Artz Rib House

I’m sad to hear that Artz has closed as it was a really awesome venue and the ambiance was outstanding. Unfortunately ambiance alone won’t keep you in business when you call yourself a «Rib House.» The BBQ here was always pretty blah and the ribs were really flavorless and dry. Artz was a fantastic place to see some music and enjoy some drinks but Austin has some awesome BBQ that Artz didn’t come anywhere close to meeting the high bar that is Texas BBQ. Don’t mess with Texas BBQ as its like a religion but usually tastes better!

Hurts my heart to see the big «CLOSED» sign on the Artz Unilocal listing, but for more than a decade, this was a neighborhood hangout and pretty much the only BBQ action in town. But once-​Bubba-​centric South Austin continues its tilt from country-​style pork ribs and mustard potato salad toward food you’re supposed to eat with your pinkie finger in the air.
For those missing the Artz Ribhouse ribs: Jax at 29^th and Rio Grande says its kitchen has been «taken over» by Artz. Not sure what that means, but it looks like they’re offering the same ribs (no word on the other menu items):

7pm on Saturday and we’re told they have no ribs or chicken. Left disappointed and thinking a name change was in order.

Surprise! This is another place a meat-​eater and a vegan can eat.
The veggie burger (minus mayo & cheese) and a side of potato chips. Super tasty!
The meat-​eater ate ribs, and I could not look over at him, because he was eating «tooth food,» and that is gross. Wings, ribs, corn on the cob, chicken legs… All tooth food, all gross.
Anyway, Artz is usually empty, from what I’ve seen (maybe it gets busy at night?), and the waitstaff is empty as well. Maybe they all hate their job. Maybe «Art» beat them with rib bones in the back.
I don’t know, but I do know the veggie burger is nice, and the meat-​eater likes the ribs.
Ta-​Daaaaaa!

I love the smell of smokey b-​b-​q that is experienced when you step foot in here.
During the week, the lunch specials are way better than on the weekend (because the menu changes and there are no specials on the weekends).
I like the turkey and chicken, usually…
The husband LOVES the meatloaf but again, that is only served Mondays — Fridays.
We went this past Saturday.
The atmosphere is very relaxed.
Sometimes, there are bands playing there.
The prices are decent for what you get.
We were just hoping that they had meatloaf or even mashed potatoes on Saturdays and they do not.
I ended up getting the teriyaki burger. It was okay. Nothing too special but the service and food were fine so there you go.

I’m a longtime fan of Artz and have been coming here a few times a year for almost a decade. This weekend, I brought some out-​of-​town relatives here for a lunch Saturday. They were craving Texas barbecue and we were in the area, and I’ve always preferred Artz’ ribs to County Line, and the Salt Lick was out of the question.
The place was unusually quiet, and they were out of many staple items such as beef ribs, turkey, and country ribs. Our waiter obscurely mentioned some sort of «trouble» and things «not great»… which set off some warning bells, but we decided to order.
The food was excellent, as always. The baby back ribs met with glowing approval, and my relatives all enjoyed the beans and potato salad (which I’ve always been a bit ambivalent about). The kids enjoyed their cheeseburgers, etc. A good time was had by all.
I hope they overcome their problems. I’d hate to see such a classic place go under.

I hadn’t been to Artz in a while, and now I’m not sure what’s up. The hub and I both ordered the country style ribs, and both our orders were dry, chewy, and overcooked. The bread was also dry and stale. We went early since we had the toddler in tow — it was almost as if we were served reheated leftovers. I’m hoping this was a glitch and not a trend.

The husband and I stopped in here yesterday for the first time, and we enjoyed the experience! It was about 5:30pm on a Sunday and the service was fast and friendly, so I’m not sure if it gets super busy at any other times.
My husband ordered the full rack of baby back ribs, and I ordered the chopped beef sandwich. He said the ribs were «pretty damn good» on their own but add barbeque sauce for the best flavor. He also said that the ribs were better than County Line. With the full rack of ribs, you get all three sides (pinto beans, potato salad, and cole slaw). The potato salad was good, but the pinto beans need some seasoning. My husband didn’t find them bbq-​joint worthy.
My sandwich was pretty delicious. Lots of tender, lean meat on a toasted seeded bun. The toasted bun gave it a nice crispness in each bite, and there was so much meat that one small bite would turn into a large bite of meat.
For dessert, we split the raspberry peach cobbler a la mode. I was disappointed in its size compared to its price. It wasn’t really big enough for two people to split, but we didn’t want over $ 9 of our bill to be in dessert so we sucked it up and tried to take even bites. It was very tasty, although we wished there were crumble on the top and it’s more cake-​like than cobbler-​like. You get a good amount of ice cream with it, though.
For two people with a full rack of baby back ribs, chopped beef sandwich, iced tea, and cobbler, the total was $ 32 before tax. Not too shabby for a bbq place. We’ll go back if we find ourselves on the south side of town again.

