BBQ Joints Near Austin

Why this page is here

This page is here as an attempt to list every good BBQ joint in and around Austin, TX during the spring summer fall winter of 2007 2008. There are lots of lists like this on the internet, and many of them are out of date or incomplete. I would like to aim for completeness here as a resource to other BBQ fans. I imagine that this page, too, will go out of date someday, but I would be tickled if it was authoritative for at least little while, so if you know of any ommisions, please let me know. As far as the ratings aspect of this page go, these are just my opinions of the experiences I've had eating at these places. In some cases, the ratings are under-informed, and you should take them with a grain of salt. If I call a place "corporate", that just means, "run by businessmen" versus "run by good ol' boys". Last Updated July 4th, 2008

The BBQ Joints

  1. Kruez Market Lockhart

    This is the standard by which all other BBQ joints are measured. This is the best BBQ on planet earth, bar none.

    The first time I had Kruez's was on a road trip. Some fellas from Dallas picked me up in Austin on our way to Rockport to go red fishing. They had already eaten, but I begged them to stop here on our way through town so that I could get some brisket and sausage to go. As soon as I had the first bite, I knew it was the greatest BBQ I'd ever had. I forced each of them to try it, and they were astounded at how good this food was. They were begging for little handfuls of meat from my greasy orange butcher paper sack of holy, smoked love. All weekend long we talked about how good it was, and I remember that when we jumped in the truck to drive home that Sunday, everyone said, "No eatin' or stoppin' 'till Kruez's!" We waited in breathless anticipation three hours, only to find out that Kruez ain't open on Sundays. We were crushed.

    I've taken many other people for their first Kruez visit since then, and I delight in watching them go through the experience, no less than Timothy Leary surely did giving his buddies their first doctored sugar cube.

    Cash Only. The building is large enough that you could hide a small jet in it. The picture to the right is just the porch.

    + 5/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 10/10 points

    [ Home Page | directions from Austin]

  2. Smitty's Lockhart

    Smitty's is astoundingly good. I have gotten sub-divine food there when going at wierd times, but it's hard to not give these guys 10 points. This place is probably tied with Loius Mueller's as the two places with the most atmosphere of any Texas BBQ joint. I discovered Smitty's when I tried to go to Kruez one Sunday.

    Open 7 days. Cash only.

    + 4.5/5 food
    + 3.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 10 points

    [ Home Page | Directions from Austin]

  3. City Market Luling

    I can't believe it took me so long to get here. This is awesome BBQ in the Lockhart-area tradition. I had a half pound of fatty brisket and a hot link for $6.30, and it was awesome. It took an hour to get there from Austin, the town of Luling pretty much always smells like farts, and it was very odd driving past Kruez Market on a BBQ run, but it's so worth the trip. Their BBQ sauce bears a miraculous resemblance to the one at Salt Lick. I didn't get any noteworthy pictures of the restaurant, so I am including the sign from the business next door, just because I think their slogan is so awesome.

    + 4.5/5 food
    + 2.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 9 points

    [ CTBBQA Home Page | Directions from Austin ]

  4. Gonzales Food Market Gonzales

    I know it's not especialy close to Austin, but holy smokes is it awesome. I loved this place. My friend John and I stopped by here on the way to the coast and had some really, really good BBQ. We got a huge platter of food for $20. Great small-town country-story atmosphere and good sides. The people who run the place are really, really friendly. I would go here again any time. My only regret is that we kind of went light on the food so that we could save room to hit a place in Cuero that turned out to suck. I really liked the suasage and brisket. The pork rib was also perfect.

    The family meal only comes with Big Red.

    + 4/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 8.5/10 points

    [ Home Page | Directions from Austin ]

  5. Salt Lick Driftwood

    For a big family BBQ trip, Salt Lick cannot be beat. The food quality is very consistent, no matter what time of day you show up. The canonical approach to Salt Lick dining is to bring every last blood relative you can find, load up a cooler with beer, and head out there for family-style, all-you-can-eat-meat some sunny spring Sunday. Watch the kids run around while you listen to live music on the patio and get a decent buzz on in the 90 minutes it will probably take for you to get seated. The brisket could be more tender. The ribs and sausage are good. The sauce is a non-traditional variety, and everything comes soaked in it.

