Austin - BBQ (and other impressions)

[PrtLng Lion]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

 

[Big 0]

I'm actually driving through Texas now. On our way to see my daughter in livermore california from southwest FL as well. Drive through the dallas area wasn't bad at all, but it was before noon on Saturday. Won't get down to austin, but maybe one of these days. My daughter was visiting a friend in Austin a couple of weekends ago, but flew down from SFO.

 

[lj4heisman1]

Homelessness in Austin | National Review

A visit to Camp R.A.T.T.

www.nationalreview.com

 

[LionDeNittany]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

Yes the donut thing is across Texas. Small independent donut shops. Some are chains but there are a ton.

They are the equivalent of bagel places in the NYC area.

Regarding waiting in line for BBQ. Bbq is pretty much the same across all decent BBQ places. Plenty of places with no or small lines.

LdN

 

[PSU Mike]

Yes the donut thing is across Texas. Small independent donut shops. Some are chains but there are a ton.

They are the equivalent of bagel places in the NYC area.

Regarding waiting in line for BBQ. Bbq is pretty much the same across all decent BBQ places. Plenty of places with no or small lines.

LdN

Lines are for the FOMO sheep.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Yes the donut thing is across Texas. Small independent donut shops. Some are chains but there are a ton.

They are the equivalent of bagel places in the NYC area.

Regarding waiting in line for BBQ. Bbq is pretty much the same across all decent BBQ places. Plenty of places with no or small lines.

LdN

I live in Austin and will not wait in a long line for bbq. It’s like being in Philly and waiting in a long line for a cheesesteak.

That said, we used to order Mickelthwait’s for office lunches now and then - impossible now.

OP mentioned Black’s in North Campus - that’s a good spot and not far from work. We gather a crew now and then to hit that

 

[Chickenman Testa]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

You chose well with Black’s. Not a bad fallback. I try and go there every 2-3 weeks (easy drive for a work lunch)

 

[LionDeNittany]

I live in Austin and will not wait in a long line for bbq. It’s like being in Philly and waiting in a long line for a cheesesteak.

That said, we used to order Mickelthwait’s for office lunches now and then - impossible now.

OP mentioned Black’s in North Campus - that’s a good spot and not far from work. We gather a crew now and then to hit that

I like BBQ as much as the next guy and i have been to many well known shops.

The FOMO or instagram generation has ruined the experience.

I saw a post where someone ordered ribs from Dreamland BBQ to their home 600 miles away.

Other than posting online I have no idea the benefit.

LdN

 

[GringoStarr99]

There are many options in Austin...even the worst BBQ is Austin is better than BBQ elsewhere. Give udy's Country Store a shot. Great brisket and smoked turkey and don't leave until you had their Creamed Corn

 

[BrucePa]

I've eaten all over this country, up and down the Michelin star list, and every mom-and-pop restaurant in between. I firmly believe that if you put some slices of Franklin barbecue brisket side by side with some slices of Iron Works or County Line barbecue brisket, you and I couldn't tell enough of a difference to matter.

 

[91Joe95]

Luby's!

At some point you're going to have to try it just to say you did. In fairness, it's not bad for fast food, just keep the proper perspective.

 

[flinter]

County Line is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere-many fond memories of being there with my family in San Antonio!!

 

[manatree]

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

Never been there, but when I see the lines and waits at some of these restaurants, it just boggles my mind. If it were my dead grandmother cooking I’d gladly wait that long, but other than that, there are just so many better things to do with my time.

I love going to New York, but I will never go to Di Fara’s pizza, no matter how many awards it gets because I’m not willing to wait 1-2 hours just to get in the door to have the privilege to elbow through a mob scene just to order. There are so many great pizza joints in NYC for me to do that. Same reason I prefer Sarge’s over Katz’s. Even though I think the pastrami at Katz’s is a little better than Sarge’s, the environment kills it for me. I’d much rather go to Sarge’s, which still serves a top notch sandwich, and be able to enjoy myself.

 

[Art]

Never been there, but when I see the lines and waits at some of these restaurants, it just boggles my mind. If it were my dead grandmother cooking I’d gladly wait that long, but other than that, there are just so many better things to do with my time.

