Interstellar BBQ

May 28, 2026May 28, 2026 / Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 9.5 to 9.75/10 and Yes. Interstellar has actually been on my list of places to try for years, so it only seemed fitting this be the first spot we start at in Austin. As one of the only pits that has been consistently mentioned to me as allegedly having better brisket than Franklin’s, no BBQ tour was going to be complete until we visited and put their meats to the test. That in mind, we ended up rolling into north Austin around 8:30 PM after a full day of driving from Denver and grabbed a beer right next door at Slacker’s Brewing Co. This led us to walking over to Interstellar to check out our destination for the morning and to take a few pictures for a unique night shot. What we didn’t expect, was that the pits are right out front in the parking lot, where we met Joel their nighttime pit boss, who happened to be in his truck and hopped out once he saw us walking around taking photos. Joel was super friendly and gave us a quick tour of the pits and even popped a few open for some pics and smells. He said to talk to Andy and Phil in the morning and mention we are on a BBQ tour to get some additional recs on where to go. We left for the hotel smelling like post oak smoke, only to return a few hours later the next morning at 9:30 AM. This put us number 3 in line behind two gentlemen visiting from College Station. As we waited and my two buddies held our spot in line, I walked over and chatted with Andy and got some great recs for Austin and the tour in general, including Memphis and Alabama spots that were worthy of a stop. Once again, super nice guy and great customer service.

As far as the spot itself, it sits in a common strip mall that could be easily missed from the road, if not for the the massive smokers they have directly across from the entrance in the parking lot. The smell hits you no matter where you park and invites you in by getting your nose sniffing and your mouth salivating. We sat down behind the two guys who beat us in line, on wooden benches which sit under a covered entrance, making sure the early arrivals are protected from any bad weather. As we were waiting, the GM came out around 10ish to open up access for bathrooms and their coffee bar if desired. People started flowing in steadily after 10-10:15ish with almost 50 people behind us by 10:45. The doors open right away at 11:00 and we walked in and placed our order in traditional Texas cafeteria style and watched them carve up our order right in front of us. We grabbed a table and dove right in. From the first look and bite, we knew this was going to be a great meal and it did not disappoint. While the brisket may not have been better than Franklin’s, it was easily a Top 5 I had ever eaten. Combine that with how well all the other meats and sides delivered and it was easy for us to see why they have won a Michelin Star for two straight years and are consistently in Texas Monthly’s Top 10 list every four years. 100% worth making a visit and one of the best BBQ spots to be found anywhere in Texas

Date Visited: 5/13/2026

Address: 12233 Ranch Rd 620 N suite 105, Austin, TX 78750

Day of the Week: Wednesday

Time of Day: Here at 9:30 AM. Open at 11:00 AM

Owner: John Bates & Brandon Martinez

Website: https://www.theinterstellarbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened February 21, 2019

Number of People in Line: 2 in front of us at 9:30, who got there about 5 minutes before us. By 10:30, we had 19 people behind us and then 44 at 10:45. Probably close to 80-90 by the time of opening and a steady stream coming in the entire time we were there

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $195 with tip. Ordered 1/2 lb of brisket, 1 beef short rib, 1/2 lb of ribs (2 ribs), one beef kielbasa sausage, one lamb sausage merguez, and 1/2 lb of the peach tea glazed pork belly (4 pieces) for the mains. Then the four cheese mac and smoked scalloped potatoes for the sides, along with three soft drinks

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Multiple off-set smokers, which are in the parking lot right out front

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper as the base, but then use multiple blends

Best Dish: Brisket

Best Sauce: Didn’t try any

Best Side: Smoked Scalloped Potatoes

Interior Description: Checkered floors when you walk in and order cafeteria style with the big black board menu. They have wooden tables with black metal chairs all over the dining room with a separate area for pick up online orders. They have their Michelin stars hanging from the wall for 2024 in 2025 and have a very clean and family friendly environment with sweet tea and sauces along the wall for your enjoyment. Also, a big selection of merch options are available to buy on the side as well, right by the coffee bar

