BBQ Pilgrimage to Texas

tksmoke

I haven't been on the forum much lately, as I started a new job, and have been doing lots of travelling.  Imagine my chagrin as I was informed my next assignment would take me to Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and (last but certainly not least) Austin over the next 2-3 weeks.  Unfortunately the job requires long hours through each day, but I do have time in the evenings to explore.  Since BBQ restaurants are a moving target, I was hoping for some current recommendations for where to hit and where to miss.   I would greatly appreciate any guidance you might have.  Thanks!!!

Gogogordy

The well-known Salt Lick outside Austin. They're well-known but deliver the goods. I went for the brisket, but preferred the ribs. All was good. People were bringing their own adult beverages in...,a Texas thing I guess.

cazzy

San Antonio
- The Smoke Shack

Shertz
- Rudy's BBQ

Cibilo
- Harmon's BBQ

Austin
- Franklin BBQ
- La Barbecue
- Stiles Switch Barbecue
- Micklethwait Barbecue

Taylor
- Louie Mueller BBQ

Lexington
- Snows BBQ

Driftwood
- Salt Lick BBQ

Lockhart
- Blacks BBQ

Luling
- City Market

Dallas
- Pecan Lodge

Plano
- Lockhart Smokehouse

McKenney
- Hutchins BBQ

Pearland
- Killen's Barbecue

Houston
- Gatlin's BBQ


The best BBQ you'll find in Texas will be in Austin, particularly the brisket. Franklin is a must stop. If you don't have the time to wait, go to La Barbecue. Salt Lick is a place to go to for the experience. The bbq is okay. The brisket is cooked on a gas rotisserie, slathered in sauce, refridgerated, then reheated over the open pit. They don't come close to any of the spots I listed in Austin. There are obviously other spots in the locations listed, but the ones I listed are my favorites.

Have fun!

Legume

Damn @Cazzy, you're making me feel bad, I need to get out more!

I would add City Market in Luling to this comprehensive list.  I haven't been to Chisolm Trail in Lockhart, but I've had several good friends tell me it's their favorite over the big names there.

cazzy

Legume said:

Damn @Cazzy, you're making me feel bad, I need to get out more!

I would add City Market in Luling to this comprehensive list.  I haven't been to Chisolm Trail in Lockhart, but I've had several good friends tell me it's their favorite over the big names there.

Added and I also added Lockhart Smokehouse in Plano

Griffin

 

Eggcelsior

When I went to Salt Lick, the only thing good was the sausage. Brisket and ribs were really dry but the experience was worth it. BYOB if you want, or you can get a pail of beers and sit outside and watch live music.

La Barbecue was good, but didn't blow me away. Apparently they were having an off-day. It was tender enough(the beef rib was great) but the flavor wasn't all there. I had Rudy's in Round Rock and this was actually one of my favorites on the trip, really peppery so it had a nice spice.

Hands down, Franklin's is the best brisket I've had. It fully lived up to, and exceeded, my expectations. 

tksmoke

Thanks everyone for all the great input!!  @Cazzy, that is an impressive list.  Keep the input coming, I'm trying to map my trip, and figure out the where's and when's by the BBQ joints I can hit.  Love it!!!

Is Franklins open in the evenings?  All the good press it gets puts it on the list.  

cazzy

tksmoke said:

Thanks everyone for all the great input!!  @Cazzy, that is an impressive list.  Keep the input coming, I'm trying to map my trip, and figure out the where's and when's by the BBQ joints I can hit.  Love it!!!

Is Franklins open in the evenings?  All the good press it gets puts it on the list.  

No, they are sold out daily by 2pm. You need get there by 10 am, but preferably by 8 during the week and 7 on the weekends. Expect a 4 hour wait.

tonyled

my .02 on the south of austin area

lockhart  my preferences in this order:

kreuz's  unreal prime rib and sausage.  the reason its on top for me though is the kraut
smittys  almost as good as kreuz's minus the kraut (same family as kreuzs, they are brother/sister)
blacks  very close third
chisholm  this place is where the locals all go because its all you can eat sides and is the cheapest.  its not bad but i like the other 3 better

luling

i didnt like city market at all.  as much as it was hyped it was a serious let down and not worth the trip IMO especially since it is in close proximity to lockhart.  several of my coworkers agreed (we all live/work in this area and travel to luling and lockhart often)

san antonio area

if  you do go to rudys do NOT go to the rudys in selma.  go to the one in new braunfels.  it is one of the originals.  the one in selma is a franchise and nowhere near as good.  also, coopers is right down the street in new braunfels and you can hit both (be warned coopers is pricey and i would put it in the middle of the pack quality wise)

big bib bbq on austin highway is probably the best in this area right now

harmons is good but im not sure i would go out of my way.  since his building burned and he remodeled its just not the same for some reason

texas pride gets a lot of traffic because it was on diners drive ins and dives and 15-20 years ago i would have said it was deserved but not anymore.  its a cool atmosphere but the food quality is lacking

good luck and make some me time to sample the local wares!

tksmoke

Thanks @Tonyled.  Now I need to look at the map and find where all these places are.  This will take some complex planning to maximize the bbq experience.  Should be an adventure. 

Biggreenpharmacist

If in san antonio, my ass would be at @cazzy's house.

tonyled

drop me a line before you are in the area and maybe we can meet up and compare them in person!

Texansurf

In San Antonio I would also recommend Bun-N-Barrel, as for the rest of @cazzy recommendations they are solid. As far as Rudy’s goes, if you can make it to Leon Springs 5 miles past Bass Pro on I-10, I would go to the original store.

cazzy

Biggreenpharmacist said:

If in san antonio, my ass would be at @cazzy's house.

