Art's Ribs

Ahh, I fondly remember the days of having Artz Rib House on South Lamar, less than two miles from my house. Sadly that location closed about two years ago leaving a huge void in my baby back rib consumption (here's one of my early blog posts on Artz). Not to mention they were a bit of a South Austin institution, with live music, much of it bluegrass, several nights out of the week. Owner Art Blondin has bounced around since the closing of his namesake, but it appears he's landed upright and is in business again. Head about an hour north my friends, to Florence, TX.

Art found this building for rent on Craigslist; it was a former barbeque spot, and I am guessing it had all the right infrastructure to make it worthwhile. (Ignore the "Flaming Grill" part; you can sort of see his Art's Ribs sign in the window, and since I took this photo, he's gotten the hanging sign on the left replaced.) I visited the new Art's (slight name change from the one on South Lamar) last month, and got to see the pitmaster himself, whom I have been acquaintances with for a number of years. I wasted no time in getting my beloved baby backs, and they were just as good as I remember them -- tender, meaty, and just darn good. Art even commented on how the batch of baby backs we were eating were exceptionally large. And look at that smoke ring on the brisket and the ribs! The potato salad and cole slaw are solid too; both had good taste and consistency.

Art was wonderful to bring us a pork loin chop that was fresh off the grill. Here you can see the before and after shots! It was pure smoky meat, thick and juicy. It doesn't get a whole lot better!

Here's a shot of the menu board. Prices are on par with other BBQ spots.

And here's a great shot of Art with his smoker; this was taken by my friend Phillip Patterson, who has taken a number of pictures of Art and his new place, some of which are on the Facebook page.

Photo by Phillip Patterson, used with permission.

So PLEASE, do yourselves a favor and take a little drive north to Florence (Hwy. 183 to RR 138); they're located on Main Street (it's only about two blocks long) and you can't miss it. If you're a pork rib lover, this is absolutely the place to be!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Added Sept. 1, 2014: It is with great sadness that I share Art's unexpected passing this past weekend. I have no idea what will happen to the restaurant in Florence, but with no Art.....Hope he's enjoying some baby backs wherever he is. 

A BBQ Trip Like No Other!

February 16, 2013 is a date that will forever be marked as a favorite in the annals of my food journeys. It was on this day that I drove 197 miles and went to seven (yes, seven!) central Texas barbeque establishments all in one day. Why would anyone be possessed to go to seven spots in one day, you might ask? All in the name of culinary education. 

You see my friend Farmstress Maggie of From Maggie's Farm volunteered to write the "BBQ Outside of Austin" post for the Austin Food Blogger Alliance 2013 City Guide (you can read Maggie's post here), so there were some spots she needed to hit up to research her post. She asked a bunch of us if anyone wanted to go road trippin', she contacted the establishments ahead of time to make sure they were okay with food bloggers coming in and taking pictures of their places (some places got back to her, some didn't; more on customer service as the journey unfolds), she sketched out an itinerary, and off we went on the Great BBQ Road Ramble 2013 as she aptly named it!

At each place we went, we tried to get brisket, sausage and pork ribs for equal comparisons, and beans, potato salad and cole slaw as well. Needless to say, there were some hits, and some misses. And as we discovered, there's good barbeque, and then there's GREAT barbeque.

Our first four stops were places north east of Austin, and included Farmstress Maggie, her husband, Farmer Tom, and one of our other blogger friends, Epicuriosities. Our 10 am meet-up spot was at Louie Mueller in Taylor, which has been in operation in that building since 1959. It's currently run by Wayne Mueller, grandson of the founder, and he couldn't have been nicer and more welcoming. He told us about the history of the building, showered us with different meats, and took us on a tour of his pits, where they use post oak to smoke. I believe he said the building used to be a textile mill, and just has a great old feel to it. Can you see the bulletin board behind Wayne in the picture below? So many of the papers tacked to it are brown-tinged from years of smoke exposure. Just part of the great character of the building!

Oh, and those meats? They were absolutely FINE! Starting with the tray on the left, in the upper left corner and going clockwise we have baby back ribs, sausage, turkey, and the brontosaurus beef rib. On the right, spare ribs, jalapeno sausage, and brisket; missing from the picture is the pork tenderloin Wayne brought later. I love baby backs, and these were tender and flavorful; the sausage had a nice texture, and the casing was just right; the turkey was amazingly moist, as it seems that often smoked turkey/chicken get dried out, this was delicious; and while I am generally not a beef rib person, this one might just make a convert out of me! Nice crust, very tender.

