Sure, Central Austin has some amazing places to eat smoked meat. But what about the areas outside the city limits?
Lucky for us, the towns near Austin boast some of the finest barbecue in the country. Here are Zagat readers’ four favorite places to go to for some BBQ grub outside of Austin, plus one favorite in town (no list would be complete without Franklin).
5. City Market
Food: 27
Decor: 15
Service: 19
Cost: $17
This “classic, old-time BBQ” spot in Luling is a “must-try” for its brisket, ribs and sausage served up by the pound on butcher paper and wolfed down at communal picnic tables; don’t expect much in the way of decor or service, but do “expect a line.”
4. Smitty’s Market
Food: 27
Decor: 14
Service: 15
Cost: $18
A “mecca” for “BBQ aficionados,” this Lockhart butcher shop set in the original site of the Kreuz Market is cherished for its “superb” brisket, “thick pork chops” that “rock your socks” and links “to die for” (a good thing since “your arteries may never recover”); all comes served straight from the pit in an “old-time, fire-seared” setting abetted by a friendly staff and cold beer.
3. Franklin Barbecue
Food: 28
Decor: 11
Service: 19
Cost: $17
Originally a trailer, this brick-and-mortar BBQ upstart in East Austin is “giving the big names a run for their money” with some of the “finest brisket in the entire state of Texas” plus pulled pork and other “exceptional,” “simple smoked meats”; the modest space opens at 11 AM and closes whenever the eats run out, which is usually early.
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