The Rusty Bucket BBQ
600 Cupples Rd
San Antonio, Texas
210-433-6663
May 4, 2013
As you walk into the small cozy dining area adorned with rustic western theme of tin cans, license plates and even a quaint piano you get a sense of the laid back atmosphere of the Rusty Bucket. If you don't know this is a Texas BBQ joint, the picnic tables will almost give it away. Don't go looking for waitresses and service 'cuz you came to the wrong place. It's a self serve attitude here as if your at your own back home BBQ affair. No menus here either. That's in case you missed the special outside the door before walking in. If you want to know what they are offering the blackboard has a standard menu of Texas BBQ staples. The holy trinity of chicken, sausage and brisket and even some spare ribs as well. You order your food through what looks like an old bank teller or casino window. I ordered what looked the most interesting: The Lone Ranger. I didn't order any sides since I wanted to order it the way it came. The side you ask? Plain Lays Potato Chips. Cricket, cricket! Did you hear that? No fanfare for this sandwich and that's a damn shame with a name like that! What's in it? That's the trinity on a sesame style bun. My brother ordered the special. To be honest I would say neither were generous portions and the presentation was bare bones. These sandwiches would of looked better on hoagie buns giving it a Texas Poor Boy style feel. My humble opinion if I should have one. The way they served me made me feel like maybe the carnival style paper tray was best suited for a frito pie and not something as ingenious as the Lone Ranger. The concept for the sandwich was great but the meats were not moist but they were a little tender to tough. The flavor was on point though. I kept putting sauce on it because it was a little dry. To me it was missing the love sauce to be frank. My brother said the chopped BBQ he had was definitely better than the chain style offerings of Bill Miller's here in town. I would say the sauce was mild with a slight kick and definitely vinegar based but not overpowering at all. I'm partial to Rudy's BBQ sauce and the fact that I can order burnt ends and moist for my style of brisket. I asked the cashier when this place opened and she said two years which kind of took me aback since they had a plaque from the San Antonio Express News from 2010 and a dining critique from a neighborhood magazine. I didn't care to read what they said I wanted to experience this place with no preconceived notions. I dove into The Lone Ranger and I devoured like only a "meatatarian" (Don't judge me, it's a personal choice) like me can. She made no real connection for this establishment nor gave any insight of what made this place special than other BBQ spots here in town. She missed a "Golden" opportunity; because this place has potential and it's not half bad. I washed down my meal with soda and I had to tell the cashier that the C02 was out. She had no idea what the hell I was talking about, I had to tell her it was flat much like her customer service skills. I didn't tell her the last part but maybe I should have and I say that because she was more eager to return to her Happy Meal from McDonald's. She proceeded to eating in front of customers at the customer dining area. It made me wonder if you work here wouldn't you want to eat what they serve here? Just a thought.
Price: Moderate
Atmosphere: Good
Food: Good to Very Good
Portion: Ok
Customer Service: Poor
Overall Experience: 3.5 Sombreros out of 5.
--By Rey Andrade-Garza, 2013
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