Pro Tip: Michelin-Star winner in 2024 and retained it again in 2025, as well as Texas Monthly’s 2025 #6 ranking across all Texas BBQ. Also, no alcohol served here as a heads up. For the food, you must order the Peach Tea Glazed Pork Belly, as not something I’ve ever seen anywhere else and they are super delicious

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 9.5 to 9.75/10

Seasoning: Salt and pepper

Description: The brisket had a nice 1/4 to 1/2 inch red ring and was perfectly trimmed. Seasoning and smoke are are point with almost a perfect blend of each, but could still use more of both. Super tender and juicy slices, that were almost to the point of falling apart, but then sprang back with the the remaining integrity it had. Thick and dark crust, with large pepper fakes visible as you bit in. Top 5 brisket I’ve ever had, but might be slightly behind Franklin’s still, as it literally melts in your mouth. Could use just a little more smoke and pepper, but similar texture to Franklin’s and 100% worth ordering when you visit

Pork Spare Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 8.75 to 9/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, maybe others?

Description: Better than the beef rib option. The pork ribs were lightly seasoned and maybe a light brush of sauce near the end of smoking. They had a nice glaze to them and were evenly trimmed with a nice meat-to-fat balance, but also were a little thin too. That said, they were pretty much perfectly tender, with good smoke and seasoning flavor blend in each bite. Similar to the brisket, they needed a little more smoke and flavoring to come through, so they weren’t the best of the best, but they were fantastic ribs to enjoy by the group. Worth ordering again

Beef Short Rib

0/10 Ranking: 8.75/10

Seasoning: Salt, pepper, and a chimichurri sauce on top

Description: This was served with chimichurri on top, and had nice thick crust to it. Looked great last night at 10:15 PM when we got a sneak peak at the smokers, so ordered today to try out. It was thickly covered in bark and seasoning, but not much of either comes through, which is sadly not what you would expect. As far as the tenderness, the meat was just a little tough, but still pretty juicy and enjoyable. Can’t say this is better than Post Oak or Louie Muller’s. Nice 1/2 inch of smoke ring, but somehow the flavor and smoke essence was very is light, making us think the chimmi might be added to cover it up a bit. That said, still a really good beef rib and worth ordering, but not the best I’ve had in Texas

Peach Tea Glazed Pork Belly

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Description: Sweet tea flavor hits you right away, in a meaty, but tender bite. The peach tea flavor lives up to the name and makes itself known in each piece you bite into. Good balance of meat to fat ratio in each chunk, and something super unique to them and not a dish I’ve ever seen anywhere else. The smoke flavor comes through in an enjoyable way too. Would get again, but only to split. 1/2 lb (4 pieces) would be way too rich for me alone

Lamb Sausage Merguez

0/10 Ranking: 9/10

Seasoning: Served with mint labneh & harissa sauerkraut

Description: Served in a ring, and about half the thickness as the normal sausage. Looks like it was served with a tzatziki type sauce, and a harissa sauerkraut. Casing had a nice snap to it and had a solid internal consistency. It was creamier than the normal sausage and had a nice warm and slightly spicy flavor to it, almost like there was some cinnamon or allspice added. The tzatziki sauce was a nice way to cut the heat and had a nice subtle flavor to it as well that doesn’t completely overpower the lamb. The sauerkraut added a nice acidic snapback to cleanse the pallet and created a very cohesive dish that was super unique for a Texas BBQ spot. Absolutely worth ordering

Beef Kielbasa Sausage

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Description: Super thick sausage, with a taut casing that was almost crunchy. Inside was a meaty blend that was just lightly creamy and a had nice light smokiness to it, while also still having good structural integrity. Gamey beefy flavor comes through that was super enjoyable, but the only critique was that it was ever so slightly overdone and needed just a little more moisture. Would get again though for myself or the table

