la Barbecue

One of the requirements I had when we were headed to Austin was to try the Texas barbecue. I had a list of 3 different places I wanted to try but we could only go with one since we were only in town for a few days. I chose la Barbecue because you could preorder smaller amounts than other places like Franklin's. It was also closer to our hotel on Caesar Chavez. I told me husband to look at the menu and tell me what we should preorder. I told him the line might be shorter at la Barbecue than at Franklin's too so he said, "let's play it by ear." Um okay. We took a Lyft over and the line was out the front around the corner of the building. It did not look too long but in hindsight, we could have preordered and come back. We instead waited in line and it took just as long as if we had preordered, so I would have preferred not standing out in misty cold January weather, while under the weather, but that's what we did. Once inside, we ordered at the counter. We were given a small taster of the brisket and that basically set the tone for us. We chose a pound of brisket, a 1/4 pound of pork ribs, a side of pickled jalapenos, and a pint of mac & cheese for our meal. We also got two Mexican Cokes.I may have over-ordered but when you're standing in line like that, you lose all sense of what you are capable of eating. So my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Anyway, we really enjoyed the meats we chose. The brisket was tender and fatty in all the right ways. The pork ribs were fall off of the bone tender. The barbecue sauces we tried went well with the meat but did not overpower the smokiness or char. The mac & cheese was spot on and the pickled jalapenos were so good with the barbecue. We had a lot of leftovers, but they offered up some to go containers and bags so we packed them up and took them back to the hotel. We ended up eating the leftovers before leaving for the airport a couple of days later. Once heated up, it was still delicious and I don't regret ordering the amount we did. The people next to us were definitely wasteful, as they tossed some of theirs, but we weren't . It wasn't until we were there that I realized that la Barbecue had received a Michelin Star for their barbecue in 2024. It was well deserved. So, here's to another one added to my All-Stars list.

A *must-visit* for barbecue lovers! Located just east of downtown Austin, it's clearly a local favorite--we arrived at 11:30 AM, and the line was already wrapped around the block. **Pro tip:** If you've got a group and can order in pounds, order weeks ahead on the website for a "to-go" order. They'll cut it fresh when you arrive, and you can still enjoy it at their awesome outdoor picnic tables. The staff here is fantastic--super friendly and accommodating. They even let me pick up my order a little early, which was a nice touch. Now, let's talk food. The fatty brisket was a standout--smooth, tender, and practically falling apart. The "regular" brisket was good too, but I'd definitely recommend going fatty. It could've used a touch more salt, but they go heavy on the pepper, which seems to be their signature style. The pork ribs? Absolute perfection. I'd order these every single time. Juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right. Honestly, I regret not trying the beef ribs--next time for sure! I opted for the sausage instead, which was packed with flavor and had a bit of a kick, even though I didn't get the spicy version. The texture was interesting--crumbly and falling apart like ground beef, not tightly packed like traditional sausage. It's different, but still tasty. Sides-wise, the potato salad was quite mustard-forward (a preference thing, but worth noting), and the mac and cheese had a surprising spicy twist. Overall, this place lives up to the hype. If you're in Austin and craving top-tier barbecue, this spot is worth the wait.

Just off of I-35 lies newly Michelin minted La Barbecue. When judging Michelin rated restaurants we try to tame expectations because we understand that hype may sometimes be greater than bite. Unfortunately, this is experience is one of those instances.La Barbecue has a nice location. It's quiet and unassuming (except for the line out front). The staff is welcoming and the place is clean. We preordered the food as usual for when we go to BBQ and here's what we experienced...The brisket is okay. The bark is far too peppery and the meat could benefit from salt which is a rare occurrence of us saying that. The sausage was flavorful with a good amount of kick, not black pepper like the brisket but more of a red pepper. The best art of the meal were the pork ribs. Rich and juicy, they go head to head with Interstellar. For sides we ordered the mac and cheese and potato salad. The mac and cheese was okay, the shells and cheese were good but the peppers sprinkled in felt like an unnecessary addition that took away from the flavor. As for the potato salad it was very much on the mustardy side although the taste was still good.Altogether, La Barbecue was very hit or miss with the highs being a bit too low to consider it among the best BBQ in Austin. It is still a solid barbecue spot, but as for its Michelin rating it leaves a big question mark as Terry Black's, Franklin's, etc feel a clear step above it. This is a place you stop by if you have tried the aforementioned spots, but if you're making a trip into Austin we wouldn't recommend this being the stop you circle.

