Stopped in for the first time in my life at the Llano location on my way to Mason, TX.

Goshdam that is some horribly salty and over priced BBQ. First they scam you by having you pick your meat off the pit so you have no idea what anything cost. I ask for 4 ribs and a cut of brisket.

They take it in, slice it up, weigh it, Wrap it and tag it. I get 1 Bud and he rings me up at $28!!!!

I sit down to eat the saltiest food ever served to me. And I am the guy that likes to season all my meats and sides. My stomach hurt from the salt.

Their watery "sauce" is salty too.

The worst 28 dollar meal I have ever eatin. Won't ever be back.

[This message has been edited by Earl nervy (edited 7/13/2012 9:51p).]

Agreed.

Talked my husband into stopping there three years ago after reading in Texas Monthly about how great it was. There was absolutely nothing good in the entire meal. Greasy, salty, tough - you name it. Haven't been back; won't be back.

Keep in mind, I haven't been there in 15 years but...
Stopped in there a couple times on the way back to Austin after National Guard Drill in Brady and San Angelo.

The food was good but... as you say, I had no idea what I was getting into until they weighed it. It did seem expensive (even in 1990s $$). I only stopped there maybe twice in 3 +/- years of opportunities.

One time in there, I did meet a fellow Aggie and had some good conversation so that was worthwhile.

Someone told me the Mason location is a knockoff...not the original

I ate at the Llano location but the sign on the Mason location claims it is the original. My buddies dad said the kids took over after the old man passed. Never been the same.

the place in mason at the little old gas station is really good. Llano sucks big time.

My favorite BBQ places are "Backyard BBQ" in Morgan's Point, "Hard 8" in Stephenville, and "Bunkhouse BBQ" in Clifton.

Good bbq is best shared by word of mouth, when texas monthly gets involved things are at risk. The family favorites havet made a list and we like it that way. One in wharton and one in cat springs, which i think closed down a while back.

Coopers in Junction has been good last three times on the way to Brewster County, stopped on the way home also

Try Johnny's Steaks and BBQ in Salado.

Also, Best Quality Meats in Temple is pretty good as well!

I'm a big fan of Cooper's in Llano. Sorry you had a bad experience, but it has a stellar reputation for a reason.

Backyard BBQ in morgans point is simply amazing.

I wholeheartedly agree with the OP. I just roll my eyes anytime someone mentions that place on one of the many BBQ threads on this forum. So overpriced and so underwhelming! I think they had a good thing going back in the day, but something changed somewhere along the line.

I would rather eat at Rudy's than Coopers, but I would rather skip lunch than go to Rudy's.

Coopers is pretty good...depending on the time you go. I prefer the one in Mason but I'm prolly partial since I am from Mason

Wow. I guess everyone has his/her own take. I've eaten at Coopers 3 times - once in Junction and twice in Llano. Each time the brisket was absolutely fantastic - as in possibly the best I've ever had fantastic. Granted, I am a salt-fiend. I much prefer a salty rub with just a little sauce for accent than bbq that was sauced on the pit and has a burnt /carmelized / sweet taste. That said, it is expensive, and the other meats I tried were fine but not noteworthy.

Llano = original location
FW, New Braunfels, Mason & Junction are all quasi-franchised. The oringal Cooper has passed-on and the off-spring have sold 51% of each franchise to various investors.

Ive only been to FW and NB, and they were awesome. Every BBQ is going to have a lot of salt, or some type of sodium, in the seasoning. Blindly salting everything out of habbit is foolish.