CENTRAL TEXAS BARBEQUE
Reason Enough to Visit Austin

Tour the World Famous Barbeque Trail

Barbeque is a matter of personal preference and taste. I have never eaten bad Texas barbeque. I have had overcooked Kansas City BBQ – meat is not suppose to fall off the rib bone.

Memphis barbeque has a distinctive rub that reminds me of asphalt and Carolina barbeque is usually slathered with an overly sweet syrup disguised as sauce.

There are more barbeque joints in Texas than McDonald's. More than Kansas, Tennessee and North Carolina combined.

There is no doubt the best barbeque in the world is smoked in the Lone Star State.

One of the last of America's beloved open pit
barbeques at the Salt Lick in Driftwood. Photo/barron

First, don't confuse grilling with barbecue. Grilling is done quickly over direct heat, charcoal or propane is the heat source. Barbeque is much different. Smoke, not fire, cooks the meat. Direct and indirect heat is used. Open pit, cowboy style, or a simple oil drum smoker can do the trick.

Second, the wood is what gives meat smoked in Texas its unique pallete of flavors. Oak is the most favored wood because it burns clean, leaves little ash on the meat and does not add a distinctive flavor to the meat.

Mesquite is another common wood used to smoke meat. Mesquite leaves ash on the meat and gives it a unique flavor that Texans love and swear by.

Pecan gives barbeque a strong flavor and will coat your pit with a black tar like substance. Meats smoked in pecan are darker in color with a rich aromatic strong flavor. I love it.

Hickory is also used. Hickory is the wood of choice for southern style barbeque. Heavy smoke flavor and like mesquite can leave a tasty crust on the the meat when done correctly.

Barbeque ribs near perfection at City Market. Photo/Barbara Lynne

The type of pit, wood, quality of meat and skill of the pit master are the ingredients that make up the best food that will ever melt in your mouth.

Frankly, Texas barbeque is a right of passage. Most of us remember eating barbeque at a very early age. It's normal to have barbeque served at weddings, wakes, political events, festivals and holidays. Smoked turkey, cornbread stuffing and homemade tamales adorn many Thanksgiving and Christmas tables in Texas.

That's why Texas barbeque is better than anywhere in America. It's not just food, it's who we are.

Most Texas barbeque joints are living museums of times long past. Family owned and operated. That's why they have character. Pure nostalgia. Places to relax, eat and leave feeling better than when you arrived. Barbeque isn't just comfort food. It's medicinal. It heals because its simplicity reassures us that life is good and has meaning.

We barbeque everything in Texas. Prime rib, sirloin steak, pork chops, pork and beef ribs, chicken, turkey, brisket, goat, mutton, and Mexican barbeque called Barbacoa.

Texans take their barbeque very seriously. Some of us prefer it served on wax paper like Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in Llano and Kreuz Market in Lockhart.

Kreuz doesn't offer sauce. Many barbeque joints offer sides of potato salad, beans and slaw. Others offer meat only.

Sauce or no sauce? Utensils or fingers? Wax paper or paper plates? Now decide what kind of meat you want and you're on the way to picking YOUR perfect barbeque joint.

Here you'll find lists and reviews of my favorite barbeque joints.

There are many more barbeque establishments not on this list. I encourage you to stop at any that rings your bell. Chances are excellent you will discover genuine Texas barbeque at each stop with its own unique twist.

AUSTIN TRAVEL TIP: Bring cash. Out of state visitors are always surprised to find most of these establishments don't accept credit cards. They do take local checks, and probably not so local checks, too. Some may have an ATM. Even the really big places, like the Salt Lick, where they can serve three thousand people on a good Sunday, won't take a credit card.

