Kreuz Market

LOCKHART: Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St. (Hwy 183)
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-2361
Open M-Sat 10:30-8
www.kreuzmarket.com/

Update: Two years ago, I took a road trip with two friends and stopped at 10 joints in a single day. Our final stop was Kreuz, and it did not disappoint. I was hoping to strike gold on this trip where Kreuz was again the tenth stop on a epic day of BBQ'ing. Roy Perez is the pitmaster here, and he was tending a tasty pit on this day.



We opted for a link, an end cut pork chop, and a thick slice of clod. The all beef link was juicy and robust. It had a great snap and plenty of spice. I prefer a link with a little pork in it, but this was great example of the all beef variety. The clod was rich and smoky. The perfectly tender meat was surrounded by a thick black crust and a great smokering just beneath it. It very well may be the best slice of clod I've ever eaten. The thick pork chop wasn't far down the ladder. Intensely flavorful and supple meat was enveloped by a thin line of perfectly rendered fat which gushed with salty flavor. I don't think there could have been a better ending to such a long day of eating, and I sat amazed as we finished every speck of meat despite our very full stomachs. It was a real testament to the quality of the meat, and to Roy's skill as the quintessential pitmaster.

Rating *****

2009: On two previous trips to Lockhart, Kreuz was solid, but it has never been other-worldly. I assumed this trip would be no different, but it turned out to be one of my best BBQ experiences. I've eaten mounds of BBQ in my time, but this day was different. Two companions and I had eaten at nine joints on a Saturday. We started early, so by 4:30 we were in our hotel room in Lockhart discussing the following day's line-up of Smitty's and Black's. A friend lamented that he wouldn't be able to try Kreuz, so it hit me that I'd never done 10 BBQ joints in one day, and Kreuz would make it an even 10. As we walked through the front doors, I couldn't imagine that another bite of meat would taste good, but that seductive smell began to change my mind as I gazed into the firelight of the smokers.



I bellied up to the counter to order. Just like Smitty's down the street, this joint offers both fatty brisket and shoulder clod which they refer to as "lean beef". Both were included in my pile 'o protein along with a spare rib and a pork chop.



We then commenced gorging with grease running down to our elbows. The lean brisket was phenomenal. It was moist, perfectly tender with a deep smokiness and robust flavor from the salty rub. The fatty brisket didn't fare as well. The flavor was fine, but it was simply too fatty for me to order it again. Spare ribs were a bit tough, but the deep smoke line and salt and pepper rub melded together to create some fine tasting pork. The pork chop was the biggest surprise. This lean meat can sometimes get dried out, but this slice was perfectly moist, tender and smoky. The salty rub was evident in nearly every delicious bite, and I picked the bone clean.

As I was leaving, I noticed that most of the customers had been taken care of, and Roy Perez, the semi-famous pit boss, was sharpening his knives. I walked over to ask for a picture, and he gladly obliged.



I was surprised when he handed me his newly sharpened knife to try some carving on my own. It was the perfect ending to a great eating experience, and a ground-breaking day.

2008: This is new building, but it comes with much history. You can read about this incredible family feud here. Walking into the smoke house, you'd guess this place has been around for ages. Between the well blackened tall ceiling and the smoke, you'd guess there was just a black hole above you. Ordering here is much like at a butcher shop. Decsribe the meat, and how much you want of it, and it's loaded onto a scale for pricing. They've starting selling some classic BBQ side items in the attached dining room, but the best accompaniments are the traditional crackers, cheese and pickles. No sauce is available here.

They are generous with their cuts here, but then you pay by the pound. We sampled both the fatty and lean briskets. The lean brisket was still heavy on the fat, but it was well rendered and smoky while the fatty brisket was simply carrying too much extra blubber to be enjoyable without a trim. A nice black crust held far too much salt on both cuts. The ribs were large, meaty and well cooked with nicely rendered fat. The crust was also salty, and the smoke could have permeated more of the meat.

