Kerlin BBQ

I visited Kerlin because I saw it reviewed on Thrillist as the best BBQ in the nation. I was skeptical, as I love franklin and have never heard of this place. First, a word of caution: be careful where you park, the owner of the piñata palace next door will tow you in a second if you park in the wrong place. However, the BBQ was superb — definitely on par with Franklin without the line. It is only a husband and wife, so service is a little slow, but we ordered and had our food in less than 15 mins. The pinto beans are amazing and the brisket is so tender, it falls apart. If you want delicious BBQ with no wait, visit Kerlins.

Being from the BBQ capital of the world, I’d consider myself a true BBQ expert. By far the best port ribs, EVER!!! Sausage is good. I wasn’t overly impressed with the brisket. It was a bit chewy today. The beans and pickles were great. Not a fan of odd coleslaw and potato salad. I’m a traditionalist. Great ribs, guys!

The only thing that comes out of that little trailer that isn’t absolutely fantastic is the sausage — and it’s still pretty good. The couple that own and operate it are friendly and hospitable, and the tables are clean (this is surprisingly rare). The line is relatively short, but I doubt it will stay that way for long. The food quality is such that to compare it to the other big names in town is splitting hairs. There might be better BBQ in Austin, but I don’t think there’s a better BBQ experience.

This is my new favorite spot for BBQ in Austin. I had the brisket, the ribs and the sausage. All three were amazing. The blue cheese cole slaw sounds odd but it was really really good.
There seating situation is modest, there are covered picnic benches under a tent tarp. Check this place out before they get to be too popular.

Well I’ve been to just about every BBQ place in and around Austin, and I’m pleased to say there’s a new contender for best overall BBQ experience. I will say I’ve struggled to try Kerlins because they’re only open Friday-​Sunday 11am-​2pm but usually sell out pretty regularly. However it’s worth making the effort because everything was excellent. I ordered brisket, pork ribs, sausage, pork shoulder and the creamed corn w/​chipotle and bacon. The most impressive thing was everything I ate was fantastic and close to the best in town. The moist brisket had that melt in your mouth consistency. The bark was also a peppery delicious. At first I thought the ribs were a little burnt on top but after tasting them they were perfect. Some of my favorite in town. The sausage was really solid and worth ordering. I almost didn’t get the pork shoulder but thought I should try everything. It would have been a terrible mistake to pass up because it was very moist and one of my favorite things. Even the creamed corn was good but by that point I was suffering from the meat sweats. The sauce which I almost didn’t need, was also peppery and will be good for reheating any leftovers.
Overall this is one of my best BBQ experiences in town. The line was about 20 – 30 minutes, much more manageable than other places. They had great Americana/​Austin Roots music playing and the trailer seating area is inviting and clean. The husband and wife team are extremely sweet and helpful. Food was delivered right when you order. I can’t recommend this place enough and will be back very soon.

Some of the best bbq evah! Not sure why this didn’t have the hype or line as the others but this place was for real. When I eat other ribs and sausage I’m really thinking of Kerlins.

Bill and Amelis are wonderful people who run this fantastic BBQ joint. Do yourself a favor and check out their delicious offerings on the East side next time you get the chance.
Always greeted with a friendly smile, this BBQ trailer delivers succulent brisket and tender pork ribs with the reliability of the «other» famous Austin BBQ hotspots without the expense of multi-​hour lines. Unique twists on classics, such as blue cheese cole slaw, make Kerlin’s a special stop on your way to personal gluttony.
Do yourself a favor and also ask about he delectable brisket and sausage breakfast kolaches available at a nearby coffee shop or from the trailer if you pre-​order a dozen or more. I’m not sure why the union between homemade doe and smoked meat took so long to happen in the universe, but it is a truly glorious experience.
Thanks, Bill and Amelis!

I love Kerlin BBQ! It’s a great place for meeting friends for BBQ brunch on the weekends as they often have local musicians playing, have fun yard games, and great food. I have also ordered their catering for several parties and my guests have always loved their food. Their kolaches are a unique and delicious option for serving at parties!
Bill and Amelis always provide great service, great prices, and good fun.

I won’t lie, we went here because the line at La Barbecue was ridiculous. I’m so glad we did. The brisket and beef BBQ ribs were stupidly, unbelievably good. By that I mean I literally did not know that BBQ that delicious existed. Tasty, juicy, and so flavorful. The bleu cheese coleslaw was creamy and surprisingly tasty (I doubted its tastiness, how dare I). Owners were super friendly. A+, will serve at my wedding when someone is drunk or silly enough to marry me.

