Texas-style BBQ may be closing soon

BARSTOW • Although Delbert Hall’s Texas-Style Barbecue has been around for almost 12 years, by the time you read this article, he may be shutting down shop and moving his tangy and tender barbecue elsewhere.

Hall started making barbecue as a business a while ago. He first started by selling barbecue at county fairs on the road with a man called Smokin’ Jim.

“(Smokin’ Jim) taught me, my dad taught me, my uncle taught me,” said Hall, who added that the secret of his barbecue is “TLC” or tender loving care.

Hall opened up Texas-Style Barbecue — located at 208 E. Main St. — on Nov. 7, 1999. He’s been cooking up delicious barbecued ribs, chicken and tri tip sandwiches seven days a week ever since, but may be shutting his doors in Barstow soon.

“I’m not doing enough business to stay open, so I’m going to have to close,” said Hall.

Hall said he thinks the economy is the main reason why his business has dropped off, but said it could be also because of his location in downtown Barstow, where there isn’t a lot of seating for customers and where people may also have problems with parking.

“You can make it if you’re in the right place and you do it right,” said Hall.

Hall has been trying to look into different places to move his business and has been looking at moving to Fresno, Modesto, Atwater or Victorville. Victorville has a liquor store with a deli that Hall said he is interested in, and he has family in Fresno and knows people in Atwater.

“I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do next,” said Hall.

Hall said he has been exploring his options to stay in Barstow because this is where he raised his children, but doesn’t know what will happen at this point. He said Monday would probably be the day he makes a definite decision about his current business on East Main Street.

“I don’t know what will happen,” said Hall. “The Lord works in mysterious ways.”