Barbecue Capitol of the World

Tonight is my last night in Texas, my flight home doesn't leave until the morning.

Generally when I travel I like to embrace the local culture, particularly the local food and drink. And in Texas, as far as food goes, that means Barbecue.

The hotel I am staying in is just up the street from what is reportedly the best barbecue place in Austin, Iron Works Barbecue. And I tried it the other night with a co-worker of mine that is here in town for the same conference. It was very good no doubt.

Tonight I decided to try reportedly the best barbecue in all of Texas. In fact, the best and the 2nd best are both in the (very) small town of Lockhart, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Austin. How did the 2 best barbecue places in Texas end up in the same small town you ask? Family infighting!

First there was Smitty's Market, here is a picture of the store front (obviously it is famous for its food and not its decoration).

It is a strange little place, its like stepping back into the 1940s inside. You order from a counter right in front of the barbecue pits, and they just carve off whatever you want. The menu just lists the type of meat they have that day and the cost per pound. It is entirely up to you what you want on your plate and they figure out how much it costs at the end. Pork ribs, beef ribs, sausage, brisket, pork chops etc. I went with the brisket and 1 sausage and this is what I got.

Notice the absence of a plate or a fork! Everything is served on paper and you only get a knife, the rest you manage with your fingers. You do get 3 slices of bread though apparently at no extra cost. Oh and they don't believe in barbecue sauce. The brisket was divine! The sausage was another story. I cut into it and so much grease flowed out, it made me nauseous. The paper went see through! I like to think I have a strong stomach, but that was even too much for me.

At some point the family that ran Smitty's got into an argument with one another and half the family split off to start their own restaurant called Kreuz Market. I visited Kreuz market and the food is almost identical, but the restaurant is like a giant barn, 20 times the size of Smitty's. Here's the outside:


I tried the Pork Chop at Kreuz's. Served on paper, no fork again! It was crazy salty, and after the sausage incident, I didn't have the fortitude to finish it.

So if you are ever in Lockhart Texas (god only knows why you would be though), then I would hit Smitty's if you are in the mood for barbecue and 1940s kitsch.