HEB Branded briquetes.

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So I am seeing HEB putting their branded Mesquite briquetes on sale again for about $6.00 for a 14lb ish bag.

I have used these coals before with mixed results. Some reviewers claim these coals won't stay lit. Here is what I have found...

#1. Start them with a chimney starter, and dump them in when they gray over. set them the way ou want them.
#2. If you food is heavily marinated, or excessively fatty, the drippings can and will extinguish the coals. This is true of Kingsford, Royal Oak, etc... I have a bad habit of doing this cooking Fajita chicken breasts.
#3. These tend to burn a tad hotter than Kingsford, airflow control is a bit more vital with these...
#4. I have noted that I get more coals that just never seem to go fully down to ash with these than Kingsford. Typically 2 or 3 notable chunks just never seem to burn Whereas with Kingsford I typically, unless I snuff the grill, burns all the way down to a relatively fine ash.

My overall takeaway from this and what I want to communicate.

This house branded charcoal from HEB size, and shape of the briquetes seems to be the same as Royal Oak charcoal. I don't know if they are related or not. They light just as easily as the more expensive stuff, and are slightly more fussy to use, but if you will be rewarded with great BBQ and a fatter wallet if you opt to go with these and deal with the few minor quirks of these coals compared to the more expensive brands.