At RUBY'S BBQ The Stars Are
BBQ Ribs & Natural Beef Brisket

Menu board with specials, it's tough to choose! Photo/Barbara Lynne

Ruby's BBQ on Guadalupe
512 W. 29th St.
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 477-1651; www.rubysbbq.com

HOURS: Open everyday, 11 am to midnight.

Austin artist Luke Zimmerman and his partner Pat Mares opened here in 1988. Located in the UT area right off the Drag, 120 feet from the old location of the legendary Antone's Blues Club.

BBQ & Blues, the best of times. Antone's shows got out about 2 am. By 2:15 we were sitting in front of the most muscular chopped beef and pulled pork sandwiches this side of the Delta.

The exterior of this Austin barbeque treasure slaps you in the face and says, stop and eat some BBQ food.

Described as funky, eccentric, rustic, dive and weird. It's none of those. Ruby's BBQ is home. This is the genuine article. Neighborhood barbeque joint at its finest.

Tables and chairs don't match, thank goodness. Signatures of celebrity visitors are forever glued to the table tops. Austin photo artist, Susan Antone's pictures of blues men performing at Antone's adorn the walls. Posters, pictures, awards, are hung helter skelter with no particular rhyme or reason. Everything is everywhere and seems out of place with such perfection it must be intentional. The synergy of the staff, menu and location will make a true BBQ lover's heart palpitate.

First, the barbeque brisket is all natural, no hormones or antibiotics used. Only free range beef from Childress, Texas. It's rich palette of real Texas beef, oak and mesquite smoke make this brisket the best in the city, HANDS DOWN.

When you find brisket this good you say thank you and get mad.

Why don't the other joints go to to all natural beef? The difference in flavor is substantial. Take a bite and the first thing that comes to my mind is WOW, I remember that.

Exactly like the brisket I had as a kid. It's better and not just by a little bit. The natural beef brisket is not a health gimmick. It tastes better by epic proportions. You forget what honest meat is until your taste buds are awakened by beef as it was meant to be.

Really folks, every barbeque joint in Texas could improve their flavor of meats by kissing off the chemicals. Ruby's barbeque brisket is hard proof to that fact.

Pick 100 people at random. Put two plates of barbeque brisket in front of them. First, the hormone-antibiotic filled beef we've grown accustomed to. The second plate, Ruby's all natural barbeque brisket. Then sit back and watch people's faces light up when they put Ruby's in their mouth.

BBQ ribs are very good. Get the baby backs. When they are right it's pure soulfulness. You'll also find the best chopped beef and pulled pork sandwiches in Austin here.

The chopped beef texture is perfect. Slow cooked with jalapeños and sauce served with onions and pickles on a Texas size bun. Cheap, too. Best in the city by a wide margin. Spicy, very spicy, extraordinary.

Not into beef? Try the pulled pork sandwich. They put cole slaw on the sandwich. Not the usual cole slaw, it's sweet, tart, crisp and goes great on top of pulled pork.

If you haven't guessed, my husband and I have spent a lot of time here. It's always fun.

Eating here is much different from meat only joints. Sides are the best in Austin. They even offer vegetarian items. How anyone could come here and not froth at the mouth over brisket, chopped beef, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, pork ribs, turkey and ham is beyond this ol' carnivore.

Who makes this stuff? Ruby's menu
never ceases to surprise and delight. Photo/Erika Hall

Black beans, two types of potato salad, vinaigrette slaw, creamy slaw, gumbo, jambalaya, mashed potatoes, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and crawfish etouffee. Hungry yet?

No? How about homemade sweet potato and pineapple coconut pie, bread pudding, fresh cobbler?

Very good beer selection. Ruby's also offers quality barbeque catering. You have a large selection of meats, sides and add-ons to choose from.

Pat and Luke, you have done a real good job here. I've referred groups here and have heard nothing but rave endorsements.

Open until midnight. Serving the best always. A must visit destination in Austin. The best time to visit is just after 1 pm any day of the week. If parking is full in front, pull around to the alley. You can usually find a spot.

A celebrity hot spot. The kudos glued to the tables document
visits from national and local celebrities alike. Photo/Barbara Lynne

The most casual, laid back, unpretentious, genuinely friendly BBQ
joint you may have the good fortune to visit. Photo/Barbara Lynne

Luke and Pat are Austin BBQ legends. Known throughout the
city for great food and community involvement. Photo/Barbara Lynne

AUSTIN TRAVEL TIP: After eating your fill, go across the street to Ken's Donuts. Open 24 hours. Ken's fries old time carbo's. Get them hot out of the oil and they squirt grease when you bite into them. How good is that? Get the glazed, chocolate covered and raspberry filled bismarcks. This is not gourmet pastry, but college-days-belly-bombs.

MENU: You're going to want to come back to try all the stuff you don't have room for now. This is the place to go if you find yourself entertaining vegetarians. You can get your dose of BBQ, while your vegetarian guest has a wide selection of meat free options.

PLATES; served with two sides (or dinner salad or home fries), pickles, onions, sauce and bread; All Natural B3R Brisket, Elgin Hot Sausage, baby back ribs, spicy chopped beef, smoked chicken, Cajun spiced beef ribs, St. Louis style pork ribs, turkey breast, smoked ham.

SIDES; black beans, BBQ beans (hot and spicy), traditional mustard potato salad, chunky mayonnaise potato salad, vinaigrette cole slaw, creamy cole slaw with poppy seeds, side salad, Andrew Bell's collard greens, southwest mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, Ruby's home fries.

SANDWICHES; B3R brisket, Elgin sausage, spicy chopped beef, Gregory's chicken salad sandwich, Rooster Andrews chicken sandwich, brisket and sausage combo, sausage wrap, smoked turkey breast, smoked glazed ham, pulled pork.

SALADS; dinner salad, side salad, garden salad, Mediterranean salad

TACOS; black bean, black bean and chicken or turkey, spicy BBQ bean and brisket.

ROBBIE'S CAJUN FOOD; gumbo, jambalaya, vegetarian jambalaya, Griff's Pile, crawfish etouffee.

They also have hot all beef Texas chili and vegetarian chili. Check the board for desserts. Homemade and good. I really like their cobblers.

Sodas, tea, coffee, domestic beers, microbrews and imports, wine.

CATERING: They can plan your BBQ party or wedding reception. Full event planning is their specialty. Call (512) 477-2529 for more information.

DON'T MISS: All natural B3R brisket, baby back ribs, chopped beef, pulled pork, dessert.

MAIL ORDER: No.

LOCATION: On 29th Street at Guadalupe. It's on the north side of 29th Street.

LINK: This opens a new window and takes you to Ruby's BBQ.

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