I love going to New York, but I will never go to Di Fara’s pizza, no matter how many awards it gets because I’m not willing to wait 1-2 hours just to get in the door to have the privilege to elbow through a mob scene just to order. There are so many great pizza joints in NYC for me to do that. Same reason I prefer Sarge’s over Katz’s. Even though I think the pastrami at Katz’s is a little better than Sarge’s, the environment kills it for me. I’d much rather go to Sarge’s, which still serves a top notch sandwich, and be able to enjoy myself.

Sarge's? Feh! The pastrami is better at Pastrami Queen and Second Avenue Deli and there is seldom much of a wait at either place (which are both better than Katz's).

 

[manatree]

Sarge's? Feh! The pastrami is better at Pastrami Queen and Second Avenue Deli and there is seldom much of a wait at either place (which are both better than Katz's).

To each their own. Haven’t been to New York in over a year, and I’ve had Pastrami Queen and Second Ave. and both are good. I’d take Pastrami Queen over Second Ave, but Sarge’s is still my favorite. Jewish style delis are my favorite places to eat in NYC, and have eaten at many that have closed (Fine & Shapiro, Artie’s, Stage, Carnegie, etc.) over the years. Don’t know how much damage COVID will cause. I did read somewhere that the Queen took over the Fine & Shapiro space on the UWS.

While I wouldn’t call it a Jewish style deli, Eisenberg’s near the Flatiron bldg. is a great place for a sandwich as well.

 

[Rhino80]

I lived in Austin for a few years, a decade ago. Still have friends in the area. Many have moved on as the city is turning into San Francisco light. Apparently they are trying to clean up the homeless encampments but are having little luck. It has always been a hippie city but they used to have jobs.

 

[Midnighter2]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

I’m past waiting in hour long lines for pretty much anything; agree with others that there are plenty of places to get good BBQ. At a certain point, food can only taste so good.

 

[GringoStarr99]

I've eaten all over this country, up and down the Michelin star list, and every mom-and-pop restaurant in between. I firmly believe that if you put some slices of Franklin barbecue brisket side by side with some slices of Iron Works or County Line barbecue brisket, you and I couldn't tell enough of a difference to matter.

I disagree. The Franklin product is far superior to Iron Works or County Line which are good on their won. I've had all the major ones from Lockhart to San Antonio to Llano to Driftwood and through Austin and Aaron Franklin has the technique down. Now if you included Bill Miller's....well t heir iced tea is pretty good

 

[PearlandLion]

Luby's!

At some point you're going to have to try it just to say you did. In fairness, it's not bad for fast food, just keep the proper perspective

A bit of a morbid joke down here about Luby’s: you got about a 90% chance of seeing an ambulance sitting in front of Luby’s anytime you drive by one. It’s either the food or the clientele.

 

[PearlandLion]

I disagree. The Franklin product is far superior to Iron Works or County Line which are good on their won. I've had all the major ones from Lockhart to San Antonio to Llano to Driftwood and through Austin and Aaron Franklin has the technique down. Now if you included Bill Miller's....well t heir iced tea is pretty good

Killens BBQ here in Pearland has been a hot destination for the past few years. They sell sandwiches at NRG for Texans games. Might be the only reason to go to a Texan game this fall.

 

[PSUSignore]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

You should have asked for some tips before visiting. Locals could have told you 10 AM is way too late to get Franklin BBQ. Typically you need to be there no later than 8 on a weekend, 9 on a weekday. If you want to eat before noon make it even earlier than that. This isn't because of pandemic online orders, it's been that way since the day they first opened and they sell out every day. The Black's BBQ you went to isn't even in the Austin area top 10. It's probably great for places with lousy BBQ but by local standards it's average at best. The line sucks but if you know about it going in it's fine, it's like a tailgate party. I only go once every couple of years and when I do it's with a big group of friends, some card games and a cooler full of beer. Franklin has the worst wait, there are others that are better than Blacks on Guadelupe with much shorter lines. La BBQ, Terry Black's (on Barton Springs), Mickelthwait and Valentina's immediately come to mind. Franklin is an experience though and they make the best brisket I've ever tasted.

