BBQ and Jesus

I've been visiting with my dearest friend, Lindy. We've been staying in an RV on a bayou on Demi-John Island, not far from Galveston, TX. It's been more than I could ever ask for or imagine. I've been treated like absolute royalty, treated to amazing repasts, and entered into conversations that were even more nourishing and delightful than the food before us. 

 

The food at Gaido's in Galveston, TX was simply the best meal I've had in a long, long, long time. Sweet, fancy Moses!  The crab cheesecake was to absolutely die for! The charbroiled shrimp with Parmesan tomatoes was amazing. And, The Pie of Texas - pecan pie with "Hey Mickey's" ice cream was simply worth the elevated sugar and cholesterol and blood pressure.

 

But, it was yesterday's lunch, at Lou Ella's BBQ in Sweeney, Texas, with Lindy and her mother Rita that just simply topped the entire experience. 

 

Lord, have mercy! 

Christ, have mercy!

Lord, have mercy!

Ms. Lou Ella is not only the proprietor of this local restaurant, she is the First Lady of the Jerusalem Baptist Church in Sweeney, married to the founding Pastor, Darnell. 

Their restaurant is a shrine, an altar, to the ministry they share. 

Again, we were treated as royalty. I asked about BBQ chicken and whether or not it was "on the bone". Ms. Lou Ella asked, from her heart, "If you want BBQ chicken and you want it off the bone as we do the pork, I will prepare it that way for you."

 

I mean, seriously!

 

So, yes. I had the BBQ pulled pork and "pulled chicken" with a side of corn and Dirty Rice which was, in fact, a meal in itself and was the spiciest Dirty Rice I have ever put into my mouth. 

 

No joke. 

 

I thought I had feasted at some of the best of  tables with some of the best of chefs. I mean, I've eaten the food of Paul Boucous in Lyon, France, for goodness sake. I know from Michelin Five Star Dining. 

This would have brought tears unto the eyes of Monsieur Boucous. Seriously. So amazingly good. 

But the restaurant is a shrine to the Lord, Jesus Christ. Every where you turn, there are pictures and quotes from scripture and "encouraging words". 

Here, check it out:

The signs above the slush say "Too blessed to be stressed. Too anointed to be disappointed."

And, "Blessed by the Best."

And, because the church is "in the world but not of the world," they do ID. 

Of course, they do.  They ain't no body's fool.

 

 

They also have a Prayer List up on the wall. You can add your own prayer petition and Mother Olivia will pray for you. 

This is no joke. I mean, I know th list is between an advert for Budweiser Beer, an American flag and a fishing pole, but Ms. Olivia is as serious as a heart attack about praying for those on her prayer list. 

You will also note the quotations from scripture about prayer that surround Ms. Olivia's prayer list. 

This is not just a restaurant but a Holy Place where you can find nourishment for you body as well as your soul.

Straight up. No joke.

And then, there's Ms. Lou Ella's door.

Oh, Lord have mercy!

"Never would have made it without you!"

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"

"Protected."

"God is #1 at Lou Ella's Dot Com".

And, at the doorknob, "Turn". 

But, it might as well say, "Repent, and return to the Lord." Because that's what Ms. Lou Ella and Pastor Darnell are all about. 

 I don't know why one would go to Sweeney, TX, except to visit friends and/or family.  Other than that, there's not another reason I can think of that would inspire a visit or pilgrimage. 

Except for Lou Ella's BBQ.

Make no mistake: It is a holy, sacred experience. 

And, some of the best BBQ you will ever taste in your life. 

Bar none.

I think it makes Jesus proud.