In the Heart of Horse Country, TX- Clark’s BBQ Burns to the Ground
Photo Credit: Brittany Bevis
By: Brittany Bevis
We are so saddened to relay the news that a Texas icon, Clark’s BBQ, burned to the ground early this morning. For those who have made the journey to the Aubrey/Pilot Point/Weatherford/Tioga area, you will have fond memories of the restaurant walls covered with old photos and historic memorabilia that celebrate the area’s rich history in the horse industry.
As someone once said in an Equine Chronicle article, “You know you’ve made it when you see your picture on the walls of Clark’s BBQ.”
In addition to its historic significance, Clark’s Outpost was a purveyor of southern cooking at its finest with melt-in-your-mouth brisket that’s slow-smoked for three days, fried calf fries and corn on the cob, and chocolate meringue pie slices as big as your head.
What some fans might not know is that once upon a time, 1989 to be exact, People Magazine named Clark’s BBQ one of the Top 10 BBQ Restaurants in America. On his quest to find the best BBQ, writer Alan Richman visited 19 states and ate in more than 80 famous BBQ joints. Clark’s Outpost BBQ is the first mentioned on his list. Here’s a colorful description of the restaurant’s interior that regular patrons found so endearing.
“There’s a mounted deer head with middling antlers, a collection of good-ol’-boy caps, a bunch of yellowed business cards tacked to the wall, some pretty fair paintings of folks in the horse business and a kitchen big enough to put out grub for a wagon train.” – Excerpt from People Magazine archive, Vo. 32, No. 9.
Click here to read “Searching For BBQ Bliss, the Pickings Are Easy,” in the People archives.
Click here to view Facebook images from the fire.
