Austin Review: La Barbacue

STAR

La Barbecue (formerly JMueller), 1502 S Lamar St, South Austin
http://labarbecue.com

You just can't go to Austin Texas and not have BBQ, so before I left San Diego my eye was on the prize to pick the most perfect destination to unleash my inner flesh-devouring carnivore. I was convinced without a doubt that the destination should and would be the JMueller BBQ trailer.

After walking up and down South Lamar street we landed at 1502 only to find another food trailer called "La Barbecue" in its place.  I'll be honest my heart sunk. But it didn't last long. It was quickly lifted by the scent of savory meat and charred wood pouring out of a massive smoker, and the sight of a small handwritten sign placed next to a keg which spelled out 3 magical words, "Free Lonestar Beer". Coming from California where nothing is free, I thought it was a cruel joke. But as it turns out, it really was just free! I was positive at that very moment that I had hit the Texas gold mine.

We got there around 1:30, and the lunchtime pile up wasn't too bad. There were plenty of tented picnic tables scattered in front and about 8 people in line in front of us. But enough with those details, now for the menu. You can order BBQ by the slice, by the piece, by the pound and you have a ton of choices. Beef Brisket, Pork ribs, Beef short ribs, Pulled Pork, Turkey, and Housemade Sausages ranging from  $12.98 - $17.98 per pound, and a few bucks for a sausage. For those of you that need some carbs and veggies to go with the meat you can order a sandwich topped with slaw and either Brisket, Pulled Pork, or Sausage. Or better yet, you can trump those options and go with the "El Sancho", which is a combination of all 3 meats.

By the time I was up to order the Beef Ribs were sold out, but I wasn't too concerned. I had the inside tip from one of the guys that worked there that the fatty brisket was the way to go, so as long as I could get my hands on some of that, my beef category was covered.  You wouldn't believe this, but us 3 girls walked back to our picnic table with trays filled with about $70 worth of BBQ and a few sides.

Dug right right in. Couldn't wait for the photo opp. 

And it was awesome, I mean really awesome. You could taste that there was a lot going on in their rub, and whether that's sacrilegious or not, it made for some great complex flavors. The brisket itself was super moist with the most intense, almost crispy, dark crust on the outside and this gorgeous deep red smoke ring that surrounded the meat. I tasted some of the regular brisket which was still great, but I would definitely say the fatty brisket was better hands down. The pork ribs also had the same dark crusty outside, and the meat was fall off the bone tender. We had the pulled pork in the El Sancho and it was soft, moist, and had just the right amount of fat, it was darn tasty. I also ordered 1 "Hot Guts" Sausage and ate half of it on its own, and the other half with a few squirts of their tangy tomato based sauce they had on the tables. That sausage was fantastic. It had that perfect crunch when you bite into it from the natural casing, and it was just really savory, garlicy, and meaty. We also ordered up some beans, slaw, potato salad, and cheddar cheese. The sides were good, but not overwhelmingly good (My advice is to simply save your stomach for the BBQ and you won't go wrong.) But if you have to know I can sum it up. The beans were cooked to a good consistency but they weren't memorable, the slaw was a spicy chipotle slaw with a level of heat that some may love or hate (I, for some reason just couldn't seem to down enough beer that day to handle it) and the potato salad was pretty decent with a good, heavy hand of mustard. It's was a funny conclusion but out of all of the sides, the cheddar was my favorite. It was zippy and firm but creamy, and honestly I don't have a clue what kind of cheddar it was or where it was made.

La Barbecue uses only oak that grows around locally for their smokers, and they start those bad boys up at 2:00 am every day.  I would call that a major commitment. I think they just call that SOP to make really great BBQ. The tiny door at the entrance of the smoker controls the temperature, and frequent sprays of H20 keep everything moist. Another thing I found out was that BBQ for Texans is "...just a lunch thing,"  I was told. "No one here eats BBQ for dinner." It takes a full morning and day's work to cook it up, and then it usually sells out by the end of lunch time. So now I get it, no BBQ for dinner because there physically is no BBQ at dinner. It makes sense.