Texas Barbeque Trail

• Artz Rib House :: Austin
• Ben's Longbranch Barbecue :: Austin
• Black's Barbecue :: Lockhart
• Buster's BBQ :: Lakeway
• Central Texas BBQ Assc. :: Austin
• City Market :: Luling
• Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que :: Llano
• County Line Bar-B-Q :: Austin
• Crosstown BBQ :: Elgin
• Green Mesquite Barbeque :: Austin
• House Park Bar-B-Que :: Austin
• Iron Works Barbecue :: Austin
• Kreuz Market :: Lockhart
• Mann's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que :: Austin
• Mikeska's Bar-B-Q :: Taylor
• Louie Mueller's BBQ :: Taylor
• Ruby's BBQ :: Austin
• Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q :: Austin
• Salt Lick BBQ :: Driftwood
• Sam's BBQ :: Austin
• Smitty's Market :: Lockhart
• Stubb's Bar-B-Q :: Austin

Event planners from across the country call weekly wanting to know which barbeque restaurants to use for upcoming events and conventions in Austin. I give them the above list with my on-site review of each.

Here's my point. Professional event planners, whose success or failure rides on the opinion of the client, always select barbeque over the 5 star restaurants. Why?

It's cheaper. It's honest, good tasting, genuinely Texas, food. You simply can't go wrong recommending Texas barbeque.

When you're in town eat at Cibo, Wink and Vespaio Ristorante and get the wood ring and napkin thing out of your system. Then spend the rest of your time sampling the best food you will ever eat. Texas barbeque. Barbeque ribs and brisket are my favorites.

Best Of Texas BBQ

Everyone has their written list of personal favorite Texas barbeque. Here's mine…

• Best Brisket :: Louie Mueller's BBQ, Taylor and Ruby's BBQ, Austin
• Best Baby Backs :: Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood (Sunday is Premium Meat Day, only time you can get baby backs)
• Best Chicken :: Busters BBQ, Lakeway
• Best Pork Ribs :: Smitty's Market in Lockhart and Buster's BBQ in Lakeway
• Best Sausage :: City Market Luling
• Best Prime Rib :: Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood (Sunday)
• Best Pork Chop :: Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que, Llano
• Best Smoked Ham :: Kreuz Market, Lockhart
• Best Beef Ribs :: Artz Rib House, Austin
• Best Mutton :: Sam's BBQ, Austin
• Best Turkey :: Buster's BBQ, Lakeway
• Best Barbacoa :: Fiesta Market, Austin
• Best Chopped Beef Sandwich :: Ruby's BBQ, Austin
• Best Pulled Pork Sandwich :: Ruby's BBQ, Austin
• Best Sides :: Ruby's BBQ, Austin
• Best Vibe :: Louie Mueller's BBQ, Taylor
• Best BBQ Music Venue :: Stubb's BBQ, Austin
• Best Overall BBQ Experience :: Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood (Sunday especially)
• Best BBQ Lunch :: Ruby's BBQ, Austin
• Best BBQ Brunch :: Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Sunday, Austin
• Best Low Cost Family Packs :: Mikeska's Bar-B-Q in Taylor and Black's Barbecue in Lockhart
• Best Drive to BBQ :: Hwy. 71 north to Llano and Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
• Best Mail Order BBQ :: Salt Lick BBQ, Ribs
• Best Sauce :: Don't use it, but I've heard the Salt Lick sauce is good. City Market's is real interesting.

Joe Capello lovingly makes this sausage. Eat
your fill, take some home. Photo/Barbara Lynne

Entering the Gates of Heaven, thank goodness
they're open!! Louie Mueller's in Taylor. Photo/Barbara Lynne

Artz Rib House, Austin :: Ben's Longbranch Barbecue, Austin :: Black's Barbecue, Lockhart :: Buster's BBQ, Lakeway :: Central Texas BBQ Assc., Austin :: City Market, Luling :: Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que, Llano :: County Line Bar-B-Q, Austin :: Crosstown BBQ, Elgin :: Green Mesquite Barbeque, Austin :: House Park Bar-B-Que, Austin :: Iron Works Barbecue, Austin :: Kreuz Market, Lockhart :: Mann's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, Austin :: Mikeska's Bar-B-Q, Taylor :: Louie Mueller's BBQ, Taylor :: Ruby's BBQ, Austin :: Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q, Austin :: Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood :: Sam's BBQ, Austin :: Smitty's Market, Lockhart :: Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Austin

Leave TEXAS BARBEQUE and go to Austin, Texas HOME.