Haha I wish I was douchey enough to put cazzy's house under San Antonio. )

tksmoke

tonyled - you are on!!  If anyone else wants to join the festivities, the more the merrier (even you @Cazzy).

Legume

@tksmoke keep me looped in, will join if schedule permits - sounds like fun

tksmoke

Most excellent!!  According to my marching orders, Austin is my second destination.  Dallas comes first.  This could be fun... 

tonyled

say when!  im on the ne side of san antonio so not for from lockhart, dripping springs, austin, etc

20stone

I would be happy to step up for the Houston round.  Ping me when you are headed this way and we can put together a dance card.

J

texaswig

Cazzy's list looks on point to me. He got all the good ones on there.

tksmoke

Marching orders have changed - Dallas is off the list.  Either Houston or Austin first.  I'm sure I'll know right before I leave (he said hopefully).  Departure either tomorrow, or more likely Monday.  This will be fun - except for the work part (well, actually that isn't so bad either, as long as the autopilot keeps working).

Terrebandit

tonyled said:

my .02 on the south of austin area

lockhart  my preferences in this order:

kreuz's  unreal prime rib and sausage.  the reason its on top for me though is the kraut
smittys  almost as good as kreuz's minus the kraut (same family as kreuzs, they are brother/sister)
blacks  very close third
chisholm  this place is where the locals all go because its all you can eat sides and is the cheapest.  its not bad but i like the other 3 better

I will agree with this order and you don't have to stand in line to eat BBQ in Austin Get the jalapeño cheese smoked sausage and point brisket at kreuzs.

tksmoke

Believe it or else, I wound up in Houston this evening.  I didn't find out my destination until the previous evening, then I was a real busy boy.  Now, the real work begins.  But, so does the play.  I should be here in Houston through Friday, then on to Austin.  From there is San Antonio.  After that is New Orleans - Uh huh.  Everything is dependent on the weather.  It needs to be really good for me to complete my photo survey work.  On bad days, I can sit around and eat BBQ and drink beer (and hopefully get paid). 

So if anyone is up for a night out in Houston, Gaitlins sounds like a worthy target.  Or any other place.  I should be done by 6 each evening.  The airplane is currently at Hooks field on the northwest side of town.  Feel free to call me - 805 570-7877.  If I don't answer, leave a message and I'll get back to you when I land.  Hope to meet a bunch of folks while I'm here - and experience some excellent Q. 

tksmoke

Got off at 5:00 last night and went to Gatlin's. It was excellent!!! Best brisket this California boy's had. Didn't get there until a little before 6:00, and they were out of many items. There was a constant stream of customers. Great place!! Today it's cloudy over most of Houston. If if doesn't clear up in the next hour or so (12:30), I'm heading to Pearland to try Killens. Give me a call if interested in joining me.

tazcrash

Salt lick is an experience, I recommend the beef ribs, and showing up with some friends and a rolling cooler of suds. 

Just outside of Houston try: (edit, saw Cazzy already beat me on this)

Killen's BBQ

killensbarbecue.com/

Pearland, Texas

Was only open on weekends, now open tues - Sun.. I haven't been yet, but getting great reviews. 

or Goode Co.BBQ

tksmoke

Finished flying about 4:00 and drove out to Pearland to hit Killens.  Heck it was only an hour and 15 minutes, and I didn't have anything else to do.  Imagine my heartbreak when I found it closed up with a Sold Out sign on the door.  I have a feeling this happens frequently.  Maybe I'll get another bad weather day when I can try again early.  I thought about heading back to Gatlin's, but some folks drove up and said Central Texas BBQ down the street was good.  It was a very interesting place, and the grub was good.  The brisket was good, but not as good as Gatlin's.  Hopefully I'll have a full day of flying tomorrow.  Not sure where dinner will be.

tksmoke

GeauxEggin

The best BBQ in Houston (and possibly all of Texas) is at Kileen's BBQ in Pearland Texas.  Ronnie Killen owns and runs one of the best steakhouses in the country for the last several years and decided he wanted to open a BBQ joint.  

I've had all of the Lockhart (as good as advertised) and Luling bbq, and I've had Franklin's, and I will say that for me Killen's and Franklin's are tied for best in Texas (and therefore best on earth  ) )

Only problem with Killen's is they are only open until they sell out.  Which is usually 1pm.  Best time to get in line is around 9:30 or 10am

Wolfpack

I went to both the steakhouse and bbq places this week- the steakhouse was as advertised. Food was fantastic but they need a bar >-

The bbq place was just okay for me- had brisket, sausage and beef rib. Bark had flavor on the brisket but the meat was kind of tasteless. The rib was pretty good-

cazzy

GeauxEggin said:

The best BBQ in Houston (and possibly all of Texas) is at Kileen's BBQ in Pearland Texas.  Ronnie Killen owns and runs one of the best steakhouses in the country for the last several years and decided he wanted to open a BBQ joint.  

I've had all of the Lockhart (as good as advertised) and Luling bbq, and I've had Franklin's, and I will say that for me Killen's and Franklin's are tied for best in Texas (and therefore best on earth  ) )

Only problem with Killen's is they are only open until they sell out.  Which is usually 1pm.  Best time to get in line is around 9:30 or 10am

Sorry sir. As much as Ronnie has tried to one up Franklin...use his meat distribution company, copy his trio of sauces, his product doesn't compare nor is he as consistent.

Don't get me wrong, he serves great bbq and is the best in the Houston area. He's just not close to Franklin or La Barbecue.