Central Texas BBQ roadtrip: what to order at these joints ? ...

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longwayfromhome

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In central Texas this week (Austin area) and making it happen BBQ-wise. Have the following scheduled in a busy 4 days (including business on Thu/Fri), but really wanting to be sure we didn't make it to a location, then miss the specialty of the house. There are two of us (blokes). If you were there, what would you order (including sides)? Takeout not an option. Assumption is that the order can't be "one of everything". As an example, I hear the pork chop at Kreuz is the bee's knees.

Thu
. Killen's (flying in/out of Houston)

Fri
. Black's
. Kreuz
. Styles Switch (evening)

Sat
. Snow's
. Louie Mueller

Sun
. Franklin
. John Mueller

I may never eat meat again, but what a way to go out! My workmates in Auckland enrolled me in Instagram and I have to religiously report back to them - lucky BBQ is a religion. Thanks to Old Bill for guidance so freely given.

Then moving to the east coast and taking a trip to Shenco's new joint in Woodstock, VA and then on to the Skylight Inn.

TIA.
 
First off, I am jealous!

Second off - this is a great TX BBQ blog loaded with good info: http://tmbbq.com/

Now down to it:

-haven't been to Killen's

-everything is good as far as I know at Black's - beef ribs, brisket and peach cobbler come to mind right away.

-Kruez - yes, the pork chop is the bee's knees - probably my favorite thing I had there. Try the shoulder clod - it is great and you won't see it many other places, if any. I really like the sausage but some folks find it too greasy.

-Stiles Switch - I only got there right before they closed and all they had was chopped beef, sausage, and pork ribs. All were fantastic. If this is what they had laying around at the end of the day then what they have during regular service is probably just that much better. IIRC the beans were fantastic.

-Snows - all of it! I got a pound of everything. Standouts were pork steak, sausage and brisket.

-haven't been to Louie Mueller's

-Franklin - brisket is obviously a must. I really liked the sausage as well. The other stuff is fine, but IMO it's really about the brisket there.

-John Mueller - I liked everything there a lot. The brisket, sausage, and beef ribs were standouts. I'm not a sauce guy, but I was drinking the sauce like shots by the time we were done. We had a baked squash dish (unexpected!) that was incredible. His beans may be my favorite I've had.

Looking forward to pix and a report! :hungry:
 
I've only been to Kreuz but I have to echo gtr's recommendation of the porkchop. Best porkchop I've ever consumed. Remarkable.
 
You'll be sweatin' post oak smoke for a solid month after that trip but I think you'll really enjoy your Texas excursion!:wink::-D
 
Make it to LaBarbecue in Austin, I've been to every place on your list (except for Stiles Switch) and it's easily my favorite. Enjoy!
 
Started... Will give reviews at end of trip when comparisons are possible...

Thu: missed Killens - the hour long queue at 11 was unexpected and we had to postpone until Sunday arvo on our return to Houston.

Fri (today): Lockhart - arrived in from Laredo by way of Ulvede - had small portions at Kreuz, Blacks and Smittys - wow, the atmosphere at these places is special, especially at Smittys. Tonight, Styles Switch in Austin.

Sat (tomorrow): up early for Snows, then Louie Mueller.

It's tough, but someone has to do it.

PS - even Starbucks offers a brisket sandwich now (breakfast today in Laredo!)
 
Thanks for the update. Kind of feels like you are stepping back in time doesn't it? Lockhart Texas was along the route of the old Chisholm Trail. Cattle was driven north to Kansas rail lines prior to the invention of the refrigerated railcar.
 
Yes there is definitely something special about those Lockhart places, well, Lockhart overall for that matter. Same with Snow's.

And one thing - don't forget to hydrate!
 
I am very interested in your adventure. I think I will have 3 days in Austin in a few weeks. Will be with non BBQ family so thinking of just having 1 BBQ lunch per day. If I could pick my top 3 I'd like to go to it would probably be Franklin, Louie mueller, and snows. Then behind those I'd add la barbecue, John mueller, and the Lockhart places plus stiles switch.

