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Planning a BBQ Pilgrimage

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aem
aem Posts: 146
in EggHead Forum
I have some time next week so I'm planning to hit some Central Texas BBQ landmarks.  I'm planning two days.

Day 1.  Shiner Brewery Tour, Shiner ; City Market, Luling ; Black's or Kreuz, Lockhart
Day 2. Louie Mueller, Taylor

Day 1 looks a bit busy, but if I'm heading down to Shiner I might as well hit Luling and Lockhart.  I don't think I can manage more than one stop in Lockhart.  I've already been to Smitty's (and liked it) so I want to try one of the other big three.

At all of the stops (including Shiner) I plan on tasting some on site and then bringing more home for a second chance tasting.

Am I on the right track?
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  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200
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    I'd do Black's over Kreuz, but that's just my opinion.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,836
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    "Am I on the right track?"

    Yes.

    I'm partial to Kreuz in Lockhart, but I think others on here have suggested Black's is better.  You can't go wrong either way. 

    The Salt Lick in Driftwood (and a stop at Driftwood Vineyards) is another great option.  I don't like their BBQ quite as much as the others listed (but we're talking a 9.7 vs 9.9 here), but going to a place that draws and handles a crowd like they do in the middle of nowhere is quite an experience. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • aem
    aem Posts: 146
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    Foghorn said:

    The Salt Lick in Driftwood (and a stop at Driftwood Vineyards) is another great option.

    Just my opinion, but the Salt Lick isn't worth the drive.  I'm also not a fan of Cooper's, for what it's worth.
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  • Austin Egghead
    Austin Egghead Posts: 3,966
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    City Market in Giddings TX and Snows in Lexington TX on Saturday morning only (if football weekend forget ti)
    Blacks over Kreuz, IMHO
    Large, small and mini now Egging in Rowlett Tx
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,967
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    City Meat Market in Giddings is good but not affiliated With City Market in Lulling. Even though I like them both, CM in Lulling is the undisputed champ of those 2.

    If you are after brisket in Lockhart, I would do Blacks and hope they have a good day. Smitty's and Kreuz are the same family and very similar. Blacks Brisket blows them both away when they are having a good day. It sucks when they are not. Kruez and Smitty's have the best sausage I've ever had. I do not like their brisket as much as some other places but it's worth it for the sausage alone (god I hope I never say that out loud again). Out of all of them, Kruez does not allow sauce to be served in their joint. Considering their tough 4 hour turbo brisket.............they should reconsider.

    Just make sure you order "moist", "fatty", or brisket from, the point end no matter where you go. They all call it different things but it's all the same cut. Cooper's calls it "Marbled" Whatever, it's fat but it's delicious. 


    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • warwoman
    warwoman Posts: 279
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    There's all kinds of good to great BBQ places in central Texas, from Lockhart to Giddings, Luling to Elgin, and many points in between. If you're in Austin, try Franklin's. It's relatively new, but listed the No. 1 BBQ spot in Texas by Texas Monthly. If you can go online and bring up TM and find the article on the 50 best BBQ joints in Texas (TM calls them the 50 best in the world),you'll have a lot to choose from.

    I'll be making that "pilgrimage" myself in January-February. We go back to Texas every year to visit kids/grandkids/folks/friends. We call it our "Waltz across Texas", and it covers lot's and lot's of BBQ, great mexican food, chicken fried steaks, etc.!

    Let us know how your sojourn went!

    From the NE Georgia Mountains! Me, SWMBO, and two spoiled ass Springers!
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  • aem
    aem Posts: 146
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    warwoman said:

    If you're in Austin, try Franklin's. It's relatively new, but listed the No. 1 BBQ spot in Texas by Texas Monthly.

    Yes, I'm in Austin and have been to Franklin's.  it is very good but I'm not looking for a two hour wait. 
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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,967
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    Go to LA barbecue (Louie Mueller's grandaughter) on S. First or John Mueller (Louie's grandson) meat company on the east side. They are all right there with Franklin but usually only a few people in line. Both those places have better brisket than Lockhart.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • aem
    aem Posts: 146
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    I could do a Mueller family tour. I like that
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  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,836
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    "Kruez and Smitty's have the best sausage I've ever had."

     

    Truth.

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

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  • aem
    aem Posts: 146
    edited August 2013
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    I decided to do a Mueller family tour. I went to Louie Mueller In Taylor, John Mueller Meat Co in East Austin, and La Barbecue in South Austin. I visited each on a weekday shortly after opening and ordered beef sausage, moist brisket, and either potatoe salad or cole slaw. 

     Of the three Louie Mueller was my least favorite. The sausage was good but the brisket reminded me of pot roast. La Barbeque was very good. Nice amount of smoke, good texture, good bark. John Mueller is the hardest to find. His address is on E 6th, but the entrance is actually on Pedernales hidden by a construction fence. Each of the places gave me a sample of brisket before I ordered, at John Mueller the sample was a seriously burnt end. Seriously like tough jerky. But the order was better. The best texture of them all, tender but not mushy or fatty, and a nice crisp bark. The sides were all on par with each other, not the same but equal in quality. I didn't get sausage at La Barbeque but Louie and John both had good sausage. 

     I want to go back to John Mueller and La Barbeque to try out their other meats. I don't know if I could order them but they are in the same class as Franklin's and Smitty's. And while I like all of them, my goto bbq place is still Rudy's on 183. Might not be the best ever, but consistently good at a good price.
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  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
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    aem said: Foghorn said:The Salt Lick in Driftwood (and a stop at Driftwood Vineyards) is another great option.
    Just my opinion, but the Salt Lick isn't worth the drive.  I'm also not a fan of Cooper's, for what it's worth.
    +1 on both counts.  

    I moved to the Austin area a month ago.  I live 9.5 miles from Salt Lick.  Been there twice.  Meh . Looking at the meat on the pit as you walk in is a big draw, but I saw them carrying in cooked ribs to the pit when I was there.  Makes you wonder how the meat is really cooked.  Boiled?

    Last time I was at Cooper's in Llano, it was greasy.

    I'm with Grif on this.  Black's in Lockhart is hard to beat.  It's been great every time I've been there.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


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