As we rolled through our day, Louie Mueller became the standard against what we compared the others to.  The baby backs, beef rib, sausage and turkey particularly won our gold star of approval. Side note, exactly a week after we were there, fires flared in Mueller's pits. Unfortunately, the pit you see here was destroyed, and the restaurant was closed for several days. They do have a couple huge mobile smokers out back (where they were finishing the beef ribs when we were there) and they're back up and running.

The next stop was Snow's BBQ in Lexington, which is about 45 minutes southeast from Taylor. Back in 2008, Texas Monthly magazine named Snow's the BEST barbeque in the state! And since they're only open on Saturdays, it's been a "get there REAL early" kind of deal or you'll miss out. Friends of mine -- whose food opinions I trust -- have proclaimed Snow's to be worthy of that title. And I can now concur: Snow's is the best brisket I have had. It's tender, it's flavorful, it has a gorgeous smoke ring.... I have always wanted to go, but this was my first trip, and surely not my last!

Snow's had agreed to set some food aside for us so we wouldn't have to be there super early. We pulled in around noon, and found a group of motorcyclists finishing up their meal, and out for a gorgeous Saturday ride. Their sausage was fairly good, though it had been sliced a while earlier, same with the pork ribs. Good flavor, but it's the brisket that's killer. I did like their pinto beans too. Nice tender beans with some pork fat; no need to mess with a bunch of seasonings.

 

 

The pit masters are Tootsie, and she's been doing this for years, and Hershey, who said he had had about two hours of sleep in the last 24. They were all a good, friendly bunch there! It's definitely worth the drive to Lexington, also one of the best deals at $10.95/lb for brisket. THAT brisket!

Then it was off to Elgin, and the first stop was Meyer's. It's a good-sized place, with a whole separate room/counter showcasing all the different sausages they have available for sale. 

The adjacent room is where you place your food order. They didn't seem to be crazy busy or anything, but the service from the counter was a touch off, it seemed. Good thing their sausage was one of the best we had all day! It's a finer grind, with a softer casing. The ribs were fairly tasty too, but unfortunately, the brisket was stringy and dry, like it had been sitting out for too long. (Maybe that's why it's only $8.99/lb?)

Just a little further bit down Hwy. 290 is Southside Market. This is another large establishment, and also one that is very commercial. And it was like a cattle call inside. You could either get in the line on the right or the left, and they both moved at the same slow pace. They do have a separate counter off to the left for to-go orders, but it was not functioning this particular afternoon, although several customers ahead of me in line were getting meats to go. And it seemed that every middle school or JV baseball team was there too; must have been a tournament nearby. So the place was teeming with people.

The service at the counter was polite, but you could tell it was turn and burn. There was one primary guy who took the orders, and a couple of meat cutters on either side him whom he directed. I've heard their mutton is quite good, but we didn't have it this round. We got the 4-meat plate, with the brisket, pork ribs, sausage, and turkey. Sadly on this day, I didn't love their meats. The turkey was good, though not as moist as Louie Mueller's, and the sausage had a rather mushy consistency. Maggie and I really liked their cole slaw -- it was a vinegar-based, with celery and mustard seeds; I loved the twang it had, and it was probably my favorite slaw on the day.

Maggie,Tom and I then headed down to Lockhart, where we were supposed to meet up with blogger friends Mad Betty, Mary Makes Dinner, plus their spouses. Since we were behind schedule, they went to Kreuz, and then we met them at Black's.

This was my first time at Black's, and I would happily go back! Upon hearing we were food bloggers, the staff let us come back in the kitchen and gave us a tour of their pits. The staff were all super-friendly, and even though I know we were in their way for a few minutes when we were behind the counter, they didn't flinch, and acted like it was no trouble at all. True gentlemen! They also use post oak in their pits, and those lids over the pits weigh about 500 pounds each!

Black's was the only other place that we had beef ribs, and this was a whopper of a rib! So at $11.98/lb, this rib came out to $20.25! But it had an outstanding crust on it, and a nice smoky flavor. Overall the meats this day at Black's were a bit on the greasy side, but the beef rib and brisket were winners. I also liked their pinto beans, but found the slaw and potato salad to be a touch sweet. Of the three Lockhart establishments we visited, Black's is homier, and the service was outstanding.

