5 silver stars

Texarkana’s newest barbecue restaurant to be a favorite

The smell of barbecue and the hum of voices floods at the open of the door. The greeting of the hostess meets the stereotypical southern hospitality attitude that every barbecue restaurant needs. The atmosphere is booming and everyone is friendly.

The restaurant itself features is divided into three parts: the main dining area, a private room for rent and the bar. The bar has high tables that accommodates either eating or relaxing, and is separated by a garage door that adds to the down south vibe. Eating in the bar gave the experience a flair.

The most popular appetizer is fried pickles. This mom-and-pop restaurant puts their own spin on this classic southern treat. Eight fried pickle spears with a side of ranch dressing for $7.99. The spears are different to say the least, when you bite down the hot pickle bursts through the breading.

As for the entree, a good variety can be found in the Mixed Platter. A choice of three meats from Silver Star ribs,  smoked turkey breast, smoked sausage, hot link or beef brisket for a dollar more. As recommended by the waitress, we chose the ribs, smoked sausage and the beef brisket.

The ribs actually fell off bone, in addition to the great sweet then spicy flavor from the rub. The quality was fantastic, coming someone who is not a fan of red meat. The smoked sausage was full of flavor. The sausage did not lack anything, but a nice mustard would have added to it. The brisket was very lean on one end and fatty on the other, it have been nice to know that going into that item. The brisket could have used more sauce already on it.

Silver Star Smokehouse is known for their side of Au Gratin potatoes. The potatoes have a spicy kick that make it a must have. The starchiness of the potatoes added to the meal. The typically thin cut potatoes were served in thick chunks covered in gooey cheese.

The friendly southern waitress recommended the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce. The delicious dessert was served with vanilla bean ice cream. The smell of the whiskey brings out the brown sugar and cinnamon. The vanilla ice cream tasted homemade, and was the perfect ending to a classic southern meal.