    + 3/5 food
    + 3.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 8.5/10 points

    [ Home Page | Directions from Austin ]

  6. Sam's Austin

    Sam's is fantastic. I've been twice: once for lunch, once for dinner, and both times got great food. I've not been late at night, but hope to soon. The brisket here was very tender. Mine was cut from the point, and the helping was generous to say the least. I like the sausage (coarse ground, natural casing), but the chicken I had was a little on the dried-out side. The sides were perfunctory (run of the mill potato salad, a dessicated onion, some pickles, and decent beans), and the sauce is just spicy enough to not be annoyingly sweet. My food was drowned in the sauce. The sweet tea on one visit was extremely weak.

    The staff was extrememly friendly, and the atmosphere was extremely relaxed. The walls are coverered in memorabilia and photographs. Sam's is very small inside, there's only two booths and a picnic table to sit at. I would for sure visit again.

    + 2.5/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 7.5/10 points.

    [ CTBBQA Home | Map ]

  7. R.O.'s Outpost Spicewood

    R.O.'s is about 16 miles west of the "y" on 71, on the right hand side. It's a pretty small place, with a small screened-in porch for nice-weather eating. The folks at R.O.'s are very friendly and helpful. We ordered brisket, sausage, and turkey. The sausage is large and fine-grained, and comes lightly grilled. The brisket was fork-tender bits from the flat with most of the fat trimmed off. The turkey was pretty darned good. The star of R.O's is the sides. Plenty to choose from (including deep-fried corn on the cob, see photo), all of them tasty. Each of our plates came with onion, pickle, and a peach slice. Cash only.

    + 2.5/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 2/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 7.5/10 points.

    [ Potentially Correct Directions from Austin ]

  8. Louis Muellers' Taylor

    This score will hopefully go up if I can convince some folks to trek out to Taylor with me a few more times. I've only been there twice, and am sorry to give such a low food score to such a famous BBQ joint. The ribs were merely "ok", and the brisket was not very tender. It looks like you must go here during the lunch or dinner hours, as one of my visits was at 4pm on a Saturday, and the place was deserted. They'd run out of everything except dried-up pork tenderloin. The staff here is very friendly, and I'm extremely fond of their practice of letting you chew some fat while you ponder your food choice.

    Mueller's has lots of atmosphere. The building it's in is ancient and smoke-stained. It has no air conditioning, and it has to be the most Texas-y BBQ joint in Texas. I love the small town feel. Not open Sundays.

    + 2/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 7/10 total points.

    [ Home page | Map from Austin]

  9. Ben's Long Branch Austin

    I've only been here once, but it was pretty good. The brisket on this visit was mushy and bland, but it was nicely marbeled and tender. I think they may have over-cooked it in foil or something. The pork ribs were great, the sausage was a decent example of spicy, coarse grained sausage. I'm wavering on the score I gave them for sides, because I think mine weren't that good. They got the half point because I think I might have chosen poorly. The prices for BBQ sandwiches are so awesome, that they get 2 "price" points.

    + 2.5/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 0.5/1 sides
    + 2/1 price = 7/10 points.

    [ Map ]

  10. Rudy's Austin

    Corporate BBQ that doesn't suck.

    UPDATE: I visited the 183 location and was fed some EXCELLENT fatty brisket. It had fantastic flavor and crust. It had been in a steam table for a little while, but that hadn't toughened it up or dulled the flavor down any. I'm raising their food score a half point. If only they had some genuine atmosphere, they could be rated much higher. If this list was a food-only rating, I think Rudy's could be in the top 10 easily. It is among the best of the Austin-based BBQ joints.

