Black's BBQ

Killer service! Walk in, pick your food, pay and eat! We're from Indiana and traveling the country in search of top notch brisket!Killer BBQ!!!

Has been 14 years since eating at their original location in Lockhart, but given we were staying in the San Marcos area, we decided to give this outpost spot a try. It was as good as I'd remembered! Smoker onsite doing all the heavy lifting on those smoke-ringed tender meats. You order sides and meats at the counter then make your way to your own table after gathering serviceware, drinks, dill pickle chips, you know...the essentials.My wife, daughter and I split a big ol' platter of BBQ goodness: pork spare ribs, fatty brisket (is there any other way?!?!?), green beans, mashed potatoes and brown gravy and finally mac-n-cheese. It was truly a meal fit for a king! Add in some sweet tea and we were all in 'que heaven. Delicious bark on those slow-smoked ribs and brisket. Also loved the thick white bread slices perfect for sopping up any sauce that got left behind.We somehow rolled on out of there, to make our way back to the airport and our flights home. Loved that we were able to experience this great meal together!

I am unfortunately disappointed. This was one of the worst bbq I've had. The flavor profile just isn't my cup of tea. We got the brisket, pork spare ribs, masked potatoes w gravy, macaroni and cheese and cream corned. Creamed corn was the best but heads up it's pretty sweet... almost like a dessert but I enjoyed it 4.5/5Mac and cheese was solid 4/5, was unique tasting with the flavor and cheese used. Brisket 3/5 solid daily average, we got the lean and it still was pretty fatty but tasty. I'm just not a fan of the bbq sauce so the brisket can only be elevated so far. Pork ribs 1.5/5 tiny, overly salty and had a weird flavor. Mashed potatoes 2/5 very salty even without the gravy. Service was nice and easy (first time I didn't wait in a line for bbq but maybe bc it's in the middle of nowhere). I liked how they had the bread,pickles and onions out for us but the onions definitely needed to be sliced thinner and smaller imo.

I have to say that as many times as I've been here, I still thoroughly enjoy their food. The moist brisket is delicious and has an overall great flavor that I prefer. I also enjoy that they serve pork belly here as it's a great porky addition to have. Add in that their sides are full of flavor and can be a difficult choice to choose between when ordering. The employees greet you as you walk in and are very friendly and helpful.

We were excited to try Black's BBQ, but unfortunately found it to be pretty forgettable and not worth recommending for Texas barbecue. We arrived around 1 p.m. Sunday for lunch and were disappointed to realize they were out of most of their sides, including the macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes. We ordered the brisket and pulled pork with sides of creamed corn and green beans.The pulled pork ate greasy unfortunately and the brisket was below average, especially compared to the brisket I've had in St. Louis, Kansas City, and Tennessee. They sell many sauce options in store, but only had 1 provided at the tables, which was lacking flavor. The green beans were great and the creamed corn was alright, but a little on the soupy side.I am sure there are many other places, especially so close to Austin, that are more worthy of a stop if visiting the area.

Great BBQ! Had the fatty brisket, turkey and ribs. We also had potato salad, mashed potatoes and beans. Didn't care for the pimentos in the potato salad but the mashed potatoes and beans were very flavorful!

