2017 - La Barbecue Austin

Texas Passions - La Barbecue Austin.  Season 2, episode 4

A review of the barbecue served at La Barbecue in Austin, Texas.

So I’m driving down east Cesar Chavez Street here in Austin.  It’s going on lunch time and I need to get something yummy for my tummy.  I just happen to roll down the window and am instantly captivated by the sweet smell of barbecue cooking.  I park the van and follow my nose to La Barbecue.

When I first got to La Barbecue, I spotted their smokers and had to take a closer look.  A wonderful young man named Brendan saw me lurking around and ended up giving me a guided tour.  Their three smokers were made from repurposed fuel tanks and are worth around $50,000 – each.  He raised the lid on one of the smokers where briskets and pork shoulders were just beginning their cook.  I got to see a member of their staff trimming excess fat off a brisket as part of the two day prep before cooking.  I also got to see a batch of sausage getting ready to come out of the smoker. 

Pit master Brendan Lamb

Pork shoulders and briskets starting their long cook

After the tour, it took about an hour from the time I got in line to place my order to the time I sat down with a full plate of moist brisket, pork ribs, and a link of their sausage.  Their brisket was phenomenal: moist, tender, and full of smoky flavor.  Slow smoked over post oak, the brisket is wrapped in butcher paper towards to end of the cook to ensure a great outer bark.  Delicious.  The ribs were tender and meaty, the meat falling off the bone when I bit into them.  They make their own sausage and it has been voted the best in Austin for the last couple of years, but I am not much of a sausage guy.  Their pickles are also homemade and were very tasty.  There were two kinds of barbecue sauce on the table, but neither added much to what was already spectacular barbecue.

La Barbecue serves barbecue out of a food trailer located at 1906 East Cesar Chavez.  It is owned by LeAnn Mueller, daughter of the legendary Bobby Mueller, and granddaughter of Louie Mueller, the god father of central Texas barbecue.  You may have also heard about her brother John, but that’s another story.  They have a lot of shaded picnic tables around the trailer for people to use.  There was a large cross section of people there enjoying the barbecue.  It was neat to see many of the them taking pictures of their food.  La Barbecue has been ranked as one of the very best joints in Texas and I wholeheartedly agree.  

This outstanding barbecue gets two Hook 'Ems!