Then we toddled our way over to Smitty's, just a few blocks away. The last time I was at Smitty's was in the heat of the summer. You remember that because one of their charms is seeing and feeling the hot fires stoking the pits as you walk in and stand in line. They've actually got a couple different counters open to get meat, and then you go into the main dining hall where the seating is, and where they sell the sides. Service here, particularly at the sides counter was less than welcoming, but it was getting on, later in the day. And if this helps anyone in the future, they only have spoons and knives, no forks.

By this point my taste for BBQ was fading, and fortunately, Maggie, Tom, and I only got the bare minimum to sample. Decent flavor on the pork rib, and a real nice smoke ring on it; however the brisket seemed to have missed the ring distribution, and though it had a good crust, it was a drier piece of brisket. The sausage seemed to have a breakfast sausage flavor too it, and not that there's anything wrong with that, I just wasn't expecting it. Smitty's did have what turned out to be my favorite BBQ sauce; not to sweet, not too vinegary, not too thick, it was just right!

The others had to get back to Austin for evening engagements, so at a little before 6:30 pm, Maggie, Tom and I entered Kreuz, where I hadn't been for years. 

 And you are promptly reminded: 

Another "no forks" establishment, but also, no sauce too. Nothing to disguise the meat. Well, even though they are open until 8 pm, Kreuz was out of almost all the meats, and they were a touch snippy when asked what they DID have. We ended up with beef shoulder and some sausage, which is all they had left. They do a warm potato salad too, though we agreed it would probably be better when cooked up as a hash. Hate to say it, the beef shoulder was dry and grainy, and really coulda used some sauce. We were saddened to end on a lowish meat note, especially because our friends who went earlier in the afternoon RAVED about Kreuz's pork spare ribs, saying it was the best meat they ate all day. Important note to self: go to BBQ establishments earlier in the day.

The original plan had been to go to Luling City Market after the Lockhart trio, but we discovered they close at 6pm, so we didn't make the trek down there. Fortunately, Kreuz did end on a high note: they have a Blue Bell ice cream counter, and rainbow sherbet was the perfect palate cleanser after all the day's meat. And while it DOES seem like we ate a lot, it really wasn't that bad, especially considering there was 45 minutes between Taylor and Lexington, and then also on to Elgin, and about an hour from Elgin to Lockhart, so there was time to digest.

So folks, there you have it, the Great BBQ Road Ramble! A recap of my personal favorites on the day: Louie Mueller for baby backs, sausage, beef rib and turkey; Snow's for brisket and beans; Meyer also for sausage; Southside for cole slaw; Black's a close second on beef ribs,brisket, and beans; Smitty's for sauce; Kreuz..... for sherbet (gotta go back for the sparerib!). And again hats off to Wayne at Louie Mueller and the staff at Black's for their fantastic hospitality. 

It was quite the meat journey.

Lambert's

Well, I finally made it to Lambert's! After how many years it's been open? Four? I've been hearing it's praises forever, and finally got to experience it for myself, on the occasion of my, uh, 29th birthday, with some dear friends. :)

Sunday brunch. Not that almost any meal isn't my favorite meal, but I do especially love brunch. It's that marriage of the sweet (generally maple syrup) and the salty (bacon!) that makes me weak in the knees. Lambert's brunch is perhaps a little different from standard brunches. You can either do the buffet line, or order a la carte from the menu, or, as us smarty pants did: both. Genius! All for one price, so you may as well! And as it turns out, the a la carte items are generally smaller plates, so as not to completely distract you from the buffet at hand.

So we started off with the buffet line...feeling healthy, as I had already eaten a banana at home, I skipped the beautiful bowl of fruit salad, and went straight for the good stuff: bacon, sausage, grits, home fries, potato salad (okay, a little redundant on the potatoes), mac & cheese, and a pork rib. Remember that what Lambert's is is a refined barbeque joint. They know their meat, and they start with high quality meat, so it's hard to go wrong from there. The meat items were really what stood out to me throughout the meal. The applewood smoked bacon was crisp & dry (as in, not greasy) and the breakfast sausage I would guess they may make there, and it had a bit of jalapeno in it. That rib you're looking at (which is covering the bacon & sausage!) is a Berkshire pork rib, done with a little bit of coriander & a maple glaze. Berkshire is an heirloom variety of pork, and is one of the best breeds available. The meat pulled right off the bone, nice smoke ring, not a greasy mess, just tasty as all get out. Not pictured, but acquired on another trip to the buffet was some beautiful Niman Ranch prime rib; great crust on the exterior, tender, moist, perfectly cooked, and served with a creamy horseradish sauce. Didn't try the brisket, but ate more bacon and another rib! If you didn't get it when I said it before, the meats rocked!