Doughnuts aren't really a big thing here to my knowledge, I'm surprised you noticed this. There are a lot of small independent shops but the only ones with any real reputation are Round Rock doughnuts with their signature yellow dough and Gourdoughs with their crazy flavors that was kind of a copy of Voodoo doughnuts out of Portland (which now also has a location here).

Homelessness is a hot topic here. Open tent camping has been a constant for the last 2 years when the city repealed a ban on open camping. In the most recent election citizens voted to reinstate the ban which just took effect in early May but the city has stated they will enforce it in stages giving lots of notice to campers so they won't actually be required to vacate for a couple more months.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

You should have asked for some tips before visiting. Locals could have told you 10 AM is way too late to get Franklin BBQ. Typically you need to be there no later than 8 on a weekend, 9 on a weekday. If you want to eat before noon make it even earlier than that. This isn't because of pandemic online orders, it's been that way since the day they first opened and they sell out every day. The Black's BBQ you went to isn't even in the Austin area top 10. It's probably great for places with lousy BBQ but by local standards it's average at best. The line sucks but if you know about it going in it's fine, it's like a tailgate party. I only go once every couple of years and when I do it's with a big group of friends, some card games and a cooler full of beer. Franklin has the worst wait, there are others that are better than Blacks on Guadelupe with much shorter lines. La BBQ, Terry Black's (on Barton Springs), Mickelthwait and Valentina's immediately come to mind. Franklin is an experience though and they make the best brisket I've ever tasted.

Doughnuts aren't really a big thing here to my knowledge, I'm surprised you noticed this. There are a lot of small independent shops but the only ones with any real reputation are Round Rock doughnuts with their signature yellow dough and Gourdoughs with their crazy flavors that was kind of a copy of Voodoo doughnuts out of Portland (which now also has a location here).

Homelessness is a hot topic here. Open tent camping has been a constant for the last 2 years when the city repealed a ban on open camping. In the most recent election citizens voted to reinstate the ban which just took effect in early May but the city has stated they will enforce it in stages giving lots of notice to campers so they won't actually be required to vacate for a couple more months.

Valentina’s used to be outside the Star Bar - I work 3 blocks from there. Didn’t know how good I had it. As you know, they moved to Manchaca in S. Austin and blew up. Now there are lines of tourists almost constantly - very annoying.

I’ve noticed another sneaky Mexican BBQ place on Manchaca near Crockett HS starting to get some lines. I’m going to have to look into it

edit - here it is. I’m going to check this joint out

Home | Mysite

www.morenobbq.com

 

[PSUSignore]

Valentina’s used to be outside the Star Bar - I work 3 blocks from there. Didn’t know how good I had it. As you know, they moved to Manchaca in S. Austin and blew up. Now there are lines of tourists almost constantly - very annoying.

They recently announced they are moving to Buda too. I'm in north Austin so I rarely go there, and now they will be even farther away. They will have a booth at the new soccer stadium though and I have season tickets so hopefully the stadium vendors uphold the quality (I have my doubts) and I can get my fix there.

This is the first I'm hearing of Moreno, I'll have to keep an eye on them. I miss Freedman's. A former pitmaster there (Evan Leroy) is at Leroy & Lewis which is good, but unconventional for Texas BBQ. It's also down south so off my radar for the most part. Up here we have Stiles Switch which can be really good at times, but they are inconsistent. On a bad day it's no better than Rudy's, which still isn't bad but Rudy's is my baseline. Anyone that can't beat Rudy's on a regular basis is someone I don't really keep on my personal best of list.

 

[BigMatt]

They’re defunding the police there. Bad news for the donut shops...

 

[fastlax16]

I'm in Austin the past 4 days, Drove from south Florida to help my son move in for a summer internship. So far I'm pretty impressed with the city overall (despite I35 traffic and the extra congestion from graduation last night).

