Terry Black's Barbecue
Barbecue restaurant · Bouldin ·
Pit-smoked meats, housemade sides from 4th-gen pitmasters
Pit-smoked meats, housemade sides from 4th-gen pitmasters
"There are a lot of famous barbecue joints in Texas with the Black name—there’s Terry Black’s with locations in Austin, Dallas, Lockhart, and there’s The Original Black’s Barbecue with a few locations around Central Texas. You can read about the family drama and the eventual split here, or you can just head to the small shop in Lockhart where it all began in the 1930s. The brick walls surrounding the pit wear decades of smoke like a badge of honor, and the peppery brisket still tastes like a page from a barbecue history book. But the most legendary thing here is the beef rib—a hulking, bark-covered cut so soft and rich you could probably write sonnets about it. Nearly 100 years later, and Black’s consistently shows us that it can still hang with the new kids on the block." - nicolai mccrary, kevin gray, nick rallo
"A barbecue operation noted in this context for supplying brisket used in a collaborative brisket-and-cheddar-stuffed kolache offered at a neighborhood donut shop." - Courtney E. Smith
"There was a time when getting good barbecue required a 45-minute pilgrimage to Black's Barbecue in Lockhart, one of a few spots in the area generally considered to be among the best. Now, that same experience requires a 12-minute walk from the north end of campus. All of the meat is still smoked in the same pits over in Lockhart, then driven in each morning. The smoked meats travel and hold up surprisingly well (plus, most of it was cooked overnight, anyway). The lines don’t get nearly as bad here as some other spots in town, plus it’s one of the few BBQ places in town that’s open for dinner." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"What used to require a 45-minute drive out to Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart is now just a short drive to the UT area. Hungover college students will never understand just how good they have it. As a result of that location, the lines here don’t tend to be too bad. The barbecue is still smoked in Lockhart, but driven in daily. If you’re worried about the freshness factor, keep in mind that most of what you’re typically eating was cooked overnight—smoked meats travel and hold up surprisingly well. We’d recommend getting brisket, and if you come with friends, make sure to get a massive beef rib to share." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"If the name Terry Black sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve gone to town on brisket and ribs at their Austin location on Barton Springs Road. Terry Black’s is the first place you’ll see (and smell) on the drive into Lockhart, and it’s the best overall spot in town for brisket that melts in your mouth, tender and moist spare ribs, and snappy sausages. And while the focus on excellent meat in Lockhart can mean sides are treated as an afterthought, that’s not the case here. The thick elbows of mac and cheese are glossy, and the creamed corn is a barbecue classics done right. There’s a pretty small indoor dining room if you want to enjoy some air conditioning, but the real action is outside, where you can watch the staff tuck briskets into the pits like they’re being put down for a gentle nap." - anne cruz