Lockhart TX BBQ - I Can Only Pick One

nathajw

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Mar 20, 2007
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Family of 5 in a 34 foot Class A, we're stopping in on our way from SA to Houston. Where do I eat?

I've lived in Texas for over a decade and have never been. Which one is best?
 

Cowguy

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May 29, 2001
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That's tough. I'd probably do Black's. Honestly I might head 10 miles down the road to Lulling and go to city market. Smitty's is the original Kreuz's. Interesting story of how the family split. I don't really care for the new iteration of Kreuz's ... part of the experience is the place. The first three have years of history and buildings full of soot and smelling of smoke.

Have fun!
 
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BluegrassPoke

Heisman
Dec 10, 2002
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OP, first DM me.

Second. Don’t go to either. I respect their history but they both suck! Go to Austin, forget Lockhart. Everyone will be disappointed if you go to Lockhart.

Austin:
Franklins
Ia
Lambert’s
Coopers
And more
 

BluegrassPoke

Heisman
Dec 10, 2002
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Here is how BBQ in TX is changing. Eve Mae’s in Lubbock is now a top five BBQ joint in TX and it is 3 years old. They have free beer to boot. It is in Wolfforth. Pecan Lodge in Dallas is also top 5. It is new. Texas now is rocking pork, not just beef.
 

The Duke

Heisman
May 29, 2001
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Blacks is my favorite in Lockhart.

Louie Mueller in Taylor is the grandfather of them all and as good as anything on planet earth.

Plenty of good que in Austin as well. We are blessed in central Texas.
 
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Cowguy

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OP, first DM me.

Second. Don’t go to either. I respect their history but they both suck! Go to Austin, forget Lockhart. Everyone will be disappointed if you go to Lockhart.

Austin:
Franklins
Ia
Lambert’s
Coopers
And more

Did you miss the part where there are going from Houston to San Antonio? No the places in Lockhart don’t suck. They might not be the best in the area (why I mentioned lulling, which is actually closer to the route anyway) but it’s well worth the stop at either I mentioned as the history actually eclipses the food.

The only ones you got right in Austin is franklin and la barbecue anyway. Stiles switch, Micklethwait and Terry blacks **** on cooper and Lambert’s.

He asked a specific question. He wasn’t asking for someone to give him a bbq tour of Texas.
 
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Cowguy

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@The Duke have you ever made it out to snows in Lexington? I never seem to be in town when she’s open. I know several that think it’s better than franklin. I think it’s been number one like 4 years running on Texas monthly.
 

The Duke

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@The Duke have you ever made it out to snows in Lexington? I never seem to be in town when she’s open. I know several that think it’s better than franklin. I think it’s been number one like 4 years running on Texas monthly.

She’s a legend and the place looks more like a welding shop but a combination of weekend kid activities and early AM commute has kept it on my bucket list for years unfortunately.

I know that place has a shelf life w her age, just need to get it done. That rare Texas Monthly w the Que rankings is a collectors item in itself.
 

BluegrassPoke

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Dec 10, 2002
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When was the last time any of you went to Blacks in Lockhart? I was there this past January.

Rendezvous in Memphis use to make the very best pork ribs in the world. Now it is hit and miss and I hate that.

Things change. I appreciate the history and nostalgia of Blacks and Lockhart. I am not the only one in Texas that has this same opinion. Many Texans will say go to Austin and skip the city of Lockhart all together.
 
May 29, 2001
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When was the last time any of you went to Blacks in Lockhart? I was there this past January.

Rendezvous in Memphis use to make the very best pork ribs in the world. Now it is hit and miss and I hate that.

Things change. I appreciate the history and nostalgia of Blacks and Lockhart. I am not the only one in Texas that has this same opinion. Many Texans will say go to Austin and skip the city of Lockhart all together.
Two year move-in and you're a Texan and BBQ authority? "Many Texans" say the earth is flat and wish Bernie was president.
 
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Cowguy

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When was the last time any of you went to Blacks in Lockhart? I was there this past January.

Rendezvous in Memphis use to make the very best pork ribs in the world. Now it is hit and miss and I hate that.

Things change. I appreciate the history and nostalgia of Blacks and Lockhart. I am not the only one in Texas that has this same opinion. Many Texans will say go to Austin and skip the city of Lockhart all together.