We wanted to try the famous Franklin BBQ yesterday. We know they have long lines but we get there at 10:00am (they open at 11:00) and they tell us they're out of brisket and ribs already (before the open). WTH?? Apparently online orders only and people order days in advance. In fact, the website now says you need to order 42 days in advance (!!). We punted on that and went to Black's BBQ on Guadalupe, which was terrific. Brisket, cheddar-jalapeno sausage, and smoked sausage was probably the best I've had (at least that I can remember).

I've never seen so many donut shops as I have so far in Austin. Most places I've been have Dunkin and maybe a local place, but we must have seen almost 20 unique (non-chain) donut shops already driving around the area. Is there something unique about donuts in Texas? Obviously we're going to get some this morning to see what it's all about.

Driving through Houston to get here was a nightmare. Traffic as bad as any city I've been in. And the city is HUGE. I know the state is enormous, but it didn't hit me till we crossed into state from LA and a sign said 868 miles to some city (forget which one).

UT campus is pretty nice, mix of modern and classic-style buildings. But found only one road that you can actually drive through campus on, and haven't found the "on campus" bookstore yet. I like comparing other schools' stuff to the on campus PSU bookstore (variety? cost? etc.). Wanted to walk into the football stadium but wound up passing due to the chaos on campus from graduation.

Austin is a pretty nice downtown area. Loaded with shops and good places to eat. Saw a surprising number of homeless people (wasn't expecting that), mainly in tents under I35. Is that a constant or was it due to the rain all day yesterday?

Used to live there. Funny you say its huge, I felt like it was pretty small and moved after two years. I was in NYC prior and have been in Chicago ever since so my frame of reference is probably skewed. They have a homeless shelter almost in the heart of downtown, right off "dirty 6th" so a lot of homeless congregate in that area. Shame about Franklin's its as good as advertised.

If you're still there check out Turf n surf (pull pork tacos) and Max's wine dive (Friend Chicken and Champagne). Recommend getting a drink at the bar at the Driskell as well. Feels like stepping back in time and it's haunted so thats nice. Not sure whats left of Rainey Street but it used to be a bunch of great funky bars built into what used to be old homes. I know the land was super valuable so most were starting to sell out to developers around the time i was leaving.

 

[PSUSignore]

Used to live there. Funny you say its huge, I felt like it was pretty small and moved after two years. I was in NYC prior and have been in Chicago ever since so my frame of reference is probably skewed. They have a homeless shelter almost in the heart of downtown, right off "dirty 6th" so a lot of homeless congregate in that area. Shame about Franklin's its as good as advertised.

If you're still there check out Turf n surf (pull pork tacos) and Max's wine dive (Friend Chicken and Champagne). Recommend getting a drink at the bar at the Driskell as well. Feels like stepping back in time and it's haunted so thats nice. Not sure whats left of Rainey Street but it used to be a bunch of great funky bars built into what used to be old homes. I know the land was super valuable so most were starting to sell out to developers around the time i was leaving.

Rainey St. used to be one of my favorite bar districts but sadly the cool, relaxed vibe is long gone. The street now has 3-4 luxury high rise condos and a spendy boutique hotel. The vibe has completely changed from the days of the original Lustre Pearl (back on Rainey at location #3) and Bar 96 (closed and renamed). It's amazing how quickly it went from small, old single family homes to bars to condos. The bar era was pretty short lived. There are still a few gems there like Bangers and Craft Pride but the entire feel of the street is gone and has been taken over by the younger, upscale and well-off demographic that can afford to live there.

 

[CentexLion]

They recently announced they are moving to Buda too. I'm in north Austin so I rarely go there, and now they will be even farther away. They will have a booth at the new soccer stadium though and I have season tickets so hopefully the stadium vendors uphold the quality (I have my doubts) and I can get my fix there.

This is the first I'm hearing of Moreno, I'll have to keep an eye on them. I miss Freedman's. A former pitmaster there (Evan Leroy) is at Leroy & Lewis which is good, but unconventional for Texas BBQ. It's also down south so off my radar for the most part. Up here we have Stiles Switch which can be really good at times, but they are inconsistent. On a bad day it's no better than Rudy's, which still isn't bad but Rudy's is my baseline. Anyone that can't beat Rudy's on a regular basis is someone I don't really keep on my personal best of list.

