Flickchart Road Trip: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
Welcome back to the Flickchart Texas BBQ Road Trip! Last time, we traveled just outside of Austin to the small town of Taylor. This time we continue eastwards to visit another small Texas town: Brenham!
Stop #29: Brenham, Truth Barbeque
Despite having a population under 20k, Brenham has an important role in the state. Known as the birthplace of Texas, it was the site of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence and thus helped kick off Texas’s independence movement. In addition to this historic importance, Brenham is also known as the heart of the bluebonnet region and offers multiple Bluebonnet trails for people viewing one of the state’s most prized treasures.
Like much of central Texas, Brenham was brought to prosperity by German and Czech immigrants. Many settled in the mid-19th century after multiple revolutions in the German states during this period. The town hosts an annual German heritage festival called Maifest. Due to this heritage, barbecue also became part of the town’s history, and Brenham is now home to the “World’s Largest BBQ Pit” on 290 West. One other Texas food treasure that makes its home here is Blue Bell, an ice cream company much beloved by the state’s residents for its rich, creamy ice cream and multitude of fun flavors.
Despite being rich in tradition, Brenham’s BBQ spot on the list is quite new. Truth Barbeque was opened in 2015 by Leonard Botello. He found his smoker in Ohio of all places, a Klose pit sold for far cheaper than such a pit usually would go for. He started smoking meats and word spread quickly, rocketing him to a spot among the elites. The place is cute little building just off the highway decorated with licenses plates and signs and a small, single counter. There isn’t much room inside to eat, though the outside has plenty of picnic tables.
A great part of doing this project has been talking to fellow BBQ enthusiasts. I discussed Texas BBQ with a fellow patron who waited six feet behind me in line – it was still the early part of the pandemic – as we shared our favorite spots across Texas. I also told him about this project, which resulted in the man buying BBQ lunch for me and my girlfriend. The bonds that BBQ can forge in Texas are not exaggerated. He also recommended I get the smoked turkey, something I usually don’t make an effort to try, but did here.
In addition to the turkey, I enjoyed a jalapeño cheese sausage, a very thin pork rib, and brisket. I also ate some of the homemade potato bread and tried some of their mac and cheese, and a cornbread pudding. The pork rib was nothing special, smoked well enough to be nice and tender, yet didn’t stand out from the crowd. My fellow patron’s advice was right on: the smoked turkey was delicious and tender, with a wonderful smoky undertone and a definite standout. The brisket wasn’t the best of the briskets I’ve had, but it was smoked with great technique, making every bite nice and tender. The portions that had bark made some excellent fatty bites, though the bark was somewhat light on my slices. The #10 spot on Texas Monthly’s list might have been a bit high, but don’t take this as a negative review. The sausage was good, with the cheese and jalapeños coming together well for a hearty, spicy bite. The mac and cheese was also great, with bread crumbs crisping everything slightly, and the cornbread pudding was a fun, unique addition.
I award the brisket 4 slices out of 5, the turkey 5 gobbles out of 5, the sausage 4 links out of 5, and the pork rib 4 oinks out of 5. I award Truth Barbeque 4.5 smokers out of 5!
The Film: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a true story, at least in part; I doubt the residents were actually breaking into song. Yes, this film is a musical, and a fun one at that, starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. It’s about a famed prostitution house, the Chicken Ranch, and how most residents ignored it until outsider people of “values” tried to shut it down. Though the town is never named in the film, in real life it was La Grange, and the brothel at the center of the story is also subject of the same-named song from ZZ Top. Brenham is just a tad north of La Grange, making this central Texas film a perfect companion for Truth Barbeque.
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a charming film with a poppy soundtrack. Dolly Parton contributed song or two for the film while also singing one of her most iconic hits, “I Will Always Love You.” The characters and relationships are not the most in-depth, but this film does a fine job telling the story through the charisma of its cast. Parton carries her role well, and Burt Reynolds brings all of his masculine power to the role of the sheriff.
The film’s numbers are fun, with several going on to get some attention beyond the film. “Hard Candy Christmas” is a wistful and sad tune brought to life by the film’s female cast members. “Sneakin’ Around” is a fun duet between Parton and Reynolds about their relationship, written by Parton herself with silly lyrics that work well in the context of the film. Another unexpectedly fun song about how politicians avoid directly answering questions is “The Sidestep,” sung by Charles Durning in a light-footed turn as the governor of Texas.
One does have to question the film’s pitch that whorehouses are great, harmless fun. This film isn’t attempting any kind of serious social commentary, which may be to its discredit considering the plot. It achieves its goal of being fun and funny, but that means you have to overlook quite a few script choices. It skips over the character beats that elevates many other musicals, but as a corny film from the early 80s, it works.
It’s a great fit for this project, with lots of Texan-ness on display. The rivalry between University of Texas and A&M is featured, the major cities of Houston and Austin are both featured, and several aspects of the Texas culture are explored. The fact that this place did exist and Texan culture did allow this whorehouse tradition to go unchecked for many decades is a curious and unique part of the state’s history. It’s a quirky state at times, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas definitely illustrates it.
Does anyone eat barbecue in the film?
Yes, at a big BBQ cookout!
The Rankings
Texas Film Chart
- The Last Picture Show
- No Country for Old Men
- Rushmore
- A Ghost Story
- Blood Simple
- Boyhood
- Paris, Texas
- The Right Stuff
- Lone Star
- Chef
- Bernie
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
- Leadbelly
- Tender Mercies
- Dazed and Confused
- Dallas Buyer’s Club
- JFK
- The Sugarland Express
- The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
- Planet Terror
- Frank
- Whip It
- Natural Selection
- This is Where We Live
- The Alamo
- Song to Song
- Outlaw Blues
- Selena
- Nadine
Texas BBQ Chart
- Franklin Barbecue
- Pinkerton’s Barbecue
- Terry Black’s Barbecue
- Pecan Lodge
- Stiles Switch BBQ
- Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
- Hutchins Barbeque
- Joseph’s Riverport Bar-B-Que
- 2M Smokehouse
- Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que
- La Barbecue
- Hays Co. Bar-B-Que
- Smolik’s Smokehouse
- Louie Mueller Barbecue
- Lockhart Smokehouse
- Heim Barbecue
- Truth Barbeque
- Gatlin’s BBQ
- City Market
- Baker Boys BBQ
- Kreuz Meat Market
- Stanley’s Famous Pit BBQ
- Micklethwait Craft Meats
- Payne’s Bar-B-Q Shak
- The Pit Room
- Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
- The Smoking Oak
- Heavy’s BBQ
- Harris Bar-B-Que
Join us again next time for more delicious smoked meats and fantastic Lone Star cinema!