Great eats and more at Dee Willie’s

Sausage, sauce, sides set barbecue lovers dancing

Invest in what you know. Freddy Cruz exercised that sound economics theory when he decided to partner with Derrick Willis less than a year ago, creating Dee Willie’s BBQ on O’Connor Road.

Willis operated a barbecue truck in the area, and Cruz loved the food so much, he brokered a deal for the duo to turn the mostly unused dance hall space of the Country Nights bar into a full-blown brick-andmortar operation.

The end result is a jack-of-alljoints where you can get some barbecue, drink a cold beer from the adjoining bar, catch some live Thursday night entertainment, and do a little Texas twosteppin’ when the space reverts to its dancing roots on Friday and Saturday nights after 9 p.m.

The pit area though, where they are smoking with a mix- ture of mesquite and oak, sits front and center in the parking lot, and that’s the primary reason the customers have been coming in droves since opening day.

Grand champion: Cruz wouldn’t divulge who makes the house sausage, but he said it was made in San Antonio specifically for the restaurant.

These are silver dollar-wide links with a blend of beef and pork that take in plenty of smoke, yet they maintained a classic snap to the casing. I tend to order barbecue by the plate but would happily go the sandwich ($7.25) route with these sliced beauties.

The trinity: The baby back ribs ($8.75 per half pound) were so tender, they wouldn’t have sur- vived the cutting process without falling apart to a pulledpork consistency, so Dee Willie’s sells them whole with five bones to a half rack. Purists may cry “overdone,” but they’re still far from dry.

Brisket ($8.75 per half pound) passed the eye test, with strips that resembled a layer cake as the blackened bark gave way to the marbled fat, pinkish smoke ring and rendered brown beef. Fans of really smoky brisket will like what they find here, but it may be too overpowering for patrons who seek a more subtle balance.

More from the pit: Smoked turkey breast ($8.75 per half pound) and chicken ($6.75 for half a bird) round out the meat menu, with the gobbler getting the edge. Both admirably avoided the dryness pitfalls and were coated with the proper amount of seasoning.

Sides: The sweet potato casserole ($1.95) is heavy on the butter and comes with a charred candied shell that makes it one of the best sides of the series. Creamed corn went the sugary direction, as well, and tasted like vanilla pudding.

Contrast that sweet with the savory from the skin-on baked potato salad or the creamy Dee Willie’s take on macaroni and cheese. Both hit all the proper notes.

Sauce: This ketchup-based sauce is better than most with a sticky texture that has hints of pepper and plenty of tang. Dee Willie’s should consider bottling and selling it to-go.

Mavericks: Desserts ($3.50) can be a forgettable experience on a barbecue menu, but it’s taken seriously here with flavorful cobblers (peach and pecan) that came to the table fresh and piping hot. Banana pudding is done properly, too, with a light and airy texture that dances on the tongue and is unlikely to make it all the way home in any to-go container.