SXSW. It is one of my favorite events of the year. SXSW is a film, interactive, and music festival/conference that spans two weekends. People from all over the country and world come and spend time in Austin. One thing I hope is that they do not miss out on the great barbecue located here. I am going to try to make it easy for you if you were one of them. Here are my ten barbecue joints choices. I will throw in an extra for free. Click on the name for a full review.
1. Franklin Barbecue (900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702) - Yes there will be a line. A very long line. It is worth the wait to get some of the best barbecue in the United States. I have no words and explanation for the brisket. Aaron uses salt, pepper, and oak smoke. There has to be more. Cows from Mars? Trees from Mordor? It is just so damn good. It might one of the best things that you will ever put in your mouth. The pork ribs are delicious and are almost falling off the bone. Franklin also now serves beef ribs which sadly I have yet to try. Get the Tipsy Texan while you are it. It is sandwich that has chopped beef and sausage with some coleslaw. A great combination that is messy but tasty.
2. La Barbecue (1200 E 6th St, Austin, Texas 78702) - Phenomenal brisket? Check. Great pork ribs? Check. Superb sausage? Check. You cannot go wrong here. Will there be a line? Of course there will be because you are talking about an outstanding BBQ joint. Do not forget to get a beef rib. I am pretty sure anything John Lewis touches turns into gold. There is also another great sandwich here. El Sancho. Get it loco style. You are looking at a three meat plate between two buns. Brisket, pulled pork, hot guts. A sandwich bordering on being magical and crazy. You will not regret it.
3. Micklethwait Craft Meats (1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702) - I had trouble pronouncing the name at first. That is probably the only thing wrong with this BBQ joint. The 'th" is silent in case you were wondering. I am a fan of all their smoked meats. Put on your running shoes and run here so you can beat the line. Tom has turned sausage making into an art/craft. The types of sausage smoked vary day to day. Lamb chorizo, kielbasa, and pork belly andouille to name a few. His beef rib was also crowned the best in Austin recently by the Austin Chronicle. The homemade bread is also fabulous. I do not like grits, but their cheesy grits have converted me.
4. John Mueller Meat Co (2500 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702) - Can you say pepper? Pepper and smoke can make beautiful music together. The power of the peppery bark on the brisket and beef rib will make you sing. The pepper meddles with the meat and forms this crispy bond that produces a lot of flavor. Beef ribs when smoked right are downright amazing. Get the sausage while you are at it. Do not lollygag too long by taking pictures because John might get onto you.
5. Kerlin BBQ (1700 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702) - There is a new BBQ player in town. Bill and his wife are out to take your money and in return will satisfy your hunger. Order everything off the menu and you will thank me. If you are reading this not on a Friday, I am sorry. You probably missed out on the beef rib special. The pecan smoke works well with the meat. The pork ribs are so tender and smoky. The sausage is one of my favorite. Great grit and fat content with a snappy casing.
6. Freedmen's Bar (2402 San Gabriel St, Austin, TX 78705) - We have finally stepped out of East Austin. Barbecue can be fine food. The brisket here is luscious. The crust with the tender smoky meat will make you think that you have sinned. Yes it is that good. You will think you are cheating on bacon if you get the pork belly here. It is rich, meaty, and succulent. Even after day drinking all day, explore their cocktail menu. You will enjoy the finer things in life. They are open into the night. There is also a church close by.
7. Lambert's Downtown Barbecue (401 W 2nd St, Austin, Texas 78701) - Fancy barbecue? Sure it is, but does it matter? Their brisket is excellent. Slap your mother good (I do not condone violence). Their menu comprises more than just barbecue. Their baked mac and cheese is stellar. Try their appetizers. They also have happy hour specials. Order a few drinks. Do not miss out on their brunch. I would recommend making a reservation just in case.
8. Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ (600 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701) - Smoked meats in a tortilla? It is a smart idea. You can walk and eat at the same time. You might want to sit-down here though because the pure awesomeness might make you knees buckle. The brisket is great in a taco with guacamole, sandwich or by itself. Pray that they will have their pork ribs on special. I would hate my life if I missed out on those. The in-house made tortillas are not meant to be thrown at a football game. These are meant for good eating. The trailer has late hours and is tucked behind a bar. What more could you ask for?
9. Blue Ox BBQ (1505 Town Creek Dr, Austin, TX 78741) - A perfect pit stop to get a second wind. They share space with a coffee shop so load up on some caffeine and quality 'cue. The coffee rubbed pork tenderloin is fantastic. The pork ribs are on par as well. On Sundays, they have all you can eat pancakes. Pancakes and brisket? Sign me up! Another place that stays open later.
10. Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew (6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78757) - We are talking about a no fuss barbecue joint. The BBQ is solid all the way around. They are open for dinner and serve local draft beers. The beef ribs and sausage are the highlights here. Not a bad place to wind down for the evening. You never know, you might run into Matthew McConaughey here.
The Salt Lick BBQ (18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619) - I had to include this. Sure it is a tourist destination, but there is a reason why. Great atmosphere, scenic drive, BYOB, and good barbecue. Get everyone at your table to do the family style. It is all you can eat barbecue. I probably had you at all you can eat. You will leave with your belly full with a smile on your face. Do not skip out on the cobbler. Cash only.
Until next time, happy smoking...
Fancy Barbecue? I would consider Lambert's Downtown Barbecue as fancy barbecue. Freedmen's Bar and them. This is where you look for quality service with a sophisticated cocktail in hand. There is nothing wrong with that by any means. Good barbecue is good barbecue no matter where you eat it. +Amber McGee and I have gone here before to celebrate an anniversary so it is not an everyday restaurant for us. Lambert's is located in the historical Schneider Brothers building downtown. Their barbecue is good enough to make it on the +Texas Monthly Top 50 list. Some people believe they do no belong because they use a gas smoker. I cannot fault them for that because of the space they have. I have not had good BBQ in a month so I was excited for this visit.
We went to brunch this time. I am an all you can eat brunch type of guy on the weekend. Just eat one big meal and make it through the rest of the day without eating. I can put away a lot of food. Surprised? Lambert's used to have all you can eat brunch on the weekend, but that has stopped recently. Sad face. I ordered the three meat plate with two sides. The meats I got were the brown sugar & coffee rubbed natural brisket, the maple and coriander crusted natural pork ribs, and the homemade jalapeño hot link. Yeah that is a mouthful. Although the moist brisket was cut with the grain, it was fantastic. It was tender and smoky, and the fat was well rendered. The bark was a little sweet so it was like meat candy. I wish got a bigger portion of brisket because I could have eaten a couple of pounds. No joke. The pork ribs were good and tender. It was not as smoky as I would like it to be. The glaze was sweet, but the flavor was a little off. The homemade sausage was decent. It had a heavy grit and good fat ratio. It was spicy and had a nice snap from the casing, but the flavor was a little boring. Instead of two sides, I got a large order of baked macaroni and cheese. It was really good, but it might be too cheesy. Is it that possible? Amber got the brisket hash. It was pretty tasty.
Lambert's Downtown Barbecue is great plain and simple. Sure it is fancy and on the pricier side, but sometimes I feel they are a little underrated. I want to try the beef rib and pulled pork next time I go. Lambert's also serves more than just barbecue which is good for my wife. Burgers, sandwiches and steaks. The menu does vary by the time of the day. They also have a live music space located upstairs. Is everything worth it? Yes. Grade: B+
Until next time, happy smoking...
Address: 401 W 2nd St, Austin, Texas 78701
Phone:(512) 494-1500
Website: http://www.lambertsaustin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lambertsbbq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lambertsbbq
I have been trying to think of my first experience of Texas barbecue. It has to be eating at Ruby's BBQ freshman year of college. I was definitely a late bloomer when it comes to barbecue. I have been trying to make up for lost time of late. I have only eaten at Ruby's twice and both times, I did not like it. I cannot remember why to save my life. This was over 10 years ago mind you.