I am actually as of now planning Louie muller one day, John mueller next day, and la barbecue the last day. I would leave out Franklin due to line which I know would be fun but not with the crew I'll be with. Would leave out snow since it's a drive plus I read you should be there by 9:30am to ensure access to full menu. Then would probably skip Lockhart places since it's a drive and just easier to stay in Austin plus I'm reading la barbecue and John mueller might actually have better food at this point.

But based on your notes on Lockhart I am reconsidering

Look forward to your reviews! And enjoy!
 
longwayfromhome said:
Started... Will give reviews at end of trip when comparisons are possible...
Click to expand...

Sat: morning at Snows - there at 8.30, beautiful mid 80s temp, a dream of place atmosphere-wise, summer shade, laid back, the stuff of real memories. Stopped by Elgin on the way into Austin. Southside Market was a revelation, had a full tour out the back - the scale and attention to detail was something else. It is not often you see 7 JR Oylers in one spot. Mid-arvo to Louie Mueller in Taylor. I said to the team behind the counter "it must be 110" they said "No, it's 112 - we've started going outside to cool down" - it was nearly 100 outside!

Man, what a classic day, and the country was looking in first class condition.

Sun (tomorrow): Franklin first, then a late lunch at John Mueller's, before the run down to Killens in Pearland and back for heart therapy in Houston General!

Reviews coming.

PS: for visitors, in Austin, Hertz's Neverlost should be renamed Everlost or Neverfound - hopeless!!!
 
Flaming Yawn said:
Would love to hear your take on John Mueller's. I drive past it twice a day but have not stopped in yet. I hear it is really good!
Click to expand...

If I drove past it twice a day I would weigh 500 pounds. It's a really great spot and IMO you should check it out the next chance you get.
 
longwayfromhome said:
Started... Will give reviews at end of trip when comparisons are possible...
Click to expand...

Sun: 6.30 at Franklin made us 6th in the queue. The early start was worth it - I could not have waited in the direct sun. A number of interesting people in the queue made the time pass quickly. What is up with Texas BBQ T-shirts, from medium up they are all the same length, just increase the width, like no one over 5'10" exists - reminded me of the Big and Tall shops in the north East, where they should be renamed Wide and Wider.

Warning for those hoping to make multiple BBQ visits in one day inside Austin - we took our time at Franklin, left about 12:15 (it opens at 11), took a bit of a walk around a Farmers Market and thereby found John Mueller's place deserted as it had sold out. We were then the second last to be served at Mickelthwait before it sold out.

The traffic back to Houston was so slow we missed Killens again. Had fish for dinner in Houston:becky: ... we looked at a Brazilian churascaria but simultaneously turned away in a mutual, silent decision - enough IS enough! We had done nine BBQ joints in 48 hours, we were beaten at last.

...reviews to follow when we are settled in Philly...
 
longwayfromhome said:
In central Texas this week (Austin area) and making it happen BBQ-wise....
Click to expand...

I started this thread by asking for help when ordering at the establishments I intended to visit. I have given some feedback on what we found, but in this post I wanted to do two things – give my impressions of the food we did try and also give information so an out-of-towner with only a short time available can ‘optimise’ a visit to the area. Central to our planning was the advice that the top four central Texas BBQ locations were Franklin, Louie Mueller, Snow’s and J Mueller.

In the four days in Texas we visited 10 BBQ establishments. The first 1.5 days was business/travel and we only visited one BBQ location in that time (no comment), while the last 0.5 days was travel again. Therefore, we did 9 locations in 48 hours – Fri afternoon 2pm through Sunday 2pm. My type/age (61), I have to pace myself, so me and my mate (53yo) didn’t put in full orders at any location, nor did we usually have sides. It was extremely hot after the cool, wet of a NZ winter and this took a toll on my eating stamina. Personally, I was looking for inspirations and ‘benchmarks’ in taste and succulence, something that would give my cooking direction, focus and impetus in coming years, so this trip wasn’t just fun, it had a point and a desired outcome.

