered red potatoes with parsley sprinkled on it.
Cole Slaw- ehh... coarsely shredded cabbage with carrots and a very light mayo base of some sort. I did mix in my pickles with it and it tasted a lot better.
Baked Beans- good; I liked the mixture of different beans in it.
Bread- homeade, dense in the middle, but a good flavor to it.
Pickles- reminded me of bread-butter style pickles; tasty.
BEERS- AWESOME. You have to go and try them.
I still have yet to try the ribs & some other sides. Â Maybe it's me, maybe I'm too picky when it comes to bbq. I just can't seem to find that place brings a tear to my eye. At least in San Antonio, TX. :(
I'm not a very verbose person but here is a summary of my experience yesterday...
Overpriced ($95 for two people) and still left hungry. Â 3 glasses of wine included
Sweet tea is so sugary I couldn't drink it and this is from a person who could lick the equal out of a packet.
Grit Fritters were so bland we didn't even eat more than 3 out of the 8 balls of worthless calories.
The ambiance is extremely original and warm. Â They did a great job of preserving the old house while mixing in the new.
The quantity of food found on the bqq plate might require a high power microscope and tweezers to eat due to the minute quantities of food found on in. Â In all seriousness...it's about the same amount of food found on a children's plate.
Prediction:
Once the capitol reserves run out on this place it will become a burger joint...another easy food genre to make a killing off of with hype and no substance
Good BBQ places:
Rendezvous in St. Louis
Saltlick in driftwood
Any place in lock heart
County Line on Lake Austin
After little more than a year living in San Antonio, I have finally found barbecue worth waiting in line for. The Granary actually made me realize that Rudy's is a complete waste of time and money.
Tucked in Pearl District, The Granary looks very modest from the outside sitting quietly in this calm, welcoming part of town. It looks quite simply like a refurnished house with a very accommodating and covered patio with a limited view of The Pearl. Parking is more than abundant under the freeway and randomly throughout the area.
This review is only of their lunch service on a Friday afternoon; other times of the day or week will likely vary.
When we first walked in the restaurant we noticed immediately that it appeared to be a house because the rooms were similar to those of a regular house and the doorways between rooms were wide enough for only one. So, imagine a fine suburban home, take out all the furniture, refurb the dining area, stuff a microbrew area in there, and then open The Granary. When you show up, expect at least a short wait because there is cafeteria style ordering that you have to wait by the window for since there is no table service. We stood in line for maybe 30 minutes until we were greeted by very friendly staff that asked for our drink orders. I went for their house IPA which was delicious and my wife had their house Root Beer, also delicious. You then slide slightly down the line to place your food order before you pay. After that you just stand and wait for your freshly smoked, sliced, served food to come out of the window. It's a little chaotic in that area, so be mindful of the staff calling "corners" and patrons entering and exiting the restaurant.
If possible, visit on a Friday afternoon when they have a weekly special of pastrami on rye. Crazy good! There's a strong possibility that I would take this over a reuben. The ribs were good, really good. Smoky, falling off the bone, delectable, simply wonderful. The brisket, tops! Their on-site smoker worked wonders to the brisket that leaves a fine char to hold in the juicy smoke flavor and protects the good stuff from unnecessary overcooking. The pulled pork...is just...glorious. It almost seems unfair that their pulled pork is so good. I wasn't drunk, high, or under the influence of any drug, it was just so damn good. The entire plate together was almost too much to handle and certainly gave me a new outlook on the San Antonio food scene.
If you're touring the city and want some cue that has the balls without the hype, The Granary is your destination.
Perfect location, home-brewed beer is A-mazing, staff is fun, knowledgeable and cool, and food is all from scratch, and I love their interior. Â Somehow I've only managed to try their beers and starters. Â I just can't get into their main dishes, the place is so causal but then the food gets to be a little too froo-froo. Â I think the problem is that I was expecting good home-made BBQ, not necessarily the Rudy's kind, but more traditional BBQ. Â
I'll have to come back here with more of an open mind on what BBQ is and what i'm going to pay to have a few slices of brisket and try again.
The Granary is my favorite BBQ in town. This spot just opened at the Pearl and these brothers are killing it. One cooks, one brews, and they are doing some crazy, innovative, and cavalier things already. They have yet to celebrate their first birthday.
The lunch is amazing traditional BBQ. Smoked meats, tasty sides, homemade pickles and bread, homemade everything. The homemade rootbeer is lighter and spicier than your average brew. The Poteet strawberry soda I tried was fantastic, without being over the top with its sweetness and with a very subtle herbal undertone of cilantro.
Dinner takes your traditional smoked meats and elevates them. Order lots of things, everything is best shared with a friend or lover. The grit fritters are fantastic, bursting with flavor, and so playful. The venison that is leaving the menu this week is some of the least gamey, finest, most delicious rare meat and had a wonderful texture. The pork belly won over my friend who is vehemently opposed to cilantro and had her craving it weeks later. I love the wine list, and they brew their own beer in house.
