Off the Bone BBQ lives up to its smoky hype

Finding good barbecue is one of our basic pastimes here in Texas, so when word gets out that there's a serious contender, it's big news.

For proof, you need only look at the lines forming at Off The Bone BBQ on Mansfield Parkway in Forest Hill.

Eddie and Marilyn Brown opened their restaurant in a former Dairy Queen in September 2006, where they've been serving barbecue to the grateful locals. But that all changed after barbecue nut Daniel Vaughan, author of a blog called Full Custom Gospel BBQ, wrote a story recently for D Magazine that pronounced Off The Bone the best in North Texas.

Now, no matter what time you go, the place is filled with barbecue aficionados, chowing down on ribs, brisket and more. You know you're in good hands when you see the pile of wood outside that's destined for the smoker. That's because the Browns do barbecue the way you're supposed to: slow-smoking the meats over pecan and oak wood for up to 20 hours, so as to impart an intense smokiness to the flavor and tender texture.

Single-meat dinners run from $7.59 for chicken to $10.29 for ribs; two-meat plates are $12.19. They come with your choice of two sides and crisp, buttery Texas toast. You place your order at the counter, and one of the friendly, helpful staff brings it to you when it's ready.

It was exciting to see the plates arrive, heaped with piles of meat, its edges all crusted over until nearly black.

Pretty much every category of meat pleased, but especially the brisket, which everyone at my table absolutely loved. Its edges were black and its flavor was powerfully smoky, but it also had a bit of fat to keep it moist -- so juicy that no one besmirched it with a drop of barbecue sauce.

That sauce, by the way, was deep red, with a general-purpose appeal -- sweet but with no heat.

Chicken breast came with its skin still on, bearing a dark coat of glaze. (You can also order dark meat, a leg and a thigh.) The breast meat was soft and tender, with a faint trace of dryness that made for a good mouthful when combined with a bit of the skin.

Smoked ham was cut into appealing thick, rough-hewn slices and had a nice tang.

Ribs were perfect specimens, with lots of good, toothsome meat on the bone and a burnished crust with edges so caramelized, they were almost like candy.

Hot links were sweet and spicy, with a little snap. They're brought in from Smokey Denmark Sausage Co. in Austin, along with the sausage, though the Browns hope to soon make their own.

Coleslaw, roughly shredded and tossed in a creamy dressing, was probably the best of the sides. Fried okra was good, too, with a crunchy crust. Potato salad had a soft, mashed personality, while pinto beans were unfettered by bacon.

Marilyn Brown oversees desserts ($2.35 each), including peach cobbler, a perfect golden pecan pie and a moist 7-Up cake drizzled with a fine firm glaze.

Items we didn't try included bologna and the baked potatoes -- including a colossal "horseshoe" ($9.99) that sounded intriguing: a baked potato stuffed with barbecue and surrounded by a ring of ribs.

They also do a Friday-night catfish dinner ($8.99), which is surely good, too, even if it isn't smoked.

Maybe get it with a pound of brisket on the side.