3-meat plate with brisket, sausage ring, pork ribs, macaroni salad, and green beans.

I first met Ed and Waldean Ashford when they sold their barbecue from a mobile trailer that was usually parked on Houston Street. One plate convinced me that this was some of the best ’cue in town with its healthy infusion of mesquite smoke into meats that were moist yet deliciously tender.

But the trailer disappeared and so, I thought, had the barbecue.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It seems the couple found a permanent space on South W.W. White Road, where Ed’s Smok-N-Q has been in operation for the past 14 months, building up a devoted clientele. The trailer is still there, parked at the back, where it serves as smokehouse.

Stacy (left), Ed and Waldean Ashford.

Inside, you’ll find the big board listing your meat choices, which include ribs, brisket, chopped pork, sausage or sausage rings, turkey legs and chicken. Sides include macaroni salad, potato salad, and a host of bean options: green, baked, ranch or pintos.

In two visits, I’ve pretty much had the lot and have come away smiling both times.

The barbecue, in many ways, was better than I had remembered it being. Favorites included the ribs, with an excellent outer crust leading to a deep, juicy, smoky layer of meat underneath; the sausage rings with an evenly ground meat tightly packed in its casing; and the dark meat chicken, with a crispy skin that seemed lacquered onto the thigh.

A friend who is a true brisket aficionado just sat there barely making a sound as she devoured bite after bite. A low, contented sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head in amazement. “This brisket is just perfect,” she said, before heading back for another forkful.

She liked it for the same reason that I liked the ribs: the almost-black, crusty edge, the smoke layer, the tender meat inside. None of it was overcooked to the point where it was mealy or would literally fall apart at the touch of a fork.

The thick cuts of brisket admittedly can be on the fatty side, which I love and I know others do not. So, if you’re bothered by that little extra fatty flavor, you may want to ask to have the fat removed beforehand.

The turkey leg was enormous. Big enough to feed a family of four, one friend cracked. Think of Bamm Bamm’s ever-present club on “The Flintstones” – that is, if you’re old enough to know who the Flintstones were – and you’ll have an idea of what I mean. The flavor was dense and smoky, if the texture was a little like jerky.

Smoked turkey leg

The chicken breast dry, too, and not too flavorful, but a dip or two into the tangy-sweet barbecue sauce helped revive it.

Among the side dishes, I’d suggest trying the green beans, if you want something savory. I loved the touch of heat and vinegar on the broad, fresh beans. The macaroni salad was loaded with mayonnaise and pickle, while the ranch beans had the right touch of chili powder and smoke. The potato salad was fine, but your taste for it will depend on if you like that particular style, which is ultra-creamy and slightly sweet.

In the end, the side dishes don’t matter much to me when placed in the presence of that brisket or those ribs. In fact, a three-meat plate ($11.75 with two sides) is calling me right now.

Ed’s Smok-N-Q
902 S. W.W. White Road
(210) 359-1511
Open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner

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(photos: Nicholas Mistry and John Griffin)

Mike’s in the Village has specials for the Independence Day weekend.

To start, try the appetizer special, Creamy Potato and Leek Soup, his delicious take on classic potato soup. For those with a sweet tooth, don’t miss the festive Strawberry & Blueberry Trifle, rich homemade red velvet cake layered with freshly made whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries.

Entrée specials this weekend:

• Spicy Hoisin Ribs — glazed babyback ribs served with a leek, fennel and zucchini summer slaw
• Crab and Shrimp Chile Relleno — lump crab- and Gulf shrimp-stuffed chile relleno-wrapped in phyllo, served with a creamy romano sauce

For more information, call (830) 438-2747. The restaurant is at 2355-3 Bulverde Road, Bulverde.

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Chama Gaucha is a relatively new steak house on the far north side. It is reeling in mobs of customers for good reason: It’s just plain good (and a little bit posh as well).

If you’re not familiar with the Brazilian churrascaria style of dining, here’s a clue: Your steak won’t be served to you lying flat on a plate. It will be served quite hot, very adeptly seasoned, by a swift-moving waiter carrying it vertically on a large skewer. He’ll slice it and you’ll grab each slice with a pair of nifty little tongs provided at your place setting.

If you want more, keep a little card at your table turned up to the green side and he’ll come back. So with other men bearing meaty skewers. When you’ve reached your limit, turn the red side up.

Have small tastes at first; there are many kinds of meat (14 to choose from, in fact). These include bacon-wrapped filet, marinated chicken drumsticks, lamb, pork and beef ribs, and the house specialty, Picanha, or the prime cut of sirloin.

The interior is stylish without being fussy, and is welcoming rather than intimidating. A cushy lounge area is behind the host’s desk as you come in. We’ve never had to sit there to wait for a table for more than 10 minutes or so. (But we can’t guarantee you’ll have that experience, as the restaurant has become an ultra-popular dining venue. However long you wait, though, it should be worth it.)

The salad bar is as good as the meat. If you don’t like salad and just want meat, visit the salad bar anyway. It has fresh natural cheeses, slices of deli meats, including Genoa salami, and a good chicken salad. You can also choose to forgo the meat and have just salad, at a lower price.

What we’ve liked best about the salad bar, though, might be for the simplest of reasons — things that many restaurants overlook. Simplicity, utter freshness, crisp fresh greens with nary a hint of rusted edges, thick creamy dressings, fresh and oven-dried tomatoes. In our half-dozen or so visits to Chama Gaucha, we’ve never felt that the bar was neglected and messy, or understocked. I like to get a mixed green salad, then take sliced beets, artichoke hearts and asparagus spears to eat as vegetable side dishes with the meats.

The side dishes have been the least interesting of the offerings, and we have tended to ignore them. The potatoes could be creamier, and some garlic wouldn’t hurt. Our recent visit, though, found the squares of Parmesan cheese-dusted polenta good, and the fried bananas less soggy than we’ve had in the past. The small, very warm cheese rolls served in a basket, however, are good — maybe even addictive.

The wine list has good breadth — with an emphasis, of course, on South American wines. Try a malbec from Argentina and you’ll have the ideal mate to the grilled meats.

On our recent visit, I still found that I liked best one of the humbler cuts of steak, the bottom sirloin. The leg of lamb pleased my husband, David, but we both asked for a second lamb chop. As always, the sausages were crackling hot, and the prime cut of sirloin was tender and rare.

The service gets high marks as well. I was impressed on my first visit at how the staff zoomed around the spacious dining room, managing to not run into each other or knock down customers in their path.  I was amazed on the most recent visit, two weeks ago, to find that they were moving even faster. I suggest that every restaurateur in town who hears complaints about slow servers take the crew to Chama Gaucha. That is how to move.

Check out the liquor offerings for pre-dinner as well as after-dinner options. Our favorite dessert so far has been the Papaya Creme: vanilla ice cream and fresh papaya swirled to pure silkiness, topped with a drizzle of crème de cassis. Just enjoy.

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Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse (website)
18138 Sonterra Place
(210) 564-9400
Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday and daily for dinner.