Black’s BBQ

At Black’s the tea is sweet, the smells are smokey, and the ribs are the size of a man’s forearm. We ordered some Cow ribs with a smoked turkey sandwich, and three pints of sides including baked beans, mac n’ cheese, and coleslaw — it was enough to feed a small third world country but you know what they say about Texas!
I was surprised at how modern and hip the atmosphere was for a down home BBQ joint, I appreciated that you could witnessed the «behind the scenes» portion of the kitchen and see them smoking, cutting, and seasoning meats. The tables are all arranged family style AND they deliver your foods on a sheet pan covered in wax paper — there’s no denying things are gonna get messy up in here! These ribs were no joke, at $ 17 a pop you’re definitely getting your fill of moist, flavorful beefy goodness and considering each rib contains a pound of meat, it’s definitely worth the money.
The smoked turkey sandwich was on par with the ribs and were moist and flavorful. The sides did not disappoint — the mac and cheese had a great creamy consistency and the coleslaw was sweet and offered a great breakup of flavors with all the heaviness going on, the beans were the least favored, I guess I was expecting the traditional bbq baked beans but these were savory and made with larger, thicker beans (they improved with the addition of bbq sauce).
The Verdict:
Even though I am a Texas BBQ novice, I am willing to bet that Black’s would satisfy any carnivore. You can’t go wrong with a beef rib and a side or even a sandwich. It’s a great, family oriented atmosphere but it also has enough character to satisfy the younger, hipper demographic

We wanted something hearty lunch on New Years Eve, and since I loved the place in Lockhart, we decided to give this a try. It didn’t quite measure up.
I remember Lockhart Black’s being solid BBQ on all the meats that we tried, a plate brimming with awesome sides, and it being fairly inexpensive (under 10 bucks, certainly). This was really hit or miss, and the sides were TINY and not great.
The good:
–The ribs were awesome, and I’m pretty picky about ribs.
–The spicy mustard sauce — but I may have just liked it because it covered flavors either lacking or that I didn’t like elsewhere.
–The beans were great.
The bad:
–The coleslaw was terrible. It tasted like dessert. I wish there was a warning on that, I would never have gotten it.
–The brisket was cut into CUBES and was really fatty, and not in the good way.
–The turkey was just meh. The texture of it was just weird and the flavor didn’t make up for it.
I’d give it another chance on the account they were just having an off day — it wasn’t terrible, but what I ate was definitely not worth the drive or the price we paid to eat it.

I had actually planned on going to Hopfields which is next door but the smell of BBQ drew me in. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable. Tvs for the sports fans and picnic tables for seating. The guys behind the counter were polite and helpful and gave us samples without us asking. We ordered brisket which was incredible. The sauce on the table was ok. I’m not a fan of the vinegar based BBQ sauces. The mac and cheese was probably the best I have ever had.
It was a pretty amazing experience and I will definitely be back. The only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars is because of the beer selection. They had mainly local beer which is great but I would like to see more options.

So me and a few friends are longtime central Texas BBQ fans, we have our favorites of course, but want to do our due diligence and so do our best to hit all the spots we’ve never been to just in case, right? If nothing else, it’s an excuse to get together for lunch and catch up. Today’s first time hit was Black’s on Guadalupe. I have been to Black’s in Lockhart and it did take a little online research to sort out the difference between Black’s on Guadalupe vs. Terry Blacks on Barton Springs Rd which we have yet to visit. Apparently with Central Texas BBQ, there seems to always be some family cooperation or maybe not…
Anyway, on to Black’s — short story is it’s pretty solid BBQ for the price in Austin, but these days pretty solid becomes just average. I always like to sample a few meats and today was brisket, spare ribs and pulled pork with a side of their «mashmallo» sweet potato casserole. We were given a sample of their beer sausage at the counter and while good, I didn’t find it to be anything special. Brisket was spot on — very moist without being too fatty and killer bark. Unfortunately ribs and pulled pork were just ok. I like the nearly falling off the bone spare rib action and these were just no where near that. Flavor was ok, but not what I’ve come to enjoy at area BBQ places. Pulled pork a bit dry and not as smoky as I’d like.
If in the area I’d definitely stop in here again, but wouldn’t go out of my way with all the other options out there today.

Blacks BBQ was my 2^nd stop in Austin for BBQ and it was delicious! I wasn’t expecting it to be a place where you ordered at the counter and then brought it to your seat, but it worked out because it wasn’t overly crowded in there. I had a fatty brisket sandwich with a side of Mac and cheese and it was just perfect! The brisket was so tender and flavorful… didn’t even need to add BBQ sauce! (But I tried it anyway and it made the sandwich even better). Staff was very friendly. I’d come back any day!