In addition to the usual, we also sampled a pork chop which was dry, but the most evenly seasoned piece of meat of the day. They are known for their prime rib, but at $17.90/lb. this salty, slightly dry meat was not vastly superior to the cuts running sub $10/lb. The sausage here was fatty but with a good snap and a coarse grind...quite good.

Another note about the eating style in this portion of Central Texas is that your plate is a sheet of butcher paper, and your only utensil is a plastic knife. Eating with our bare hands became second nature after a few bites, and I'll have to admit that it's hard going back to a fork once I go back into proper Dallas BBQ joints. It garners a few looks, but it's worth it.

Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Q

LOCKHART: Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Q
1323 S. Colorado St. (Hwy 183)
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-6027
Open Daily 8-8
www.chisholmtrailbbq.com

Update: After a long day, this was our ninth and penultimate stop. I took a quick trip inside to grab one of the links that I liked so well from my last trip, and a rib that wasn't available on my previous visit.



On the hood of the truck I unwrapped the package. The glistening paper let me know I was in for a juicy treat, and that was confirmed as I bit into the tasty link. It snapped nicely between my teeth, and some juice ran down my arms. This beef and pork link was perfectly smoked with great peppery flavor. The rib could have been a bit more tender, but it was well seasoned with plenty of salt and black pepper. The meat had great smoke and was plenty moist. After trying the Texas BBQ holy trinity at this joint in two different visits, I've got to say that it holds its own with the best in town. It would be the best in many cities across the state, and certainly deserves a visit if you're in town for one of the more popular destinations.

Rating ****

10/2010: I've heard it proclaimed before that Chisholm Trail would be the best BBQ joint in most other Texas towns, but in Lockhart it's hard to match the hype of the three other storied joints serving world class 'cue. These folks aren't afraid of some competition. They opened up about the time I was birthed in 1978, and by that time this town of just over 12,000 already had two joints with state-wide acclaim, and both had been open for 50+ years. Today Chisholm Trail is said to be a favorite among locals because of high quality at lower prices than the competitors. I decided to give it another shot, and to give it a fair shake we started our morning off there rather than stopping as an afterthought with a full stomach.



Making this our first start caused an issue with meat availability since ribs aren't ready until 10:30 and we arrived at 8:30. Brisket and sausage was piping hot so I brought a butcher paper package full of meat over to the anticipatory gaze of my dining companions. It certainly passed the Homer Simpson clear paper test with plenty of grease to give that butcher paper some sheen, mainly from the sausage. Links are 87% beef and 13% pork, and were the best of the day in Lockhart, ahead of Black's and Smitty's. The snappy casings held coarsely ground and well seasoned meat that had just enough spice. The brisket that emerged was incredible. The meat was deeply smoky, and that fat clinging to eat slice was silky smooth. The meat could have been a touch more tender, but this could easily be the best brisket in Dallas, and could even take first or second in Lockhart on any given day. After this trip I won't view this joint as an afterthought again, and I'm looking forward to a return stop to try those ribs at lunch.

2006: This place generally plays fourth fiddle in this legendary BBQ town, but measured against other joints statewide, it holds its own. The ribs were an excellent version of large, meaty spare ribs with a slightly sweet and peppery rub. The fat was well rendered, and the smoke flavor permeated the meat. On the other hand, the brisket was dry with little smoke flavor despite the nicely formed crust. The fat was not well rendered, but the flavor was still good overall. I wouldn't choose it over others in town, but it's worth a stop for a good comparison.

Black's Barbecue

LOCKHART: Black’s Barbecue
215 N. Main St.
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-2712
Open Sun-Thur 10-8, F-Sat 10-8:30
www.blacksbbq.com/

Update: This was the morning where instead of discovering another great BBQ joint in Texas, Smokemaster1 and I were taking my friend Rob to the heart of BBQ country to find out what all the fuss was about. A stop at Chisholm Trail for excellent sausage and brisket, but no ribs was followed by a less than stellar trip to Smitty's. I was thinking to myself that Rob may now be questioning the Lockhart fuss altogether. That is until we stepped into Black's. This was my third visit, and I have yet to see where all the haters get their ammo. Sure there's a sad looking salad bar as you walk in, but the meat here is nothing short of fantastic.