My son and his wife are in from Florida this week. They hit up Stiles Saturday and said it was very good. We had it catered for lunch at work last Wednesday, but I didn't partake. I did get 3 pounds of brisket from Salt Lick Round Rock yesterday and brought it home. Mixture of lean, moist and burnt ends. It was very good, but not as good as the Dripping Springs location (if you go there it is cash only). Really can't go wrong stopping by any of the small town BBQs around Austin as well. Lockheart, Elgin, Manor, Taylor, Spicewood, Brehnam, Temple, Burnet, Llano, Killeen. etc. etc. Rudy's is always a rescue net for an immediate BBQ urge at all of their locations. I've only ever bought from Franklins once, and it was the first week of the pandemic shutdown. It was very, very good, but I wouldn't stand in line for more than an hour for it, even with a group of people playing cards/drinking. And I never noticed the donut places around here (except for Round Rock Donuts).

With the homeless, yes, they are trying to be San Fran here. The city bought a few hotels to home them, but I understand that nobody really wants to move there, as there are restrictions and rules (versus living under the bridges). The city has given them watering stations and toilets under most overpasses. Churches drop off food all of the time. And an easy buck to be made pan handling. Much cheaper than paying $1200 a month for a single room apartment in town. It really is tent city under those bridges now. Lots of people and their pets. Impossible to walk though to get to the other side. The city council is against removing them, but the populous voted eliminate the open camping. So, the city is giving a 30 day warning now. After 30 days, it will be a stiff warning. After that 30 days it will be a fine. After that 30, I think jail. No idea how they are going to track all of that

Quite a crazy time to be coming through with all of the rain teh last week. Good luck and stay safe

 

[fastlax16]

Rainey St. used to be one of my favorite bar districts but sadly the cool, relaxed vibe is long gone. The street now has 3-4 luxury high rise condos and a spendy boutique hotel. The vibe has completely changed from the days of the original Lustre Pearl (back on Rainey at location #3) and Bar 96 (closed and renamed). It's amazing how quickly it went from small, old single family homes to bars to condos. The bar era was pretty short lived. There are still a few gems there like Bangers and Craft Pride but the entire feel of the street is gone and has been taken over by the younger, upscale and well-off demographic that can afford to live there.

Rainey was one of my favorite areas in any city. I left early 2015 when they were just starting to develop it so the writing was on the wall. I went out on a few dates with someone who was friends with one of the earlier owners to sell. When someone comes and throws a 7/8 figure number on a property you spent 50k to pick up you ask where you can sign.

 

[CCFlamingo]

I've eaten all over this country, up and down the Michelin star list, and every mom-and-pop restaurant in between. I firmly believe that if you put some slices of Franklin barbecue brisket side by side with some slices of Iron Works or County Line barbecue brisket, you and I couldn't tell enough of a difference to matter.

This is true for the most part. The best brisket I ever had came from the Texas Pride Barbecue in Adkins, close to the military base in Converse. I've had Black's at the original location in Lockhart, good but not outstanding. I have also eaten at the original Kreuz before it split into Smitty's and Kreuz moved to a new location (caused by a family feud). The original Kreuz Market was quite the experience. You walked in though the back door at the parking lot, the person in the back pulled the meat out of the furnace and asked "how much do you want". After cutting off your request and putting it on butcher paper, it was weighed and priced. After paying, you went over to a counter on the side and obtained some pickles and Wonder Bread. The dining room was interesting, a draft beer could be obtained, there was no barbecue sauce. The walls were decorated with rattlesnake skins obtained by locals. The seating was picnic tables with big knives that were chained to the picnic tables. I don't know whether that was to keep them from being stolen or used in a drunken knife fight.

After the family split, the knives disappeared from what is now Smitty's. My dad raved about Smitty's smoked prime rib, I never got to try it since I could never get there early enough before it was sold out.

