Chasing BBQ in Austin, Texas, and Other Culinary Delights
- Brooke
- Oct 9, 2022
- 8 min read
For some people, a visit to Texas means one thing - delicious, smokey, saucy BBQ. And when I say "some people," I mean me. And, well, Ben too. The two of us. That's what a visit to Texas means to us.
Now, we may not be alone in this quest. In fact, you may also be one of those people to whom Texas and BBQ are synonymous. And if that happens to be the case, you've come to the right place. And by place, I mean blog. You feel me.
I should preface this posting by stating unequivocally that *I am NOT a BBQ expert.* I grew up at the Jersey Shore, and let's just say BBQ there means throwing some hot dogs and burgers on a grill on a nice warm summer day after you paid $8 to sit on a beach. I've seen some fellow Jersey Shore residents in the past few years buy a smoker or two, fire it up and work on developing a tasty brisket to share, but let's keep it real - our main food claims veer more red sauce Italian than red sauce BBQ.
But that doesn't mean I'm not keen to learn more, and what better way to learn than to chow down on some tasty, meaty deliciousness?
Therefore, when Ben and I found ourselves in Austin, Texas for three hot summer nights in 2019, we made it a point to get our hands on as much BBQ as our palates could tolerate, and begin to learn a little about what makes Texas BBQ so damn delicious. But we didn't stop with BBQ. No sir-ree, we hit up some other culinary destinations that represented food groups we can't get our hands on on our little Big Island back home, namely Mexican cuisine, Tex-Mex, and various gluten free goodies.
It seems like a good time to mention that during our one and only time to the city of Austin, BBQ legend Franklin Barbecue was closed for vacation. One could say that we had a bout of bad luck, but I think the case could be argued that because Franklin was closed, it forced us to try other options we might have missed instead. And those options by and large were, quite honestly, pretty damn good. In a city chock full of BBQ goodness, it's only right that you should try as much as possible and judge for yourself which one is best. Because even if one doesn't win the title for being best of the bunch, I promise you - there are no losers.
1. Stubb's Bar-B-Q
I hit up Stubb's Bar-B-Q by myself my first night in Austin as I waited for Ben to arrive later in the evening. He and I had been traveling in two separate directions - me, from New Jersey, having just arrived back in the US from my circumnavigating the world trip, and Ben from Hawaii, our home. And Stubb's just happened to be right near our hotel, making a solo dinner in an unfamiliar city an easy decision.
While Stubb's comes out at the bottom of my "favorite Austin BBQ joints," that does not mean it's not worth your time. Stubb's is a BBQ legend, and his sauces and rubs are sold nationwide - in fact, we've made a few of them ourselves back home in the islands. The meats were tender and smokey, and the sauce tasty, but just not quite as "dang, this is quite special" amazing as the others. It's a great place to whet your BBQ whistle and prepare your palate for the best of what Austin, Texas has to offer.
2. la Barbecue
And...we found the line. I'm not a big fan of lines, and I try to avoid them at all costs. Ben is happy to sit on line for something that he knows will be amazing - I simply lack the patience. However, I didn't realize there would be a line until our driver told us that not only would there be a line, but because we were heading over so late (around 1:30 pm), that they might be sold out by the time you get to the front of said line.
I'm sorry, what?
Now, in normal circumstances, our driver dude might have been right, but in our case of being in Austin during the beginning of August when school was not in session and there were few, if any, college kids clogging up the BBQ restaurants of the area, we managed to score some grub, even though we waited in line for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
And boy, was that wait worth it.
However, take note that 1:30 is relatively late to ensure that you're gonna get all the goodies at la Barbecue you have your eyes on. And prepare for a line.
Once you make your way to the front and get a hold of your food, you eat at shared tables (at least you did pre-COVID). There's also a grocery store within the same building, so feel free to do some light shopping pre or post meal if you need to.
We ordered relatively light due to us wanting to try so many of the different foods around Austin. We went with the two sausage varieties, some brisket, pickles, slaw and baked beans. The accompanying BBQ sauces are also amazing, and we bought ourselves a few bottles to take back home with us. There's a reason for a line at la Barbecue in a city full of BBQ, and this place is really the real deal.
I mean, look at the pure joy on that man's face. Get yourself some la Barbecue when you're next in Austin, and thank me later.
3. Terry Black's Barbecue
This time, Ben and I were not alone. We brought a crew of Ben's colleagues with us to Terry Black's Barbecue, none of whom are BBQ experts but happy to be on the mainland enjoying foods we can't get back on our respective island homes. Some in the group are more adventurous foodies than others, but our big group was great for one thing - we could order ALL THE SIDES.
Yes, sometimes BBQ is not just about the meats and sauces (though, in Terry Black's case, the Beef Rib, which I'll touch on next, is worth all the money), but the sides can also be their own standout. Terry Black's was great not only for the mains and sides, but also the ambiance as well.