The Granary isn't your average BBQ joint, which is why I love to eat there. If you want quality over quantity this is your place.
Underwhelming, and that's being kind. Like many, we had heard great things about this place, but left wondering what the big deal is. Rudy's version of fast food BBQ puts this place to shame. The beer is decent, but I've had much better. I ordered the 3 item plate for lunch, and got two tough, fatty strips of brisket, two tiny pieces of turkey, and a golf ball sized portion of pulled pork - definitely not $15 worth of food. They serve it with buttermilk bread that is dense as hell, and bread and butter pickles for garnish. All of it was devoid of flavor, and the house sauce they put on the table didn't help matters.
To be clear, I REALLY wanted to like this place, and I'm not a food snob, either. My wife and I are avid foodies and look forward to trying out new places on the weekend. We had looked forward to this meal all week, and it was a tremendous let down. I'm still searching for a legit BBQ place here in SA, and after eating at The Granary, it appears my search will continue. Don't waste your time.
After a couple of unsuccessful prior attempts to eat here without having to wait 2+ hours, I was finally able to try it out.
I got the IPA and the brisket ramen. Â The IPA was good, but I wish I had kept in mind the cardinal rule: when at a new restaurant, don't deviate from the basics. Â That being said, it's my own fault, but please take note Granary chef: fusion is fine, but don't insult the fused genres. Â Don't give chopsticks for food cut in portions too large for consumption with the chopsticks (i.e., way too fatty brisket). Â The broth was also entirely too salty for my taste. Â However, my friends got more traditional barbecue fare, and it was all tasty - venison, beef clod, barbecue board. Â
Nitpicky things: I like the concept of taking the barbecue/picnic table style dining inside and classing it up with tasteful dark woods, but the spacing was too narrow for easy movement. Â Also, upon walking in, I saw and briefly conversed with a friend/next-door-neighbor who happens to waitstaff at Granary; that was the highlight of my waitstaff experience. Â Unfortunately, the waitress we had was rather rude and not incredibly helpful; I don't know why our waitress thought reading the menu to us would illuminate or answer our questions. Â The explanations for the food came only after we ordered and the food was placed on our table. Â
I will try Granary again, but I'll stick to traditional barbecue and try to avoid that waitress.
I heard about the whole "Esquire magazine rave," and decided to see what the noise is all about. Â Honestly, I have no idea. Â The barbecue pulled pork sandwich is one of the worst I have ever tasted. Â It was literally half fat, with bits of gristle. Â Absolutely no flavor, and the sauce is nothing special.
The service at the counter is terrible, with rude, aloof folks, who apparently love to chant that THEY don't have artificial sweetener in THEIR restaurant, when people ask about diet drink options. Â OK, they'll serve a sandwich full of FAT, but they're too special to provide diet drinks? Â Once you order, you just stand in front of the counter, waiting, while new customers push around you. Â
While holding there, I saw one kitchen staff member pick up a dropped piece of sandwich bread, and PUT IT BACK ON the plate. Â I made sure that it wasn't mine. Â When the tray was ready, the "server" literally shoved it at me. Nobody in the place smiled at me - how "cool" of them.
The potato salad serving is literally three bites, for $2.50, or $3.00 - I confuse it with the horrible coleslaw, which has no flavor.
We left the food on our plates, and walked out after sampling the stuff, and with a $38 counter tab (sandwiches, sides, and a drink, only). Â We then visited nearby La Gloria, and had some fantastic pork barbecue (Mexican street version).
Never again. Â (Psssst, servers? Â Deep six the attitude.)
What an awesome restaurant! I actually told the bartender I was in love with him after eating one of the recommended meals. When you get there, just ask what you should have because everything is fabulous and they will lead you in the right direction. My friends and I (3 of us) split 2 apps and 2 entrees. It was plenty of food.
We had the texas toast. The toast in itself isn't anything extraordinary ... it's the butter that is spectacular. The butter is made with all of the drippings from the cooking meat. Sounds gross in theory but it is possibly the best thing I've ever eaten. Â We also had the Beef Crod which came with an airy corn bread that can only be described as cotton candy texture. Our other two dishes were specials...a fried pimento cheese and a pasta. Really you can't go wrong.
This review is for lunch only. [and may get me kicked off yelp]
To start, I'll get this out of the way: great staff (really great staff, in fact), phenomenal location and a world class property. [did i mention great beers?]
tl;dr after three visits: i don't need fancy, i need barbecue.
I so want to embrace this place, but I can't muster any excitement.
dry but flavorful brisket. who purposely makes a dry brisket? as an aside, who serves dry brisket?
pulled pork indistinguishable from any other pulled pork on the planet .
pastrami. this is where i get really pissed off. your pastrami is delicious. your pastrami is horrible. dude. what is up with the wild berry crust you slather on your pastrami? did you forget to wash the brine off the brisket before smoking it? incredibly offensive flavors. [positive i have never used that phrase before]
sausage machine is broken, so we don't have sausage for a while. seriously. can't quote it, but that was pretty much the conversation. we're so hip, we don't care that our highly sought, most often sold out sausage is not available. for, like, whenever.
best bets: burnt ends beans and potato salad.
go here for one thing only: chess pie. best goddamned chess pie in the universe
Really uneven.
