Curly's Carolina Texas Barbeque

Was prepared to have my socks knocked off from what I'd been hearing. And yes - the ribs were good. Nice and smokey. However, the sausage I ordered was left out of my To-Go order, which with tax was $28 and change. So 1.5 lbs of ribs was 10 ribs and $28 bucks for 10 ribs is EXPENSIVE! I think Curly's has good flavor, but WAY OVERPRICED. I'll consider this next time when choosing where to get my BBQ.

The positives: one of the best brisket sandwiches I have ever had the pleasure of eating. The food is unique and not like every other BBQ joint. Cornbread was also tasty. The negatives: limited hours and the sides and meats are not always available. I think I would go 5 stars, but the limited beverage selection and availability of the sides and sometimes even meats is holding me back.

Every Thursday my buddies and I gather up a posse and travel down to Curly's. Our expectations are high and we're never disappointed by our stay. The service offered by Camille and Kim at the front desk and the delicious daily sides always keep us coming back. So.. recommendations on what to eat? Well, the Carolina pulled pork and brisket 2-meat plate is perfection. Absolutely perfect smoke rings and oh so moist every time. Let's just say Jay (the owner) has gotten his barbeque technique down to a science. The only time I've strayed from the usual I tried the Sam Bass sandwich and was not disappointed in the least. As far as sides go, try the Carolina Caviar and the fresh cornbread - can't go wrong with those. TLDR; Quick lunch service and absolutely amazing BBQ keeps us coming back. Try the moist brisket and you'll see what I mean.

A group of us was supposed to get together and drive go karts in Kyle on a Sunday. Unfortunately, the race track is closed on Sundays. Fortunately, one of the guys lived in Round Rock. We were going to meet him and his family for lunch at Curly's Carolina, TX. They have twin babies so we were trying to make it easy on them. Curly's Perfect Pig used to be a trailer in Round Rock serving North Carolina style barbecue owned by Jay Yates. John Brotherton had his own trailer dishing out Texas style barbecue called Hall of Fame BBQ in Pflugerville. Jay and John joined forces to open Curly's Carolina, TX, and they each brought their regional barbecue expertise together. Their new location was a brick and mortar restaurant on Main St in downtown Round Rock. The dining room was not completely finished when we went but should be done soon. Today, I ordered the Carolina, Texas Trinity plate. It came with moist brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork with two sides. I also added a link of sausage. The brisket was the winner here. It was tender and smoky. It had great bark on it. The ribs were solid. Just like the brisket, it was tender and smoky with a nice glaze. Although the sausage was not homemade, it was still good. It had a great snap to it. The pulled pork was meh so that was really disappointing. It was boring and lacking flavor, and I did not like the finishing sauce in it. The bright side was I got to try the three sauces they offered with the pulled pork- red, vinegar, and mustard. I did not like the mustard based one, but the other two were good. The sides I went with were pan-fried cornbread and coleslaw. The cornbread was good but so are most carbs. The coleslaw was good and tasted fresh. I wish I had tried the wasabi coleslaw. It sounded unique, and I have heard great things about it. I was a little disappointed in my visit. From what I heard and saw through social media, I was ready for Curly's to knock my socks off. It was good but not amazing. If the pulled pork would have been better, I would be a repeat customer in a heartbeat. The sandwiches do look good though. I think the pulled pork would work well in a sandwich. I might get one of those when I am in the area again.

This is my 2nd favorite BBQ that I've had (and that's no knock, it's tough to top Franklin at #1). Brisket is delicious, the sauces are fantastic, and their creamed corn and potato salad are amazing. I've been twice in one week and will be going back.

Delicious brisket! Worth a trip, you won't be disappointed.

Ribs good, brisket good, sausage really good.