Although it was good, it wasn’t anything special. It was very reminiscent of the chain BBQ, Rudy’s. I had brisket and garlic sausage. It was very tasty, but very overpriced. The brisket was a little dry and the sausage was not as fresh as I would have liked. I read reviews before I went in that suggested the mac & cheese. I was very disappointed in that dish. It tasted artificial and was gloopy; not something I will order again. The service was quick, but the menu was confusing and hard to read as it was all hand-​written. There was minimal cafeteria-​like, bench-​style seating.

I have had food from this location 3 times now. Twice where people brought it to work, and once where I went in and sat down.
Bringing it into work, it tasted like fine BBQ, nothing that I would write home about, but nothing to complain about either.
But once I went into the shop it all went down hill.
Our order was pork ribs, brisket and turkey. With sides of coleslaw and beans.
The ribs were delicious, and I would eat them again for sure.
The Brisket, was cut into what would be long pyramids of meat, No good edge, and just way too thick. I don’t even know how to properly describe how it was cut, except that it was wrong.
The turkey was moist, but lacked flavor, there wasn’t a good peppered edge or any smoke ring. It made me think of Lunch counter turkey.
The coleslaw tasted overly sweet, there wasn’t much tang, or bite to it. and the cabbage itself didn’t have a good crunch, it was more of a wilted feel.
The beans on the other hand were hands down the best part of the meal. Spicy, juicy and full of bean flavor.
One reason I think things were lacking flavor was maybe that their mustard sauce was so spicy that it over powered everything else. Just a few drops would do a whole plate, if you wanted to taste your food.
I will come back another time and try Blacks again. I hope they were just having an off day.

Today was my first time going to Black’s BBQ! I got a quarter pound of the fatty brisket with garlic sausage and a side of green beans! My boyfriend got a quarter pound of lean brisket with the original sausage, one pork rib, and a side of potato salad. The potato salad was bomb! The sausage was amazing. Don’t even get me started on the brisket! It was the best BBQ I’ve had in a while! It came out to $ 28 which I felt was pretty accurate for what we got. In the actual diner they had the best music playing, such as, Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels! We were the first customers there so it was super quick! I would definitely go back!

Not the place I’d come as a first choice for brisket or ribs.
Staff friendly, clean eatery street parking.
Brisket was dry and over cooked, slaw tasteless, beans nothing to write home about.
The ribs were ok at best.
Sorry folks food way over priced for the quality.

My family visited Black’s after trying to get in to a few other Austin bbq joints only to find super long lines. Can people with children who can’t wait in line for hours still get good bbq in town? Yes, Black’s is awesome.
We ordered a variety of meats– lean brisket, turkey, garlic sausage, macaroni and cheese, and beans. In my opinion, the price was very reasonable compared to other barbecue restaurants in area for the amount of food we ordered. The brisket was very tender and the garlic sausage was very flavorful. Also, loved the Mac and cheese– lots of cheesy goodness. Admittedly, I haven’t been to all of the trendy barbecue restaurants around but I loved my experience here and the food was good too. And that’s all I have to say about that.

I’d like ¾ lb of fatty burnt ends, 2 pork ribs, 2 rings of sausage and 4 slices of bread, please. Oh, and one slice of turkey.
Split jalapeños over meat and enjoy.
Divine.

OK let’s get the price out of the way I found it a little expensive OK yes expensive for me, but as the saying goes you get what you pay for… So after giving them $ 27 plus tip I walked away with a beer to pork ribs small mac & cheese and «fatty brisket»
I took my first bite and subconsciously licked my fingers making me forget that I had paid $ 27.
Sooo good!!! I was smiling at the end and cannot move to walk fortunately my hotel was over 20 blocks away in the contently walked all the way back.
I wish I had room at the end because the peach cobbler look amazing.
This place did not leave the angry pepper angry instead turn that frown upside down for sure!

Friends came.
Beef rib was the best. Moist brisket was too moist – with slabs of fat. I couldn’t even describe it as «marbled». it was just Fat. then Meat. Sausage was mediocre; perhaps the flavoring was too light and not salty enough for me to say «oh yes! sausage!». Lean brisket was lean, almost too dry.
Enjoyed the coleslaw and potato salad sides. Both were solid. Service was fast at 1pm on a weekend.

I would’ve given this place at least four stars, but the service leaves a bit to be desired. There was one person in particular who really ruined it. The rest of the employees were quite nice and even outgoing and friendly.
In my confusion about the menu, I made what was likely a somewhat snarky comment. The gentleman behind the counter who was cutting the meat then replied with another snarky comment back. That’s totally fine. I probably deserved it.
But, I couldn’t help notice that my turkey was cut in half inch to three quarters of an inch thickness. The two other people in my party we both got turkey had their meat cut very thin and presented well. Because mine was so thick it was not enjoyable nor did it taste the way I thought it should.
Perhaps it’s just coincidence. Perhaps I had it coming to me for asking a question about the menu. Or, then again, this is why you don’t move the country family business into the city and expected to be the same. Hipster millennials are usually not regarded for their customer service.
I probably won’t go back unless I’m with a group that wants to go there. The plain and simple truth is that I’ve had better barbecue with much better service. It is Texas after all. If you’re going to serve barbecue here, you better do a few things right and not make the customer feel like he’s not appreciated.