I had the brisket ramen last week, and it was delicious. The broth was light and clean tasting, the brisket tender, the egg softly cooked, and most of all the homemade noodles were perfect. Hearty, with the right balance of softness and chew. A delight.
Returned tonight for the same dish and couldn't finish it. The broth was salty to the point of being nauseating. Â The noodles were still really good, but they now soaking in a smoky brine. Gross.
I should have complained, but I was already so embarrassed, having subjected my wife to this after raving about the Granary all week to her.
So yeah, one 5 star experience followed by a 2 star disappointment.
Great food. I had the brisket, turkey and pulled pork. ALL very good. I've been a big Rudy's fan since coming to San Antonio, but this place beats it by a landslide.
This is not your typical BBQ place in Texas. Â They some meals with 'small portions on big plates" and that may anger many people, but I personally prefer taste over portion size. Â
My last visit, lunch with coworkers and went back for dinner with the family. Â For lunch, I ate the 2 portion meat with brisket and turkey, beer was the brown ale...it was awesome. Â For dinner, Grit Fritters, Country Captain, BBQ Board with brisket and pulled pork, dessert was Lady Baltimore Cake, and Coriander Grapefruit beer. Â It was outstanding, of course. Â This visit, the brisket was a little more dry than usual because it was leaner. Â I prefer a little more marbling, but it was still VERY good. Â Most places around have very dry brisket. Â
I'm making this place one of my regulars in San Antonio. Â It's expensive, but worth every bit of it.
Stopped in here on a cool damp night for some BBQ that stirred the soul. Keep in mind that this place has an extremely nice environment (the wood in the interior has all been salvaged from the buildings in the old pearl brewery) and the bar area has their brew tanks on display.
From a beer geek perspective, the selection was quite nice. Couple local Texas craft brew guest taps from ranger creek, jester king etc and four of their own when we were there. Tried their Rye Saison which was peppery and quite complimentary to the cue.
Now, on to the food. Everything including the sides and pickles are made from scratch and in house. I had their pork belly which was smoky and wonderfully fatty. My girlfriend has their BBQ board consisting of pulled pork BBQ, beans, pickles & potatoes. The BBQ was very good and the beans were what stole the show. The lil bits of debris take the beans to a different level.
The portions maybe be smaller than what you are used to in Texas. But the quality is high & should you really be eating more than 6-8oz of pork belly at a time?
Service was excellent all around. Everyone from the bartender, to the waiter to the manager on hand were well informed and seemed to be very proud of their product.
Fantastic beer selection - but don't be a wuss and order a "flight," just pick a beer and drink it. Â Then get another. Otherwise you'll be sipping preciously until you realize 2 of the 4 on your sampler board are not really what you wanted. Â Meanwhile guys like me have to wait as the bartender fills all those cute little glasses for tables full of people who can't make up their frikkin minds. Â
And the meat - good lord that's some tasty stuff. Â Must have smoked it for a week with herbs that are meant for medicinal purposes only. Â Is this even legal in Texas? Sublime. Think I'll have another beer. Â
Very enthusiastic staff with lots of info on every dish. Â It's like the haute cuisine of BBQ, really. Â Great atmosphere - the place hums with energy and good vibes. Â Must be whatever they were smokin the pork in got into the vents. Take a date or a bro and share the buzz.
Went back to give the Granary another shot and I was very pleased with the food this time. The service was still great. A little over enthusiastic but I'll take that any day of the week. Our server offered up lots of details on all the things we ordered. The food was really good. I got the BBQ board. It came with pulled pork and smoked turkey, beans that I still think about, mustard heavy German potato salad, house made bread and pickles. It was really, really delicious. *licks chops*
The 4 stars comes from the fact that I called and put my name on a wait list, showed up a little early and was greeted by lots of empty tables but still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. Sure, that's not a long time to wait in the whole scheme of things but I followed all the RULES! I did ALL THE THINGS! The hostess just kind of ignored us and bustled around a lot moving menus here and there but aside from my initial "check in" she wasn't particularly warm or friendly. A hostess is an important part of a restaurant. They set the tone. The tone I got was disinterested in people but very interested in the transport of menus from one place to another place.
Their bar is tiny so its hard to wait there, so we were essentially in the front entrance til we got seated.
PROS:
Good in-house-brewed beer.
Good pulled pork.
Nice decor.
Good indoor and outdoor seating.
Hip location.
Kid friendly
Good idea.
CONS:
Small portions.
High prices.
Potential to get crowded quickly.
Inconsistent, stingy with quantity of sides (e.g., on the same day, same meal, two vastly different quantities of pickles served)
Dry brisket, turkey
So yeah, I've had better. But the beer we had was quite good. If we lived across the street or within a walk-able distance, this might be a regular hangout, but really only for the beer.
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