BBQ at its Best — It's Really Happening

Taking the expert advice of our hosts, we decided to head to one of central Texas’s most famous barbecue restaurants before leaving Austin. Salt Lick is located about 30 minutes south of Austin in a ranch paradise, a sprawling complex housing both a vineyard and restaurant. At the heart of the operation is a giant BBQ pit, which patrons see on the way to their seats, a peek at what’s to come. We arrived around noon on Sunday, which happens to be about an hour after Salt Lick opens, and the parking lot was already about half full. In order to sample as much as possible, we shared a heaping plate called The Rancher, which features the four meats (ribs, brisket, sausage, and turkey) served with cole slaw, potato salad, beans, pickles, onion and a huge chunk of bread. Barbecue at its best. In order to enjoy it fully and not enter into BBQ-coma, we ignored the bread and beans. Breakfast of champions!

In the aftermath of our feast we drove out to Hamilton Pool, a supposedly beautiful swimming hole oasis, but the 2+ hour wait to get in scared us away. It was a tough decision, but we will definitely come back to Austin, during which time we will definitely put Hamilton Pool at the top of the list.

By the way if you’re looking for a gift from Austin, check out the Salt Lick Cookbook full of drool-worthy recipes – they may or may not be the best barbecue recipes in all of Texas.