JNL Barbecue

This past Sunday at midday was gorgeous so I ventured over to The Buzzmill for a lite afternoon snack from JNL BBQ and a pint from The Buzzmill. One of my favourite snacks is the BLT with a slice of their smoked Cajun Butter Turkey Breast added for good measure however Ben suggested that I try the Bacon, Turkey, and Guacamole sandwich that was on the Sunday Brunch menu that out turned out to be a big winner for me with the amazing combination of the smoked turkey, house cured and smoked bacon, and a very savory guacamole and for digestive purposes only, I had a pint of the Pecan Porter draft from The Buzzmill. I definitely need to start frequenting JNL more when I'm in town.

Solid BBQ. As good, maybe better, than Terry Black's. They do some specialty menu items on certain days of the week/month.Recommend coming during the day when it's hot outside, there won't be a line.

JNL Barbecue is seriously underrated when it comes to best barbecue joints in Austin and I KNOW it's going to blow up in popularity once more people catch wind about how amazing it is!I got a big spread on their final day at the brick and mortar location on E Cesar Chavez before they return to Buzzmill and enjoyed every single bite!SERVICE - The gentleman and lady who helped prepare all the meats, sides, and sandwiches could not have been nicer! The guy arranging the meats by the pound kept the slicing area super clean and took such delicate care arranging each item on the tray... it was truly like art! He cut off a few small pieces of burnt ends as complimentary samples for us and the people behind us in line while we waited AND included a few pieces of burnt ends from the pastrami (part of the special that day) on our tray for free. Amazing customer service and made the experience of ordering barbecue even more enjoyable!PRICING - The total was just over $200 after tax but before tip for all of the following:* 2 lbs brisket* 1 lb pork ribs* 1 lb turkey* 0.5 lb pulled prok* 2 BLT sandwiches* 1 pastrami sandwich* Pint of green beans* Pint of mac & cheeseBRISKET (9.5/10) - I'd put this brisket right up there with Franklin and Interstellar BBQ, which are my two favorites in Austin. Incredibly tender and moist, as you would expect with any brisket in Texas. The bark has great flavor but the seasoning is light so the flavor of the meat really shines which is exactly what you want for great brisket.AL PASTOR PORK RIBS (9.5/10) - Some of the BEST pork ribs I've ever had! They were SO tender, but not to the point where the meat is actually falling off the bone (which is a good thing because you want to still be able to eat it like a rib). The al pastor seasoning on the outside is delicious!PULLED PORK (8/10) - Pulled pork is never going to be the highlight of my barbecue platter but I always love to try it out anyway. It was tender, juicy, and had great flavor. It pairs nicely with the sauce since it's Carolina style with a vinegar base.CAJUN BUTTER TURKEY (8/10) - Similar to the pulled pork, turkey is just never going to be the BBQ hero and that's okay because Thanksgiving is it's day to shine. That being said, this turkey was very juicy (it's hard not to be when doused in butter) and wasn't dry at all. The seasoning is a little more peppery than the bark on the brisket which helps make up for the lack of natural flavor turkey has.BLT SANDWICH (10/10) - I understand it's just a BLT sandwich but this was the BEST BLT sandwich I have ever had and probably ever will have in my life. I'd probably trade a kidney to have an endless supply of these... it's that good! There are no words for that bacon besides LIFE CHANGING!PASTRAMI SANDWICH (9/10) - This was a special... half pound of pastrami served on a dark pumpernickel with housemade 512 Pecan Porter mustard and pickled red onions. The pastrami was INCREDIBLY flavorful... wow! The mustard and pickled onions were delicious as well... it was just hard to beat the BLT.MOM'S GREEN BEANS (7.5/10) - When you add that bacon into anything, it's going to be good! These were a nice palate cleanser between bites of meat!MAC & CHEESE (8.5/10) - SO CREAMY! Pretty basic flavor wise but the texture was incredible! Having good mac n' cheese with my barbecue always elevates the experience and this didn't disappoint!I almost don't want to tell people about JNL Barbecue because I don't want to have to wait in ridiculously long lines to get it... but if you're reading this review, the secret is already out. If you want a barbecue place where ANYTHING you get is going to be amazing, JNL has you covered!

Quality meat. Quality Service. Quality Sauce. Austin and Texas are no strangers to making some mean BBQ, and JNL is now one of my faves. My friends and I ordered the ribs (Al pastor style), brisket and turkey. Everything was smoked to perfection and the sauce helped the meal come all together. I wish I would've ordered more of the ribs because they were phenomenal! Don't skip on this item when you're here- the seasoning is delicious!

Tried their food truck outside of the Buzz Mill. Best cole slaw I've had in my life. Great service and friendly staff as well.

Cajun butter turkey. That's it. That's the post. I wish I had photos but it didn't last long enough for a photo-op. Plus the staff are super lovely.

Exicited to check out JNL at the location that had previously hosted La Barbecue and Kebab Inn. The choice of sides--potato salad, beans, mac, green beans--suggest it shares Franklin's old-school approach to BBQ, but the meats are definitely trying to be innovative.The results were good, but a bit hit-or-miss. What was good was the delicious brisket, as befits owner/pitmaster Ben Lambert's experience at Franklin BBQ. The Cajun Butter Turkey Breast was moist and tasty, though I could have used a bit more cajun seasoning. I also loved the green beans, cooked with bacon.However, there were some significant misses. Most of all was the al pastor pork ribs. Lamber says that it's in homage to his favorite taco style, and smothers the ribs in an al pastor-like chile marinade. But the marinade never seemed to get into the meat, resting instead only on the surface. Likewise, the coffee & chili rubbed pork tenderloin was an intriguing use of a rarely-seen BBQ cut. But while the tenderloin itself was tender and moist, the coffee and chili bark didn't add much. I think they're just too dry/astringent flavors for such a lean cut.Overall, I still think JNL is a good BBQ option, especially if you're coming from the airport. I applaud the experimentation, but there's still a little room to improve on the execution.

WOW! Simply amazed at this BBQ restaurant, nothing better than good old Texas BBQ! The brisket is moist and nice cuts! Love their BBQ sauce, it's homemade and comes out warm. Coleslaw is acidic, which i like.

Everything on the menu is fire but I especially love the smoky, meaty brisket burger.

Frozen wings. Not freshly smoked. They taste like smoked wings but they are also clearly frozen at some point because i can feel the coldness coming from the bones. The meat is tough. Shame because i can tell they are properly smoked. Freezing ruins the meat.