On a side note, the brisket at Texas Pride is the best I have had, and the barbecue sauce was the absolute worst. I wonder if that was by design. If you are going to ruin the brisket with sauce, then just ruin it. As far as sauce goes, I do like the mustard base sauce that the Salt Lick in Driftwood purveys. Not so much on the brisket, but it is killer on the sausage and pork ribs. County Line is good as is Coopers for a small chain. In general, lots of great Q in TX.

 

[PSUSignore]

Really can't go wrong stopping by any of the small town BBQs around Austin as well. Lockheart, Elgin, Manor, Taylor, Spicewood, Brehnam, Temple, Burnet, Llano, Killeen. etc. etc.

Truth (Brenham), Snow's (Lexington) and Louie Mueller (Taylor) are all world class and well worth a visit. Louie's makes the best beef rib I've ever tasted. Truth is phenomenal and is 1B on my list for brisket, right behind Franklin. Personally I think the Lockhart joints have all been passed by modern Austin BBQ scene. I've been to them all and none of them would crack my personal top 10.

 

[MyTeamIsOnTheFloor]

Uh, Stevie Ray Vaughn asks why you people aren’t discussing Texas blues bars.

 

[CentexLion]

Truth (Brenham), Snow's (Lockhart) and Louie Mueller (Taylor) are all world class and well worth a visit. Louie's makes the best beef rib I've ever tasted. Truth is phenomenal and is 1B on my list for brisket, right behind Franklin. Personally I think the Lockhart joints have all been passed by modern Austin BBQ scene. I've been to them all and none of them would crack my personal top 10.

Snows is in Lexington (east of Rockdale and north of Giddings). Best BBQ chicken around. Louie Mueller's in Taylor is fantastic. Been on DDD's at least once. I stop there quite a bit on the way to the ranch. Right beside Texas Beer Company. But, Mueller's is sold out of the standard stuff at 2 on weekend days many times. Agree on the beef rib (Salt Lick down south makes a dang good one as well). I need to stop at Truth's. Miss stopping there every time on way back from Houston on the 290 loop around

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I had no intention of waiting in line at Franklins for more than an hour. Plenty of other options as many have pointed out.

I got some donuts the other morning at SH Donuts over by Old Manor Road. They were indeed pretty dang good. Didn't get to Voodoo but heard they are really good too.

Wish I had more time there, flew back to FLL this morning. But am taking the family back over July 4th weekend, will definitely hit up some of the other BBQ recommendations then. Also want to kayak on the Lady Bird Lake and checkout the bats at Congress Ave bridge, maybe do a food tour around the city.

You guys made a lot of good suggestions. Which BBQ places (not including Blacks) are closest to UT campus? May be walking around a bunch when I go back in July.

 

[PrtLng Lion]

Used to live there. Funny you say its huge, I felt like it was pretty small and moved after two years. I was in NYC prior and have been in Chicago ever since so my frame of reference is probably skewed. They have a homeless shelter almost in the heart of downtown, right off "dirty 6th" so a lot of homeless congregate in that area. Shame about Franklin's its as good as advertised.

If you're still there check out Turf n surf (pull pork tacos) and Max's wine dive (Friend Chicken and Champagne). Recommend getting a drink at the bar at the Driskell as well. Feels like stepping back in time and it's haunted so thats nice. Not sure whats left of Rainey Street but it used to be a bunch of great funky bars built into what used to be old homes. I know the land was super valuable so most were starting to sell out to developers around the time i was leaving.

Well, I meant that Houston was huge, not Austin.

 

[fastlax16]

I had no intention of waiting in line at Franklins for more than an hour. Plenty of other options as many have pointed out.

I got some donuts the other morning at SH Donuts over by Old Manor Road. They were indeed pretty dang good. Didn't get to Voodoo but heard they are really good too.

Wish I had more time there, flew back to FLL this morning. But am taking the family back over July 4th weekend, will definitely hit up some of the other BBQ recommendations then. Also want to kayak on the Lady Bird Lake and checkout the bats at Congress Ave bridge, maybe do a food tour around the city.

You guys made a lot of good suggestions. Which BBQ places (not including Blacks) are closest to UT campus? May be walking around a bunch when I go back in July.

