What is it about Hallettsville that makes me feel like Marty McFly in "Back to the Future"? Is it the clock tower? Is it the downtown square that bears a striking resemblance to a Universal Studios backlot of a charming Texas town in 1955?

Whatever it might be, I'd bet that little has changed at Novosad Barbecue & Sausage Market since the Eisenhower administration. A mechanical cash register rests on the counter. The air crackles with a mix of pitfire smoke and the high baritone notes of Elvis Presley's voice, pushed by a speaker over the meat counter and into the two tables in the dining room.

Or maybe it's just that, for the past half-century, the owners have been so preoccupied with fire and meat, they don't much notice the decor. You can choose to sit next to a stack of unmarked cardboard boxes or in between the obligatory mounted deer head and a bag of golf clubs for sale.

Served straight from the pit, the plate of lamb ribs ($7.89) recharged my flux capacitor. I don't know where else in the world you can order barbecue lamb, and yet the novelty is just the beginning of its many pleasures. While lamb ribs look like beef, the taste is distinctly gamey. The soft slabs of darkly crusted meat are steeped in a thick, lingering aroma of smoke. There's a dash of sweetness that eases up before it becomes cloying. All along the bone, sheep meat is gelatinously fatty in the best way, as if nature was so considerate as to spare you the trouble of having to melt a layer of butter over flesh and bone.

The pork steak ($7.69) - another odd thing to barbecue 'round these parts - is almost as good, but with a familiar flavor and texture. Salty, piggy, pinkish to the eye, and wafting in the same little cloud of smoke as the lamb, it tastes like a pork chop's sassier cousin. Surviving the crucible of flames and spices, Novosad's meats keep their essential character. That's the sign of good barbecue.

Did I mention the thin, vinegary barbecue sauce that comes on the side? Of course not. This is Texas. Dip your fork in there once, so you can say you've tried it. Then put the cup aside and immediately return your full attention to the meat. Where we're going, we don't need sauce.

Speaking of the McFlys, what is it with barbecue restaurants in the Crossroads and flies? Whether I'm seated indoors or out, my de ribs have been savagely attacked at McMillan's, Aunt Jo's and now Novosad. Proprietors, please turn your attention away from the flames for a few minutes and rid your dining rooms of this airborne pestilence.

Slaw is acidic and doesn't contain 1.21 gigawatts of mayonnaise. The sharp taste of the vegetables cuts through the meat lingering on your tongue.

With unusual meats graced by time-honored recipes, Novosad has its own idea about what barbecue ought to be. At 40 miles from Victoria, it may feel like you're taking a jaunt through the space-time continuum just for lunch. But on several occasions, I've found those tender, can't-find-anywhere-else lamb ribs well worth the trip.

• nFOOD: IIII

  nSERVICE: II

  nATMOSPHERE: I

  The ratings are based purely on the individual's experience. Try them yourself and rate them on our blog, Chomp!

  5 stars = raddest 1 star = bummer

  Don't miss/Sure bets: Lamb Ribs ($7.89)

  Pork Steak ($7.69)

  Details: 105 S. La Grange St.,

  Hallettsville

  Phone: 361-798-2770

  Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

  No website