After chatting it up with the insanely hospitable and friendly crew of La Barbecue, it was a pleasant discovery to actually find out that most of them had been a part of JMueller, and that La Barbecue is a reincarnation of JMueller. Well, not completely a reincarnation, maybe they would kill me for saying that. There is a new pit boss smoking and stirring up their scene now, who also had his hand over at the widely known Franklin BBQ before coming over to JMueller/La Barbecue. La Barbecue is also still in the Mueller family, as it is now run by the  Mueller sister.

I never had a chance to taste the BBQ at JMueller to compare the two, but after my awesome experience, who cares. I accomplished my goal that day, and had plenty of meaty goodness leftovers to remind me of my victory later that night. La Barbecue hit the spot and it was good BBQ. Correction, it was damn great BBQ worth remembering and re-visiting for sure.

When in Austin

It's been 2 days since I made my way back from what I will refer to as my gorgefest in Austin, and I am looking back at the trip and thinking of that song "Deep in the heart of Texas." I would definitely say that some stars are in fact big, bold, and bright. And then you might also encounter a few that are just lack luster...Deep in the heart of, in this case, Austin Texas.

It was my first visit to Austin so typical of most recreational and obsessive eaters, I did plenty of homework ahead of time. Probing past visitors, interrogating coworkers, reading every restaurant write up on the city possible. What I came up with was pretty much the most unachievable, unrealistic laundry list of 20 plus places to indulge between Downtown, SoCo, and South Austin. All seemed amazing, and I was determined to somehow eat my way through all  of them within my 2 days in Austin.

Long story short, myself and 2 girlfriends made it to about 10 places, not all of which were even on my list. Some stops were intentional and then a few just popped up along the way by convenience, location and sheer hunger pangs. For those of you first-timers like myself who are looking to make the most of your limited time and more importantly, your taste buds while in Austin, here are some memorable spots that stand out as shining stars that I would recommend, as well as those that just don't meet the hype and that you should keep on the back burner.

La Barbecue and Uchi have full reviews. Click on the name of the restaurant to read more.

STARS

BBQ: 
La Barbecue, South Austin
http://labarbecue.com/
- A BBQ trailer with loads of options and southern hospitality. Bring yourself, bring the friends, bring the family.You can get down and dirty. Get there early before things start selling out.

Sushi/Japanese: 
Uchi, South Austin
http://www.uchiaustin.com/
- Fresh fish and contemporary hot and cold dishes with clean flavors. Presented beautifully and executed well. Quaint, casual, but sophisticated air. A great place for a cute date night, or a girls/guys night. Getting resos can be tricky and waits are long. Make your reso way in advance (Meaning, at least a month in advance to get a decent time slot.)

Cocktails/Wine Bar: 
Peche, Downtown Warehouse District
http://www.pecheaustin.com
- Peche is more of a restaurant than a bar, but with a long bar that stretches down the length of the restaurant, you're likely to find yourself a seat, or three. 2 walls are fully lined with every liquor and spirit imaginable. Choose from creative cocktail concoctions, classic cocktails, and interesting wines. The drinks are slightly on the pricier side, but to find this euro bistro style, calm haven in the middle of the downtown chaos makes it worthwhile. I didn't eat, but I did find myself salivating over the mussels that were cleverly adorned with pieces of bone marrow that the gentleman next to me were slurping down. They have friendly bartenders, good music, and a great vibe. A great breath of fresh air. And next time I'm getting those mussels.

Bar:
Lustre Pearl, Rainey Street
http://lustrepearlaustin.com/
-One of the many old rustic bungalow turned bars on Rainey street, and this one is pretty charming with their rocking chairs out on the front porch and just enough back yard seating to make it a party. Honestly, you will feel like you are in a college bar when you cram your way through the crowd to order a drink, but what you'll find is actually a good mix of young and mostly older, mid 30's crowd, which is pretty typical of Rainey street. This is a laid back local bar good for conversation under the string lights and stars, and if you can't make or find good conversation, you can at least stare at (or talk about) one of the many people trying to hula hoop with beer in hand. Do yourself a favor though while you are there, and don't try to order anything fancy or you will end up with a disaster. Stick to beers, and your standard mixed drinks. Oh, and the best (smartest) thing about Lustre Pearl is that there is a taco food truck parked out back for the late night munchies.


