Barbeque Nirvana

I convinced Becca that since tomorrow is my half birthday, we should drive down to Lockhart, the BBQ Capital of Texas, and thus, the world. On my birthday last year, we headed to Louie Mueller, 1 of the top 3 barbeque places in Texas (post here). On of the other top 3 is Smitty's Market in Lockhart. There's a little history behind Smitty's and Kreuz (basically, there was a family fallout and one of them moved a quarter mile down the street, so a lot of the meat is nearly the same). The last of the holy trinity of bbq is Cooper's in Llano (maybe on my birthday later this year?). It was a 45 minute drive down US-183. Driving it actually seemed a little shorter than that (basically, after the airport, it's another 20 minutes). Smitty's is in the center of town, by the county courthouse.

When you first walk in the front door, you see the old benches where you used to eat. The oak smoke is pretty thick, but smells so good, you almost want to try to eat it. You walk to the pit and tell them what you want and pay for it there. Then you go through some doors and order any sides and drinks. Everywhere I've read, people say that Big Red goes best with bbq. I was a little hesitant (Becca always gets it at Rudy's) and actually, they were right.

We got 1/2# brisket, 1/4# prime rib, 1 sausage, and 2 ribs. You get it on brown butcher paper with bread or crackers. You also get knives to cut your meat. No forks, no spoons (although we got some for beans and potato salad), no sauce. We got Riley some cheese as well. The meat has a simple rub but is smoked to perfection.

My review: BBQ Nirvana. This is absolutely the best bbq I've had anywhere, anytime. Becca was a little skeptical about the 45 minute drive and eating with you hands, but once she tried the rib (only on weekends, I think) and the brisket, she was converted. For example:

Scot: "Do you want a knife to cut your brisket?"

Becca: "mmgh ... huh?"

Scot: "Do you want a knife to cut your meat?"

Becca: "takes ... too ... much ... time"

The spaces were her ripping the meat up with her hands and eating it. The ribs were spectacular. The were smoked and had some sweet glaze on them. Previously, our favorite ribs were at Texas Roadhouse, but these pork ribs were amazing. The prime rib was divine, and the brisket was so tender, the crust was just the right saltiness, and the smoked taste had penetrated into the meat just right. It looked like a lot of meat, but we cleaned it up. One note, the sausage wasn't very good, but that's because we don't like the type they make. Basically, we think it is too "grainy". It had a good taste, but we couldn't get over the texture. We are aware that some people like this type of sausage, so don't rule it out if you go.

On our way out, I wanted to stop at Kreuz to check it out. It was much larger and much more modern, which isn't necessarily a good thing for bbq joints. I think I read that it could sit 600 people (Smitty's could probably sit 100?). I couldn't help myself and got 1/4# of brisket to compare. It wasn't quite as tender, didn't have quite as much taste, and was a little more expensive. It wasn't bad though, better than most other brisket, but come on, we are now comparing it to the best we've had. So, for atmosphere, food, and all things good for bbq, Smitty's is my winner. If you have a little time on a Saturday (I would suggest lunch since they close at 6:30) or are really craving good bbq, head down to Lockhart and try Smitty's. Cooper's, here we come (eventually).