I haven't had it but some old co workers who are austin natives swear by la barbecue and prefer it to Franklins. Lamberts isnt that far from campus. It's more upscale/not my favorite but still very good.

 

[PSUSignore]

Snows is in Lexington (east of Rockdale and north of Giddings). Best BBQ chicken around. Louie Mueller's in Taylor is fantastic. Been on DDD's at least once. I stop there quite a bit on the way to the ranch. Right beside Texas Beer Company. But, Mueller's is sold out of the standard stuff at 2 on weekend days many times. Agree on the beef rib (Salt Lick down south makes a dang good one as well). I need to stop at Truth's. Miss stopping there every time on way back from Houston on the 290 loop around

Fixed the city for Snows. Brain fart. I've been there several times, just made a typo. This thread is making me hungry for some Truth BBQ, I'm overdue for a trip there. I've never had the beef rib at Salt Lick, their all you can eat family style deal is too good to pass up and is the best BBQ deal in town so I always get that (brisket, pork ribs and sausage for those unfamiliar). Salt Lick is far from my favorite BBQ but their family style is about the price of one pound of brisket from other places so it's well worth it despite the average quality, and the ambiance at the Driftwood location and BYOB policy is top notch.

 

[PSUSignore]

I had no intention of waiting in line at Franklins for more than an hour. Plenty of other options as many have pointed out.

I got some donuts the other morning at SH Donuts over by Old Manor Road. They were indeed pretty dang good. Didn't get to Voodoo but heard they are really good too.

Wish I had more time there, flew back to FLL this morning. But am taking the family back over July 4th weekend, will definitely hit up some of the other BBQ recommendations then. Also want to kayak on the Lady Bird Lake and checkout the bats at Congress Ave bridge, maybe do a food tour around the city.

You guys made a lot of good suggestions. Which BBQ places (not including Blacks) are closest to UT campus? May be walking around a bunch when I go back in July.

Unless you preorder in advance which I think requires at least a 3 pound order then a Franklin line less than an hour is highly unlikely. I've heard sometimes people pop by in the afternoon after the line has died down to get whatever's left and on rare occasions they get lucky with brisket or ribs still available, but I wouldn't count on that.

Near campus your best bet is probably Mickelthwait, it's due east of campus across I-35 just a few blocks east of Franklin. Their signature items are the sausage and sides (especially the jalapeno cheese grits), but their brisket and ribs are also very good. Slightly farther away are La BBQ and Terry Blacks, both are generally excellent and I put both of them just a smidge better than Mickelthwait (I usually rank based on brisket FYI) but all 3 are very good and better than the Black's on Guadelupe that you had last time. Lambert's is also a good suggestion, I always forget about that place because it's atypical. They are a sit down restaurant so it doesn't have that usual picnic table and butcher paper Texas BBQ vibe, but their food is very good.

You should add brewery tours to your list if you're a drinker, there are a lot of them in town now and many are worth a visit.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Fixed the city for Snows. Brain fart. I've been there several times, just made a typo. This thread is making me hungry for some Truth BBQ, I'm overdue for a trip there. I've never had the beef rib at Salt Lick, their all you can eat family style deal is too good to pass up and is the best BBQ deal in town so I always get that (brisket, pork ribs and sausage for those unfamiliar). Salt Lick is far from my favorite BBQ but their family style is about the price of one pound of brisket from other places so it's well worth it despite the average quality, and the ambiance at the Driftwood location and BYOB policy is top notch.

You can’t beat the Salt Lick at Christmastime with the fire going and the luminarias (sp). Great atmosphere.

I hated cole slaw until I had the Salt Lick’s - no nasty Mayo

 

[flavorguy]

I had no intention of waiting in line at Franklins for more than an hour. Plenty of other options as many have pointed out.

 

[flavorguy]

I hit Franklins a couple of years ago, when 2 of my PSU roommates and wives got together for a miny reunion. The 6 of us took in the whole Franklin wait experience. We packed a cooler of beer, jumped in line about 8 am and basically has a BBQ pre tailgate. Franklins had a bunch of folding patio type chairs that you could borrow and lounge in as you “camped” in line. I thought it was a ton of fun.