One of the best BBQ places in Texas. Black’s has a reputation that their meats can back up. You can’t go wrong with anything at Black’s. My suggestion would be the fatty brisket. It has the most flavor in the brisket cuts. If you can get an end cut you are much better off. The turkey is very moist and has a good smoky taste. To my surprise, the pork ribs were very flavorful and delicious. As far as the sides go, the beans are incredible. The potato salad was average. The creamy coleslaw was better than most.
The staff were incredibly friendly and are willing to help you make decisions. You order what you want in the amount you want which makes it a lot easier to try different things. If you’re reading this, go ahead and decide to go. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you will probably walk out with a big smile on your face and a full stomach.

I’m just gonna throw this out there and duck for cover: In my opinion BBQ is becoming over priced and over rated! Go ahead, throw your pits at me, but, it is what it is. Opinions and assholes! Right? As for sides? I don’t go to a BBQ joint for sides! I go for the meat. Meat, people, meat!
Jalapeño and Cheddar Sausage: That little booger popped like a cherry when I poked it with my knife! Very juicy and flavorful. I have always been a fan of these sausage rings. I always get them when I visit Black’s in Lockhart. They make great little sausage wraps. Good with sauce or mustard.
Beef Rib: Think «Flinstones,. I paid $ 22 for my rib! Ouch! But, I had enough for leftovers. It had a little smoke ring. Good texture. Great flavor and killer char! When you have a piece of meat that you can rip off the bone and eat as is without any mustard or sauce, you know you’ve just scored! Good rib for sure.
Lean Brisket: Went with the lean because I wasn’t in the mood for moist. It was just ok. Nice bark. No good smoke ring and a bit too dry. I yearned for mustard to dip this in. Not a fan of the lean. At almost $ 17/​lb I expected better. Guess I should stick with the moist. I will say that when I got home and broke out the leftovers I did enjoy the brisket and mustard. Reheat the lean with water. BBQ kill.

I liked the pork ribs just fine and they were falling off the bone and all. I have to say I
Felt there was too much pepper in the Mac and cheese. Good but not one of my favorite places.

Good meats but do order the fatty brisket instead of the lean because it is more moist and I made the mistake of ordering the lean which is a little dry. Their bbq sauce is ok. I’ve had better. They also ran out of the pork ribs when I tried to order it. pretty disappointed. Wished they had more sides to choose from. Their Mac and cheese was good though. Green beans were just ok. This place is decent. If you don’t eat much just order ¼th of a pound and you’ll be good. I think ½ pound of meat is good for 2 people. Their giant ribs are huge. but I didn’t order any. Overall it’s not a bad place.

Most interesting for me. On my quest for the perfect barbecue, I was expecting good meat here. I wasn’t disappointed.
The brisket was ridiculously tender. Know the phrase, «so tender it falls off the bone»? This brisket was so tender it started crumbling. It was actually a bit annoying. I could have eaten it with a spoon more easily than with a form.
With that said, it was so full of smoky goodness that I didn’t even need sauce. I just kept eating it and then took over my friend’s serving because he wasn’t fast enough. You snooze, you lose.
The sides were ever good. The potato salad has the right amount of mustard to not be bland, and the cole slaw was sweet enough to rival that of KFC.
This is a gem of a place with a friendly staff and great food.

Heard meat is smoked in Lockhart then brought to Austin, so expectations were somewhat low.
Two in our party for lunch May 2015, tables inside full and half of patio seating full, less than 5 minute wait in line. Got fatty brisket, lean brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, Norma Jean beans, coleslaw for $ 24, surprisingly reasonable pricing in Austin.
The verdict: Platter 1, ¾ lbs of fatty brisket and lean brisket both beat expectations. Fatty was moist and had nice flavor. Lean was somewhat dry, less flavor, but still tasty. Norma Jeans beans, excellent, but wish they had a bit of kick. Platter 2, ¾ of fatty and lean brisket, fatty was way way way too fat, about a third was mostly inedible because it was just clumps of fat. Lean was dry, but meat quality was good. Cole slaw was creamy but standard stuff.
Jalapeño cheddar sausage was a miss all the way around, greasy greasy greasy, crumbly, loosely packed and no jalapeño kick at all. Pass on this even at $ 2.59 for a small ring.
Both cuts of brisket ($ 16.95 a pound) had too little bark, smoke rings almost nonexistent.
Surprisingly the table sauce saved the dry lean cuts. I am generally not a fan of sauce because good brisket needs none, but the nice spicy bite from the sauce added a lot of flavor.
Bottom line: middle of the road brisket in a very competitive market when it’s a good cut, but a miss when the cutter isn’t interested in giving you your money’s worth. Think the dryness of the lean cuts could be solved by smoking on site instead of being transported and continuously reheated.