Hmm … where to eat? A question that has plagued humankind since the first restaurant opened in ancient Egypt some 2000 + years ago. I think that’s why Marc Anthony killed himself.
Marc (to Cleopatra): Where do you want to eat?
Cleopatra (to Marc): I don’t know where do YOU want to eat?
Marc: Just pick some place!
Cleopatra: Whatever you want is fine.
Marc: OK, let’s go to (fill in the blank).
Cleo: Oh, I don’t want to go there!
Then it hit me! I haven’t had my Artz fix in a while. Off we (my wife and another couple) go for a full rack of the best baby back pork ribs in town (in my humble opinion). Crispy on the outside & smoked to perfection on the inside. And they had FRESH (not pickled) jalapenos, which I love in my potato salad.
You can’t go wrong with Artz ribs! Oh, yeah, I have EBS (that’s eyes bigger than stomach) so there’s a full half rack in the fridge! Can’t wait for breakfast time!

The Ribs were some of the best I’ve had. Me being from the north and all I guess that does skew my opinion a bit or maybe it makes me less bias… Either way. The ribs were soft and tender but not too much. Anyone who like ribs knows precisely what I mean… I also added a nice piece of sausage to my meal… That was indeed an excellent choice as it was almost as good as the ribs. The potato salad and beans were also top notch… BUT the coleslaw was just a little too dry. The GF had a chicken sandwich which she said was good but its hard to make a bad chicken sandwich. Super cheap as well? If I am ever back in the beautiful city of austin I will seek Artz out again…
P. S. The sweet potato pecan pie will punch you in the face and make you cry.

Looking for cheap leather shoes? For only $ 13.99 you can get three of them if you order the country style ribs. The only thing missing were laces and the two hobos that wore them in. However, in all fairness, they may have been busy cooking. They also may have been responsible for the 50 flies that joined us for our meal. It was like a Sally Strothers commercial.
Also, If you order the country style ribs you may want to bring your own beverage to wash them down, because they won’t bother to refill your drink. After I started turning blue from choking on the hobo shoe jerky, we finally just stole our own pitcher of iced tea. I was close to death (I hate to burst your bubbles but I didn’t see any tunnel of light, it was just darkness).
The positives: the water wasn’t terrible and the slice of white bread was not stale. Thank goodness for that because I only ate 1 of the 3 shoes they brought me.
Even after complaining (which I never do) there was no response or effort to make my experience a little better.
We’re still waiting on the straws we asked for.

Should have had the ribs. But the salad was good. That’s not saying much for a BBQ place. Meh. One additional star for having live music.

For Heaven’s sake, don’t rate Artz on the merit of their cuisine alone! This is an Austin Institution, it’s a wonderful place, great music, good BBQ, good people. If we the people of Austin lost Artz, it would be sad, sad, sad, very sad indeed. Heed my warning, Austinites!
When I was younger, I loved Artz for their ribs, but as I get more health conscious as I grow fatter and older, I now like their turkey and crisp slaw. Maybe it’s not «THE BEST» bbq in Austin, but it’s VERY GOOD, much better than average, and give a place a break, look how much competition there is out there in the Texas BBQ category, come on! We have never been dissatisfied with anything we’ve been served here (which is more than I can say for a lot of places I’ve seen highly praised on Unilocal!)
Check their website for the music schedule, pick something you might enjoy, and come in for something fun and down-​home Austiny with your dinner. (Don’t worry, it’s not LOUD live music, so it goes well with food.) I guarantee the experience adds a lot more something special and memorable to just the food, and makes for a great dinner date.
This is the kind of thing that makes me love our old Austin. Patronize them now before you have to listen to canned techno muzak pumped in over your dinner at a high rise condo’s overpriced ‘New American’ restaurant for the rest of your Austin days.

For a place called a Rib House, i think better ribs are required. Very mediocre ribs. Tried baby back, beef, and another now i can’t recall. none of which is any good. The store itself was mostly empty when we went in, maybe that’s the reason for the poor ribs. The meat is dry and slightly tough. the sauce is meh. the service is surprisingly slow considering the lack of action. But the waiter was friendly enough.
I ordered one time previously and took the ribs home and they were not very special from what i recalled. i had hopes that a meal in shop would be better. But apparently they just don’t have the goods.

I eat here quite a bit. I think they have a pretty good menu of options.
1. Baby Back Ribs. The thing with all ribs here is that they can be hit or miss. When they hit, they are incredible. I often try to be sweet to my waitress and butter her up for a juicy rack. The sauce for all ribs is a must. They have a sauce that works perfect for their ribs.
2. Pork Ribs (Country Style). These are also incredible when on. These ribs are so big, you eat them with a fork and knife.
3. Pork Spare Ribs. They normally have these on special on Friday. If you’re there on a Friday, give them a go.
4. Beef Ribs. I’m not normally a beef rib guy, but these are the best beef ribs in town.
5. South Austin Burger. One of the better burgers in town, a hidden gem in the burger arena.
6. Cheesesteak tacos. These come with a heaping helping of cheese and jalapenos. Give them a try and you won’t be disappointed.
7. Meatloaf. Another surprise. Great meatloaf. A half order is plenty.