The sausage here is an 85% beef and 15% pork mixture. The casings have a great snap, the meat is well seasoned, and the overall experience of a Black's sausage squirting hot fat into your mouth is something that demands a repeat performance. A recent addition to the menu was baby back ribs. The smokiness and bold flavoring from the rub was all there, but it needed more time on the smoker to reach another degree of tenderness.

I got to use my Q Card for just the second time. It feels good to save money.


A gargantuan beef rib (not pictured) was much better. The moist meat was eminently tender, and the smokiness embedded into the thick black crust was savory goodness. A rib of this size could make a modest meal for two.

Meat makes Rob happy.


After some great sausage and good ribs, Rob was looking satisfied enough. Then we divvied up the slices of brisket. As those tender slices were being passed and devoured I noticed a thick slice of fatty goodness straight from the end of the brisket flat. The surface area of smoky crust got me giddy, but I decided that although I discovered the slice, the newbie needed the experience more than myself. After some discussion, we cut it into three chunks and as if doing a ceremonial shot of tequila, we downed our bites in unison. At that point cracks formed in the ceiling as the roof opened up and sunlight poured into the space. Suddenly, angelic voices filled the room, and Rob was smiling. We were all smiling, as this will be logged into my memory as one of the finest bites of smoked beef that has ever passed these lips. It was that good, and I'm not exaggerating. If they could guarantee a bite like that with every order, I'd consider driving down on weeknights. Thank you Black's, for helping me turn Rob into a Texas BBQ believer.

Rating *****

2009: Some joints are well known for how well they do one meat or another, but Black's does them all well. Brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey were piled on top of our small plate, and they were all picture perfect.



The brisket had a dark crust and deep red smoke line. The meat was flavorful and smoky, but it could have used a little more time on the smoker to tenderize a bit. The ribs had a perfect cross section of deep red crust, well rendered fat, and red smoky meat. The light salt and pepper rub provided a good robust addition to the smokiness, but the ribs too could have been more tender. A link of beef sausage was good with plenty of fat and a coarse grind of good smoky meat. The big winner was the incredibly moist and tender turkey breast. There's no deli turkey in this joint, and the smokiness of the turkey was deeper than in other meats.

As we dined, Norma Black chatted with out table about the history of Black's. It turns out the she and Edgar took over the place in 1949 just after graduating college when Edgar's dad died suddenly. They were just going to run the place until they could find another family member to take over, but 60 years later they're still at it and doing a fine job. Norma was nice enough to arrange a tour of the pits in the back. They smoke with all oak, and try to cook everything at around 350 degrees.



As I was leaving, I noticed three generations of a local family enjoying a Sunday dinner at Black's. If I was a local, I'd probably be a regular here too.



Rating *****

2006: This is the longest continuously running family owned BBQ joint in Texas (76 years), and there's a reason. It's slightly off the beaten track in Lockhart, as all its competition is along the main highway. Like most joints in this region, you order your meat by the pound straight from the pit boss, and its delivered on butcher paper with a plastic knife. It was all I could do to keep from digging into this sweet smelling protein before I reached a booth. The ribs were large meaty spare ribs with a nice dark red crust. They were tender and flavorful, but the fat needed more rendering. The brisket had a beautiful crust with a slightly sweet flavor. The meat was tender and moist with smoke throughout. I tried to illicit a negative point about this brisket, but I could not. The jalapeno beef and pork sausage was great. It was slightly coarse and fatty, but it had excellent snap and robust flavor. Meat like this will keep this place running for many years to come.