    ANOTHER UPDATE: Two more visits to the 183 location have convinced me that Rudy's has the best fatty brisket in the Austin City limits. I'm raising their food score another half point based solely on the brisket. The sausage is so-so. The BBQ sauce is sweeter than I generally prefer. I'll try the ribs soon. I just got a job across the street from here, so I reckon I'll have more exposure. I also am softening my stance on their atmosphere based solely upon my interactions with the staff. I don't recall what led me to ding them on price, they seem to be in line with most places, so they get that point back, too. This raises them 2.5 points, bringing them into a tie with luminaries such like Coopers and Louis Muellers. Perhaps the tie indicates that I'm a wishy-washy coward.

    PRO TIP: Order the fatty brisket "muchos negros" and you'll get lots of tasty burnt stuff from the point of the brisket.

    + 4/5 food
    + 1/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 7/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  11. Cooper's Llano

    I finally got to go here (for my birthday, even!). It's a 75 minute jaunt from Austin, but it's for sure worth the trip, especially when the wildflowers are in bloom.

    The atmosphere was everything I'd been led to believe it was. This place is beautiful in only the way that Texas road-side BBQs can be. You hop in line in a huge cloud of smoke, and wind your way to a pit, where you select cuts of meat, and fella carves out great slabs of meat for you, and sticks them on a platter. You take the platter inside, where the meat is weighed and sliced, and you get bevvies and sides (plus cobbler for dessert).

    Sadly, the food wasn't all that great on my visit. The brisket was dry and tough, even at the fatty end. The jalapeno sausage was large-diameter, and fine-ground. Not to my taste, but lots of folks like it that way. The pork ribs were pretty good. I'm a little surprised that the food wasn't that great, due to this place's fame, and famous clientele. We got there at 1pm on a Sunday, during a huge rush, so there was no reason for there not to be fresh BBQ. I will for sure go here at least one more time, and I have little doubt that the food score will go up.

    + 2/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 7/10 points.

    [ Home | Directions from Austin ]

  12. Southside Market Elgin

    Southside was bustling with locals from all walks of life, and had a great country atmosphere. I don't know for sure, but it may also be the World Taxidermy Hall of Fame. It has a whole slew of critter heads mounted on its walls. Southside has a great "lived-in" feel. I was not a huge fan of the brisket, ours was pretty dry, but the pork ribs and sausage were (while incredibly greasy) delectable.

    + 2/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 6/10 points.

    [ Home Page | Directions from Austin ]

  13. Black's Lockhart

    Living in the shadow of Kruez and Smitty's, Black's would be the best BBQ joint in many Texas cities, but it's in Lockhart. I've only been there once, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm not sure if I'll get to go back, because my wife no longer lets me drive past Kreuz' without stopping.

    + 2/5 food
    + 1.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 5.5/10 points

    [ Home page | Directions from Austin ]

  14. Cartwright's Cedar Valley

    I like Cartwright's. It's not a destination place, but I will stop there again if I'm hungry in that neighborhood. The pork ribs are great. The sausage was coarse-ground and tasty (Myer's in Elgin makes them custom for Cartwright's). It could have had some more pop/bite. The link we had may have been over-cooked, it was wrinkled and had a dry mouth-feel. I asked for fatty brisket with lots of black on it, and the meat cutter was very friendly and accommodating. He gave me generous hunks off the point, some of which were pretty dried out. The brisket he was carving looked pretty taut, and not black enough to have been in a wood fire, although it had a clearly discernable smoke ring. My companion said the tater salad was good. ( Cartwright's is right next to Nutty Brown Cafe ).

    + 2/5 food
    + 1/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 5/10 points

    [ Map ]

  15. Ruby's Austin

    Ruby's is quite pretty good. I've been there numerous times, and always often fared well. They've taken a very Austin-y approach to BBQ. Well worth a trip. In the early 90's, my "Better Living Through BBQ" t-shirt from Ruby's was my favorite shirt.

    Update: I went there recently and had genuinely crappy brisket and sausage. The brisket was as tough as saddle leather. I ended up leaving a half pound of it on the table. One of my lunch companions had the pulled pork sandwhich and said it tasted like sloppy Joe's out of a can. Downgrading them one whole food point.