When it is cold outside, barbecue sounds fantastic. It was still below freezing when I headed out to lunch. I ordered the three meat plate with moist brisket, pork spareribs, and sausage. It came with creamy coleslaw and macaroni and cheese as sides. The brisket was good and tender. Although the oak smoke did do a good job, I wish the brisket had more flavor though. There was not enough salt, and too much fat was trimmed away. The spareribs were on special so I was able to get them right then. If not, you have to wait 20 minutes for them. I guess they normally serve baby back ribs. The ribs were smoky and had a deep red hue like Chinese barbecue. I have noticed that brick pits sometimes do that. The ribs could have use more flavor and were little dry. The sausage was from Elgin which was good of course. The creamy coleslaw was really good. It tasted fresh and was crisp. The macaroni and cheese was different from what you normally get from other places. They use a spiral pasta and was not as cheesy as I would like it to be.
Ruby's BBQ is solid. You get in and out pretty fast. It is no fuss barbecue. I might have to go back and try the baby back ribs and/or pulled pork. I definitely enjoyed Ruby's more now than I did 10 years ago. Ruby's BBQ just celebrated their 25th anniversary. That is a testament to their product especially when they are located by campus. The "Drag" has evolved over the years. Grade: B-
Until next time, happy smoking...
The movie Dazed and Confused was filmed around the Austin area back in the early 90's. The pool hall where Matthew McConaughey's character hangs out at is where Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew is located. The first time I went to Stiles Switch I wore a Franklin Barbecue. The owner saw me and said he had to change that so he hooked me up with a free shirt. The pitmaster, Lance Kirkpatrick, used to work at Louie Mueller Barbecue. With that kind of expertise, you would think Stiles Switch would have decent to good barbecue. Let's find out.
Today I ordered a slice of moist brisket, one pork and beef rib, and a link of sausage. I thought the brisket was kind of dry. The flavor was good, but I felt like something was missing. The pork rib was decent. It was tender but not falling off the bone. It could have used a little bit more smoke. The beef rib was good. Coming from someone who used to work at Louie Mueller, I did not expect anything less. It had a peppery bark going for it. There were three different sausages, and I went with the Switch Original. They had an all-beef one and also a jalapeno cheese one. The Switch Original had a good grit, snap, and fat content. It was good, but it was spicy! You have now been warned. I have also tried the macaroni and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, and beans in prior visits. They were all good.
At Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, all the meats were solid. I tried the chicken before, and it was tasty. Poultry is one thing I do not order often. Stiles Switch is open for dinner and has a lot of local beers on draft. It is a great place to meet friends for dinner. They are one of very few joints open all day serving up some good 'cue. "All right, all right, all right" Grade: B
Until next time, happy smoking...
Address: 6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78757
Phone:(512) 380-9199
Website: http://stilesswitchbbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StilesSwitchBBQ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StilesSwitchBBQ
At this point, I have made it to all but one of the BBQ joints in the top four of the +Texas Monthly Top 50. Pecan Lodge has been the elusive one. +Amber McGee and I rarely go to Dallas, but this time we had plans to see our friends. This obviously works out for me because I can try Pecan Lodge and maybe another barbecue restaurant in the area or on the way. We were supposed to leave Friday morning, but we ended up leaving Thursday to avoid the winter weather conditions.
I imagine the lines on Friday are not as long as Saturdays which is why we got a jump start on the weekend. I got to the Pecan Lodge an hour and ten minutes before opening. They are moving from shed two in the Farmers Market to a new location in Deep Ellum later this year. I was first in line which meant I got to ring the bell when they open. Texas Monthly BBQ editor, Daniel Vaughn, was going to meet up with me for lunch. His agent, David Hale Smith, photographer, Nicholas McWhirter, and his out of town guests also were present.