This food truck is right next to Veracruz, so might I highly recommend a tacos/​BBQ double whammy. That’s what we did! We enjoyed the excellent brisket (with a few complementary burnt ends!) The line is short compared to other nearby BBQ places, and while we’re certainly not experts, we thought the brisket was just fantastic, juicy and delicious, and just a notch below La Barbecue. The sides was where Kerlin didn’t compare — the blue cheese coleslaw was just too much, too creamy and kind of wet.
We didn’t have the chance to try anything else since we just had some tacos, but if you want great brisket fast, definitely give Kerlin a try!

Great little spot. If you’re not in the mood to wait 3+ hours for Franklin, come here. The brisket and pork is as good as it gets. The line at lunchtime on a Saturday still took us around 30 min, but it was well worth it. I actually regret not ordering a second order of brisket.
There’s plenty of seating and shade to go around as well. I will DEFINITELY be coming back!

Kerlin offers some of the best if not THE best brisket and pork ribs around. The line is relatively short but does move a little slow since it is a mom and pop operation in a small trailer. At this level it’s really a matter of individual taste who offers the best BBQ in town. But for me Kerlin is the new king. I say his pork ribs are clearly #1 with brisket on par with La Barbecue or Franklin, but with a shorter wait. I haven’t seen any beef rib offered which would make you go elsewhere if that’s what you really in the mood for.
The potato salad and coleslaw are on point. I would skip the beans unless you really have a craving for legumes. The pickles are by far the best. Super fresh and homemade, not from a jar. I could eat those all day.

Kerlin BBQ makes AMAZING kolaches. Although it may seem unconventional to visit a BBQ place for something other than brisket/​sausage on a plate, I encourage you to track down kolaches from this place.
You can also get Kerlin’s kolaches at Wright Bros. Brew & Brew. They’ll even heat it up for you.
The brisket and other offerings were also top notch. I don’t think you can go wrong with Kerlin’s…just make sure you check their opening hours since they seem to be adjusting them recently to find a good balance.

Kerlin has replaced Micklethwait as my go-​to bbq spot in Austin. Franklin is still the best imo, but who has the time to wait 4hrs for lunch more than once a year?
Like others have stated, the line is minimal. For now anyways. There will no doubt be a long line in the next year or so with BBQ of this level. I think they are clearly the #2 BBQ place in Austin, right behind Franklin and significantly ahead of Micklethwait and La BBQ.
The fatty brisket is awesome; juicy, flavorful and just the right amount of fat. So so good.
Ribs are amazing as well, with a nice crust but also tender and juicy on the inside.
Come at 11am (Fri-​Sun only) and get the fatty brisket and ribs. You’ll be out of there in 30mins and your stomach will be very happy.

5 stars by default, just because they give away free beer and sound like nice people. And I have to provide a star rating in order to leave a comment.
BUT they appear to be closed until August 28^th for summer? That’s great for them, but it would be nice if they updated their Unilocal hours. Google Maps also says they are open.
To be fair, their actual website does indicate they are closed through August 28^th.
Just wanted to save others the wasted trip… And the crushing disappointment. I ate oatmeal this morning to balance out the cholesterol… For nothing!!!
See y’all on the 28^th!

BOTTOM LINE: My favourite of the 3 BBQ joints I tried while visiting.
On my week-​long trip to Austin, I tried Kerlin, La Barbeque and Terry Black’s, and Kerlin was my favourite. I’m no BBQ connoisseur; in fact, from where I’m from, all these joints would kick their asses. So why Kerlin?
1. No line! I showed up. I ordered. I ate. There was a steady stream of people so it’s not like this place was deserted — I just *hate* waiting for food (see La Barbque: P).
2. Great prices! The cheapest of the 3 I tried, but I’m definitely a sucker for the hole-​in-​the-​wall places with great food. This place has it in spades.
3. THE BRISKET.
I few things though. I think the signage could be way clearer from the street. I only tried the beans for sides and they were largely forgettable. I’d definitely come back the next time I find myself in Austin.

