Editor’s note: Nachos for dinner tonight using leftover salsa verde and guacamole from last night.  Since that’s not particularly newsworthy, tonight we will introduce a new feature on Beyond Bacon: letters from the field.  Our correspondent tonight is my dad.  His unsolicited report arrived via email in response to my inaugural post.  Enjoy!

Hey Max and Courtney,

l took some liberties, creative license, the right to embellish and exaggerate. But, basically, it’s all true, and I’ll stand by it.

No black, yellow, or brown was turned away.  BBQ rust colored sauces with spices, the same color for everyone. rubbing elbows with your neighbors. breakin’ bread together. This is America.

Near Dripping Springs, Texas, there is a four way stop with a post office. You’re in Driftwood. Once you’re there you cain’t hardly miss it. It’s called “The Salt Lick.”………..Bar-B-Que….Like No Other!

This could be one of all time great tail-gaters. Driftwood is in a dry county. Ice, water, tea, soda and lemonade are all you can drink. Of course you can bring coolers, anything that will fit into the back of a pickup is cool. Booze, beer, wine………bring it on, bring it in.

The size of two separate field houses, this is the consummate Road-House. Inside, it’s long picnic size tables and benches. Order off a very limited menu or let them do their job. That means platters of everything on the menu served family style. Side dishes of beans, bread, potato salad, cole slaw, onions, great pickles, and two kinds of sauce (hot and mild)……..and they keep coming, bringing everything, until the last man or woman is no longer standing nor sitting. When you’ve cried ‘uncle’ they walk you to the parking lot and help you with your cooler which now weights much less than when you brung it. You won’t (can’t) eat again till lunch the next day.

There is also live entertainment (no boom boxes or canned music) playing country western, swing. This is one great place. Lots of kids, faces dyed burnt orange from BBQ, running around until they eventually drop. Lots of grownups, holding their bellies.

The thing is, the food is great.The ribs, sausage links, and brisket are a gastronomic offering. You don’t stand on line. It ain’t a buffet. Young men and women with long arms and a great attitude bring it all to your table. And they keep the table clean, picking up plates and mountains of used napkins. They offer encouragement to help keep you going.  Sort of like a celebratory last supper.

Which it sorta is.  It ain’t free. It’s $19.00 for an adult. You eat until you’ve decided you’re done. There’s no rush. When you’re ‘resting’ between platters (which take less than 5 minutes to refill) take a walk to see the two huge pits where the meat is cooked right now, while you watch. Actually, because so much of the meat is slow cooked, you’re seeing the final stages of chopping, trimming, and a final brushing. But tens of dozens of slabs and huge sides of brisket are being cut to size to be finger holding and platter size portions.