Not that you had any credibility to begin with, but your rendezvous take shows you are not to be taken seriously on any barbecue advice. Rendezvous has never been anything but mediocre. Cool place, nice history but it's the chilis of Memphis. I bet the best steak you've ever had was at Applebee's.
 

BluegrassPoke

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Dec 10, 2002
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Two year move-in and you're a Texan and BBQ authority? "Many Texans" say the earth is flat and wish Bernie was president.
This is not my first rodeo in Dallas and Texas. I worked for SMU before and I grew up 2 hours from Dallas. I have spent almost all of my adult life in the Memphis and Dallas area. NYC has no BBQ chops.
 

BluegrassPoke

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Dec 10, 2002
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Not that you had any credibility to begin with, but your rendezvous take shows you are not to be taken seriously on any barbecue advice. Rendezvous has never been anything but mediocre. Cool place, nice history but it's the chilis of Memphis. I bet the best steak you've ever had was at Applebee's.
Wrong, when Charlie was alive Rendevous was the place for pork. Now that he has passed, it is meh, I have already said as much. Most locals in Memphis agree that The Commissary in Germantown is the best, And I agree with that opinion. Interstate is ok.

What I have been most impressed with Texas after being gone for 10 years is the quality places are doing pork. It is as good as Memphis.

North Carolina, can’t stand their vinegar. That stuff is trash.

I will say it again, Evie Maes in Lubbock is awesome. The place is just 3 years old and Texas Monthly rates it #9 in Texas.
 

Cowguy

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Wrong, when Charlie was alive Rendevous was the place for pork. Now that he has passed, it is meh, I have already said as much. Most locals in Memphis agree that The Commissary in Germantown is the best, And I agree with that opinion. Interstate is ok.

What I have been most impressed with Texas after being gone for 10 years is the quality places are doing pork. It is as good as Memphis.

North Carolina, can’t stand their vinegar. That stuff is trash.

I will say it again, Evie Maes in Lubbock is awesome. The place is just 3 years old and Texas Monthly rates it #9 in Texas.

I don't care who is alive or dead. Those ribs are done over charcoal. Nice rub ... Nice ambience but absolutely no smoke flavor. You could get the rub and do them on your Weber kettle and you'd hardly know the difference.

Germantown is fine but most people in Memphis will tell you BBQ shop, central, Payne's, cozy corner and Elwood's shack are superior. We go to Memphis pretty much every fall break for the last several years and eat almost exclusively barbecue. We frequent most of my list every time. Won't drive back to Germantown again. PS. Interstate is bad junior. Stop watching the food network and travel channel.

I will say Evie Maes is excellent. You mentioned pecan lodge, which is really good, but I think Cattleak is the best in Dallas. Had Lockhart last time down and I thought it was excellent. Saw it made Texas monthly top 50.

Like what you like but telling everyone they're wrong and that something sucks is just looking for a fight. You've proven to me you have no palate (for the most part).
 

BluegrassPoke

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Dec 10, 2002
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I don't care who is alive or dead. Those ribs are done over charcoal. Nice rub ... Nice ambience but absolutely no smoke flavor. You could get the rub and do them on your Weber kettle and you'd hardly know the difference.

Germantown is fine but most people in Memphis will tell you BBQ shop, central, Payne's, cozy corner and Elwood's shack are superior. We go to Memphis pretty much every fall break for the last several years and eat almost exclusively barbecue. We frequent most of my list every time. Won't drive back to Germantown again. PS. Interstate is bad junior. Stop watching the food network and travel channel.

I will say Evie Maes is excellent. You mentioned pecan lodge, which is really good, but I think Cattleak is the best in Dallas. Had Lockhart last time down and I thought it was excellent. Saw it made Texas monthly top 50.

Like what you like but telling everyone they're wrong and that something sucks is just looking for a fight. You've proven to me you have no palate (for the most part).

Fair enough for using the word sucks.

Cattleak is awesome in Dallas. What I like about Pecan Lodge is they do things a little different.

I like my food with a kick, that is my reasoning for my disappointment in Blacks in Lockhart. It is all about the smoke there and for the sides I believe they don’t even try.