Sides – Four Cheese Mac

0/10 Ranking: 9 to 9.25/10

Description: Shell mac & cheese, with a creamy and velvety sauce, and a nice garlicky flavor to it. Crunchy onions and chives on top, this was cooked perfectly al dente and a great dish. Would get again

Sides – Smoked Scalloped Potatoes

0/10 Ranking: 9.25/10

Description: Smoky and delivering on its name, the potatoes were perfectly cooked and had a nice layer of crunch. Not really a fan of these normally, but would get again and would recommend as they were some of, if not the best scalloped potatoes I’ve had. Order with confidence

Interior & Menu Photos:

Kreuz Market

July 25, 2021May 28, 2026 / Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7 to 7.25/10. A hesitant yes, but only for the history connection, as they began back in 1900, and for their unique coffin smokers. This was easily the largest barbecue restaurant I’ve ever been to in terms of square footage and seating options, as the place was absolutely massive with multiple seating areas inside. Similar to Black’s Barbecue down the street, they seem to have gotten complacent on their previous successes of the past for far too long and are no longer dishing out the best of the best in smoked meats. While the coffin smokers are a really cool sight to see, and the place smells fantastic with a pleasant smoke smell being emitted throughout the entire building, it fails to deliver much of anything other than a low price and traditional aesthetics. Beyond coming in to check out the pits for a quick picture, there really isn’t a need to come here, as the food falls far short of others in Texas

Date Visited: 1/28/2021

Address: 619 N Colorado St, Lockhart, TX 78644

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 10:30 AM. Open at 10:30 AM

Owner: Keith Schmidt, 5th generation owner (Grandson of Edgar” Smitty” Schmidt and son of Rick Schmidt)

Website: https://www.kreuzmarket.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 1900 (121 years)

Number of People in Line: 2 people in front of me and 4 came in behind me after about 10 minutes

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $22. Brisket, burnt ends, spare ribs, sausage, coleslaw, & Shiner Bock

Type of Wood: Post Oak

Type of Smoker: Coffin Smoker. Indirect-heat brick pit

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Best Dish: Burnt ends

Best Sauce: Didn’t have any, need further review

Best Side: Sauerkraut

Interior Description: Massive country store. Room for hundreds of people with two different eating areas. Really cool experience to see due to the sheer size, with vaulted ceilings and a great smoke smell running through the whole place

Pro Tip: Bring silverware as they only serve the food on butcher paper with no utensils offered. It might be a good place for a family with the large space and cheap food options

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Served as fatty or shoulder clod. Both were good, but nothing special, as they have minimal seasoning and opt to lean more on the smoke flavoring as the main taste, similar to Black’s Barbecue

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 8.5/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: Melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, with strong smoke and minimal seasoning flavors coming through each bite. They were very fatty burnt ends, and I found I could only eat maybe two of the pieces due to their richness and them being slightly too salty

Pork Spare Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 6.5/10

Description: The rib was chewy and had minimal meat on the bone, with a not great flavor overall. Would not order this again

Sausage

0/10 Ranking: 6.5/10

Description: Casing had a nice snap to it. This sausage was nowhere near as greasy as Smitty’s was. That said, I could handle one bite as this was the fattiest blended, and most over-seasoned sausages I’ve ever had. The internal meat blend also had a very loose hold to it, which led it to crumble apart rather easily compared to other sausages. Wouldn’t recommend this one

Sides – Sauerkraut

0/10 Ranking: 7/10

Description: This one reminded me of my Grandma Jill’s version of kraut, which had a 50/50 rate of actually being good. This one had an okay flavor, but I couldn’t fully decide on if I actually liked it or not