Smitty's Market

LOCKHART: Smitty’s Market
208 S. Commerce St.
Lockhart, TX 78644
512-398-9344
Open M-F 7-6, Sat. 7-6:30, Sunday 9-3
www.smittysmarket.com/

Update: Smitty's is just too good to dock it a star based on one mediocre visit, but this last one wasn't up to the level I'm used to at Smitty's. [After some poignant review of the last few visits, I must reconsider the high rating of five stars. Of four visits, three have been mediocre, including the last two. This is not a streak worthy of such a high rating.] While the sausage was well smoked as always, I realized I just like a bit of pork in the mix to moisten things up. This all beef sausage is just so intensely beefy, but it if you top a saltine with a slice and a dot of hot sauce, it makes for a great flavor combination.



The sweet glazed pork ribs were huge and meaty, but needed more time on the smoker to render out those gobs of fat. The end cut off the pork chop was an excellent cut with plenty of seasoning and great smokiness. The meat was moist, and the chunks of fat were nicely rendered. Clod wasn't ready so we opted for brisket which was the biggest disappointment. The tough slices held little smokiness, and while they were well seasoned, they needed much more cooking time to tenderize. The fat remaining on each slice was also a bit chewy and unappetizing. This is odd since Smitty's has a knack for making fat appetizing, seriously.



Finally, there's just something about the attitude the staff here. The meat cutter almost seemed annoyed that he had to stop his smoke break at the counter to go back and cut off some brisket for us. I know they'll get the business regardless of the level of service, but it would add so much to the mystique and small town feel of this joint if they just made a sincere effort to help their customers enjoy what can be a great meal.

Rating ****

2009: Something about watching a man in a grease stained white jacket and a large knife portioning out my lunch, makes me crave it even more with every slice. Service is curt and efficient at this Lockhart legend, but the only niceties I need were piled on that butcher paper.



An order of fatty brisket, lean shoulder clod, ribs, sausage and a large pork chop were tantalizing atop the greasy butcher paper. The sweet glaze on the ribs adds a great flavor to the meat, but the smokiness was missing. The fatty brisket had too much unrendered fat, but the flavor from the rub was great. The smokiness was better than the ribs, so it surprised me that the shoulder clod was missing the smoke factor. It was good enough, but not to the level that I've come to expect from Smitty's.



The pork chop and the sausage were the best. The sausage was fatty with a good snap, and a great smoky flavor, while the pork chop was equally good. It could have been a little more moist, but the delicious crust made up for it.

On our way out we noticed this older man taking a smoke break in this historic corridor, and something about the picture just oozes Smitty's.



While they didn't get the coveted sixth star, this is still a must on any BBQ trip in this region, and I fully expect them to come back into exemplary form on my next visit.

2008: When you're driving down the interstate and you still cannot force yourself to put that rib bone down until it is licked clean, then you know you've found something special. Our first experience here was not particularly favorable, but we chalked it up to a slight case of meat coma as it had been our sixth place of the day in a span of only 5 hours, so I gave it a other try. Was I ever rewarded. On my way out of town I got some lean brisket, fatty brisket, a pork chop and some pork ribs. My wife could see in my demeanor that I desperately wanted to chow, but she wanted to get on the road just as badly. As a compromise, she allowed her lap to act as a makeshift dining table, and she fed me some of the best BBQ I've tasted.

The lean brisket (actually a misnomer, it's beef shoulder) was perfectly seasoned, but this lean meat could have been more tender, and tasted a bit roast-beefy . The crust was remarkable, and the smoke line was pronounced. The fatty brisket was so good that I even ate all the fat. It was pull-apart tender and beautifully smoky with a slight salt rub. The pork chop was similarly dry to the one tried at Kreuz. The spare ribs were the standout here, and rank among the best I've ever tasted. The rub was slightly sweet creating a tacky texture and a nice crust. The meat was perfectly rendered and smoky, and I just could not stop eating them, even at the wheel.

Smitty's name is worth mentioning as well. You'll notice the name is simply "Smitty's Market" instead of "Smitty's BBQ". This was the original name of the meat market. Back when refrigeration was non-existent, the extra meat that didn't sell at the meat market was smoked and sold. Soon this smoked meat became more popular than the raw stuff, so they experienced a shift in focus, and became a BBQ joint. In this, we're all winners.