In Memphis I believe Gus’s Fried Chicken downtown is the best fried chicken on the planet. It is better than any BBQ joint.

Interstate in Memphis is bad. I tried to like the BBQ Shop in Memphis and just never liked it. Memphis is very split over the place and they serve it wet. Central BBQ is not bad.

In Far North Dallas we stumbled into a new place in downtown Celina of all places, Tender. Damn good place. It has been open since September.

There is my puff on the peace pipe!
 
Dec 22, 2013
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When was the last time any of you went to Blacks in Lockhart? I was there this past January.

Rendezvous in Memphis use to make the very best pork ribs in the world. Now it is hit and miss and I hate that.

Things change. I appreciate the history and nostalgia of Blacks and Lockhart. I am not the only one in Texas that has this same opinion. Many Texans will say go to Austin and skip the city of Lockhart all together.
Last year and you're full of ****.
 
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Dec 22, 2013
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That's tough. I'd probably do Black's. Honestly I might head 10 miles down the road to Lulling and go to city market. Smitty's is the original Kreuz's. Interesting story of how the family split. I don't really care for the new iteration of Kreuz's ... part of the experience is the place. The first three have years of history and buildings full of soot and smelling of smoke.

Have fun!
I agree on Black's AND that I'd be tempted to go to Luling.
 

EvilPOKES

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Apr 23, 2008
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I've only ever been to Smitty's and thought it was fantastic. Want to try others the next time I am in that area.
 

xplor58

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I am part of a long time Texas family..... Texas might be known for briskit but Texas has also always done pork as well
 
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FalseGod

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May 6, 2004
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I've been to Snow's, you need to get out there while she's still alive and smoking, Duke.

For Lockhart Black's is best for brisket or beef ribs. Kreutz has a good pork chop, but the rest is only ok. Smitty's has a cool atmosphere, but ribs are probably their strongest, but that's only average imho.
 
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Cowguy

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I've been to Snow's, you need to get out there while she's still alive and smoking, Duke.

For Lockhart Black's is best for brisket or beef ribs. Kreutz has a good pork chop, but the rest is only ok. Smitty's has a cool atmosphere, but ribs are probably their strongest, but that's only average imho.

I'll probably be down there to see my mom over thanksgiving. Going to make it happen.
 

nathajw

Heisman
Mar 20, 2007
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Well what did you do @nathajw ??

We've done a 'Texas tour' vacay this year and rented a 34 foot Fleetwood Flair. Drove from DFW to Carlsbad (2 nights), Big Bend/Lajitas (3 nights), San Antonio (3 nights), and headed to Houston in a few hours (1 night and an Astros game) before we head home. I think we're going to do Luling City Market since we're just stopping for lunch on the way to Houston, be quicker.

I've convinced wife to let me make a pilgrimage by myself or with a buddy or two back to Lockhart next year, hit them all.
 

The Duke

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We've done a 'Texas tour' vacay this year and rented a 34 foot Fleetwood Flair. Drove from DFW to Carlsbad (2 nights), Big Bend/Lajitas (3 nights), San Antonio (3 nights), and headed to Houston in a few hours (1 night and an Astros game) before we head home. I think we're going to do Luling City Market since we're just stopping for lunch on the way to Houston, be quicker.

I've convinced wife to let me make a pilgrimage by myself or with a buddy or two back to Lockhart next year, hit them all.

LCM will hook you up. Another place I love that hasn’t been mentioned in this thread yet is Freedmen’s. Small place, but really great stuff.

For future trip planning, here is the map of maps:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/2017-top-50-bbq-map/
 

BluegrassPoke

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Dec 10, 2002
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This is @BluegrassPoke ’s wife, you dimwits have no taste buds! Cattleack and Pecan Lodge both are light years ahead. Go to Evie Mae’s outside of Lubbock but stay away from the women.

In Austin, la bbq, Micklethwait and Franklins.

As for Memphis, Don’t Slap your Momma after eating pork at The Commissary, best in West Tennessee!

Just so you know, I am 47 and I am more in shape and hotter than your wife.

Carry on dimwits! And Go Pokes!
 
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Cowguy

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This is @BluegrassPoke ’s wife, you dimwits have no taste buds! Cattleack and Pecan Lodge both are light years ahead. Go to Evie Mae’s outside of Lubbock but stay away from the women.