When I first arrived in Austin, everyone wanted to take me out to eat for either BBQ or Mexican. It got to the point that I wanted to touch neither within a month.
A Co-​worker invited me to her Aunt’s 85^th birthday party. Once there I found out they were having BBQ. So I start planning my escape. Her Aunt wouildn’t let me go, so I sat down for yuck more BBQ. Then WOW, this was good BBQ. It was Artz’s. To this day, many years later, I still don’t do much BBQ except Artz’s.
I made the long trip down to South Lamar, and Yes, I did my usual wrong exit. Drove around downtown until I found Lamar again.
Don’t go expecting anything fancy. The parking lot is a land mine full of potholes. The building looks like it should be condemmed. The interior is dark and dingy. The furniture should be tossed in the trash.
The service, well, it been a long time since I ate in. It was slow. But when ordering take out, you sit at the bar and service is fast.
Oh, my baby backs are so tender and flavorful. I don’t add the extra sauce they give you. These are to die for.
The sides, meh, I remember them being better. The potato salad tastes sour. Not mayo gone bad but more like they add vineger to it. Not my style. The slaw is okay, nothing special. This is the only resaon Artz’s doesn’t get five stars.
I will go back and get more baby backs and maybe some sausage next time.
Ordered my Baby Backs and a pint of Potato and cole slaw, To Go.

Once upon a time, I didn’t like ribs. I thought it to be lame. I journeyed to Austin, now I love ribs. I live happily ever after. THE END. Oh wait let me continue with a story.
MMM…ribs. I went here for lunch and the place wasn’t that packed. The food was decent and the ribs were awesome. The sides were okay and the service was decent.

I’ve been to Artz two and a quarter times — at the insistence of others in my party — and the times that I’ve been able to eat have been awesome. (One time we went in and were informed it was a private party — y’all need to post that on the door!)
I went the first time with my vegetarian sister’s boyfriend who rarely gets to eat meat and was on a meat bender. I ordered the brisket plate and he ordered the baby back ribs. The brisket plate was extremely dry but I had a taste of the baby back ribs and knew that i would need to visit Artz again.
Second time was on a first or second date and I ordered the beef ribs. Nom! Plus there was a group playing either Irish lullabies or country music (similar) in the corner.
I’ll definitely need to visit Artz again soon! Want to come with?

OK, you know that restaurant where you can pretty much expect bad, slow service, but the food is so good you can’t resist? ok, that’s Artz.
I swear, I had already warned my brother that the service was horrible, but that still didn’t prepare us. Our waiter carried our tea around (we could see him the whole time) asking other patrons if they needed anything… even at one point going to get something for them while still holding our teas… seriously, it took him like 5 minutes to get to our table with our tea! by the end of it, we were laughing because it was so ridiculous.
So we get our ribs… deliciousness…I love their friday special of spare ribs, but they were out because we were a little later that night and so we shared a full rack of baby back ribs with sides… i love it all. their barbeque sauce may be the best i’ve ever tasted, seriously. It reminds me of the place we used to go to out by the strip in Lubbock when I was little. Their cole slaw is vinegar based instead of mayo, so it’s more refreshing than heavy… their potato salad is delish and they serve it with onion and pickles (really, are there people out there who can eat bbq and NOT need these two items… I could eat almost half a raw onion in the course of this meal… and those pickles are addicting)
Their beans… ah, the beans… and this is coming from someone who up until about 3 years ago, wouldn’t eat beans… but I love Artz beans.
We ended up getting up after waiting for about 10 minutes with empty plates in front of us… I just walked up to our waiter and handed him our debit cards since it didn’t look like he was ever going to return, but that’s Artz. He said he was sorry… and I know they’re busy. Thing is, I think they do a lot of plating and drink preparation instead of that being separate at most restaurants. Believe me, I don’t think they’re lazy servers… maybe they just have too many obligations to be attentive? We said «it’s cool»…waited for him to come back with the receipts and left with a full stomach.
Eventhough service is slow… really slow… i’ve never had a rude server… it’s really kind of like you’re eating bbq at someone’s house… I’ve even been tempted to jump up and refill my own glass at times…
but believe me… you will leave happy… regardless…because their food is sooooo damn tasty.

As a concerned Austinite who wants to do her best to support local businesses, when I saw that Artz was in a bit of a jam, I told myself, «Self, if we’re ever down South for lunch, it’s Artz’s we’ll be trying!»
I am pretty good about listening to myself most of the time, so after attending another ridiculous training, a co-​worker and I headed on over to give it a try.
It was Tuesday.
The special was beef ribs.
They were ok, but I have had better many, many times over and they were barely lukewarm and quite dry.
The potato salad was tasteless.
The coleslaw was tasteless.
The waitstaff was simply awful; we ran out of our drinks and never got refills, nobody ever checked on us… it was awful.
Gee, wonder why they are in trouble???
I did my part to support a local business and I won’t be back.