I ordered the "trough" and two orders of fried chicken to try to feed us. The trough came with one beef rib, a pound of brisket, a pound of pork ribs, a pound of pulled pork, and three links of sausage. The brisket was really good. How good? One of the best I have ever had if not the best. It was smoky, tender, and luscious. The mesquite wood worked well here. Sometimes if not done right, mesquite can make the meat taste bitter. The brisket was very moist and had a great bark. It was on point today. The ribs were good. They were one of the smokiest ribs I have ever had. The sausage was great too. They had a nice pop from the casing and nice flavor. The texture and fat was what I was looking for in a sausage. In Texas, brisket is king so you do not see a lot of pulled pork. The pork here was superb. It was juicy and tasty. I could have eat them all day every day. The beef rib was decent, but it did not do anything for me today. It needed to stay on the smoker a little bit longer to render the fat better. Parts of it were tough and/or chewy. Although the fried chicken did not factor in my review, it was really good. It was juicy and crispy. While we were eating, Justin Fourton, owner and pitmaster, hooked us up with some deep fried ribs. They were very unique. The sauce and breading took away from the ribs though. I am sad I forgot to eat any of the sides of macaroni and cheese and fried okra. I was overwhelmed by the amount of food in front of us. There were a lot of leftovers.
I have read a lot of positive reviews of Pecan Lodge so I was worried that I was in store for a major letdown. There was no letdown here. I was blown away by the brisket and pleasantly surprised by the pulled pork. I only ended up eating at one barbecue joint this trip. It probably worked out because wherever I went might have not lived up to this meal. I want to jump back into the car and drive to Dallas right now. The line was not as bad this day because it was a colder day and a Friday. You might face a long line on the weekends, but this place is worth the trip and wait. You can always play hooky during the week? Grade: A
Until next time, happy smoking...
Another double post week! I am doing a little tidying up around the blog. I should have posted this months ago. The Peached Tortilla is getting a brick and mortar restaurant soon. I stopped by Miller's Smokehouse on the way back from Dallas recently, but they are closed on Sundays. Bummed.
Texas Monthly is a source to go to when it comes to Texas barbecue. Hiring Daniel Vaughn definitely help further their case. They have their own brand now, TMBBQ. They put on festivals, road trips, dinners, and etc. I was helping out the "BBQ Snob" at the Texas Book Festival. I had no idea that the book festival existed. Obviously I am in no way shape or form a bookworm. TMBBQ was hosting their first 'Cue Court at the festival. Daniel handpicked a few restaurants to serve barbecue for it. They were also giving away a pair of tickets to the sold out TMBBQ Fest.
Blue Ox BBQ was there with their pits. They were not using it for whatever reason. I guess it was just for show. I did not get anything from them this day because what they were offering items off their regular menu.
Two Bros. BBQ Market is from San Antonio. I actually tried to go there recently, but they had run out of meat. It sucked because I ended up at the original Rudy's, and we know how that turned out. They brought a Frito pie with chopped brisket topped with tomatoes and sour cream. It was quite tasty.
Miller's Smokehouse (Belton) and The Peached Tortilla paired up together to serve new twists on barbecue. Miller's brought the smoked meats, and The Peached Tortilla turned them into culinary delights. I ordered the loaded sweet potato fries. It had brisket, bacon jam, cheese, fried egg, and green onions and then drizzled with Sriracha mayo. I am still dreaming about it.
The event seemed like a success. All of the vendors ran out of food late afternoon. I think this event is a great idea. It lets people try different places in one stop and pushes pitmasters to think outside of the box. There is more to barbecue then smoking meat, right? It is a win-win for all of us.
Until next time, happy smoking...
I am going to start a blog series on my adventures in smoking. This week, pork ribs are on the menu.
For my past smoking experiences, I have been using an electric smoker. I felt like I was cheating. I would set the smoker and forget about it. Our gas grill of seven years finally met its grave. +Amber McGee and I replaced it with a 3 in 1 grill combo. It has a propane side and a charcoal side. The charcoal side also has an offset smoker box attached it. I was not ready to get a standalone smoker. I was not sure how often I would use. I know we would cook with charcoal quite often. I have never smoked with wood before so this could end up being a challenge.
