If there’s one thing people ask me the most about Austin it’s where to get the best barbecue. Not only is Austin smack-dab in the heart of Texas BBQ country, but there are a huge number of choices about where to get your ‘cue. To make matters worse, the “Best BBQ” is a hot topic around those parts (and these parts) with a lot of different opinions, bogus or conflicting information and just plain bad taste. So, that all being said–assuming you trust my taste (otherwise why are you even reading this drivel)–let me contribute one more set of opinions to the pool : )
Don’t miss
Franklin Barbecue
Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely the best Texas-style BBQ I think I’ve ever had. Everything is delicious, even the potato salad (which I generally hate), the flavors are pure and meaty and smokey and the people at the counter are somehow pleasant despite the never-ending waves of people ordering way too much barbecue. The problem is the line; no food is so good it’s worth waiting 3 hours for on a good day. If you somehow manage to get this barbecue without waiting in line for it, then do whatever you have to do. But I just can’t condone spending that much time standing around when there are places almost as good with nowhere near as much of a line.
Note if you have a bunch of friends and a stack of cash as well as some forethought, you can pre-order BBQ from Franklin. You need to order at least five pounds of meat, which all in all will likely set you back $150 or more, and you’ll have to find somewhere besides the restaurant to eat it, but if that works for you it is a good way to avoid the line.
La Barbecue
On a good day, the brisket here is just as good as Franklin’s (see above). Unfortunately on a good day the line here seems to move just as slowly than Franklin’s (if not more so!) It’s too bad because the meat is super-duper good as are the crazy sandwiches they put together (the sides are just ok), but I still feel like you can get barbecue which is almost as good without being made to feel like cattle to the slaughter, being slowly herded to your beefy demise (ok, fine, it is kind of a weird analogy). Go to nearby Kerlin BBQ and then spend your extra free hour enjoying the outdoors by Town Lake or climbing at ABP or something!
That said, pre-ordering is also possible at La Barbecue and they only require pre-orders to be one pound of meat (as opposed to the five pound minimum for pre-ordering at Franklin, see above), so it is more reasonable for one or two people to try it. You still need to be able to plan ahead at least three days (something I am very not good at) and find somewhere to eat it, but in my opinion this is by far the best way to get your hands on some of the best BBQ I’ve ever tasted.
Micklethwait Craft Meats
Micklethwait is my favorite spot for BBQ in Austin. It may not strictly be the best pure BBQ in Austin (see Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue, above), but it is very close and you will not have to wait nearly as long for it. Plus they are bit more creative with their meats and sides than either of the two above, which is especially refreshing if you are on a barbecue marathon (quite common around these parts, I assure you). The meats are always moist and delicious, especially the brisket and smoked beef rib and I love that they have lamb and barbacoa as options too. Normally sides at a really good BBQ place are basically an afterthought for the kitchen, but you should not skip the delicious and unique grits, which are some of my favorite BBQ sides ever.
Pro-tip: it is pronounced “Mickle wait”; the t and the h are apparently silent. So now you can look, eat and sound like a a BBQ expert.
Kerlin BBQ
Kerlin is a close second for me in terms of the best accessible BBQ in Austin. I love the location, I could basically spend the entire day on this block or two of Cesar Chavez, bouncing between Veracruz and Kerlin and Flat Track and Weather Up. The brisket at Kerlin is smokey and fatty but not too fatty–simply perfect on a slice of white bread with a pickle, a slice of raw onion and a drizzle of BBQ sauce. To me it is pure, traditional BBQ the way the good Lord intended (to use a phrase I picked up in Texas).
And, just when you thought this was some boring old trailer serving boring old “traditional” BBQ: bam! Smoked corn on the cob! Boom! BBQ kolaches! The kolaches are awesome, even if they didn’t serve anything else this would probably be one of my favorite trailers in Austin. Don’t miss it!
Maybe not for everyone/if you are in the neighborhood
Terry Black’s Barbecue
Terry Black’s and Black’s (below) are apparently owned by the same family, so they are both about the same in terms of barbecue: solid, dependable, good brisket, good sides. Usually short lines make these good choices for a lunch break when you have a real job and don’t have time to stand in line for barbecue for 2 hours. Also they do catering pretty well so they are good choices for getting lunch for you and your twenty closest friends (which is something you often have to do when on a recruiting trip).
Lamberts
Lamberts is not the best barbecue in Austin, but it does have some other things going for it. For one, it’s right downtown so if you are not in the mood to drive (or at least get in an Uber) then it is probably very accesible to where you’re staying (although that benefit is mitigated these days by the presence of Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que Austin, below). Secondly, it’s fancy, so if you need a BBQ place to go with your parents who will not be happy about eating at a trailer or on a picnic table then this could be your spot. Thirdly, it’s open for dinner, which is not necessarily a given for BBQ joints, so again, could be a good choice for dinner with your parents or someone else you want to show that you have at least a modicum of class (suffice it to say I never feel the need to come here ; )
Black’s BBQ
Terry Black’s (above) and Black’s are apparently owned by the same family, so they are both about the same in terms of barbecue: solid, dependable, good brisket, good sides. Personally I think the meat at Black’s is a bit better but Terry Black’s edges past on the sides. It’s really splitting hairs though. Usually short lines make these good choices for a lunch break when you have a real job and don’t have time to stand in line for Franklin or La Barbecue.
Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew
Solid choice for smoked meats in North Austin, there is usually not too much of a line and there is pretty ample space for seating inside. Brisket is generally if not perfectly moist but the jalapeno-cheddar sausage could use a bit more cheddar and jalapenos. Corn casserole is a brilliant combination of corn bread and creamed corn and a can’t-miss side. Not necessarily worth the trip out of your way but a good option if you happen to be craving BBQ in that part of town.
Don’t bother
Kreuz Market
Kreuz Market is one of the three well-known old-school BBQ joints in Lockhart, Texas, about 45 minutes south of Austin. It has been serving smoked meats for more than 100 years and making the trip to Lockhart feels like a pilgrimage to BBQ mecca, but it feels to me like it’s resting on its laurels a bit at this point. The brisket is dry and they are militantly anti-sauce (and anti-utensils) which doesn’t help. Supposedly they are known for their smoked sausages, which were good, but not demonstrably better than the smoked sausages you can get at basically all the other BBQ places above. (Plus have you ever really had a bad smoked sausage?) I would not say it is worth the trip or even the stop if you are already in or near Lockhart for some other reason.
Iron Works Barbecue
It’s got a cool “old-timey barbecue” vibe inside, but unfortunately the meats and sides fall flat; they are nothing to write home about and with so many other great barbecue options nearby there is not much reason I can find to come back here.
Snow’s BBQ
It was a long drive out to Lexington on a cold, bright and early Saturday morning so maybe I was expecting too much but I was underwhelmed by the barbecue here. The brisket was not dry but neither was it particularly moist. Certainly it was not special enough to go an hour out of your way at 7:00a; maybe I got it on a bad day but I just can’t recommend it unless you are somehow already in Lexington at 8:00a on a Saturday (which you would definitely never be, I am quite sure).
The Salt Lick
This place looks cool on TV shows and it feels authentic being in the middle of nowhere outside of Austin but it is legitimately not good BBQ. It is basically a big barbecue factory, with all the negative connotations that phrase implies. Very disappointing; I cannot recommend it at all.