In Austin, la bbq, Micklethwait and Franklins.

As for Memphis, Don’t Slap your Momma after eating pork at The Commissary, best in West Tennessee!

Just so you know, I am 47 and I am more in shape and hotter than your wife.

Carry on dimwits! And Go Pokes!

So much explained ... so much discovered.
 
Dec 22, 2013
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40,037
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This is @BluegrassPoke ’s wife, you dimwits have no taste buds! Cattleack and Pecan Lodge both are light years ahead. Go to Evie Mae’s outside of Lubbock but stay away from the women.

In Austin, la bbq, Micklethwait and Franklins.

As for Memphis, Don’t Slap your Momma after eating pork at The Commissary, best in West Tennessee!

Just so you know, I am 47 and I am more in shape and hotter than your wife.

Carry on dimwits! And Go Pokes!
 

nathajw

Heisman
Mar 20, 2007
106,206
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City Market was absolutely fantastic. The prices floored me, $13 per pound of brisket and ribs, $1.50 beers, $2.30 a ring of sausage. The wife, me, and 3 young boys ate until we practically had the meat sweats for less than $50, that included about 4 beers for me, 2 while in line. (We ordered 1.5 pounds of ribs and they easily gave us over 2)

I smoke something for umpteen amount of hours on my BGE or a stick-burner at least 2-4 times a month and have tried all kinds of different cooks/styles. LCM may not be someone's "favorite" place but if you think City Market "sucks" you're definitely just trying too hard to be cool. Wasn't a fan of the beans but have never cared for the bland pinto style, I'm a bbq beans guy, preferably hot. I've had the ribs at Lockhart's (Plano location, any association with the Lockhart, TX restaurants?) and the ribs were way way way over-seasoned, maybe I was just there on the wrong day. The ribs at LCM were just right, got sausage, brisket, and ribs. No complaints.
 

The Duke

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City Market was absolutely fantastic. The prices floored me, $13 per pound of brisket and ribs, $1.50 beers, $2.30 a ring of sausage. The wife, me, and 3 young boys ate until we practically had the meat sweats for less than $50, that included about 4 beers for me, 2 while in line. (We ordered 1.5 pounds of ribs and they easily gave us over 2)

I smoke something for umpteen amount of hours on my BGE or a stick-burner at least 2-4 times a month and have tried all kinds of different cooks/styles. LCM may not be someone's "favorite" place but if you think City Market "sucks" you're definitely just trying too hard to be cool. Wasn't a fan of the beans but have never cared for the bland pinto style, I'm a bbq beans guy, preferably hot. I've had the ribs at Lockhart's (Plano location, any association with the Lockhart, TX restaurants?) and the ribs were way way way over-seasoned, maybe I was just there on the wrong day. The ribs at LCM were just right, got sausage, brisket, and ribs. No complaints.

Thanks for the recap, was wondering how it went!
 

Cowguy

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City Market was absolutely fantastic. The prices floored me, $13 per pound of brisket and ribs, $1.50 beers, $2.30 a ring of sausage. The wife, me, and 3 young boys ate until we practically had the meat sweats for less than $50, that included about 4 beers for me, 2 while in line. (We ordered 1.5 pounds of ribs and they easily gave us over 2)

I smoke something for umpteen amount of hours on my BGE or a stick-burner at least 2-4 times a month and have tried all kinds of different cooks/styles. LCM may not be someone's "favorite" place but if you think City Market "sucks" you're definitely just trying too hard to be cool. Wasn't a fan of the beans but have never cared for the bland pinto style, I'm a bbq beans guy, preferably hot. I've had the ribs at Lockhart's (Plano location, any association with the Lockhart, TX restaurants?) and the ribs were way way way over-seasoned, maybe I was just there on the wrong day. The ribs at LCM were just right, got sausage, brisket, and ribs. No complaints.

Awesome! I love that place. It's about as old timey as it comes. And you're right ... it's an amazing value. Surely you had a hunk of cheese and saltines too!

We are barbecue freaks and have been to most of the Texas top fifty. Places like Black's, Louie Mueller, city market are such slices of history and Americana. I'm glad you guys enjoyed.