Buzz BBQ

When the brisket was placed in front of me at Buzz BBQ, it had no sauce on it and the presentation was about as weak as it comes -- simply layered in a plastic-foam clamshell box. Yet there was only one thing I could do, and do immediately: Dig in and keep going. It's said that we taste first with our eyes, and I looked right past that ungainly clamshell to the only thing I could see, which was thick slices of brisket that looked juicy and moist.

Thick slices? Who slices brisket thickly? It tends to be tough, so usually the cut is on the thin side. But that wasn't a problem with this version, which had been smoked long and slowly and was so tender that the plastic fork I had been given was perfectly equal to the task of shredding the meat. It also had a decent layer of fat, which isn't the most healthful thing in the world and is certainly not in fashion, but which lent both flavor and moistness. But another reason I was content to hum along without sauce is that the long smoking had permeated the meat, its presence clearly known in every forkful.

The meat was part of the Buzz BBQ brisket dinner ($16), which comes with a pound of brisket (more on that later), two sides and a roll and butter. From a list of eight sides I chose the ice-water coleslaw, so crisp it was almost squeaky with its astringent vinegar-based dressing. It was unusual and very good. I also had the black-eyed peas and rice, a workmanlike version that I'm counting on to bring me luck in the new year.

I took one of my Texan friends -- someone who's a barbecue aficionado -- to Buzz BBQ. She solved her can't-decide conundrum with a two-item combo ($13; three-item combos also are available for $16, and four-item for $25); Andouille sausage and ribs it would be.

Andouille sausage is rare enough in these parts that it caught both of our attention, and this was a good version, juicy and flavorful and simply prepared by a kitchen that had the good sense to leave it pretty much alone. The ribs had been smoked until they were charred nearly black, which gave me pause, but they turned out to be moist and juicy like the brisket, with just a thin layer of caramelized sugars.

Her carb-creature side choices were potato salad, which tasted "like my Granny's," and macaroni and cheese, which was sort of middle-of-the-road cheese-wise but had a nice spicy kick. She also liked her sweet ice tea -- another rarity in these parts.

Oh, and back to the sauce, which we occasionally dipped into from time to time but didn't feel like we needed, as at some barbecue places: It was vinegar-based and on the thin side, with no hint of tomato -- a good thing for fans of that style and a nice break for the rest of us.

We had a ton of food (especially brisket; this was a lot of meat) but the desserts in the case were so tempting that we decided to pack it up for later and move on. Our server touted the caramel-apple-walnut pie ($3.50, or $4.50 a la mode), adding that with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it was "a little slice of heaven." And wow, was it ever.

So what didn't I like about Buzz? Well, that our food was served in clamshell boxes. This is a place that clearly is comfortable with takeout, but it does have about six reasonably comfortable tables. The people at a table along our row had removed their food from its clamshells and were eating it from disposable plastic plates, but whether they'd brought their own or earned them by regular patronage wasn't clear.

There was a point in Buzz's favor, however: The clamshells and the foam containers in which our sides were packed made it easier to pack it all up and take it home.

Maybe that's part of the plan.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at 383-0474 or e-mail her at hrinella@ reviewjournal.com.