One of the greatest things about going back to visit America, from a travel perspective anyways, is actually some of the food. A lot of non-Americans refuse to believe this, but while there may not be much  “American food”  as a typical cuisine there are certainly delicious regional specialties all throughout the US.

One of these, and very possibly one of the very best: Texas BBQ.

Much of my family lives in Texas now, and a giant plate of barbecue is often one of the first things I want to fill my face with upon returning to the country to visit them. Luckily there are BBQ joints off the side of the road in almost every small town in the state, so this usually isn’t too hard to accomplish!

Though Texas BBQ is generally known more for its beef (mmmm… brisket…), coming across a Llano, Tx restaurant known for its giant pork chops kind of made the choice for me this time.

Cooper’s BBQ didn’t disappoint, either! With one of the largest (those are normal sized forks and sausage links beside an absurdly big pork chop!) and most delicious servings of pork I’ve ever tasted, as well as the traditional complimentary bread/beans/jalapeños, I basically  had to waddle turkey-like out past the open-pit grill to get back to the car. There were cobblers and things, but to be honest we walked out stuffed with about 2/3 or that pork chop left so dessert wasn’t even on the table.

If you want the original Cooper’s BBQ, you’ll have to drive out to the one we found in Llano, Tx. For a bit more convenience, though, I’d imagine their stores in Ft. Worth and New Braunfels would be just as good for the soul and bad for the belly.

Whichever one you go to, make sure to save room for dessert too!