The other items were good, but not quite as outstanding. The grits tasty, bit of cheddar & chile pepper in them; I didn't love the texture of the mac & cheese, but others at my table really enjoyed it. Potato salad needed a touch of salt. Oh yeah, and when the waitress came to our table after we sat down with our first round of buffet pickin's to get our drink order, I asked her for salt & pepper. Well, she completely disappeared to get the drinks for about 10 minutes, and I had to ask again for the s & p. Slightly ticked that the need for s & p wasn't immediately picked up upon by our server. And I know I do like my salt, but I felt both the potato salad & grits benefited from just a pinch.

From the a la carte, I ordered the French toast with strawberry butter, made from brioche bread, and the biscuit & gravy. The French toast was tasty, but it wasn't just hot off the griddle, and had been sitting in the syrup for a little bit, so it was a bit soggy. The biscuit dough was a bit overworked, so it wasn't as tender as it could be, and the gravy a bit thin (thought I had taken a picture of that plate, but apparently not). My friends ordered the hanger steak benedict, which was swooned over and the berry smoothie, which we all agreed the addition of fresh mint was was really made it stellar (and why hadn't I thought of that before?!).
For dessert, they had a little table with some offerings... to be honest, I was so mesmerized by the bacon and ribs, I hardly looked at the table (odd, eh?). A few chocolate cream puffs and fried chocolate pies made it over to the table, which were pretty quickly devoured. I left well stuffed. I didn't over-eat, and I wasn't busting at the gut, but I ate plenty. And I will happily return! Plus I've noticed they do half-priced appetizers for happy hour!

And after that meal, I ate an apple for dinner at like 8:30 pm.

The Salt Lick

 

One of the well-known barbeque meccas around these parts is The Salt Lick. Located in Driftwood, about 25 minutes from downtown Austin, it's still out on a sleepy country road, but as I noticed on my drive out there last Friday, it's not going to be that sleepy for much longer. Civilization is creeping closer and closer, with new housing communities popping up. Fortunately, these folks have been doing BBQ right for years, and it doesn't look like anything is going to interfere with that anytime soon.

A friend of mine is getting married at Thurman's Mansion, just up the hill from the actual restaurant, and where the corporate offices are located. As our 10 am appointment finished just before 11 am, we cruised on over to the restaurant, which opens for lunch at 11. You walk in, and there's a big round smoke pit that looks a bit like a water well. Or maybe a wishing well, 'cause you're just wishing you could eat EVERYTHING on there! It smells gooooood! Smokey meats, all just ready for the taking. The wait staff all seem to be well-mannered local college kids, and they said to seat ourselves, so we grabbed a picnic bench past the food prep area. We both ordered ice tea (if you do ever go, it's a BYOB place.. no liquor license) and the combo plate. Our waitress brought us some nice soft white bread.... really the only time I'll eat squishy white bread like that, but this IS a BBQ joint! And within 5 minutes of taking our order, there were big ole plates of 'que in front of us. Tender brisket, with a really nice dark pink smoke ring, one pork rib (they weren't baby backs, my most favorite.... St. Louis cut?), and some incredibly juicy, tasty pork sausage. The sausage with its medium grind was certainly my favorite. As I love baby backs, this one didn't quite cut it for me... just wasn't tender or tasty enough. And the brisket, while never my first choice in a BBQ place, was quite good. Their's isn't totally falling apart at the appearance of a fork, but it was smokey, lean, and moist.

Accompanying the plates were pinto beans (which needed some kick), a good simple cole slaw, and a really good warm potato salad, with perhaps nutmeg in there. And what's a good BBQ meal without cobbler? We got the peach/blackberry combo cobbler, warmed, with a scoop of ice cream. Yum. So what if it's canned fruit. A bit of sugar and a bready topping make anything good!

It's worth the semi-scenic drive out to The Salt Lick. If you go in the evening, apparently they often have live music, so you can take a beer or two, eat some grub, and relax. Oh yeah, and take cash... no plastic accepted here. (There is an ATM at the door, but if it's down, you may be outta luck!)

Lucky me, though, I'll be back there on Saturday for a BBQ buffet after my friend's wedding!