From the time I arrived in Texas, until I stepped on the plane, I had many folks (people in line at Franklin BBQ, my buddy’s dad, the Rental Car Shuttle driver, etc.) tell me if I wanted to get a real sense of Texas BBQ, that I needed to visit Lockhart, Texas before departing the state. So I made some time and I got into my little rental car headed to Austin one day and made a
Lockhart, Texas
detour to the quintessential town about 12 miles outside of San Marcos.
There are a multitude of BBQ joints in Lockhart, Texas, but I visited Black’s. As it was explained to me, almost all roads in Central Texas BBQ lead back to Black’s. The Black family is where it all began and the Pitmasters behind all the other joints have ties to the Blacks. I had just a short amount time on my hands, so I went direct to Black’s.
One gets the sense that the BBQ joints in Lockhart are pretty much the only thing going on in Lockhart. You have to travel through a picturesque downtown to get to Black’s and the signs for the restaurant are quite prominent.
THE LINE:
I went on a Sunday afternoon and it took me no longer than 10 minutes to park, walk in, get the low down (sides are offered on a buffet and you pay by the serving…then you advance to the meat line), order (I got a lb of brisket), sit down, and get to eating. This is 1/30th of the time it took me to make it through the line at Franklin BBQ. I didn’t get the party experience that I got in Austin, but that time saved really does count for a lot. Based on the significant amount of parking they have, I could tell the demand can get high, but I know they don’t have the constant crowd like Franklin’s.
The entrance to Black’s Barbecue
THE PLACE:
From the moment I walked into the joint, this felt like an old school BBQ joint that I expected to find and have come to love. There are pictures of the Blacks and famous guests along the walls, which highlight that this is in fact a family affair for the Blacks. Again, I went on a Sunday and you could tell that this place had been an after church tradition for generations of many other families. The dining room is very large and suitable for large parties, I suspect many a family reunion has been held there. 
THE FOOD:
The meat (brisket) was fantastic! I sat down with my lb of beef, 50/50 fatty and lean and got to work tasting. It had great consistency and I really felt like the beef flavor was the main event, any rub used wasn’t overwhelming (I thought it was a bit overpowered at Franklin BBQ). I also got a sweet tea, this was the sweetest tea I have ever had, and I have spent a lot of time in the South! I tried the one sauce that they over and while it wasn’t necessary it was pretty tasty.
Some of the best brisket in Texas.
The food was also a little cheaper than Franklin’s, but my understanding is that Aaron Franklin only uses grassfed beef.
I do wish that I had tried some of the other meats, but I was just about to reach BBQ overload.
CONCLUSION:
Black’s should definitely find a place on your itinerary. It is old school Texas BBQ in the finest sense of the tradition. It reminded me of how subjective the term the “BEST” BBQ is, because given a choice I would have picked Black’s over Franklin BBQ. I have been told that consistency can be a bit of an issue and that is one area where Franklin excels. All that being said, saving yourself 4.5 hours of waiting in line can make up for a lot of sins!
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