I was down in New Braunfels this morning and saw that the Rudy’s on the loop has vacated, to move to a new location down the loop.

The old location, with the gas station gone, is being remodeled into a Black’s Barbeque, from Lockhart is says. Opening soon.

I recall there were a couple of really good barbeque outfits in Lockhart. Hopefully this is one.

Any info?

Blacks has really good link sausage and the brisket was good too, a bottle of Big Red soda goes well with lunch there. I didn’t care for Chisholm Trail but I need to visit Smitty’s when I go through there next time. I would say the sausage at Blacks is the best I’ve ever had.

Lockhart was officially named the 'BBQ capital of TX', although unofficially and realistically, it has been overtaken by Austin.

Smitty's, Kreuz's, and Black's in Lockhart are all top-tier BBQ joints. Of the three, I like Black's the most. Black's has also splintered into: the Original Black's, Kent Black's, and Terry Black's. Terry's is sort of - wait for it - the black sheep, since Terry opened his restaurant w/o the rest of the Black's family blessing.

If you like sausage w/ a course grind, that's one thing that sets Black's apart.

JALLEN, have you been to Krause's in New Braunfels? Great German food, got engaged in Gruene back in December and ate there. I was very impressed.

I make a pilgrimage to Texas at least one time a year to shoot skeet, go to Kreuz Market in Lockhart and stock up on Weller 12. I love Texas.

And TX 130 is a fantastic road.

Black's is amongst the Big Three of Barbaque in Lockhart.

Kreuz's is the big pre-fab warehouse looking place near the edge of town, solid brisket, lotsa seating/parking; good all-around BBQ. They used to be where Smitty's is (There was a falling-out with family apparently), currently in the middle of town. Classic old school Texas location, lotsa smoke pantina on the inside walls. When people look for photographs of Texas BBQ, Smitty's is usually right at the top as their location has a lot of character. I thought Smitty's sausages were top-notch but, their brisket the day we visited wasn't up there. Lastly is Black's, just off the town square. I thought a bit speedier than the other two, their beef ribs by far were the best. They'll do some non-beef varieties also, smoked turkey and pork chops. I understand Black's has a couple of newer locations now.

I understand there's a couple of other operations that have opened, Chisolm Trail and R&G BBQ. Haven't been but, look forward to returning to Lockhart.

Didn't like Black's in their original location (briskets too dry).. didn't get what's all the hoopla was about. Liked Kreuz, and City market in nearby Luling.

quote:

Originally posted by Ox190:
JALLEN, have you been to Krause's in New Braunfels? Great German food, got engaged in Gruene back in December and ate there. I was very impressed.

I’ve not been there but a number of my classmates have and were disappointed. Krause’s is a mere shadow of its former self, nothing like the original very popular eating spot of my youth. It appears the new operators bought the extremely popular name, but aren’t even pretending to duplicate or imitate the popular old restaurant of that name.

I ate at Krause’s starting in the late 50’s when I was in junior high. There was no food service there, so you could bring your lunch, go home or eat anywhere you wanted. Krause’s was one of several places within easy walk of the old junior high. It was an old frame house then, great food. Kermit Krause gradually remodeled, enlarged his restaurant several times. When I was in high school, it was in an essentially a new building on the same spot. Krause was one of the prominent sausage makers in New Braunfels who inspired, started, the Wurstfest.

Getting a table was difficult.. you stood close to a table where the patrons appeared to be about to leave and when they did, you and your party helped clear the table and sat down. Odds were very high that the folks leaving were friends of yours, or known to you in any rate. You knew all the waitresses, too.

There were standard meals and daily specials. My folks loved liver and onions, Thursdays IIRC. All the meals were terrific, except that.

I worked for a law firm in the summer of 1964, just after graduating from high school. Except for the two weeks I was on Navy Reserve duty, I think I ate at Krause’s every business day all summer. I ate there many, many other times, too, not that there were that many other choices back then.

I was particularly fond of the barbeque. Brisket, sausage, chicken, especially. The sauce was especially flavorful. A plate of brisket, sausage, german potato salad and beans, with a small salad, bread, a small peach cobbler and tea was my most frequently ordered meal.

One day when I was visiting my folks years later, I went in, was sitting at the bar visiting with Mr. Krause, telling him how much I had missed the barbeque, and had gone to some trouble to do some mesquite smoking of briskets and chicken in San Diego. I mentioned how much I liked the sauce and, to my surprise, he wrote out the recipe on a napkin.

I forget when Kermit sold the restaurant and retired, but the buyers thought they would “improve” things, and ran it into the ground. Krause’s daughter had a meat market on FM306 for awhile, but it has closed. Pity!

quote:

Originally posted by saigonsmuggler:
...and City market in nearby Luling.

Luling City Market has a location here in Houston. I've been going there for over 25 years. I still think it's the best Barbecue in Houston.

Went to the one in Lockhart when I TX a while back. Not bad, but I wasn't that impressed.

quote:

Originally posted by iron chef:
Smitty's, Kreuz's, and Black's in Lockhart are all top-tier BBQ joints. Of the three, I like Black's the most.

Same.

I prefer Smitty's over Black"s.

quote:

Originally posted by Angus the Kid:

quote:

Originally posted by saigonsmuggler:
...and City market in nearby Luling.

Luling City Market has a location here in Houston. I've been going there for over 25 years. I still think it's the best Barbecue in Houston.

The Houston "Luling City Market" has no actual connection to the "City Market" in Luling aside from the Houston restaurant doing it's damnedest to copy the real City Market (including hiring away one of the City Market's staff to help them copy it).

http://www.houstonpress.com/re...entity-theft-6576932

quote:

Originally posted by SW_Sig:
I prefer Smitty's over Black"s.

Smitty’s is my favorite Lockhart BBQ, followed by Kruetz’s, with Black’s bringing up the rear, though as noted Black’s probably has the best sausage.

City Market in Luling is a destination not to be missed when in that part of the world.

Just go to Franklin’s and be done with it.

Snow's in Lexington is top notch. Sadly, they're only open on Saturday morning from 8 a.m. until the food is gone.

As an aside, there is a relatively new place in Brenham called Truth BBQ (just a few years old) that is really great, and the guy either just opened or is about to open a second restaurant in Houston.

Black's and Kreuz in Lockhart are great. I haven't been to Smitty's yet in the old Kreuz location across from the courthouse.

Kreuz has opened another location in College Station, not as good as the original in my opinion.

I’ll throw Cooper’s BBQ in the mix. It’s right down from the new Rudy’s and Blacks. I ate at City Market in Luling for the first time a few weeks back. Folks we were with raved about it. It’s a good spot with great character, but I like Cooper’s best for all around BBQ, hard to beat.

I haven't been to Lockhart in a few years, but at the time Black's was getting all of the press (currently Kreuz is getting all of the press). They were really on their game and it was amazing. I was in Austin for 3 day weekend and it was an hour or two faster to drive to Lockhart, wait in Black's line, eat at Black's, and drive back to Austin than wait in Franklin's ridiculous line.

I've eaten at a bunch of Texas Monthly's Top 10 and Top 50 list.

Luling City Market used to be my favorite, but Black's was better. I read that Luling uses a cheater pit on the weekend to handle the crowds and you may not get the BBQ they are known for. However, they still do 100% of it the old fashioned way Mon thru Fri.

Snow's in Dallas. My brisket was outstanding, but my Dad was served immediately after me and Aramark would have been embarrassed to serve that brisket in a cafeteria.

I'm lucky that BBQ in North Houston has taken off the past 2 years with Tejas (Tomball) and Corkscrew (Spring) both making Texas Monthly's Top 10 list.

Killen's in Pearland. It was very good and not too far from NASA.

Gatlin's in Houston. They opened in their first location a few months after I moved out of the Heights. I managed to dine there a few times when I was back for business trips and weddings. Very good BBQ and several generations of family in the restaurant. They moved to their new location north of 610 off Ella, and I've been once. Food is just as good, but they now have more indoor seating and a nicer restaurant.

Stiles Switch in Austin. Very good and it's more of a place where locals go as there isn't infernal never ending lines.

Stanley's in Tyler. It's been many years, but I remember liking it.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.