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Ultimate Guide to Austin Pitmasters at Texas Monthly BBQ Festival 2019

October 28, 2019 by Bill Tucker Leave a Comment

Guide to 10th Annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival in Austin — The 10th Annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival brings all the meat (Credit: Julia Keim)

Breakfast tacos, Tex-Mex, and barbecue. The three points of the foodie Texas Trinity. Arguably the tip of this triangle of tasty treats, barbecue fandom goes beyond intense. Tell somebody you prefer Rudy’s over Franklin’s and prepare for battle.

But barbecue doesn’t stop with Central Texas. The Lone Star State is flush with some of the finest pitmasters in the world, 31 of whom will be attending the 10th Annual Texas Monthly BBQ Festival on Nov. 3, 2019, at the Long Center.

Six local masters of meat will be representing Austin (more than any other major city). In true hyperlocal fashion, here’s our guide to each and every one of them. Though they won’t be offering their full menus at the event, you can build up your appetite with this review of their smoking hot strengths.

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Slab BBQ & Beer Is Smoking Dope Barbecue at Two Austin Locations

July 25, 2018 by Amanda Gagnon Leave a Comment

Barbecue Sandwiches at Slab BBQ in Austin

Why choose one barbecue sandwich when you can have three? (Credit: Amanda Gagnon)

Texans will argue that brisket reigns supreme when it comes to barbecue. If you’re open to being convinced otherwise, visit Slab BBQ & Beer, where the pulled pork isn’t too shabby, either.

Between the slow-cooked meats and hip hop over the speakers, Slab is smoking what it calls “dope” barbecue. This team is extremely passionate about what they do. It not only shows in the delicious food, but also in the hospitality. [Read more…]

Day Trip to Lockhart, Texas to Find More Than Barbecue

June 1, 2018 by Samantha Saenz 1 Comment

Smitty's Market BBQ in Lockhart Texas — Lockhart is home to Smitty’s Market, but that’s just the beginning of what this Texas town offers
(Credit: Samantha Saenz)

Lockhart is synonymous with barbecue, so much so that it’s been dubbed the Barbecue Capital of Texas. As a result, every year, people make a pilgrimage to indulge in the holy trinity of meat perfection, otherwise known as Black’s, Smitty’s, and Kreuz.

This small Texas town of 12,000, located just 30 minutes south of Austin in Caldwell County, has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a cowboy town along the Chisholm Trail. Lockhart is even starting to expand past its reputation as The Lone Star State’s ultimate barbecue destination–though that reputation is still firmly in place.

The “city with a vision” has become a home for breweries, musicians looking to escape Austin’s skyrocketing prices, and big city-esque establishments. You should expect to linger longer when you explore downtown because there’s much more than barbecue waiting to be discovered.

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Texas Monthly BBQ Fest Brings the Best Meat With (Almost) No Lines

November 8, 2017 by Yulia Dyukova 1 Comment

Juicy brisket from Micklethwait Craft Meats at Texas Monthly BBQ Fest 2017

Getting out of my Uber in front of the Long Center last Sunday and seeing the crowds gathering to eat some of the best barbecue in Texas gave me a slight feeling of overwhelm. The 8th annual Texas Monthly BBQ Fest was the biggest one yet, with over 4,000 meat lovers in attendance.

Thirty BBQ joints from around the state–all featured in Texas Monthly’s latest list of the top 50 BBQ joints in Texas–were offering samples of their meat. The prospect of having all-you-can-eat brisket, ribs, and sausage from the best pitmasters was both exciting and intimidating. Especially when I realized I only had four hours to try them all! [Read more…]

Late Night Barbecue Without Lines? Enter Rollin Smoke

October 24, 2017 by Jonas White Leave a Comment

For delicious flavors and Insta-worthy meat pics, head to Rollin' Smoke (Credit: Rollin' Smoke's Instagram)

For delicious flavors and Insta-worthy meat pics, head to Rollin Smoke (Credit: Rollin Smoke BBQ Instagram)

In Austin, barbecue is religion. There are devotees of the Church of Franklin, disciples of La Barbecue, and followers of many other local barbecue faiths. The quality and quantity of smoked meat destinations in Austin are true highlights of our city. While this is great for Austin residents and visitors, all the options can make it difficult for a smaller operation to make a name for itself. Luckily, for every Goliath, there’s a brisket-smoking, pork-pulling David hoping to stand out.