Interior & Menu Photos

Black’s Barbecue Lockhart

July 25, 2021May 28, 2026 / Mitch Clark / Leave a comment

Overall Rating and is it worth a visit: 7.75/10 and maybe. Might be worth a stop for the history of the region and its place in barbecue lore, but not for the barbecue itself. If you want some great barbecue that is still made by the family, hit up the younger generation’s location over at Terry Black’s in either Austin or Dallas for a better experience. As far as the original location, they get points for having the traditional barbecue vibes present and accounted for, such as old school signage on the walls and country legends such as Marty Robbins and Willy Nelson playing over the speakers; it’s definitely a call back to another time. Combined with the reasonable prices and the slices of white bread given with each order, they hold true to Texas tradition of being an affordable and filling option for its customers. That said, the love and dedication to the barbecue itself seems to have fallen by the wayside as the generations have passed it down. From my time engaging with the staff, it seems like this is simply a job and nothing more to them, with no love or excitement about the food emanating out at all, both in the experience and the taste of the meat. While this is one of the originals in Central Texas barbecue history, the standards and quality that made them famous appear to no longer be there, and as such, your time and money should be spent at other pits that are kicking out far better food and experiences

Date Visited: 1/28/2021

Address: 215 N Main St, Lockhart, TX 78644

Day of the Week: Thursday

Time of Day: 10:00 AM. Open at 10:00 AM

Owner: Kent Black (3rd generation owner after Edgar Black Sr & Jr)

Website: https://www.blacksbbq.com/

Number of Years in Business: Opened in 1932 (89 years)

Number of People in Line: 0 when I got there and had 2 people come in by the time I finished up eating

Regional Style of BBQ: Central Texas

Total Cost: $20 with tip. 1/4lb brisket, 1 pork spare rib, 1 baby back rib, 1 small piece of burnt end, 1 Shiner Bock

Type of Wood: Oak

Type of Smoker: Steel & red brick pits

Type of Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Best Dish: Brisket for its smoky flavor

Best Sauce: Original

Best Side: Didn’t have any during my visit, needs review

Interior Description: Old school feeling with some modern updates along the way. From the red and white checkered picnic table cloths, to the wood paneled walls and floor, it creates a cozy, clean, and comfortable environment that any family would feel comfortable taking their kids to, but could also be enjoyed by the enthusiasts working their way from one pit to the next

Pro Tip: Skip making the trip down to Lockhart in general, as none of the originals have the quality they might have had at one point. Unless you are a history nerd for Central Texas barbecue lore, your time and money are better spent in other locations

Brisket

0/10 Ranking: 8/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: I got a slice of the lean and a slice of the fatty. The lean was very juicy with good flavor and smokiness, but had little to no seasoning coming out of the bark. The fatty option was good as well, but it really didn’t provide an improvement from the lean. While they were both tasty and juicy overall, the lack of outer seasoning kept them from having a higher rating

Burnt Ends

0/10 Ranking: 7/10

Seasoning: Salt & pepper

Description: When I placed my order, I wasn’t expecting to find burnt ends as an option, as they had offered me the choice between lean and fatty for my brisket. That said, the guy behind the counter cutting my brisket, heard my question and said he could cut me off a burnt end, which, I’ll be honest, sounded a little odd to me. He proceeded to cut me the very tail end of the flat, the complete opposite side of the point that he had just cut my fatty piece from, and handed it over to me. When I bit into it, the burnt end had the most intense smoke flavor I had ever come across, which I enjoyed, but being the end it was overdone and too tough to fully enjoy. Can’t say I would call this a true burnt end, as I think the guy was just trying to please me and my request, but I would be down to order again and see what round 2 has to offer, as that smoke flavor was no joke on intensity

The small dark piece in the middle was the “burnt end”

Pork Spare Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Description: Similar to the baby back ribs, they had minimal seasoning to them, but had great smoke flavor running through them. The ribs themselves were tender, but not quite to the level of falling off the bone. They were a good rib overall, but nothing special

Pork Baby Back Ribs

0/10 Ranking: 7.5/10

Description: The ribs had minimal seasoning on the exterior, but had good smoke flavor to it. The texture wasn’t falling off the bone, but it was tender overall. Compared to the spare ribs, these had a lot more meat to them, so I’d opt for the baby backs between the two