A road trip for the taste buds...Lockhart
Barbeque Capital of the World
Texas barbeque is a whole different thing than what you will find in say Chicago or Boston. In other places it involves simply outdoor grilling and a bottle of sauce. Here in Texas it is an art requiring skill and patience.
SO, when a BBQ joint is famous, it holds its place in history. It is a passage of family tradition and bragging rights. If you're a carnivore seeking culinary delights, you'll find these places worth the trip.
Chisholm Trail Barbecue
1323 S. Colorado
512-398-6027
A relative newcomer (1978) CTB is no slouch. Setting themselves apart, the menu includes a large selection of salads and side dishes. On Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays they also serve fried catfish. (Great for Catholics) My brother's mother-in-law, a long time local, favors CTB for the variety. It wins extra kudos for having drive-through service.
Sunday -Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
Friday & Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Black's Barbecue
212 N. Main St.
512-398-2712
The oldest barbecue restaurant in Texas owned by the same family, is noted for being LBJ's favorite. In the 1980s they began offereing - gulp - sauce, on request for Yankees. Dessert and traditional sides are served cafeteria style.
Monday -Friday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
Saturday & Sunday 10 to 8 p.m.
Kreuz Market
619 North Colorado Street
Lockhart TX 78644
512-398-2361
Nuthin' fancy here...just good eatin'
Patrons line up up for brisket, sausage and pork loin served on butcher paper and head for a spartan family style dining room. Don't even think to ask for a salad here. Your veggie options? Pickles and onion (whadja 'xpect?). The meat is moist without being overly fatty and the smoky taste envelops your senses. Oh, and don't ask for BBQ sauce, that's for unknowing Yankees, good meat don't need no stinking sauce.
Monday-Friday 7a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday 7a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Sunday closed
Smitty's Market
208 S. Commerce
512-398-9344
After a family feud, Smitty's might be referred to as the "old Kreuz's -- housed in Kreuz's original building, using the ol' pits, menu, cooking and butcher paper "plates".Little has changed - only the addition of beans, and potato salad. Locals who shun the warehouse size and atmosphere of Kreuz's, appreciate Smitty's for being as it was "in the good ol' days". Incidentally, Smitty's Market is also a real meat market. Bolder diners wishing to take a stab at the art of BBQ can pick up some great cuts of beef while they're there. Take part in the local debate and compare to Kreuz's. Both, by the way, were named "Best of the Best" barbeque joints by Texas Monthly.
Open daily, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
a great gal with whom to share BBQ, beer and blabs. 