Barbecue, Bar-B-Q, BBQ

[UPDATE 8/18/2019: Lots has changed in the 'cue scene in Austin since 2007.  Scroll down and notice how many places have closed?  That's partly due to the increased competition here in town.  Anyone heard of a little place called Franklin?]

Barbecue, according to wikipedia, "is a method and apparatus for cooking food, often meat, with the heat and hot gases of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of charcoal and may include application of a marinade or basting sauce to the meat." Although it is probably a caribbean creation, BBQ has for some reason become an iconic American food, even if Paul Hogan throws a shrimp on the barbie for each of us.

Within the U.S. itself, BBQ has become regionalized, with centers popping up in Kansas City, the Carolinas, Memphis and, yes, Texas. The barbecue from Memphis and Kansas City, which was started by a Tennessee native, focuses heavily on the sauce, which is of the tomato and vinegar variety. Carolina barbecue uses a variety of sauces, from more liquidy, vinegar-based sauces to ones with mustard bases. Most of those places highlight pork, which is probably why their is such an emphasis on sauce.

Texas, however, is mostly about beef. Brisket, that is, but not the kind that's cooked in the oven on Rosh Hashanah with some onions and a can of Coke. Texas barbecue is rubbed and slowly smoked with one or more woods. And in Texas, folks often eat barbecue hardcore style, with no sauce at all. Best way to enjoy the meat's natural flavor. Brisket is popular, but so are sausages, beef and pork ribs (including large, country-style ribs), chicken and turkey, and sometimes mutton or other more exotic meats.

Austin, fortunately, is right in the middle of the Texas barbecue triangle. In the city of Austin alone there must be a dozen places. Throw in the greater area, and there are over 20 solid options. Here's a run down, limited to places that have websites:

• Artz Rib House is supposed to have great country-style pork ribs, which one guy described as "meaty wonders cut from the loin that resemble thick, delicious pork chops." [CLOSED]


• Ben's Long Branch Barbecue, a good place for mutton. [CLOSED]


• Bert's BBQ looks pretty downscale and fun. [CLOSED]


• Black's Barbecue, in nearby Lockhart, bills itself as the oldest major barbecue restaurant continuously owned by the same family, and apparently serves up some great grub.

• City Meat Market, in Giddings, looks like the real deal. The pit there smokes brisket, pork butt, pork ribs, beef sausage, chicken, pork chops, pork steaks and several different cuts of beef steaks. An eat-off-the-paper joint.

• The County Line is one of the best known places in Austin. They ship barbecue nationwide!


• The Green Mesquite is fun to go with a group, since they have some pretty good Cajun food in addition to the BBQ. Rachel and I ate there and tried the three meat plate, which was the special that night, allowing us to taste the brisket (thick and moist), sausage and chicken (excellent).


• Iron Works is in a good location not far from downtown. We've eaten there a couple of times since it was a few steps from our hotel on more than one occasion. I thought the turkey and brisket were both very good.


• Kreuz Market is an institution. It opened in 1900 and has been making mouths of carnivores moist since. They serve apparently sublime meat by the pound on paper with no utensils, and there's no sauce in sight. Here's a good blog post about someone's trip there.


• Louie Mueller Barbecue is in nearby Taylor and has its following.


• Luling City Market, in Luling, looks like a good, no-frills place.

• Meyer's is another sausage emporium in Elgin. Elgin seems to be a hotbed for sausage. See notes on Southside below.

• Pok-E-Jo's Smokehouse has more than one location and also has its adherents.


• Ray's BBQ used to be Roy's. Then it became Ray's. And all he had to do was paint over the "a" and get smokin, which he apparently does quite well. Ray's reportedly makes great country-style pork ribs.


• Ruby's BBQ was the first place Rachel and I tried, since it was near the B&B we stayed at on our first trip to Austin in 2005. It is very casual and makes great brisket and vegetables. [CLOSED]


• Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q really is that -- a country store (with gas and all) that serves some very popular barbecue.

• Rudy Mikeska Bar-B-Q is in Taylor and serves brisket, pork, chicken and ham. [CLOSED]

• The Salt Lick has a couple locations, including one in the airport, and is another of the more well known joints.


• Smitty's Market is another Lockhart barbecue joint.


• Southside Market in Elgin (pronounced with a hard "G") makes its own sausage, which is served throughout the area and I can't wait to sample!


• Stubb's is well known, since its sauce is marketed throughout the country. It also hosts lots of good concerts on its outdoor stage. The consensus seems to be that the food is not that great.


• Guess what Texas Rib Kings specializes in? You won a prize!  [CLOSED]


• Uncle Billy's Brew & 'cue is one of our favorite places for a beer. Haven't tasted the food yet.

To further your research, here are some good Chowhound threads on the subject:

• Central Texas Barbecue
• New York Times Piece on Texas Barbecue
• BBQ Hound's First Texas BBQ Pilgrimage To Austin

See also:

• BBQ Joints of Central Texas: reviews.
• BBQ Joint Reviews - Texas.
• A documentary about TXBBQ: "Barbecue: A Texas Love Story"

An order at Kreuz Market

Sausage and brisket from Southside Market