BURN OUTS

Trendy/American:
Second Bar + Kitchen, Downtown Warehouse District
http://congressaustin.com
- A pretty large menu incorporating the typical fad ingredients and dishes. The food is approachable, but unfortunately execution and some logic seem to be lacking (I'll just leave you with this hint: warm avocado). The space is bright and light-hearted; feels like somewhere you would go for a casual work lunch. And if it was a work lunch, you may find that the table service may not be too impressive. But hey, if you don't like being checked on and you don't mind your your glass being empty, then maybe this could be your next lunch spot.

Trendy/American:
Swifts Attic, Downtown Warehouse District
http://www.swiftsattic.com/
- It may take a minute to find, but as the name suggests it's located upstairs in the old swift's building. You walk up to a buzzing restaurant with great energy, and the decor and the atmosphere are well thought out. It's dim, it's hip, the cocktail program is adventurous. The menu will intrigue and it will definitely speak to the "foodie" crowds. But don't come here if you are starving, because the menu just won't sing to you and the portions are so small it's almost offensive. Actually, it is offensive. Oh, and hopefully someone will tell the guy at the front to smile a little (and if he was a manager, shame on him.)

Seafood:
Perla's, SoCo
http://perlasaustin.com/
- Trust me you are going to end up at this restaurant if you spend a day in SoCo. I will guarantee it. Not just because it happens to be one of the only nicer dining establishments that you will come across in SoCo, but because their large, tree-shaded patio will call your name for a cold drink on a sunny day in Austin. Have a drink but beyond that, there's not much to see here. Specializing as a seafood and oyster bar, the menu is standard and safe, and the dishes are mediocre but enough to pass the "I'm satisfied" meal test. But when the check comes you may just find yourself feeling rather disappointed. For example, as an oyster lover a half dozen is hard to pass up, but at over $3 a pop, next time I'll save my oyster cravings (and money) for better and for more back in California.

American:
Banger's Sausage House, Rainey Street
http://bangersaustin.com/
- Let me tell you now that this is the only sit down restaurant you will find on all of Rainey Street, and the wait will likely be somewhere from 30 minutes to an hour long. With that said, it's not a shabby choice as you can enjoy one of the many beers they offer at the bar while you wait, and eventually you will get to sit inside or outside in a fun, communal seating environment and take in the Austin scene. You will also have the pleasure of perusing Austin's largest selection of sausages. All of Banger's sausages are made in-house and their selection includes traditionals like Bratwurst, Bockwurst, and Andouille as well as exotics and specialties such as Alligator Boudin, Duck Bacon and Fig, South Texas Antelope and Merguez, and even vegetarian sausages such as Beet and Goat Cheese. Everything comes out on butcher paper on a tray, which is a fun presentation, although slightly uneventful when the dish comes out taking up only 1/16 of the tray. Starting off with fried pickles and cheese curds, I found the batter to be heavy feeling and greasy on the palate. Of the two, I was beyond disappointed by the cheese curds, which resembled frozen fried mozzarella sticks from a drive through or late night greasy pub food. I am sad to say it didn't get much better from there.The Bockwurst lacked interest in texture and flavor, and the bread was the farthest thing from being pretzel- like. The dough wasn't chewy at all, just dense and bready. The BBQ Shrimp was also quite a failure. It was like a once frozen and then defrosted, microwaved culinary experiment gone array. The texture was completely off-putting: mushy, mealy and lacking all of that crunchy bounce and consistency that shrimp sausage should have. To top it off, it was paired with grits of  a similar consistency which I found to be thick, pasty, and could have passed as wall spackle. The overall combination was just texturally unsound. There is a however a light at the end of this tunnel and not all is lost here. Banger's has an impressive beer selection of over 100 local, domestic, and imported microbrewed beers on tap and by bottle, and the taps are displayed on the wall in a heavenly fashion behind the bar. They offer daily rotating beers as well. You will find the bartenders to be kind, knowledgeable and helpful with making choices so if are into your beer, it's highly worth the visit.