Ah.. BBQ, the quintessential American staple yet source of much debate among many regions of this great nation. Fair warning, I'm a former chef from Charleston SC where BBQ originated (the Spanish brought the pig over and the Yemassee Indians incorporated it their techniques, smoking meats to keep flies off) lived in Kansas City for almost 20 years; where all BBQ cuts, meats and sauces are used in the most densely packed area of BBQ joints in the world and finally moved to Texas in 2021. Therefore, I like all cuts and sauces as I easily get bored with the same old same old.One of the names that consistently comes up as a great BBQ option in Texas is Blacks BBQ even among all the newer and more trendy options which continue to pop-up. I will start out by saying I love the location; unassuming and simple with plenty of parking. Outside it a very open area with a fence that doesn't serve any real purpose, several park benches and tables and there was even a friendly cat who seemed to be an unofficial mascot or employee. Open the doors and you know the joint has some roots through the decades. Old worn and wooden floors creek with the voice of nails from ages pasts, sheet metal has been repurposed for form walls, layered brick serve as the backstop of the pit area and so forth. The dining room reminds me of my "redneck upbringing" with picnic tables and the ugly white and red plastic "cloth" in a shed like atmosphere. Yes sir, this is a slower gear for the old bones.First off, the sweet tea was exactly as it should be, sweet enough to hold up a straw and a nice background note of tea. One point I would say, I was disappointed at the BBQ sauce options on the table as there's only one. More on that later. The mac & cheese was the best of the sides I ordered; cheesy with evenly cooked pasta and creamy. While the potato salad was cooked properly and chunky it lacked salt and had few other fine cut additions like onion or celery. Rather it was very basic with a red pepper here or there. The mashed spuds were uninspiring, with a bland gravy; at least they weren't gummy.The Pork baby ribs were easily the worst of the meats I ordered. I had an end piece that had little meat and dry. I still can't believe I was charged for it but at least the other piece was a smidge better. The spare ribs were a step up in quality and flavor. Perfectly cooked and tasty, but now I'll get into my bit of advice, pork and mustard BBQ sauce go together like "peas and carrots," Forest. That is why they need that sauce on the table. Otherwise this dish is missing a note like the spice girls missing... oh shucks I don't know the spice girls, but you get it. Next the sausage was ok. I found it a little dry but had a great snap and the flavor was on point with the pepper highlighting the experience. The BIG BEEF RIB was a site to behold... and eat. The meat was cooked close to perfection but didn't fall off the bone, thus could have used a longer cook time. It was flavorful and fatty but the membrane should have been cut off first. Still I enjoyed it with some good BBQ sauce.I saved the best for last, the pulled pork was DYNOMITE! It had flavor, was moist throughout was unctuous in the mouth but it would have been an 11 out of 10 if it had mustard BBQ sauce. The brisket was on point as well, possessing a flavorful S&P bark with a thin layer of fat, it barely held together until lightly pulled and the perfect amount of smoke. A divine experience!Overall this has been my best BBQ experience in the greater Austin area by far. The ambiance reminds me of my Charleston SC childhood, the food was tasty and filling, albeit expensive, the fellow patrons pleasant and it was a good way to spend my cool Saturday lunch time. While the sides were a little underwhelming everything else carried the experience, even the outstanding sweet tea. Please note they do have desserts but I don't have enough stomach for more food! My advice is run, don't walk on down to Blacks BBQ to enjoy real Texas BBQ!

Pork ribs 5/5 very tender and delicious Beef brisket 2.5/5 super dry. I would not recommend. It was so uncomfortably dry that I had to chase some bites with water Mac and cheese 4/5 very solid Mac and cheese. Definitely a top tier Mac and cheese. Green beans 1/5 -incredibly salty. It has good potential as far as texture but it was so salty we couldn't even eat it. Banana pudding 1/5 clearly straight from a box. Super watery and not creamy or fluffy at all. No banana slices. Overall, a waste of money and wouldn't recommend

Independence Day wouldn't be complete without some good Texas barbecue. We found this place based on reviews. It was also featured on Good Tastes with Tanji Patton. If you're not familiar with her show, she does tours around Texas finding the best restaurants. I definitely agree with her recommendation for this place! We chose to share items so we could try multiple things. It's a walk up order type restaurant. You get your sides first then your meats like a cafeteria style. The service is friendly and helpful. They cut the meat right in front of you and ask if the cut looks good. I thought that was a nice touch. Brisket was tender and fell apart without the use of a knife. Great burnt edges held in that smoky flavor. The turkey was juicy. The spare ribs were fall off the bone delicious. The sausage links were plump and tasty. For our sides, we had coleslaw, mac & cheese, potato salad, and mashed potatoes. Everything was great, but that's the best coleslaw I've ever had hands-down! They have fountain drinks and tea, both sweet and unsweetened merch is available for purchase. The restaurant is clean and smells amazing. Go hungry. This place is good! You even get a souvenir cup!

Everything was great...had door opened for us even (nice)try the pecan cobbler!Margs were yummy