    + 2/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 0/1 price = 5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  16. House Park Austin

    I've only been once twice, and the food I had was not of especially high quality. My score is much lower than most people's, so I hope that I caught them on a couple bad days, and subsequent visits will improve my opinion.

    + 1/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 5/10 points.

    [ Map ]

  17. Stubb's Austin

    I'm a little torn on this one. I'm torn on the atmosphere because Stubb's is in a beautiful Texas-y building that they've lovingly restored, but it looks like someone spent a pile of money on it, which goes against my mom-n-pop ethos. I'm torn on the sides, because while they're competantly prepared, they could be the same sides as offered at a Chili's. You can just eat chicken fingers and onion rings here. I hate that.

    I guess what I'm saying is that it lacks soul. The food is competant, but it feels like they've spent a great deal of money to make themselves look like a legit TX BBQ joint. Stubb's is coasting. Nobody on their deathbed will croak, "Stubb's....bring me some Stubb's...".

    Stubb's should focus on their flourishing music and packaged food businesses,and let some local BBQ savant take over the restaurant part as a co-located, partially owned subsidiary, gliding along in the same facility like a remora on the larger enterprise. I know just the person: John Mueller.

    + 2/5 food
    + 1.5/3 atmosphere
    + 0.5/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  18. Mann's Smokehouse Austin

    I like Mann's. The BBQ is of consistent, if not spectacular quality. The sides are particularly good. The facility that Mann's is in has zero "atmosphere", but this is somewhat made up for by how nice the folks who work there are.

    Update: raising the food score half a point based upon a recent visit. This will move these guys up a few places. I wish I could move them up some more, maybe they'll get a cooler location some day. They do give away free brownies, which for sure begs for better treatment here.

    Another Update: Texas Monthly says that they're the best BBQ place in Austin (2008).

    + 2.5/5 food
    + 0.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 5/10 points.

    [ Map ]

  19. Meyer's Elgin Smokehouse Elgin

    This was pretty "meh". We went here as a consolation prize because Snow's was sold out of meat. I asked for fatty brisket from the point, but the guy working the counter looked at me like I was a martian, and just sliced me some lean stuff from the flat. The service was about what you'd expect in an airport or football stadium. The place most mostly empty on the Saturday when we went, but right up the road, Southside was bustling with locals. I think mostly folks who've bought Myer's sausage at HEB stop here while going through town because the sign looks like their sausage label.

    + 2/5 food
    + 0.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home | Potentially erroneous map from Austin. Compared to the map on their own home page, this looks a little short. If you're coming from the west, you'll see them on the right side of the highway eventually before you leave town, a little bit after Southside. But if you drive past Southside to get here, you're a wacko. ]

  20. Texas Rib Kings Austin

    This place waaay exceeded my expectations. Located in a north Austin strip mall, and decorated by the same genius who builds T.G.I Friday's restaurants, the food here was far better than I expected. If not for the complete lack of atmosphere, this place would rate higher than Louie Mueller's. It could probably vie to be the best place within Austin's city limits, shockingly. The brisket I had was pull-it-apart tender and had nice flavor. The sausage was nicely spiced, coarse textured, and flavorful. The pork ribs I had were expertly cooked and had tons of good smoke flavor. No gimmicky rubs or sauces on them, just glorious in their naked goodness. The BBQ sauce here is boring and unoriginal, but you happily don't really need it. The sides are average, like the prices.

    Postscript: I and the two folks I went here with reported feeling pretty queasy for the rest of the day after having eaten here. I'll try it again and see what happens.

    + 2/5 food
    + 0.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home page. | Map ]

  21. Iron Works Austin

    The food here is okay. The location is awesome. The building is awesome. The view is awesome (from the porch). The prices are probably a reflection of the awesome location and it's proximity to the convention center.

    + 2/5 food
    + 3/3 atmosphere
    + 0/1 sides
    + 0/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  22. Pok-e-Jo's Austin

    This review of the location at the junction of 360/Ben White/S. Lamar is based only on one recent visit. Kind of a chain feel. I need to try it again, and make sure I hit the 5th street location a few times soon. Update: I went to the 5th street location, which is slated to close, and had the same experience with regard to the food, but the atmosphere was much improved, so I'm raising their score a half point.