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Snow’s BBQ Ranks as Best Barbecue (and Line?) in Texas

August 9, 2017 by Guest Blogger 1 Comment

Snow’s holy trinity: brisket, jalapeño sausage, and pork steak

Guest article by Cristopher Rubio

I had been craving Snow’s BBQ for a couple months, the eatery ranked number one among Texas Monthly’s “Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas.” So a few Saturdays ago, I convinced my in-laws, Mayra and Jorge, to join me for a visit. The following is a running diary of an excellent day spent with excellent people, eating some of the best barbecue in the state. [Read more…]

Highlights From Aaron Franklin’s First Hot Luck Festival

May 22, 2017 by Jaclyn Hubersberger Leave a Comment

Aaron Franklin helped Rebecca Masson of Houston’s Fluff Bake Bar serve “Thurston S’moores” during The Thurston Moore Group’s performance at The Mohawk (Credit: Daniel Cavazos)

Hot Luck founder Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, along with partners James Moody of The Mohawk and Michael Thelin of Feast Portland, just wrapped up a successful four-day food and music festival that featured more than 50 celebrated chefs from around the country, over half of whom reside right here in Austin.

The concept was inspired by intimate and informal gatherings–drawing on the nostalgia of foods that comfort, and then are reimagined for a new generation. Hot Luck was for anyone who could appreciate a thoughtfully curated sensory experience, minus any pretension. (Note: you’ll find the words “hoedown” and “hootenanny” used to describe the event on the festival’s website. Boots were optional, koozies were required.)

Humble in presentation, but certainly not lacking in creativity and innovation, samplings were designed to be utensil-free and enjoyed in a picnic atmosphere. [Read more…]

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue Food Truck Reimagines Texas Traditions

May 16, 2017 by Yulia Dyukova Leave a Comment

If I’ve learned anything from a year of living in Texas, it’s the fact that every Texan has a strong opinion about how BBQ should taste. Actually, “opinion” is a weak word in this case. “Indisputable truth” better explains the situation.

In a state where brisket is king, opening a BBQ joint that specializes in creative meats and unusual cuts is an act of courage. On a regular weekday, you won’t find the oh-so-familiar trio of brisket, ribs, and sausage on the menu of the newly opened LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue food truck. Instead, you might come across beef cheeks, quail stuffed with macaroni and cheese, and pork shoulder. [Read more…]

TMBBQ Fest Brings the Heat and the Meat to Austin

November 1, 2016 by Joleen Jernigan 2 Comments

Table full of samples at TMBBQ Fest

Texas Monthly invited 27 BBQ purveyors to participate in the 7th annual TMBBQ Fest at the Long Center on Oct. 30, 2016. Austin pitmasters represented our city well, claiming five of the coveted spots at the festival and sharing the stage with others from among the top 50 pitmasters in Texas.

The pitmasters, crews and volunteers brought in their smokers early to set up for the meat-tasting extravaganza of the year. A hungry horde of roughly 3,500 eaters put on their game faces and lined up for grub. Some families planned their tasting strategy ahead of time, employing a divide and conquer strategy. Others meandered about, going where the day and their noses led them.

The five Austin participants included Franklin Barbecue, La Barbecue, Freedmen’s, Stiles Switch and Lambert’s. Here’s what you missed. [Read more…]

Guide to the Shortest Wait Times for the Best BBQ in Austin

August 6, 2015 by Edgar Barguiarena 6 Comments

The granddaddy of BBQ lines in Austin, at Franklin Barbecue (Credit: Wally Gobetz via Flickr CC)

There is nothing secret about Austin barbecue anymore. We’ve covered it extensively here at The Austinot, while state and national media outlets have also taken notice over the last couple of years. Barbecue has deep roots in the Central Texas area, contributing to Austin’s reputation as a growing tourist destination. So where does that leave us locals when we want to get our brisket fix?

Standing in line.

Franklin’s is the most notorious culprit, with 3-4 hour lines on a weekday not uncommon. But even a few of the other highly regarded barbecue trailers around town have you queuing up for hours at a time. Sure, there are other great barbecue joints around town that are open all day within the safe confines of an air conditioned building. But sometimes you get a hankering for a piece of greatness that can only come from the pit of a James Beard awarded pitmaster.

And for that, you have to wait. But maybe not as long if I have anything to do with it. With a little planning ahead of time and this handy guide, you can have some of the city’s best barbecue with minimal wait times. Keep reading for the best times to score some of the best barbecue in Austin, the Smoked Brisket Capital of the World. [Read more…]

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