Terry Black's is a big operation - big line, big dining room, big portions. As you navigate the labyrinth to the front of the line, your first choices are the (aforementioned) sides. Afterwards, as you can see below, you pick your meats.
And your drinks!
Our group picked every side they sold so that we could all sample the deliciousness on offer. All were delicious, and nary a dud to be found. As someone who avoids gluten, there were some I was not able to try, as well as some of the desserts, but judging by the photo below, we were all ready to chow down.
The pictures at Terry Black's are not pretty - I mean, this is Texas BBQ, not fine dining - but the main thing you'll see below is the giant beef rib. What a gloriously flavorful, rich, tender and delicious piece of meat. I'm not sure I've ever had anything quite like it before, and admittedly, Ben and I still think about it on a regular basis. Would we go back to Austin just for that rib? Maybe. Maybe.
Whatever your plans for your travels to Austin, put Terry Black's on your agenda - and don't forget to get the rib and as many sides as you can reasonably consume.
Matt's Famous El Rancho
Welcome to the home of Tex-Mex cuisine, the type of Mexican food American's typically think of as "Mexican food." A little confusing, you say? Maybe, but Tex-Mex is the blend of the tastes and products more commonly found on this side of the Rio Grand versus south of the border.
Matt's El Rancho has an interesting history, starting when Matt Martinez and his wife Janie opened the restaurant in 1952 where the Four Seasons Hotel Austin is currently located. Though it had a humble beginning, starting with only 10 tables, its popularity increased to such heights that the restaurant currently can hold up to 500 patrons at one time. Admittedly, this was one of the larger restaurants we've ever been to - it was an impressive operation!
The food is still made from scratch, including the tortillas, and the juice from the limes in the margaritas. Ben and I were excited to try this place because though Tex-Mex is not a cuisine we are immensely familiar with, it is one we enjoy and want to learn more about. Matt's El Rancho provides those with experienced palates and less experienced ones a great opportunity to have a tasty meal.
Even though the restaurant has a massive interior, we were lucky to sit outside on the back lanai. It's hot in Austin in August, but all of the shade ensured that you weren't baking outside.
I had to try the famous lime margarita to start.
We then opted for the Bob Armstrong Dip, famous worldwide as being the original chile con queso dish you've seen on restaurant menus in every corner of the world. Of course we had to order the OG.
For main, I went with the chicken enchiladas, which a yummy Ranchero Sauce, along with a side of black beans and rice.
We don't claim to be experts on this type of cuisine, but it would be safe to say that for those with more knowledge on the subject than us have led us to Matt's El Rancho. And if we lived any closer than we currently do (which is thousands of miles away, sadly), we would make more efforts to visit. You should too.
Veracruz All Natural
Continuing the theme of checking out more Mexican food, we hit up Veracruz All Natural, a humble taco stand in sort of the middle of nowhere. That doesn't stop folks from finding this gem, and lining up for delicious tacos. Our aim was to try their breakfast tacos, something that is quite elusive in our corner of the world, as well as some of their other offerings.
We also figured while we were there, we should try a few of their other items, just to ensure we had a fuller look at their menu. Their chips and salsa are a standout.
We opted for 3 types of tacos, one for each of us; al pastor, chicken mole, and chorizo and cheese.
Admittedly, the photos below are not exactly the most beautiful food photos I've ever taken, but despite looking a tad bit messy, these things were so incredibly tasty and delicious.
After dining here, I left with a sad feeling that I would no longer have easy access to these types of tacos in my life. Be sure to visit them in Austin to fill a hole in your soul you didn't know existed, and then hope for a speedy return.
Via 33
This is it, folks. The gold standard for all gluten free pizzas and what they should hope to achieve.
I admit that my first preference for pizza is a New York style pizza, growing up where I did at the Jersey Shore. But as someone who must now avoid gluten in order to feel on the up and up, the best options (IMHO) tend to be the types of pizzas with a thicker crust. And the best style of pizza for this is Detroit style pizza.
Enter Via 33. Ben and I had just done some canoeing and wanted some pizza, and knew we were meeting up with some folks back at our hotel. We therefore opted to buy a few pies to bring back with us to have lunch and share our bounty, and in an unprecedented move, we opted for two kinds of gluten free pizzas, The Rocket, with calabrase, arugula and parmesan cheese, as well as a sausage and pepperoni pizza. Both were incredible, and I know it's not typical for New York style pizzas to have leafy greens on their pizzas, but I am a sucker for arugula for some reason.
Whether you can eat gluten or not, this is the place to go for pizza in Austin. I won't forget this place any time soon.
We tried a few other places, which were good but didn't quite reach the heights of these locations listed above. I'm not ashamed to admit that I sometimes dream of going slightly out of my way as I travel across the mainland just to grab a quick bite of one of these places, though I haven't quite made that happen just yet. But the next time I do find myself in Austin, these 6 places will be the first 6 places I will look into, and I highly recommend you doing the same for yourself!
Bonus picture time! :)
Days of this trip: August 3rd - August 6th, 2019
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