This is good BBQ, and without the pretense and fuss.
Although I live around the corner, I wasn’t motivated to try it until it was ranked best bbq in America in some book that just came out. (No, I don’t consider Franklin bbq the best, it’s very good, though, and I’d love to have some if you’ll be the one waiting in line to pick it up for us.) Some of the criteria used by the author was the side dishes, and I find that’s where many bbq joints become forgettable.
We shared: pork ribs, sausage, brisket, potato salad, beans.
Ribs: A+ all the way. How have I lived without these for so long?
Sausage: typical, I think it’s typical at most places. I can see past it
Brisket: I read that it had a «bark» that set it apart, but the portion we got seemed a little too moist, so the coating wasn’t much different, texture-​wise, from the center. A bit of the fat was not fully rendered. Also, the slices are really thick. Still, it was delicious.
Potato salad: good god yes, onion dill deliciousness
Beans: fantastic! Jalapeño!
Pickles: normally I pass these by, but these taste homemade. Nice and crisp!
Sauce: the vinegar was a bit much and caught me off guard. On the brisket, though, it enhanced the meat. Maybe it was a little off today?
I will definitely try this place again. I’m curious to see if the brisket is a little different on my next visit (at many places it is), and the pork ribs are not to be missed. And yes, the side dishes!

TL;DR: Second-​tier BBQ (not quite in the same range as Franklin’s and La), but that ain’t a shame. If Franklin’s is a 100 and La is a 99.5, Kerlin is a solid 92. Still way better than any brisket I ever had in California. Friendly, fast, relaxed, not crowded. Shared picnic tables with families and some chill dudes. A nice option for those who want wonderful BBQ while avoiding lines and stress.
Recently went on an Austin food– and coffee-​tasting extravaganza and decided to try this up-​and-​comer before trying the more well-​known BBQ establishments. Came by on a late Saturday morning and went straight to the food truck and ordered our food. Sat down for a few minutes with our Mexican Cokes and got called back up to retrieve a chopped brisket sandwich, a sliced brisket sandwich, a dill potato salad, a side of beans, and a brisket and cheddar kolache.
The sandwiches were served on plain white hamburger buns, which I didn’t mind but my wife would have preferred sliced white bread or a fancier bun. The meat was delicious. Every bite was consistently good and flavorful. The sides were tremendous. My pinto beans had jalapeños inside for a little extra kick and my wife’s dill potato salad was probably her favorite side dish throughout our entire trip. The sauce was good but as I write this review a week and a half later, not as memorable as other sauces I tried, so take that as you will. The kolache was cheap and super flavorful. Brisket inside was not as good as what we had in our sandwiches, but it amalgamated magically with the melted cheese for a smoky yumminess.
Anyone who loves BBQ and is able to trek to Austin, absolutely try the other top-​notch places. However, don’t forget places like Kerlin, which may not be at the highest level, but makes up for it with quiet charm, fast and friendly service, and a stressless eating experience that will not make you plan your whole day around a long wait time.

Kerlin I love you because of your Texas hospitality. We came as they were starting to run out so I was overwhelmed and ordered just brisket but realized after that they still had pulled pork available. These kind folks gave me a decent sized portion of pulled pork free of charge so that I could try it, and it was DELICIOUS.
I like Kerlin also because of their sides. Their blue cheese slaw was a nice alternative to the typical slaws we see everywhere. Potato salad was good too.
Order: brisket, pulled pork, blue cheese slaw. Wish I had gotten the chance to try the creamed corn and banana custard, but guess I’ll just have to come back now.
Reasonable prices, delicious food, great hospitality. I do wish their location had more character to it.

Ok, I know most BBQ lovers don’t give two shits about the sides, but can I just tell you how happy I am to have found great BBQ and AWESOME SIDES!!!
Let’s just start with the pickles… why? Well, I’m fairly certain they make them, but even if they don’t…they could lie about it because they’re fresh, crunchy, and perfectly dilled (yeah, I just made that a verb). BBQ in Texas should always be accompanied by pickles & onions, in mass.
Blue cheese cole slaw… yeah, you heard that right. It’s insane. How I haven’t even tried this combo myself is beyond me, but I’m a huge fan. A bite of that followed very closely by a bite of their chopped beef (maybe even with a squirt of sauce) and I’m in heaven.
The potato salad has dill in it… and it’s not overwhelming… very nice, clean flavors with some celery and onion crunchiness to boot.
The sausage was yum.
The chopped beef was insane… it had perfect little pieces of crackly bark mixed in… doused it in their PERFECT (that’s right, perfect) sauce and dove right in. At first I was like, «wow…that’s a lot of meat»…and then I just ate it all… I mean, I couldn’t help myself.
This is my new favorite because it’s the best of allllllll worlds, and we showed up at 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon and they still had meat… and there was no line… and they give out free Texas water (ahem, Lonestar)…so you should probably just make plans to get there for a meal ASAP. You will not regret it. Promise.