Beyond the buildings and houses, in a lone field in the seemingly middle of nowhere, sits Snibbles – a tiny little burger spot at the corner of NE 36th and Hiwassee Rd.
Yeah, it has a goofy name, but they have the best burgers this side of the Red River... at least out of all the ones made with 100% goat meat.
You heard me right: goat meat.
Sure, you might think is a put-on, especially in our modern world, but goat meat is very lean and, usually, very tasty. I try to eat it literally whenever I can, with birria – the Mexican version of stewed goat – sopping up the brew with the best of them, for the most part.
But Snibbles exclusively works in the more western heritage of the meat, with burgers, chili, and other old west edibles for non-exclusive appetites. Either way, it was a culinary adventure that I had on the back-burner between Covid and my own stroke, back when Patrick put it on my radar.
I drove down one late easy afternoon, around dinnertime. It was pretty dead at Snibbles-prime, with one car passing us by the whole time, but as I walked towards the building, a rapturous scent filled the looming air.
A no-frills type of place, I walked in, took a look at the limited goat-meaty menu, and a personable teenager took my order.
In the kitchen, I could see a chef preparing my goat dishes with precision and care, all fresh and made to order. I talked to him a bit, and he told me about the goats, the processing, the butchering, and all that other stuff. I truly liked everything he said about the meat, but my salivary glands were a-churning with each burger teased on the grill.
And then, with my food wrapped in the paper bag and my Shasta in hand, I paid my bill and nervously ran out to the picnic tables in the back, hoping for charred gold…
Now, when people say something is “interesting,” they euphemistically mean it’s “bad.” At Snibbles, it means “completely mind-blowing.” I wanted to start a family with this food, and grow old and grey with them. It’s that good.
Imbibing with my Snibbles-approved Diet Shasta, I started out with the Goat Chili. Friends, you have never had chili until you try it.
You'll find all the seasoning and spices usually found in a bowl of chili, but here it is a little better because the lean meat is so rich and so gamey. With a bit of nacho cheese, and as the great grease deposits began to gather on top, it was so magnificent.
My basic mouth covered in the shiny sheen of the goat chili, I went on to the Goat Burrito. With a south-of-the-border flair, this cabrito is second to none.
On a grand tortilla, aided with tomatoes and onions, this goat is not what I was expecting!
Far from birria, this taste is less of a kick to the shins and more of a middle-of-the-road taste—but that’s good. Instead of relying on heat from peppers and chiles, the culinary juices of the savory meat made it gleam, turning the Tex-Mex classic into the hoary stuff dreams are made.
Finally, I turned to what we have been waiting for: the legendary Goat Burger, Snibbles’ trademark.
With no reservation and no platitudes—at least I’ll try not to—this is one of best burgers I have ever eaten. It is so much more than just a “burger.” Sure, it contains all the simple burger innards like lettuce, tomato, and other fixings, but that goat meat—that big, beautiful goat meat—is simply wonderful.
Everything you know about burgers is slaughtered, flame-broiled, and immolated beyond reason, rocking my taste buds like a billy goat kick to the...
Well, you get what I'm saying.
If you can afford it, invest in Snibble's goat while you can, as this is the perfect burger. Also, take a look at their various got sausages. That will be the next destination on my Snibbles journey to nowhere.
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Follow Louis on Twitter at @LouisFowler and Instagram at @louisfowler78.