    + 2/5 food
    + 1/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 0.5/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  23. County Line Austin

    I don't have anything against these guys, it's just not my cup of tea. The food is not awesome enough to overcome the faux country corporate farm implements jammed into the walls gas station sign please wait to be seated by the hostess vibe. That's right, I said hostess.

    + 2/5 food
    + 1/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 0.5/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map to the 2222 location ]

  24. Artz Rib House Austin

    I've only been here once twice in the last decade, and I didn't get the ribs, so my food rating is probably low. I got the brisket, which sucked. I would like to give these guys a higher rating, but I just cannot, based upon my recent visit. I hope my experience was an anomaly, and further trips will prove my impression that they're coasting on their past reputation to be in error.

    UPDATE: I finally went and had the country-style ribs, and I have to say that they're pretty damned amazing. The portion size is enormous. You should split them with someone. I'm raising the food score a half point just for the ribs. I think that the main reason for the low score is that the service is pretty crappy, the atmosphere is dismal, and their brisket is not that good.

    + 2.5/5 food
    + 1/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 0/1 price = 4.5/10 points.

    [ Home | Map ]

  25. Green Mesquite (Oak Hill) Austin

    Here I am reviewing their Oak Hill location, since I've not been to the Barton Springs location in a decade. The location is not very exciting, and the restaurant was unable to overcome its strip-mall location. I've taken my family here a handful of times, and it feels like they screw up at least one thing every time. The food is cold, or the sides are cold, or the corn on the cob is nasty, the brisket is dry, etc. Someone always left there unhappy. The total lack of atmosphere is what really kills this score, though.

    [ Home | Barton Springs | Highway 71 ]

  26. J & J Bar-B-Que and Catering Cedar Park

    This is a family place with a wide selection of BBQ, breakfast tacos, and mexican food. I recently drove by here one Sunday on the way to go shooting, and the place was completely packed with cars at 10am, I'm assuming for the breakfast tacos. So on the way back from shooting, we stopped in for lunch, and indeed while I was standing in line, there were more maple syrup bottles than bbq sauce bottles. So the place must have great breakfast tacos. Sadly, much like this photo I took, the brisket, ribs, and sausage are pretty uninspired. Also, the BBQ sauce tastes like Chef Boy-ar-dee.

    + 0/5 food
    + 0/3 atmosphere
    + 0.5/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 1.5/10 points.

    [ Map ]

  27. Bill Miller's Austin

    Chain. I've only been to the Burnet location twice thrice.

    [ Home ]

    + 0/5 food
    + 0/3 atmosphere
    + 0/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 1/10 points.
  28. Dickey's Austin

    Chain. I've only been to the Dallas locations, but...I'm sure it's as good as the ones in Austin, or Canada, for that matter.

    [ Home ]

    + 0/5 food
    + 0/3 atmosphere
    + 0/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 1/10 points.

Unrated Joints

These are places I haven't been, but will go to ASAP, roughly in order of my desire to do so.

Rest In Peace

  • John Mueller's, RIP East Austin

    John Mueller, scion of the Taylor Mueller's, made some of the best BBQ I've ever had in my entire life. His brisket is one of only a handful that is better than mine will ever be. It is a damned shame that his place closed down. All of his offerings were capable of superlative quality. He had some consistency issues, but it was always worth the risk. The consistency problems cost him one point in the food category.

    I should point out that he also had the best BBQ sauce I've ever tasted. I've spent many hours trying to reproduce it with no luck. I hope he gets back in the biz soon. It's like Michael Jordan going to play baseball, not having this place open. I know this list is supposed to only contain current joints, but it was that good.

    + 4/5 food
    + 2/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 1/1 price = 8/10 points.
  • Cele Pflugerville

    R.I.P.! I've been told by my sources that Cele is no longer in business.

