4 & 1/2...Aside from longtime Marc Maron/WTF listeners like myself who were put on by the irascible hosts citing of this spot as his personal favorite that he always tries to make a point of visiting when in the Austin Area, I feel like this place is a little bit under the radar in the Central Texas BBQ pantheon, and in my estimation, it can go toe to toe with many of the other much more widely known spots, both in terms of food quality and authentic vibes. All of the meats have always been uniformly excellent and masterfully prepared. This would go for the most traditional of the meats on offer, "The Texas Trinity" of succulent, smokey and impossibly moist brisket (I particularly recommend a fattier cut here), zesty and saucy spare ribs, and delightfully snappy, fatty and unctuous links of jalapeño cheddar beef sausage. It's also the case there the pit-master goes deeper into more rarely seen offerings like pork chop or pork loin. Even the turkey breast, usually a good bet to be the driest, most blah protein to be found in a Texas BBQ, here is consistently and astonishingly juicy and flavorful to the point that it actually rapidly vanished from the tray. The also buck the normal trend of sides in great bbq spots being forgettable afterthoughts by having some truly delicious ones on offer approaching the greatness of the smoked meats, namely a creamy and zesty creamed corn and a truly addictive tator tot casserole that deliciously combines crispy, creamy and cheesy notes.
As I mentioned the delicious food is matched by it's location and decor which only further serves to complete a truly authentic and singular Texas BBQ experience. The large roadhouse-like wooden structure, outfitted with a classic retro style sign, is located right behind a gas station which also houses both a country store and, even more conveniently a liquor store, the better to serve the customers who want to take advantage of the establishments glorious BYO policy. Like at any great Texas BBQ, the smell of the delicious bounty within will hit you as soon as you park, leading you inside in a meat fume fueled trance. When you walk into the massive wide open interior dining room, the first thing you'll be greeted by is a large smoker on the floor displaying all of the days available delicacies. Obviously you should come with as big a group as possible, the better to sample the most of what's on offer. You'll then proceed with your packed trey to one of the many large communal tables and proceed to having an incredible meal, and likely need to be rolled out on account of how stuffed you all are, despite maybe still having some leftovers because it's just so hard to to order soooo much at a place this great. Really a wonderful BBQ experience worth a drive up from Austin for this alone, or even more clutch should you be visiting the nearby LBJ Ranch, a truly interesting Hill Country historical site just a short drive away. read more