Here are our orders and my comments on each location:

FRIDAY

Lockhart
Kreuz Market: Ordered beef shoulder and pork chop. We must have got them on a bad day. Both were dry, though the beef shoulder was very tasty. The pork chop was a real disappointment I must say after the buildup. That big wad of fatless meat that is the bulk of the chop is a real challenge for me when cooking these things, so I was hoping for a benchmark – not to be – my partial solution (injecting and reverse sear after smoking to 110F ) gives something better I felt. A great atmosphere though, terrific for a family visit, with an air-con section and a vast screened-in ambient temp area which I loved. Benchmark on atmosphere for sure.

Black’s Barbeque: Ordered brisket and sausage. Wow, great start on the brisket (which we then decided was to be the common thread across all places we visited). Sausage, per all places other than Southside and Franklin was too dry – tasty, but dry. We liked the hurly-burly of Blacks after the vast echoing halls of Kreuz. So, we had a benchmark on brisket.

Smitty’s Market: Ordered brisket and sausage. They were out of several menu items by the time we got there. Entering from the street, the long corridor, gloomy with smoke from decades of cooking was spectacular – then straight up against the open pits and the serving area – it even outdid Kreuz – really spectacular I thought. We both thought the clientele at Smitty’s was a bit downmarket, which appealed to the egalitarian in us. Both meats were OK, sausage tasty but too dry. Brisket was nice, but Blacks had them beat on brisket. I think the brisket taste matched, but suspect the meat was a lower grade than at Blacks, it was kinda ‘coarser’ – probably more realistic of everyday BBQ in the real world back in the day. I liked Smitty’s and a new benchmark in atmosphere.

Austin
Styles Switch: Ordered beef short ribs, chopped beef and pork ribs. We wanted to try beef ribs once while we were in Texas, as it is a favourite for BBQ neophytes back home – spectacular food for people not used to BBQ. Also, for me, brisket and short ribs are close in taste and texture, so would tend to get one or the other, not both. Beef ribs were great, we sucked the bones. We began our disappointing Texan pork rib experience (except for one location) – dry. I am coming to the conclusion that pork ribs are amongst the hardest things to hold. The chopped beef was kinda strange, very heavily flavoured, but a welcome change. Styles Switch is great because it is open at night.

SATURDAY

Lexington
Snow’s BBQ: Ordered brisket, pork ribs. This was my favourite location – iconic BBQ setup on an absolutely clear warm summer’s morning. Snow’s brisket was a real treat, perfectly cooked and a great taste, at least the equal of Black’s, I think better still. Unless they are side-by-side, I couldn’t really have split them, but Tim agreed that perhaps Snow’s over Black’s. Pork ribs nothing special, which I found weird since they were really fresh.

Elgin
Southside Market and BBQ: Ordered brisket and regular sausage. Brisket was OK, but we were overwhelmed by the sausage. After I had mentally written off sausage as being an acquired taste, Southside regular sausage hot off the smoker was tremendous. This is an all-beef sausage, dripping fat and flavoursome. I can’t recommend this enough. If you visit, be sure to get a tour out the back.

Taylor
Louie Mueller: Ordered brisket, chicken and sausage. Chicken and sausage were nothing special I felt, the brisket was at least the equal of Snow’s. A bit unfair to try and review this on a very very hot day, in the afternoon, after eating at two other locations, but all the same… Black’s, Snow’s and LM’s were amazing brisket products.

That evening we went to the east end of 6th St in Austin, some terrific options down that way, no BBQ for us though. If you get a chance, go to the Grackle and talk to the young guy with a beard in the food truck… he has some interesting observations on BBQ in Austin having worked in the business for several years.

SUNDAY

Austin
Franklin BBQ: Ordered brisket (lean and moist), sausage, turkey and ribs. Brisket was in fact the best we had tried – not twice as good, but I thought ‘better’, can’t quantify by how much. I put it down to the buttery smoothness while retaining structure, the lovely beefy taste, but mostly to the bark which had an astringent lemony flavour. Also, I was surprised at how small the briskets were – perhaps they were split between flat and point before/after cooking? If the timeline in his book is legit, then clearly the long hold is an important contributor to the end result. Even in my own cooks of beef ribs I have noticed that a long hold (but not to a mushy level) produces the best result. The turkey was very nice, but so steeped in buttery au jus, that it was hard to get a sense of what it was like without all the ‘sauce’. The sausage was excellent, cooked as well as Southside, but just not the quality of theirs. The big surprise was the pork ribs. In spite of being hot held, these were succulent and tasty, a real treat. We got there at 6.30 on a Sunday and were 6th in line – for those with a few options and tossing up whether or not to do this, I would say you must give it a shot – it is worth it.

Micklethwait Craft Meats: It was a tossup between J Mueller and Micklethwait’s, so we decided on J Mueller, only to get there and find it sold out. Raced around to Micklethwait, and got one of the last orders in before they sold out. Ordered brisket only, nothing much else left. Brisket was outstanding, in the same class as Snow’s and Louie Mueller’s. We were dead on our feet by then, it was heading for 3pm by the time we stirred our stumps after sitting half asleep in the shade, so that was the end of things.


Missed BBQ joints – places we had intended to go but somehow missed out on:
J Mueller, Austin: Intended to go here after Franklin, but we sat too long in the shade chewing the fat (literally and figuratively) with other patrons, so the closed signs were up when we arrived. Nor should we have stopped off at the Farmers Market on the way (the price one pays for not being focussed J). For next time.

Valentina’s, Austin: Look on their site – they offer meats in two versions – a Tex and a Mex. Both are receiving rave reviews. I was very sorry to miss this, but while we were sitting under the tree at Mickelthwait contemplating a grand finale at Valentina’s, a grackle crapped on my shoulder and we both agreed that this was a sign that the BBQ tour was over – Austin and central Texas was officially sick of us!

Killen’s, Houston: We missed this because we didn’t appreciate the size of the crowds that line up at the doors of the good places. Another thing – the lines move very slowly. That queue you see in the pictures of Franklin BBQ isn’t that long, but it takes 3-4 hours to serve them. I didn’t appreciate this until I saw the lengthy discussions that patrons have with the servers, especially at Franklin. Black’s was better, but was still much longer than I expected.

Some other points / notes
1. Drink plenty – the combination of the heat and the meat is very draining. We kept the alcohol low and the other fluids very high – thanks to the Brethren that reminded me of this.
2. T-shirts – frustrated with sizes that merely increase in width as the size goes up, without increasing length. I didn’t pay proper attention and consequently at 6’7” I have a number of shirts that don’t fit.
3. How ‘complete’ was the picture we got? – you can see/do/try an amazing amount in a short period of time. But we had to restrict the amount of meat we ate and the variety, so ours was only a partial picture of BBQ in central Texas.
4. Distances – we met an amazing number of Austin people (and others) who hadn’t thought of driving out to the country to get to BBQ joints. Our advice, use the drives between these locations as recovery time folks!
5. Try and make the journey with two of you, sometimes you just have to sleep when you also have to be driving! When one begins to flag, the other can be the Energiser Bunny.
6. I was disappointed as to how built-up the whole Austin area was. I had imagined more backroads driving and only found that on the way to Lexington. The Hill Country eluded us, and I’d love to have time on rural two lane roads between BBQ joints.
7. As stated previously, GPS in Austin struggles because the I35 is two level through central Austin and the two levels don’t offer the same exists – GPS gets all effed up. Give yourself time because you are bound to make mistakes.

Benchmarks
1. Atmosphere: The smoky halls of Smitty’s and the quiet, peaceful, laid-back country small-town feel of Snow’s – both magnificent!
2. Brisket: Franklin, but not by that much. Louie Mueller/Snow’s/Micklethwait not that far behind and an honourable mention to Blacks. Jeez guys, I’d be glad to be able to try any of these at a commercial location even once a year down our way!
3. Pork spare ribs: Franklin again, though the sample size amongst establishments was small. Also, Franklin’s rib taste was quite similar to his brisket, something that could be changed I feel to differentiate them more.
4. Sausage: Southside Market was spectacular. Franklin a good runner-up, but really, Southside regular sausage smoked onsite was the bee’s knees.

Overall…
This was a marvellous experience, central Texas BBQ is a national treasure, and the type of trip to recommend to any thoughtful BBQ aficionado. There are still plenty of reasons to come back – places we missed, places we visited but missed certain menu items, places with unique qualities we want to visit again with our families (Smitty’s, Snows).

Please PM me if you have any questions any time.
 
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