Black's Barbecue

Finally, we were at the last stop of the day, Black's Barbecue. We had checked off Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market earlier. Some of us were in a meat coma at this point. Amber and I go to Black's quite a bit because they are open "8 days a week" and have later hours as well. They are "Texas' oldest and best major barbecue restaurant continuously owned by the same family." That is a mouthful to say. When we got there, the line was out of the door. Is that a sign for what is to come? Texas Monthly did not include Black's in top 50 list in 2008, but they did include them in 2013.

Because this was the last stop, I sort of went all out. I am a fan of their macaroni and cheese so I ordered that with moist brisket, pork spareribs, and sausage. I even got some sweet tea. Amber went the dessert route with banana pudding and peach cobbler. They have a huge selection for sides if you are into that. I have gotten beef ribs at Black's in the past, and they are huge. I spent 40 bucks on beef ribs here one time. The brisket was the winner of the day. It was moist and tender. It had a good bark with a nice smoke ring. It was cooked to perfection. I did not recall their brisket ever being this good. Maybe it just stood out more considering the previous stops of the day were disappointing. The ribs were good in the sense that it was tender, and there was a little give before the meat came off the bone. The thing I had trouble with was the smokiness from the ribs felt artificial. Is it possible it was due to liquid smoke? I have seen other people post this in the past. The sausage was good. It was fatty and had a good texture. The pop from the casing was excellent and the best of the day. I felt like the sausage had some liquid smoke or something that spoiled the flavor a little bit. I did not end up finishing off the sausage, but I ate everything else off of my plate.

My wife had created ballots for our trip. It was a great idea by her. We took notes at each stop and rated the meats. Black's was rated the best in Lockhart. The best brisket went to Black's. The group picked Smitty's as best ribs. There was a tie between Kreuz and Smitty's for best sausage. I would say Sausage Fest 2013 was a success.

Black's Barbecue is now my new favorite spot in Lockhart. It is surprising because it used to be on the bottom of the list. They have stepped up their game, and it shows. I would go back to the other places and try their other cuts of meats. I do like visiting multiple BBQ joints in one day, but Amber might disagree. Grade: B+

Until next time, happy smoking...

Address: 215 N Main St, Lockhart, TX 78644
Phone: (512) 398-2712
Website: http://www.blacksbbq.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blacksbbq
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blacksbbq