We got here later in the day, so they were sold out of the ribs unfortunately....I ended up getting a sloppy joe, but not just any old Joe, a brisket sloppy joe. It was delicious! The brisket was cooked and seasoned perfectly, the sandwich was balanced with spice and acid, and the bun held up to the sloppy. We also got some Beans and slaw, which I actually thought were both pretty boring and bland (the Mac N Cheese was sold out which I am guessing is because it is great). They also have a small list of local beers if you are thirsty.

Stopped by on a weekend trip to Austin and definitely think this is worth the hype!Service was super friendly and loved the fact they gave us a sample of the brisket.I ordered:Sausage / pork Rib - 3/5. These were alright. Didn't love the sausage texture and I personally just don't like ribs (but had to try it).Brisket - 5/5. Delicious. Definitely recommend using the jalapeño infused sauce to cut the fat

Had trouble figuring out what my third barbecue spot on this Austin trip was going to be. But my decision was made a lot easier by the fact la Barbecue literally earned a Michelin star earlier in the week. Easy enough decision after that!Getting here an hour beforehand seems to be right move, although there were several people in front of us. They only let one party in at a time, which is great because that means they really focus on you when you order. Only downside is that it does mean there is more of a wait. Didn't get in until 40 minutes after it opened, but that's fine.For the meats, ordered a 1.5 lb beef rib, 2 lb moist brisket, 1.25 pork ribs, 0.5 lb turkey, 1x regular sausage, and 1x chipotle sausage. For the sides, ordered 1 pint each of potato salad, chipotle slaw, brisket chili, and shells and cheese. Really liked all the meats here, all of them hit the spot! Same with the sides, they were all great. Only thing I wasn't sure about was the chipotle slaw, because it actually tasted a bit too much like kimchi for me. Not that it's bad, I just had to be in the mood for it.Staff here are really friendly! They let us try some lean brisket ends since we were getting all moist brisket. Overall, they were great.I can see why la Barbecue got its Michelin star. Overall great experience, would love to come back!

Yet another 1 Michelin Star bbq place. The brisket was super moist and very tender, heavy on the pepper and needed more salt 8/10. Sausage was crumbly and reminiscent of chorizo, decent flavor 6.9/10. Pork ribs was the favorite, super juicy and tender with a great texture 9/10. Potato salad was mustard base and I'm not a fan, but others may like that flavor. Another favorite was the Mac and Cheese, Mac cooked excellently and the cheese sauce at jalapeño flavor, but not spicy. Overall 7.6.

La barbecue was our first stop on our Austin trip. We even came before checking in to our hotel so we were in line with luggages in hand. The line didn't look long but it will be one of the slowest moving line I have been in. There needs to be a better system. We finally got to enter into the restaurant and were awarded a sample of the best tasting piece of brisket. It was melt in your mouth good. I thought it was good, my friends thought it was super peppery. We enjoyed the brisket, the pork ribs were something we could pass on, the sides were okay. We got the potatoes salad and shells and cheese. I do like that they come in side, pints, and quarts size. My friend and I did enjoy the frito pie. Overall, great bbq but prepare to wait.

Michelin Star well deserved! We went here on a whim a couple months ago after avoiding trying it because we assumed it was overhyped and would have a long line. I'm happy to report we were wrong on both parts. There was no line when we came and we were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the bbq. The brisket sandwich is to die for, bursting with smoky flavor! And the sides are equally yummy. We especially enjoyed the black beans -probably some of the best I've ever had. This place is better than Terry Blacks and Interstellar which were my top 2 before coming.Last but certainly not least, the bathroom is an EXPERIENCE. My husband went in and came out raving about the disco, studio 54 vibes and I went in just to see what the hype was about. Pretty cool!

From the first bite, this brisket was absolute perfection.The brisket? It was melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Each slice was so juicy that it practically glistened, with fat rendered down to buttery perfection. What I liked most was the subtle spice rub. It wasn't overly peppered or seasoned. It was just perfect.I ate the brisket with the kimchi and pickled onions. Delicious. I also ate it with the accompanied house barbecue sauce which was rather tasty. But, I preferred the brisket naked.I also had the potato salad and jalapeño sausage which was alright. Sides are always hit or miss for me at barbecue places. The brisket alone is worth the trip, the wait, and probably a lifetime of cravings.Pro tip order ahead.