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Green Mesquite BBQ THE GREEN MESQUITE BBQ & MORE at 1400 Barton Springs Rd. started out as a hamburger and watermelon joint named “Dunks.” Austin used to have semi-pro baseball team named "The Austin Senators." Cactus Pryor was the “play-by-play” or, as they used to be called, “the color announcer.” You could walk over from Disch Field (now a parking lot next to Palmer Auditorium) after the big game and argue the lack of 20x20 vision of the visiting umpire or the other team’s lucky catches. Sitting down to your burger and watermelon at Dunks, under the pecan trees, you and yours could talk about the game and count fireflies at no extra charge. About the time Harry S. Truman was handing over the country’s reins to Ike, Jerry and Bobbie Jacobs turned “Dunks” into “Jerry Jacobs Pit Barbecue System.” Jerry was known to endure long days and nights making sure his brisket was smoked at least 16 hours. He added the sign over the pit room “EXCELLENT COFFEE.” The extra long sign seemed to fit the coffee and the building. Jerry was a friendly host and had an knack for remembering people’s names and what they preferred on their plates. Five years would pass and Jerry would remember your name, whether you liked an outside cut, how sweet you liked your excellent coffee, and where you were headed the last time you came in. Back in the 50’s being a person of the non-white persuasion kept a lot of good people out of a lot of good eating places...except here. Everyone was welcome as long they were polite (House Rules). Jerry was always running for city council( Jerry never won). Bobbie was always telling customers she was smarter than Jerry so why waste your vote? She wasn’t running. Bobbie used to tell people they would be nuts to vote for Jerry...love & politics. Bobbie, Jerry’s wife and cohort, owned and ran her own beauty shop at age 15. 33 years or so later, Jerry and Bobbie, turned the reins over to Harold Tiedt. When Harold (whose advice I still seek) went on to bigger and better things, PEE WEE’S came into being. Stan (PEE WEE), served good BBQ and great baked potatoes. Stan had a thing about music and in the early 80’s hired many of the folks we watch on Austin City Limits to play on the patio. Some of them still play here from time to time. Stan became a semi-pro golfer. The Green Mesquite BBQ & More sign was put on the building in 1988, though smaller than Jerry's building length sign. Our brisket is still smoking (16 hours or more) when the rooster wakes us. You can still sit on the patio under the same pecan trees, watch Zorro the squirrel, discuss the big game, the latest political upheavals, listen to some Bluegrass and count fireflies at no extra charge. Live music-not the loud kind- is still a tradition on the patio. We have live music on Friday, Saturday and our traditional Bluegrass on Sunday nights. At THE GREEN MESQUITE BBQ & MORE we still try and remember everyone’s name and smile when we see you again or for the first time. Letters from customers are welcome...so write! Everybody is still welcome as long as they are polite (House Rules). We were lucky enough to inherit many of the customers and employees from Jerry, Bobbie, Harold, and Pee Wee’s times. We are thankful for that. Remember to say “hello” when you come into the Green Mesquite and “goodbye” when you have to go. Give us your opinion if you’ve a mind to (you’ll be asked so be honest). We hope you enjoy your BBQ or your burger and thanks for coming in. Tom, Liz, Lauren and Brian Davis |