Welcome To Texas: Angelo's BBQ In Fort Worth

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - If you ask 100 people to name the best barbecue restaurant in North Texas, you might get 100 different answers.

While there may be no agreeing on "which is best," there's no arguing that some barbecue restaurants have become veritable landmarks for a reason. CBS 11 News visited one Fort Worth restaurant that has not only stood the test of time, it has become world famous for its down-home Texas barbecue.

It may not look like much from the outside, but Angelo's on Fort Worth's west side has become legendary for what it makes on the inside -- hickory-smoked meats, and a lot of them.

Jason George is the grandson of the restaurant's late founder, Angelo George, and is currently not only the restaurant's pit master, but its general manager. "We probably do anywhere from 20-30 briskets a day, depending on the orders," he said. "On the weekends, we probably do a little more."

Angelo was a butcher who decided to open a small, four-table restaurant on St. Patrick's Day in 1958. It's grown exponentially over the decades, but otherwise not much else about the restaurant has changed. "We've never changed anything from the original menu. From the cuts of meat, from the handmade spices, the handmade barbecue sauce... we've never altered the recipe in any way in 57 years," said George.

Angelo George's four-table restaurant has grown into a popular establishment that now seats more than 300 people. Unlike its first 30 years, the building is now air-conditioned. They started taking credit cards only eight years ago. And even though they now serve more than just one brand of beer, it's still known for its ice-cold Bud. "Anyone that just walks in and orders a beer gets a Budweiser. They say, 'I want a large beer' and they get a Budweiser," said George.

Many of the employees, such as cook Daniel Tice, have been there for decades. "It's not a big corporation. It's a home-steady family business," explained Tice, "so everybody here is basically just family."

When Angelo died almost 20 years ago, Jason and his dad, Skeet, took over the family business. They're well aware that there is a lot to live up to. "It's a landmark in Fort Worth," said George. "That's all my grandfather's doing. He made this a landmark. He made this a destination spot. And I'm just doing my best to keep it that way."

And he's doing it one brisket and one Bud at a time.