BBQ Tour of (Central) Texas

[hornbri]

I am going to be in Texas for 10 days starting this Friday. I have a wedding to go to next weekend in Palistine and then the following weekend in Austin.

So I have decided to hit as many BBQ places as I can (mixed in with the Tex Mex of course.)

So far I have plans for:

Louie Mueller's (Taylor)
Kruez's (Lockhart)
Smitty's (Lockhart)
Rudy's (Austin)

I am trying to decide if I should make the trip out to Llano to Cooper's but i have heard the quality has dropped lately.

What do you all from Texas think? What great place am I missing? Also I am going to be sitting around Plaistine all day Saturday, is there a good BBQ joint within 100 miles?

[Solidkick]

Looks like a few places in Palistine itself......
http://palestine.areaconnect.com/restaurants/

If you are in Austin, I'd love a report on Stubbs........

[hornbri]

Yep i will be staying in Austin all week. I think Stubb's may make the list. It's right down the street form the Hotel I will be at.

[BrooklynQ]

Just did this myself. Jorge and the other Texas brethren were great in steering me in the right directions.

Check out this link on The Central Texas BBQ trail...

http://www.texasbbqtrail.com/

Or you can check out my reports on some of the places on my blog at ...

************************************

[thillin]

Ill be driving down to Houston and then to San Antonio in a couple of weeks. Gonna spend the night, do family time, peruse Dave Klose's shop find some cue, then head to S.A. and hit cue spots on the way. Been a while since I been to some of the landmark que joints, but I'll post raves and pics of places Brooklyn didn't get to.

[jgh1204]

Skip Rudy's, their meat is dry IMHO. Try Ironworks.

[BrooklynQ]

Rudy's prime rib was great. And they make creamed corn that is unique. It's worth a stop just for that.

[JudgeTex]

If you're going to hit Stubb's, try to make it for Sunday Gospel Brunch. Live gospel music, all you can eat BBQ buffet (the breakfast of champions), and a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar (provided that the gospel group doesn't object).

I also like to make the trip out to the Salt Lick. But remember, it's BYOB, so take a cooler.

[Jorge]

Skip Rudy's, their meat is dry IMHO. Try Ironworks.

Another reason to order the extra moist:wink:

[hornbri]

Skip Rudy's, their meat is dry IMHO. Try Ironworks.


Another reason to order the extra moist:wink:


Always! Thats how you order it there. Rudy's is a must have for me, must have had it once a week when I was going to school.

I will skip Salt Lick, to me its more a atmosphere place then great q.

[JudgeTex]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe? I worked in a bar and played in bands for most of my time in Austin. Ruby's was great b/c they stayed open until 4 a.m. BBQ was pretty good. They serve up some of the best sausage around, and their smoked chicken is good b/c it's moist and not slathered with sauce while it cooks. You never know who you'll see in Ruby's in the wee wee hours of the morning.

[BrooklynQ]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe?

I wanted to check it out when I was in Austin, but my brother-in-law and family (Austin residents) wouldn't go there. Said it wasn't safe. But I did convince them to go to Sam's. Lousy area, but great BBQ and the nicest folks running the joint. Highly recommended. My son says this is his favorite place in Austin.

SAMS BAR B CUE
2000 E 12TH STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 478-0378

[JudgeTex]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe?

I wanted to check it out when I was in Austin, but my brother-in-law and family (Austin residents) wouldn't go there. Said it wasn't safe. But I did convince them to go to Sam's. Lousy area, but great BBQ and the nicest folks running the joint. Highly recommended. My son says this is his favorite place in Austin.

SAMS BAR B CUE
2000 E 12TH STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 478-0378Good BBQ is seldom "safe."

By the way, they were called "Best BBQ in America" by Esquire Magazine, which may not be anything to brag about.

If you do go, ask Luke to show you where they do the cooking. He has a bunch of small back-yard pits, rather than a state of the art rig.

[Jorge]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe? I worked in a bar and played in bands for most of my time in Austin. Ruby's was great b/c they stayed open until 4 a.m. BBQ was pretty good. They serve up some of the best sausage around, and their smoked chicken is good b/c it's moist and not slathered with sauce while it cooks. You never know who you'll see in Ruby's in the wee wee hours of the morning.

Less than a block from one of the best blues joints in the country at one time....before Clifford moved it to 6th St.

[Jorge]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe?

I wanted to check it out when I was in Austin, but my brother-in-law and family (Austin residents) wouldn't go there. Said it wasn't safe. But I did convince them to go to Sam's. Lousy area, but great BBQ and the nicest folks running the joint. Highly recommended. My son says this is his favorite place in Austin.

SAMS BAR B CUE
2000 E 12TH STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 478-0378

don't tell your borther-in-law but Ruby's is in a safer location than Sam's 8)

[BrooklynQ]

Have any of y'all ever been to Ruby's BBQ at 29th-ish and Gaudalupe?

I wanted to check it out when I was in Austin, but my brother-in-law and family (Austin residents) wouldn't go there. Said it wasn't safe. But I did convince them to go to Sam's. Lousy area, but great BBQ and the nicest folks running the joint. Highly recommended. My son says this is his favorite place in Austin.

SAMS BAR B CUE
2000 E 12TH STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78702
Phone: (512) 478-0378

don't tell your borther-in-law but Ruby's is in a safer location than Sam's 8)

Now you understand why I didn't trust his recommendations on BBQ joints.

[frijole_tex]

Try Bert's BBQ on MLK just West of Guadalupe. Not famous, but pretty good. The T-Man Frito pie with brisket and sausage is a good call.

Also, maybe make a trip East to Elgin for their spicy sausage.

[JudgeTex]

Here's my usual Austin Weekend Restaurant Itenerary:

Friday night: Hula Hut
Saturday Breakfast: Trudy's
Saturday Lunch: Texas Chili Parlor (or Threadgill's or Dirty Martin's or Sandy''s Hamburger Stand)
Saturday supper: Late night at Ruby's
Sunday Brunch: Stubb's (or Trudy's again)

Then I head back to the Blackland Prairies and spend six weeks in the gym trying to undo the damage from the weekend.

I'm hungry.