Micklethwait Craft Meats

I had trouble pronouncing the name at first. That is probably the only thing wrong with this BBQ joint. I heard about its' opening right around the new year. I just never had a chance to try it out. I had just gone go karting with a friend that morning and somehow my iPhone 5 got bent. I was not a happy camper. Going to Micklethwait Craft Meats lifted my spirits. It is located in East Austin. Writing these blog posts have me wanting to eat barbecue all the time. I am sure my wife will be thrilled about that. Not.

When I got there, they had two trailers. One was for the smoker and the other to serve the barbecue from. There were some picnic tables to sit on outside. It looked like people were bringing their own beer which is pretty cool. When my friend and I got there, they were out of pulled pork and a pork belly and chicken sausage. I was bummed that they were out of that sausage. I love pork belly. I decided on the three meat plate. The prices were reasonable.

My plate came with moist brisket, a pork rib, and lamb sausage with macaroni and cheese and coleslaw with some homemade bread. Let's start with the bread. The bread was amazing. It was like a cross between pound cake and a croissant which are my two favorite sweets/pastries. The brisket was really good. It had a nice bark and flavor. The brisket had a nice smoke ring. Sometimes you eat at BBQ joints, and the smoke ring is faint. It makes you wonder how they are preparing their meats. I enjoyed the pork ribs which it had a nice pepper flavor without being overpowering. You had to tug a little to get the meat off the bone which how it is supposed to be. The sausage was light and had a good taste. The grind was a little bit fine for my preference. I wish the plate came with bigger slices of brisket and two pork ribs. My favorite all-time side is macaroni and cheese. I know it is not a true barbecue side, but I cannot pass it up anywhere they serve it. I guess I was deprived of it when I was a kid. The mac and cheese was very good and was creamy and cheesy. They used pasta shells in their recipe. The coleslaw was okay. They used a lot of red cabbage, and it had a vinegar base. 

I would definitely recommend Micklethwait Craft Meats. Their menu of meats change every so often. There was no line on a Saturday which is a plus. I actually stopped by another random Saturday afternoon and was able to pick up some brisket for a snack with no fuss. It is one of restaurants that people have not really heard about yet. They did not make the Texas Monthly BBQ list because it has not been opened for a year yet. The big issue which is not their fault is Franklin set that bar so high. Without Franklin, it could be a contender for the best barbecue restaurant in Austin. It is easily in the top five of Austin. Grade: A-

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 791-5961
Website: http://www.craftmeats.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MIcklethwaitCraftMeats
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CraftMeats