93181 Wed Mar 22 10:03:52 -0800 2006 10 61 Austin 0 511587 We are coming to Austin for business in April, and won't have a car, but we can take a cab to find the best Tex Mex and barbeque Austin has to offer near the Four Seasons Hotel. Thanks! Wed Mar 22 10:03:52 -0800 2006 0 Mid West Hound 1 511588 Since it doesn't sound like BBQ in Lockhart is in the picture, I would recommend(in this order): Sam's on E.12th(cab) Ben's Longbranch on E. 11th(cab) Iron Works on Cesar Chavez/Red River(walk) Wed Mar 22 10:12:16 -0800 2006 511587 0 Frank M 2 511615 I know Sam's uses wood. Do the others? I'm skeptical of Iron Works. One should not bother at all with any BBQ that doesn't use wood. Thu Mar 23 05:42:19 -0800 2006 511588 0 Kent Wang 3 511626 Iron Works is in business for exactly one reason, LOCATION and tourists. OK, that was two reasons. Their "city" BBQ has little to no smoke flavor. County Line is even better thna IW to me. All of Sam's meat has too much fat for me, they must use cry-o-vac briskets. Ben's Longbranch has the best beef ribs in town and would be the only place in Austin I would rec. IF there is no way to get to Lockhart or even Elgin. Thu Mar 23 11:50:48 -0800 2006 511615 0 The BBQ Guy 1 511600 If want GREAT (not average) Texas BBQ, rent a car for a day and make the short drive to Lockhart. It will be well worth every dollar it costs and the hour and a half or so out of your day. The places that are listed below for Austin are pretty average at best and the meats sold at Black's BBQ and Smitty's Market in Lockhart are absolutely WORLD CLASS. Black's has been selling BBQ since 1932 and Smitty's longer than that. Kreuz Market is also in Lockhart, but IMO opinion it is the 3rd best BBQ place in town. (They sell EXACTLY the same cuts of meat as Smitty's as the families that run each are related.) The beef brisket sold in Lockhart cannot be beat ANYWHERE in the United States. Brisket and sausage at Black's and prime rib, brisket, sausage and pork chops are the way to go at Smitty's. the BBQ is best between 11 and 2, but Smitty's stays open until 6pm or so and Black's is open until 8pm. If you miss the BBQ in Lockhart, you have missed something very special. See the website below. Link: http://www.texasbbqtrail.com/ Wed Mar 22 16:22:17 -0800 2006 511587 0 The BBQ Guy 2 511608 I went to Lockhart with some out-of-town friends who read this board. I agree that Smittys and Black's are awesome and the whole atmosphere is worth the trip! I think the pork ribs are the high point, personally. I have also heard that Elgin is a great place to find BBQ. My hairdresser who grew up in Lockhart swears by some place in Elgin which she says puts all the places in Lockhart to shame. Hard to believe! We thought the sausage at Smitty's was pretty greasy, though. Blacks was pretty great and their sides were nice. Wed Mar 22 20:04:06 -0800 2006 511600 0 Iptacita 3 511625 There are three BBQ places in Elgin; Southside Market, Meyer's, and Crosstown. Southside Market sits on the south side of US 290 at the intersection of SH 95. It is a HUGE BBQ joint and meat market and is nearly always packed with folks. I like this place a lot because their meats are always fresh (because of high turnover) and their prices are low compared with other BBQ joints. Elgin is famous for "hot guts" (sausage) and SM are good, cheap and GREASY. Their chicken and pork ribs are good and brisket average. (The best briskets are from Lockhart and Luling). I always take something home from their meat market also. Meyer's is a much smaller place up US 290 and I simply have never been real impressed with any of their meats except the "lime chicken". They are also famous for sausage but IMO not as good as SM. Crosstown is a small family owned place that I have never tried because the few times I've been by there, only one or two cars in the lot. That is NOT a good sign to me and indicated they will probably not have "fresh" BBQ. Thu Mar 23 11:46:59 -0800 2006 511608 0 The BBQ Guy 4 511644 I was in Elgin last Thursday. We really enjoyed the Southside Market. The food was very good, especially the sides. They also offered some really good mutton ribs and they were the only place we tried that offered them. Our only complaint was that the service was pretty inefficient meaning that we were in line for 15 minutes at 11 am. Despite the warning, we didn't find the sausage to be as greasy as some of the Luling/Lockhart places. Prices were among the lowest we saw in Texas. My wife and I split a 4 meat platter with one beverage for about $12 and were fully satisfied with it. Fri Mar 24 15:06:21 -0800 2006 511625 0 jlawrence01 5 511649 Glad to hear you enjoyed Southside Market's grub. As far as their service goes, they are not fast food fast, and altho I've waited in long lines there, I've never noticed any real problem with the server's efforts. Elgin is simply a laid back little town and nobody's in a big hurry. Fri Mar 24 17:56:48 -0800 2006 511644 0 The BBQ Guy 1 511782 I've been partial to Ironworks since my graduate days at UT over 15 years ago. Very atmospheric, and the combo sampler platter is generous and succulent for the price. And it is within easy walking distance of the Four Seasons--a couple of blocks E on Caesar Chavez. Mon Apr 03 11:49:22 -0700 2006 511587 0 DoctorBee 1 511899 i suggest Rudy's on 360 - then drive around the hilly side of Austin. They also have great breakfast tacos w/ bbq sausage. I think they also now have a Rudy's out by the lake if you want to pick some bbq up and go have a picnic on lake travis. Tue Apr 11 13:50:08 -0700 2006 511587 0 JWDC