Austin 2011: BBQ in Texas
One of the widely known facts about Texas is their abundant meat and barbecue. If you're a meat lover this will be certainly be your paradise. Barbecue is a traditional style of preparing beef in Texas that is somewhat unique among the different varieties of barbecue found around the world. The kind of barbecue that I'm familiar with is actually known as grilled meat. Texas BBQ tradition can be divided into 4 styles. My favourite kind of BBQ apparently originated from Central Texas where the meat is rubbed with spices and cooked over indirect heat. The emphasis of this style is on the meat rather than the sauce. Very often I find the ribs/meat are smothered in thick and over-salted sauce which distract me from the real flavour of the meat. I have finally found a preparation that is after my own heart in Austin.
The first establishment that we visited is highly popular given that it has won several awards and has been around since 1967. Despite its rather inconvenient location patrons are not deterred in the least bit as we soon discovered when we arrived on a super busy Saturday evening. The drive to Salt Lick Bar-B-Que (Driftwood) from downtown Austin took us close to an hour and when we arrived it felt as though we were in the midst of a mega campfire site. There were car park wardens who directed us as we entered the compound and tonnes of people were already waiting in the open spaces. A live band performed to an energetic crowd who were content to sit around drinking beer and lemonade while waiting for their turns for dinner. It was definitely a unique dining experience. While waiting for our turn we took the opportunity to walk around the compound and upon entering the restaurant saw an enormous pit with pounds of meat on top. It was quite a sight and the smell was absolutely intoxicating. It only made my tummy rumbled even more. The wait was more than an hour and when our turn arrived I was overjoyed. The sweet waitress acknowledged our patience and assured us it was worth our wait. If you don't have the time to make it to Driftwood, you will be glad to know that they have an outlet at the airport. Even though the atmosphere cannot be duplicated, it is the next best thing.
The humongous open pit! They serve beef,sausage, pork ribs, turkey, brisket
The outdoor waiting area. Loved the cozy atmosphere.
One of the dining areas
I opted for the 3-meat combination of ribs, brisket and sausages with sides. The ribs were so tender and flavourful! My fave of the lot.
A mountain of meat shared between Stvn and his boss. They went for the buffet with unlimited flow of meat! Totally worth it if you have the appetite to conquer the meat.
Next up is Iron Works BBQ which is conveniently located within walking distance from Austin Convention Center. The facade of the restaurant appealed to me and I learn that originally it was an ornamental Iron Work Shop owned and operated by the Weigl family and it was converted into The Iron Works BBQ in 1978. Many of the conference participants were already in the line when we got there. The line moved fairly quickly as the restaurant operates in the style of a fast food - you make your order, collect your food and find your own table. I had one of the largest beef ribs in my life. There were 3 of them and I could only managed one. The flavour was spot on but it was just a little excessive for me.
Gorgeous red. Loved the combination of metal and wood panels.
3 humongous beef ribs with baked beans and potato salad.
Stvn's mixed grill. The sausage was delicious.
Last but certainly not least, Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse. They have several outlets in Texas and other parts of U.S.A and they feature a selection of high quality mesquite-grilled steaks. The restaurant has the feel of an authentic Texas ranch house with large fireplaces and hand-peeled split logs to boot. Personally this was my favourite and the reason is simple - awesome food all round. I had their signature steak sirloin which was amazingly tender and tasty. It came with a large and yummy baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter. Yumz! I had the smallest portion of 8 oz and that was just the perfect amount for me to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. We also shared 2 desserts which turned out to be such a delight. I was a very happy camper that day. Oh yeah, "Now, This is Texas!"
Check out the perfectly pink meat and the gorgeous orange of the baked sweet potato. The cinnamon butter enhanced the flavour. Excellent pair.
Texas Bone-In Ribeye with fried garlic and grilled jalapeño.
Bourbon pie with ice cream - SO GOOD!
Jack Daniel pecan pie. This is the real deal.
The first establishment that we visited is highly popular given that it has won several awards and has been around since 1967. Despite its rather inconvenient location patrons are not deterred in the least bit as we soon discovered when we arrived on a super busy Saturday evening. The drive to Salt Lick Bar-B-Que (Driftwood) from downtown Austin took us close to an hour and when we arrived it felt as though we were in the midst of a mega campfire site. There were car park wardens who directed us as we entered the compound and tonnes of people were already waiting in the open spaces. A live band performed to an energetic crowd who were content to sit around drinking beer and lemonade while waiting for their turns for dinner. It was definitely a unique dining experience. While waiting for our turn we took the opportunity to walk around the compound and upon entering the restaurant saw an enormous pit with pounds of meat on top. It was quite a sight and the smell was absolutely intoxicating. It only made my tummy rumbled even more. The wait was more than an hour and when our turn arrived I was overjoyed. The sweet waitress acknowledged our patience and assured us it was worth our wait. If you don't have the time to make it to Driftwood, you will be glad to know that they have an outlet at the airport. Even though the atmosphere cannot be duplicated, it is the next best thing.
The humongous open pit! They serve beef,sausage, pork ribs, turkey, brisket
The outdoor waiting area. Loved the cozy atmosphere.
One of the dining areas
I opted for the 3-meat combination of ribs, brisket and sausages with sides. The ribs were so tender and flavourful! My fave of the lot.
A mountain of meat shared between Stvn and his boss. They went for the buffet with unlimited flow of meat! Totally worth it if you have the appetite to conquer the meat.
Next up is Iron Works BBQ which is conveniently located within walking distance from Austin Convention Center. The facade of the restaurant appealed to me and I learn that originally it was an ornamental Iron Work Shop owned and operated by the Weigl family and it was converted into The Iron Works BBQ in 1978. Many of the conference participants were already in the line when we got there. The line moved fairly quickly as the restaurant operates in the style of a fast food - you make your order, collect your food and find your own table. I had one of the largest beef ribs in my life. There were 3 of them and I could only managed one. The flavour was spot on but it was just a little excessive for me.
Gorgeous red. Loved the combination of metal and wood panels.
3 humongous beef ribs with baked beans and potato salad.
Stvn's mixed grill. The sausage was delicious.
Last but certainly not least, Texas Land and Cattle Steakhouse. They have several outlets in Texas and other parts of U.S.A and they feature a selection of high quality mesquite-grilled steaks. The restaurant has the feel of an authentic Texas ranch house with large fireplaces and hand-peeled split logs to boot. Personally this was my favourite and the reason is simple - awesome food all round. I had their signature steak sirloin which was amazingly tender and tasty. It came with a large and yummy baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter. Yumz! I had the smallest portion of 8 oz and that was just the perfect amount for me to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. We also shared 2 desserts which turned out to be such a delight. I was a very happy camper that day. Oh yeah, "Now, This is Texas!"
Check out the perfectly pink meat and the gorgeous orange of the baked sweet potato. The cinnamon butter enhanced the flavour. Excellent pair.
Texas Bone-In Ribeye with fried garlic and grilled jalapeño.
Bourbon pie with ice cream - SO GOOD!
Jack Daniel pecan pie. This is the real deal.