Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9/10. Cool environment and delicious BBQ that you don’t have to wait hours for, I would recommend this place to anyone coming through Austin

Date Visited: 1/28/2021

Address: 1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 12:50 PM. Opens at 11:00 AM

Owner: Mark Black (Great-grandson of Edgar Black Sr., the son of Terry & Patty Black.) His twin brother Mike and sister Christina also own and operate, with Mark and Christina running their 2nd location in Dallas’s Deep Ellum neighborhood. Cool part of Texas History

Website: https://terryblacksbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 2014 in Austin, then 2017 in Dallas (7 years)

Number of People in Line: 5 people, but the dinning room was full with about 45 people sitting down already

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $30 w tip and beer. Brisket, spare ribs, jalapeno cheddar sausage, turkey

Type of Wood: Oak

Type of Smoker: Offset Smoker

Best Dish: Brisket or Turkey

Best Sauce: Spicy

Best Side: Didn’t try any, need review

Interior Description: Cool BBQ shanty vibe with outdoor and indoor seating. Similar to other Texas joints, you can grab a beer while you wait in line for your order

Pro Tip: Second-best brisket I’ve had in Texas after Franklin’s, but don’t sleep on the turkey. Since they don’t cut burnt ends, grab some lean and fatty brisket when you come

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Best brisket in Austin after Franklin’s. It had the most seasoning of any other Texas spot that I tried, with a great bark texture and a good smoke ring running through it. Moist, but still having structural integrity to it, the lean and the fatty cuts were both good. With how they were trimmed, you could eat multiple pieces of either the lean or the fatty and not get overwhelmed with richness. It was a little cold by the time I had gotten there, so arrive as close to opening as you can for the best experience

Burnt Ends – Not made here, as they do lean or fatty cuts with their brisket

Pork Spare Ribs: 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Really good salt and pepper blend for the seasoning, with the pepper really shining through. Moist and tender, but not quite falling off the bone. Very tasty rub overall, but would still put some Colorado locations ahead if it

Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage 

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Description: I got this at the recommendation of my line carver, and it was a solid recommendation overall. Mild spice to it, with the flavor and consistency reminding me of home, with a similar profile as cheddar brats of northern Wisconsin. Would order again

Turkey

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Extremely juicy turkey breast with great seasoning and a slight smoke flavor running through it. Would order again as it’s probably the best turkey I’ve had in Texas

Sauces – Original & Spicy

0/10 Ranking: 6.5/10 and 8.5/10

Description: Both sauces are tomato-based, but the spicy one has a mustard vinegar aftertaste that is pretty good. Original is nothing special, though

Interior & Menu Photos