    This place is awesome. Truly awesome. It's open from Friday at lunch until Saturday when the food runs out. You can order family style, which is a large sheet of butcher paper covered in chopped beef, sausage, and pork ribs, along with cheese, pickles, onions, and jalapenos. The chopped beef is pretty good, but the sausage and pork ribs are very often as good as can be. The building is incredible. The service is, uh, languid, but friendly. Wretched sauce.

    + 3.5/5 food
    + 3.5/3 atmosphere
    + 1/1 sides
    + 0/1 price = 8/10 points.

    [ Featured in the TX Chainsaw Massacre Remake | Day Trips article | My best guess at the location]

    How I Evaluate Texas BBQ Restaurants

    Perspective

    The joints listed above were rated based upon how well they represent just how good TX BBQ can be. One of the most important things a potential critic of TX BBQ can do in order to prepare to judge someone else's BBQ is to try their hand at cooking it themselves. Only then will you know for sure how any given sample rates. Only then will it begin to dawn on you the level of expertise required to acheive consistency.

    This knowledge will also guide the reviewer by giving an education in just how rapidly BBQ quality declines once it's out of the pit. Most BBQ cuts degrade in moistness, tenderness, and flavor quite rapidly, especially brisket.

    Once you understand how hard it is to be consistent, and how short of a shelf life BBQ has, you will have attained the level of understanding required to fully appreciate how awesome some BBQ joints really are. There is a huge difference between preparing food at a contest and in a restaurant. The festival contestant has the deck stacked in his favor in several key respects: he knows what item he's submitting, he knows when, and he only has to do it once. The restauranteur must be able to produce a wide range of products with drastically different preparation times all day long every day with a high level of consistency, all without being forced to throw away large, expensive cuts of meat.

    It is for these reasons that you cannot judge the quality of a BBQ joint after only one visit. You must also make an effort to show up at lunch or dinner time, unless it's a huge, high-volume place. If you roll into some mom and pop joint at 3pm on a Tuesday, and you're the only person there, I assure you that the BBQ will not be very good. Also, you have to try as many different things as possible. I try to sample the brisket, sausage, and pork ribs at every place I go just so that I can make effective comparisons. But you should make a point of trying everything you can.

    Brisket

    Brisket is the number one cut of TX BBQ, and it is how any BBQ joint will be judged. It's the hardest thing to perfect. It's tricky to choose a decent brisket, they come in a wide range of sizes (8-16 pounds), they are subject to misguided attempts to reduce the amount of fat on or in them, and the cooking temperatures (200 to 600 degrees) and times (5 to 30 hours) have wide variances based upon personal cooking philosophy.

    The only thing that makes brisket taste any good is fat. Lots and lots of fat. A lean brisket cannot be made tender. A slice of brisket with no fat will not taste as good as a slice with fat. The brisket from the "flat" has less marbling and is less tender and flavorful than the brisket from the "point".

    You can experience this yourself by comparing the product you'll get at some chain BBQ joint, and the famous Kruez Market in Lockhart. At a chain restaurant, the brisket you're served will be long thin strips of lean brisket cut from the "flat". These pieces will have no marbling, they will be suspiciously uniform. They will possibly get hidden under a ladle of sweet, tomato-ey, thin sauce. You will need a knife and fork to consume this brisket. It will taste bland. At Kruez, they will pull the brisket right off the pit in front of you and carve it to order. They'll slap a giant pile of greasy, blackened chunks of meat onto butcher paper and send you on your way. They don't have forks. They don't have sauce. The brisket you get will be seriously blackened, plenty fatty, and finger tender. You just pull it apart. It will actually melt in your mouth.

    Sausage

    Central TX BBQ is also justifiably famous for its sausage. Your tastes in sausage will change over time, and with exposure to different interpretations of the product. Most people new to BBQ prefer a very fine-ground, large-diameter, thin-sliced kielbasa-like item drenched in BBQ sauce. As you experience more and more offerings, you may come to appreciate a coarser grind, a balance of beef and pork flavors, a natural casing (they sure do smoke better), and more spiciness. Good sausage doesn't really need sauce (but a little hunk of cheese never hurt). Now that places like Central Market and Whole Foods are making their own offerings to compete with the more traditional items from Elgin, I predict a rennaissance for sausage. It couldn't hurt to try non-BBQ style sausages as well, for instance venison or wurst, both of which the region is famous for.