I wanted to start with something with a shorter cook time. We bought some pork spareribs. We have done ribs before in the electric smoker.
The rub I used contained salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and brown sugar.
Controlling the heat is not very easy. I should have started the fire before I put the ribs on. The temperature was pretty high in the beginning. After that, the fire was a lot easier to manage. You live and learn. The type of wood I used was oak. I sprayed apple juice on the ribs very so often to prevent it from drying out. After a couple of hours, I wrapped up the ribs in foil and added some barbecue sauce.
The ribs ended up turning out okay. They were falling off the bone. They were tender and had nice smoke to it. I used way too much brown sugar. Some of the meat candied. Not a good thing. I also used more barbecue sauce than I should have. The high heat in the beginning charred some of the ribs. If it did not get so hot in the beginning, the time it spent in the smoker would have probably been just right. I made a ton of rookie mistakes. I feel embarassed. There is always next time. There is a lot of trial and error in barbecue. I think smoking a pork butt is next. It is a more forgiving meat.
Amber did make some homemade potato salad. It was really good. It is very comparable to the one you find at The Salt Lick. I definitely was impressed with her "creation."
Until next time, happy smoking...
The holidays are always hectic around our household. We always end having numerous guests staying at our house. +Amber McGee's brother and his fiancé were going to stay with us so we took them out for dinner at The Salt Lick BBQ. We like to take out of town guests there because it is a unique experience. It involves a scenic drive out to the middle of the country. Most of the time when we go there, there is a long wait. They can seat around 800 people at one time and on average 2000 a day. We got there around 7 pm, and the wait was about 50 minutes. A cold front had just moved in, and it was too cold this night to wait outside.
The first time I went to The Salt Lick was during a fraternity rush event in college. I remember eating so much because everyone at the table had ordered the barbecue family style. Family style is all you can eat brisket, sausage, pork ribs, with sides of potato salad, coleslaw and beans with bread, pickles and onions. Lay off the good bread because it is really dense and will fill you up. You can even take the leftovers home. The Salt Lick is also BYOB (bring your own booze), but there is also a store on-site that you can buy beer and wine from. They also have a winery and tasting room as well now. Back in college, I had a lot of fond memories from The Salt Lick. One time after finishing the family style meal, one of my friend asked if they had any dessert with meat in them. Of course he was drunk.
The pits around the compound are for show. The meats are smoked overnight in the back and then refrigerated. The meats are then reheated in the finishing pits before they are served.
I did not go with the family style this time. It has been a couple of years since I have gotten it. Tonight I ordered the Thurman's Choice which comes with brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. The sides you get would be beans, potato salad, and coleslaw, but I went with extra potato salad instead of beans. The brisket this night was chewy and under-cooked. The collagen needed to be broken down a little bit more. The brisket did have a good smoke ring and flavor. The ribs were smoky and good. They were nice and tender and good glaze on them. I am a big fan of their sausage. The sausage is similar what you would find in a grocery store and similar to kielbasa. They are great to dip in sauce. The Salt Lick does have good barbecue sauce. It compliments their smoke meats very well and now also comes in a habanero flavor. I love their potato salad. It is very different from traditional potato salad. It is served warm, taste great, and has a consistent of mashed potatoes. The coleslaw tastes fresh and is tart and vinegary. Everyone at the table got blackberry cobbler for dessert and loved it.
I have been to The Salt Lick BBQ about a dozen times now. The brisket has been better. The lean brisket is actually pretty decent. The beef ribs used to be a Sunday thing only but are available all of the time and are quite tasty. The menu has been expanded and offered more types of smoked meat like prime rib. There is even a cookbook. Remember The Salt Lick only takes cash. It is a great place to take out of town folks or spend an afternoon hanging out in the country with friends. Their barbecue can be overrated at times, but it is about the whole experience. Grade: B
Until next time, happy smoking...
Address: 18300 FM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619
Phone:(512) 858-4959
Website: http://www.saltlickbbq.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSaltLickBBQTwitter: https://twitter.com/SaltLickBBQ
