CLOSED?--MOVED now a food truck --Matera Bar & Grill--New use for a historic space

This past Saturday I went for a late lunch with a friend at the Matera Bar and Grill. The restaurant's space was previously occupied by the Sockdolager Brewing Company. The structure was built on land that was the historical Matera Paper Company. The building burned down in 2012. When the brewery went out of business earlier this year, this new restaurant took over the building. It is one of the few places in town with covered outside seating as well as the requisite indoor seating. There is a bar area and a small seating nook with a couple of couches but most of the public space inside is tables. I saw two top and four tops inside. Larger picnic benches are outside, along with more regular tables. It is recommended going in the north door, versus the west or south door, since on the north is where the host/hostess stand is located without having to walk through the seating areas. There is a small parking lot to the east of the building off of S. 1st but be careful as we saw a three car accident while having our meal which looked like it was caused by someone either pulling in or out of the lot. Like most of the SoDA (south of downtown) district, most parking is on the street or over by the courthouse. 

I suggest checking Matera's social media sites to see if live music or some other event is occurring in the evening before going for a family meal or quiet dinner as the atmosphere becomes more bar-like when those are happening.

We arrived about 1:30pm and waited a few minutes to be seated. The restaurant was not crowded but they did look bit short-handed. A server seated us outside, which we asked to do since it was a pleasant day. The server took our drink order and then returned in few minutes with the waters we requested and to take our food order.

I  heard good things from others about the onion batter-coated (gluten-free) deep fried green beans, so we had that as an appetizer ($8). They came with a zesty sauce and were very tasty. I do recommend them. he portion was just right for two people to share but if you have a larger party you will need more than one order.

For my entree, I got the shrimp po'boy sandwich ($12.95/$15.95--not sure which we were charged as I did not pay but both prices were listed--lunch vs dinner?) It came with fries, regular or sweet potato choices. My shoestring potato fries were limp and not hot. This happens a lot, I have found, from what I have read this occurs with hand-cut fries when they have not been soaked and dried before being fried or they were fried in oil that is not hot enough. The sandwich had four large breaded shrimp, homemade coleslaw, and pickles on grilled hoagie roll. I was very happy with it. The shrimp were juicy. They did not taste like frozen breaded shrimp which pleased me. The coleslaw was on the sweet side and very fresh.

My companion order the candied bacon Brussels salad ($17) which was served with raspberry vinaigrette.  The salad consisted of mixed greens, fried Brussels sprouts, candied bacon, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, and pecans. Despite the variety of ingredients, my friend said it lacked the flavor he expected. Visually, I didn't see much but lettuce and a few Brussels sprouts and a sprinkling of bacon (apologies for no picture.)

Service was attentive and friendly though a bit slow but as I mentioned, I think they were short-handed, and we were sitting in one of the farthest tables out on the deck.

Overall, we enjoyed our lunch and it a perfect day to eat outside with mild temperatures and only a slight breeze. I am certain I will return and try some of their other offerings to find my favorites. Several of the items on the menu were tempting though they did seem to be out of a few items. Prices were not out of bounds with what dining out costs right now. Appetizers from $5 (chips and salsa) to $23 (charbroiled oysters). Lunch options started at $9. Dinner entrees ranged from $13 (chicken tenders) to $55 (filet and shrimp). They have only been open for a few weeks so there are still a few flow issues to work out but they are off to a strong start. Also, any new restaurants in Abilene tend to get slammed with customers at first and have to adjust to normal traffic once the "new" wears off.

Matera Bar and Grill

833 S. 1st St 

Abilene, TX 

325-704-1073 

https://www.facebook.com/MateraBarAndGrill/

Hours--

Monday--Closed
Tuesday-Thursday--11am-2pm/4pm-10pm
Friday-Saturday--11am-11pm

Sunday--11am-2pm

Jay's BBQ Shack--Abilene's favorite barbeque stand

 Jay's BBQ Shack in Abilene does indeed have excellent barbeque. In fact, the brisket sandwich I had today puts it in the top two places for brisket in town for me, with the other one being The Shed. Jay's has made it into Texas Monthly's review of BBQ joints with a very favorable mention, in fact it was dubbed Abilene's best brisket. No other brisket in Abilene compares to these two relative newcomers on the scene (read less than a decade old). I would say on taste alone, Jay's has a slight edge. 

Jay's BBQ Shack is only open for lunch and provides outdoor seating for customers. I got to the line shortly after they opened at 11am. They serve lunch until 2pm (or until they run out of  meat) Wednesday-Saturday. I wanted to be sure that they did not run out of brisket so I got there early. It was already quite long and it does not move very quickly. I stood in line to order for about 45 minutes and then had an additional 7 minutes to wait for my order to be ready. The line actually got shorter at around 11:40ish.

In all honesty, I am not a person that enjoys standing in line outside in hot weather to order food. My thought process was that is BETTER be as great brisket. Everyone in town has told me it was and therefore worth the effort. The effort involved is one reason it has taken me to try it. That, and I was secretly hoping I would be able to sample it at an event that they catered and skip the line. Since I was off work and the forecast was calling for it to only be 90, I went out there. Keep in mind that parking is on the street and the place is nestled in among businesses on S. 11th, west of Treadaway, so there is a fair amount of traffic.  

My order today was a chopped brisket sandwich with a side of Hatch green chili macaroni and cheese. A brisket sandwich is my standard order for BBQ places. Instead of sitting outside on the picnic tables, even though there was shade provided for the tables, the temperature outside was starting to climb so I got mine for takeout. The cost for the sandwich was $9.50, not a bad deal considering the price of brisket now, and the side of mac and cheese was $3.00. It came with their standard barbeque sauce, pickles and onions (which I asked to leave off). I also took home sample of their spicy sauce as well. There was a mustard-based sauce option too if that is your preference. 

The special for the day was brisket tacos and there were several other interesting items on the menu such as brisket Frito pie and pig candy (bacon burnt ends.) There were all the standard offerings of ribs, sausage, turkey, chicken and the usual side dishes as well as bags of chips. All the drinks are bottled or canned and beer is available. No ice or fountain drinks. 

My first impression of the sandwich was that they did not skimp on the meat. Yay! It had a nice bark on it but not too much which can make it chewy. The meat was not overly fatty which is how I like my brisket. The flavor was very good, not overwhelmed with mesquite smoke. Peppery but not over seasoned. The meat without sauce was juicy and enjoyable. The sauce was a little on the sweet side for me but still a good accompaniment to the brisket. The spicy sauce was also sweet but with a touch of heat. The bun was soft and fresh. Potato bread, I think. The pickles were thin-sliced and mouth-puckering dill, just how I like them. The mac and cheese had a kick of green chili and some breadcrumbs on top. The sauce was very creamy and the pasta was not too mushy. I was happy with it. A bag of chips is $2 but all the other sides are $3 each.

Was it worth almost an hour of my time? Yes. But you will not find me standing in line when the temperature gets above 90 degrees outside because I just do not do that. However, if you are tolerant of Texas weather or can go on a nice day, Jay's is well worth your time and your money. Check out their social media for daily features. 

Jay's BBQ Shack

602 S. 11th Street

Abilene, TX  79602

Wed-Sat

11 am - 2 pm or until sold out

https://jaysbbqshack.com/