La Barbecue (Update)
My blog is now one year old! I have counted that I have eaten barbecue at least 78 times in the last 52 weeks, but I have not gained a pound of weight. You can now find the blog at an easier address - http://www.thesmokingho.com. You can still find me on Twitter @TheSmokingHo, facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSmokingHo, and Instagram @TheSmokingHo.
Now that my blog is a year old, I can do updated reviews. I wanted to force myself to keep trying new places, and I will still keep on doing that. If I can, I will continue to post a new entry every Monday. I have done a couple of reviews that I have regretted the manner in how I did them. This includes the one I did of La Barbecue. I did not give La Barbecue a fair shake. It was rainy so I could not get any good pictures. The rain affected the whole experience. I have been back numerous times, and I was going to make this visit count. There has been a lot of buzz about them lately. The Austin American-Statesman named it the best barbecue place in town. After my visit, Fed Man Walking wrote that La Barbecue was also the best in Austin. The line on this Wednesday was definitely longer than what I have experienced in the past. Although I got there when La BBQ opened, I waited about an hour before I got to the counter.
When I got to front, I saw that pitmaster John Lewis was cutting the meat. I have had the pleasure in the past to talk to him. He is a nice dude. They always give you a bite of the brisket when you are ordering at the window. That one bite can make you weak at the knees. I ordered my usual Holy Trinity of Texas barbecue (brisket, pork ribs, and sausage). I actually got both cuts of brisket this time. The moist and lean were both phenomenal. Lewis does stray from the normal salt and pepper rub. He also uses mustard and pickle juice?! The deepness of the post oak smoke combined with his rub makes you see stars when you are eating the brisket. It is like you are having an out of body experience where you are hovering above your body watching yourself eat it. Both cuts are so juicy and flavorful that I might have to keep ordering the lean when I come back again.
The sublime experience does not end at the brisket. The pork ribs were quite excellent. They were on the saucier side but still tasted great. The tender meat was barely hanging on to the bone. The smoke and the glaze create this wonderful awakening for your taste buds. Last time I gave the sausage AKA hot guts no justice. I was definitely hating on it. I blame it on the rain. It is one of the best all beef sausages out there. Normally beef sausages are drier, but John did a good job mixing the different ingredients together. Having a good fat ratio also helps. The snappy casing could barely hold in the gritty mixture. The spice was nice too.
La Barbecue never ever disappoints. I have never had a time when I went that I thought that it was just "good." It always freaking awesome. When you are there next time, consider getting the El Sancho "loco" style. It is a sandwich filled with chopped beef, pulled pork, and sliced hot link with pickled red onions. So basically a three-meat between two buns. I have also had the beef rib in the past. It is definitely a heavyweight in this town. Grade: A
Until next time, happy smoking...
Address: 1906 E. Cesar Chavez St, Austin, Texas 78702
Phone: (512) 605-9696
Website: http://labarbecue.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/labbq78704
Twitter: https://twitter.com/la_Barbecue
Now that my blog is a year old, I can do updated reviews. I wanted to force myself to keep trying new places, and I will still keep on doing that. If I can, I will continue to post a new entry every Monday. I have done a couple of reviews that I have regretted the manner in how I did them. This includes the one I did of La Barbecue. I did not give La Barbecue a fair shake. It was rainy so I could not get any good pictures. The rain affected the whole experience. I have been back numerous times, and I was going to make this visit count. There has been a lot of buzz about them lately. The Austin American-Statesman named it the best barbecue place in town. After my visit, Fed Man Walking wrote that La Barbecue was also the best in Austin. The line on this Wednesday was definitely longer than what I have experienced in the past. Although I got there when La BBQ opened, I waited about an hour before I got to the counter.
When I got to front, I saw that pitmaster John Lewis was cutting the meat. I have had the pleasure in the past to talk to him. He is a nice dude. They always give you a bite of the brisket when you are ordering at the window. That one bite can make you weak at the knees. I ordered my usual Holy Trinity of Texas barbecue (brisket, pork ribs, and sausage). I actually got both cuts of brisket this time. The moist and lean were both phenomenal. Lewis does stray from the normal salt and pepper rub. He also uses mustard and pickle juice?! The deepness of the post oak smoke combined with his rub makes you see stars when you are eating the brisket. It is like you are having an out of body experience where you are hovering above your body watching yourself eat it. Both cuts are so juicy and flavorful that I might have to keep ordering the lean when I come back again.
The sublime experience does not end at the brisket. The pork ribs were quite excellent. They were on the saucier side but still tasted great. The tender meat was barely hanging on to the bone. The smoke and the glaze create this wonderful awakening for your taste buds. Last time I gave the sausage AKA hot guts no justice. I was definitely hating on it. I blame it on the rain. It is one of the best all beef sausages out there. Normally beef sausages are drier, but John did a good job mixing the different ingredients together. Having a good fat ratio also helps. The snappy casing could barely hold in the gritty mixture. The spice was nice too.
La Barbecue never ever disappoints. I have never had a time when I went that I thought that it was just "good." It always freaking awesome. When you are there next time, consider getting the El Sancho "loco" style. It is a sandwich filled with chopped beef, pulled pork, and sliced hot link with pickled red onions. So basically a three-meat between two buns. I have also had the beef rib in the past. It is definitely a heavyweight in this town. Grade: A
Until next time, happy smoking...
Address: 1906 E. Cesar Chavez St, Austin, Texas 78702
Phone: (512) 605-9696
Website: http://labarbecue.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/labbq78704
Twitter: https://twitter.com/la_Barbecue
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