Into the heart of the Beast - Austin's BBQ and brisket giants

A fine evening of cocktails and people watching back in town after a day on the road to Lockhart and beyond, and the Garrison Bros Distillary tour....we tried something a little different at the West end establishment of Lamberts.  Known for its professional quality beef ribs, ribs and brisket...we decide to switch it up and try some smoked chicken and Lamberts sausage.  All we can say....is another awesome experience, mood, drinks, and smoked meat.

But it was up early the next morning to face the madness at Franklins with a plan to also get to La Barbecue, and maybe even over the black sheep of John Muellers Meats.  Our intentions were noble.  We got in line at Franklins at 8:40 am and conned our queue mates into a couple of bloody Mary's and prepared to wait it out.  After an hour or so...the pre-order Steward made her way down to our end of the parking lot and promptly informed us that we could expect to get served between 1:30 and 2:00.  Between hunger, impatience, and some might say a modicum of common sense....we decided a 5 1/2 hour wait for yet ANOTHER plate of smoked meat was not in our cards.

Apologies to Aaron Franklin and a well understood and well deserved reputation for awesome Q I'm sure...but we packed up and made our way to La Barbecue.  Sorry Franklins.  It's only meat after all.

HELLLLLLOOOO La Barbecue !!  Short lines, sunshine, and free beer while you wait in line!  Live music of country and John Prine and Johnny Cash classics made for a festive atmosphere and the anticipation was enormously rewarded by a stellar, simply gorgeous and tasty pile of barbecue!  The brisket was fleshed sliced off a freshly unwrapped slab, a set of big meaty ribs, and a new-comer of savory moist smoked turkey (sausage was gone) 

The ribs of course were everything one could expect.  We loved em!  The brisket was incredibly moist, flavorful, colored and a medium crusty bark.  It's hard to compare or contrast one master to another.  We loved it all...but there was one consensus opinion about it all...the "perfect kiss of smoke" we felt was missing.  The smoke ring was perfect in the brisket....but the smoke flavor was hiding somewhere.  Nothing not to like, nothing bad to say...just our observation.  

It must have been a busy Sunday...because by the time we found John Muellers, he was sold out.  Drifted over to Mickelthwait's for sausage and they too were left only with pulled pork.  We sought out a small trailer back downtown called Valentina's for some savory yummy brisket tacos and called it an awesome day.