The Salt Lick BBQ

The holidays are always hectic around our household. We always end having numerous guests staying at our house. Amber'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/TheSaltLickBBQ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaltLickBBQ