Shiner on tap... and a quiet little back porch patio to sit back and drink it. Unfortunately they…read moreno longer have the VHS collection. I brought my VCR just for that purpose. Oh well guess we're Netflix and chill tonight. Still a great spot. Blue Bell ice cream on a cone makes me wana try and beer float next time. Pretty cool to see locals hanging out in the store chewing the fat and drinking some coldies.

It is a convenient store with a bar at the back. The place…read moresmells of mildew and urine. No stars!

Texas is known as having the best barbecue in the country! We all hear about the big names that…read morestretch from Austin to Dallas to Houston. I've been to probably all of them. Well, there's another one called "City Market" that skipped right past me. Or, no one thought to tell me. It's one or the other because this place is pretty popular with lines out the door! So I heard about City Market BBQ, the same day I drove to Luling, Texas! It's an hour outside of Austin. City Market is in the downtown area, and parking was a breeze; the line I saw on the sidewalk coming from City Market, I must admit, was long, but it was a breeze, too. Now, this is on Wednesday, not the weekend. I hopped in line, the line moving fast. People are friendly, telling me that once I'm inside, there's another door I will go into to place my order. I like to call this the secret door with all the good smells of smoky barbecue. Check out my pictures of the secret door; you can't even see inside. I'm there, I made it inside, and there's 3 of the most friendly older gentlemen I will ever meet in my life. One of them caught on that I haven't been in a kitchen, never in my life, when he started asking if I wanted 1/4 of brisket. I whispered, "Give me three or four, because I'm not good at math either." Oh, we had a great laugh! I sat down, picked on a rib, and the meat slid from the bone! It was so tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The skin had the right burnt in the right spots. The meat was moist and easy to chew. I was like the Flintstones cleaning the bones before I bit into my sausage and brisket. The sausage was very good, and my brisket was smoky, like my ribs. I have to brag about the sauce. It came in a skinny bottle. It was a new flavor for me; it wasn't spicy, but it had a nice heat to it that I loved! I'm so happy I chose to ride down to Luling to visit City Market as soon as I heard about this BBQ place. I would have been so mad at myself if I had waited and forgotten!

City Market in Luling was established in either 1957 or 1958, depending on the source. The…read morerestaurant's own website says "Established in 1958," and most historical references use 1958. So as of 2026, the barbecue place is about 68 years old. It's considered one of the classic old-school Central Texas barbecue joints and still operates much like a traditional meat-market-style BBQ house. This is an older building, including bathrooms... One of which was not working. Was disappointed that their sides include potato salad, and beans only because when I go to barbecue, I love Colliard greens, potato salad, beet salad, etc. not available here. The brisket slice I had likely the best piece of brisket I've ever had in my life. Now... Don't go crazy. I don't eat brisket typically when I do barbecue. The rib that I had was decent. The sausage I had by comparison to other barbecue places was unfortunately the worst that I've ever had. I'm not sure what grind they use, but it seems like it was more beef and somewhat sweet to my pallet which I personally don't care for in sausage. Overall, if I just wanted brisket, I would return but next time I'm in Luling I likely will go to the place right next-door to them and try them.

If summarize this place as getting a call from a friend to come over for a backyard BBQ and you're…read moreexcited because they can work the grills/smoker. This is quintessential old school central Texas BBQ. Not the craft bbq you'd get in Austin. I think it's significantly better than the notable staples in Lockhart. This place reminds me of Snow's (which I adore). Scale 1 = no way / 5 = stellar Turkey - 4 Ribs - 4 Chicken - 4 Brisket - 5 Sausage - 5 Sides: Cheesy potatoes - 3 Mac n cheese - 3 Green beans - 4 Pea Salad - 4 Potato salad - 5 Wednesday (at least Ash Wednesday they did) an Friday's they serve fired catfish with hush puppies. For all the flavor and seasoning the other meats had, they forgot it in the breading of the fish. This needs to be doctored up. This receives a 2! I believe 3 meats and two sides are $20. This is unheard of with the way prices have risen for bbq. This place is legit and I understand how it on the radar for Texas Monthly best bbq.

The food was great. Service was friendly. I didnt get to try their pork steak which they are…read moreapparently known for for serving. Overall a solid BBQ joint.

No frills bbq gets a no frills review…read more Brisket was worth the drive. Sausage was ok. The jalapeno sausage seemed to have some other spice like fennel in it too, which was unexpected but good. You enter the building and are immediately in front of the pit and even some open fire. You order your meat from the guys and pay there. Then you can go into the dining room and order sides, or just eat your meat like we did. They aren't kidding when they say "no forks." They just give you knives, but the brisket barely needs a knive.

A Lockhart classic that's been around for ages as a true OG. While in town to visit Barb's B-Q, my…read morebuddy and I stepped out of line briefly for a quick trip to Smitty's. The firewood sits on the ground as you walk in as a part of their open-fire cooking style bringing smoke into the brick pits. These new school smokers don't do it like Smitty's. As we walked in at 10:30, there was no line. We asked for the simplest order. A single slice of brisket and a single slice of turkey. It was about $12 all in. As we sat down with one of the 4 pieces of butcher paper for 2 slices of meat, I noticed that there are no forks at Smitty's. Just knives. We got to work. The turkey was fantastic. Barbecue turkey is honestly an underrated concept and their turkey was juicy, soft, and would change any Thanksgiving meal to one for the history books. I was extremely disappointed in the slice of brisket though. It was extremely chewy like plastic. Decently seasoned but not tender at all. Probably a bit undercooked. It was worth visiting for the experience, especially to get a picture next to the fire pit, which one of the people on staff was nice enough to take for us. As we walked out, we noticed tons of their awards and recognitions. It's cool to give a classic originator of Texas barbecue a hat tip like we did. RIYL: The originators or fire on the floor

First off the building is nicely decorated and very clean. Inside seating is small. Outside…read moreseating is plentiful. The ladies at the counter were so helpful and nice. They gave us a sample of their pork steak. We tried the sides first. The Brisket Beans are a must buy. Great taste and texture. Then the Jalapeño Cream Corn it was different. Not in a bad way if you like Jalapeños. Then on to the proteins. We tried the dry rub ribs and the big red ribs. Both were exceptional. Melt in your mouth meat. The Brisket was on point as well. Just the way I like it. Not a lot of rub. But just like the ribs melt in your mouth. I would say it is well worth the visit to Port Lavaca for this BBQ joint.

The hospitality here was amazing. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted warmly and made to…read morefeel welcome. Since it was my first time visiting, an employee took the time to explain the story behind their pulled pork and how they developed its flavor. I was even offered a sample. While the taste wasn't exactly for me, I appreciated the experience and the passion behind it. I ordered the 3-meat platter, which included two ribs, two slices of fatty brisket (because who doesn't love the fat?), and their Central Texas sausage, along with pinto beans, potato salad, cornbread, and pickles. For me personally, the brisket was the standout. It was tender, flavorful, and exactly what I hoped for. The ribs, however, weren't my favorite. The tenderness was absolutely there, but the seasoning was so overpowering that I couldn't taste the smokiness of the meat itself. Every bite felt like a mouthful of seasoning rather than barbecue. If I wanted to eat seasoning alone, I would've stayed home and used my own. The sausage was also a miss for me. It was extremely pepper-forward and fell apart before I could even take a proper bite. It reminded me of an andouille-style sausage, which may appeal to some people, but it wasn't to my liking. The pinto beans were decent, although they were served more warm than hot. The potato salad wasn't my preference because of the mustard flavor, but that's purely personal taste. The cornbread, on the other hand, was excellent--moist, sweet, and easily one of my favorite items on the plate. Overall, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. Even the owner stopped by to ask how everything was. I gave my honest opinion. It may not have been exactly what she wanted to hear, but I'd rather be truthful than tell people what they want to hear. The Ghost Critic Verdict: 4/5 Great hospitality and a memorable experience, with excellent brisket and cornbread, but some of the seasoning profiles simply weren't for me.

Amazing bbq and phenomenal service. Gave us some turkey to try and it was delicious!! Their banana…read morepudding is to die for!

We had a graduation party and needed 10lbs of meat with the sides. We walked in with our list…read more Chris and Brandon took it and filled it in no time, super helpful, fast and efficient. They helped us apply the family pack discounts. The BBQ was amazing, especially the brisket, turkey and potato salad. Our Oregon relatives loved it!!!

Wonderful BBQ place in Lockhart with terrific service and even better BBQ and sides…read more Came on a Saturday around 2:30 pm which was our mistake because they had sold out of several BBQ options, but we thoroughly enjoyed the chopped brisket -- smoky, juicy, well seasoned--along with a sausage which was also juicy, smoked just right and full of flavor. The sliced dill pickles were also excellent. Loved their potato salad which was creamy, just salty enough for our palate and had with a good balance of textures. The green spaghetti was a pleasant surprise too as the creamy poblano sauce had a hint of heat and could have been a meal in itself given how rich it tasted. Next time we visit, we will definitely come before they open on a Friday so that we can try everything!

There has been a lot of hype around Texas BBQ for a while, and I've been fortunate enough to try…read moremany of the well-known spots. I've also seen the rise and fall of some old and new famous BBQ places, whether from quality dropping, prices increasing, portions shrinking, or places simply not living up to the hype. Lockhart has many original and famous Texas BBQ spots, but I have to say, Barbs B Q truly stands out. I wouldn't even compare it directly with other more traditional Texas BBQ places. Yes, it is that good. Maybe because it's located in Lockhart instead of somewhere like Austin, it doesn't feel overly hyped yet, which honestly might be a good thing. This humble little shop operates with very limited hours but offers exceptional quality food. They open at 11 AM, and I arrived around 10:30 AM, but there was already a line. That tells you everything: you need to get there early. They did start letting people in a little early, which was nice. Like many great BBQ places, even if they say they close at 3 PM, there's a good chance the meat will sell out much earlier. The owner and pitmaster was super friendly and passionate. Even with a long line, she still greeted customers and had a quick conversation with each person, which was honestly impressive. As for the BBQ itself, I tried the ribs, brisket, lamb chops, sausage, green spaghetti, and pudding. Everything was perfection. Yes, I'll say it again: pure perfection, even the bread. When it was my turn, it was hard to find seating, so I ended up bringing the food home, but it was still incredibly delicious. This is BBQ on an entirely different level. My suggestion: come try this place before it goes viral and becomes a huge hype spot. I really love and cherish small local businesses like this, and I hope they keep doing things their way even after more success comes their way.

Tried the hotdog wish they had an option for hot chili it tasted ok but Wow the sliced brisket was…read moreso tender and flavorful I highly recommend - got some of the jalapeño sausage - very tasty - I took a 1/2 pound of each home! I'll be back!

I made a deliberate exit off of I10 just to check it out…read more Upon entering you see patrons eating at tables along the wall across from the meat showcase. Down a narrow aisle towards the back you see a line of folks ordering to-go food, but there is no recognizable way to determine how to order out of the meatcase. I finally got a clerk to notice that I wanted something out of the case, ... he gathered my selected items and said, "meet me at the register." I purchased the beef links, hot chubbys, and the homemade weiners. That night, I had it all on the smoker. Everything was delicious. I found the weiners very dense and meaty, but heavy on salt content. I tried marinating them, to tone the salt down a bit, but to no avail. I'll be boiling the next batch to see if that helps. Overall, City Market is a place to visit if you're flying down I10 past Schulenburg, Texas. I'll be back.