    Ribs

    Pork ribs are a staple of BBQ everywhere. I'm talking here about spare ribs ( or St Louis cut ), not baby backs. Perfect pork ribs require not a drop of sauce, nor a speck of rub. Hot, tender and juicy right out of the pit, they have so much flavor that you could make perfect ribs with nothing but smoke. Your traditional places will often use a salt and pepper rub. Pork ribs should not be dried out, but they should not be so over-cooked that they're falling off the bone, either. They should be firm and moist. They're so easy to cook that you should for sure do so at your first opportunity. Doing so will make you an expert pretty rapidly. You'll be able to tell how well done a rack of ribs is just by looking at the bone-ends.

    Quirks of the Pros

    It may surprise you to learn this, but the masters don't use sauce. They don't use fancy rubs. They don't marinate, they don't inject saline, they just use very high quality cuts of meat, cook them properly, and serve them fresh. A salt and pepper rub is probably the only spice they'll add. These guys are so good that sauce is redundant. Also, they know that the flavor they're going to achieve just from their technique and high-quality materials will outdo any fancy spice or sauce. As your tastes improve, you will realize that only the most pedestrian of BBQ offerings requires sauce of any kind. All of these reviews are of just the meats sold, with no dressings on them.

    Having said this, there are some really, really good BBQ sauces out there, and some places deserve credit for moving the state of the art forward, and pushing against traditional boundries. Please make a point of trying some sauces that don't resemble Kansas City style.

    Another quirk of the pros is that the ability to make great BBQ is often inversely proportional with the ability to run a credit card. For whatever reason, great BBQ joints often times only take cash. Of the top ten joints on my list, I can't think of more than a couple that take anything but cash.

    Everything Else

    Everything else includes a LOT of stuff, including chickens, pork tenderloin, pork shoulder, turkey, baby backs, lamb, goat, ham, clod, prime rib, pork chops, beef ribs, chopped beef, sirloins, and on and on. And don't forget sides. Some places really shine for their sides or desserts. The canonical sides are pickles, onions, and white bread, so there's a lot of upside available to a BBQ joint here. Ranch-style beans, corn (cobbed or not), green beans, slaw, tater salad, and sauerkraut include the most common additions. More ambitious places will go way beyond these minimal offerings.

    Points

    The point system in use here is calibrated such that Kruez Market will score a 10, and a local chain will score a 1, at best (probably on price alone). This means that most places outside of Texas will have a negative score, off the chart. For instance, Bill Miller's scored a 1, but they're not really that bad. It's just how the scale works.

    To get 5 points for food, you must consistently serve superlative food. I must have sampled your food many times, and never once gotten anything but perfection, no matter what I tried. Also, you provided flavor or quality that I was unable to reproduce in my own efforts. Rubbery brisket, long hold times, not using a wood-fired smoker, all will cost you points.

    Atmosphere is a combination of many things, really, that are not easy to qualify in all cases. Is someone at a corporation responsible for your decor? Then you can expect to get a zero for atmosphere. If your floor has a ten degree list, and you sometimes forget to turn the lights on (like at the Cele BBQ), you're gonna get a good score.

    The only way to not get points for sides is if you have sides, and they suck. I will be generous with points for sides because the bar is, frankly, quite low. You can indeed get a point here for handing over a sleeve of crackers and some pickles, if the pickles are good.

    I put the price measurement in solely to punish Iron Works BBQ for charging me $3.50 for a warm bottle of Budweiser once at lunch. I think that their location next to the Convention Center might be making them lazy.

    I will allocate points above or below the normal ranges where I feel like the point system isn't adequately coping with something. So don't be startled if you see a negative number, or one larger than the supposed point max.

    Max points:

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