Schmidt Family Barbecue

Really like this one. Attentive staff with a touch of pleasantness. The menu is definitely a spin off of the Lockhart tradition. We particularly enjoyed the jalapeño corn as a nice departure from the usual BBQ sides. Be sure to ask for burnt ends when you are eating brisket.

I had the coleslaw and it tasted more like vinegar than coleslaw. Also ordered a sausage link which was very dry. Finally order some moist brisket. It was more fat than meat. Not a good at all save your money.

Texas is so famous for bbq… not because of Schmidts though.
Was excited about the menu and it’s in a nice location in the corner. Spacious and it’s a funky walk up order and food comes out.
Fancier fast food style in my opinion.
Pulled pork sandwiches for 2 of us and a brisket platter for the 3^rd. all come with 1 side which I feel is a little chintzy. How do you pick one?
9.50 $ for the sandwich which is reasonable.
Platters are like 12 $? Give 2 sides would be my suggestion even if you raise the price.
My potato salad side was good and tangy the way I like it.
My sandwich was dry and the meat was clumped and chewy?
You have to balance your tray and get the sauce from the condiment counter by the soda section.
They do have the funky sodas that use mexican sugar and have different names I stead of coke and Dr Pepper like torchys tacos does.
Not bad bbq, not great bbq and 45 $ for 3 for lunch where you walk up… not worth it.

On the expensive side when you consider the quantity received for the price. $ 15.00 for skimpy 2 meat plate is ridiculous.

The BBQ was okay. We tried the brisket, turkey and chicken. I will say, the chicken was quite moist. I know other reviewers have commented about the food being too expensive but in all honesty, we didn’t find it anymore expensive than Rudy’s.

Yummmmmmmmmy this place is soooooo good all the meats were juicy and not dry! And I got to see the Under Taker from WWE!

Excellent service in a friendly atmosphere for sure! Try the jalapeño Mac and cheese! The bbq is just what you expect. Some type of plate or butcher paper for a plate would be helpful.

Better than Salt Lick. Don’t let the location fool you. This is the real deal. The meat is moist and well seasoned. Highly recommend if you don’t want to stand in line at la bbq and franklins. Perfect for bee cave residents. We are thankful they are here… we must support!

Terrible. Do not go there. Most expensive BBQ in town and the worst tasting.
Why is their BBQ so expensive compared to others ?
And the taste? Worse in town.

More BBQ… After struggling hard core with the meat sweats from our lunch BBQ feast… SURE, WHY NOT?!
My fiancé and I walked into this joint feeling as we were about to hurl, but we left feeling much better! Perhaps you cure the FATTY MEAT STOMACH ACHE with more meat? Well, we did… However this time I didn’t try the brisket, but I was told it was far better than lunch’s brisket, because the charred crust was far more perfect! The slaw was also better because there didn’t really look like there was much dressing on it. Less is more!
I got the turkey because I had chicken at lunch. It was good but as we all know, turkey can be pretty dry… And alas some bites of this turkey needed to be chased with water. Our table also ordered a ½ chicken (for the 4 year old) and the entire time at dinner, I was eyeing her plate because… Well, I HAD TO try the chicken to compare it to lunch, right? LUCKY FOR ME, she could only eat the drumstick so I was «stuck» with the rest! WOO WOO! The chicken… Definitely made up for this meal. If I didn’t try it, I definitely would have rated this place with far less stars, but the chicken was moist and flavorful however, it once again wasn’t as good as the BBQ joint I frequent a lot in LA. Shocking, I know!
What did the rest of the table think? Well my fiancé was pleased but the other gentleman we were with (who dare I say it, is more picky than my fiancé) said that the BBQ was mediocre. So yeah… There’s that.
Come to this place prepared to order at a counter and eat off a piece of wax paper on a tray. Don’t expect to eat BBQ with class.
As for how my stomach feels now? Well, that feels OK but I know for a fact that our meals were INSANELY SALTY because I’ve been craving water, I could drink an entire reservoir!
Ladies: prepared to feel BLOATED the next day… I only warn ladies because I swear men don’t experience water retention.

Finally made it back. This time the brisket was moist (even the lean cuts) Mac and cheese was warm and delicious and the Cole slaw was fresh! glad things are getting dialed and happy to have a good bbq option locally! Now if they only had a band :)

Never heard of this place, just saw it and tried it. First: it was expensive, 1 lb of meat, 2 sides and 3 sodas nearly $ 40. Second: sauce tasted like hienz 57 mixed with ketchup. Third: We were not offered bread but would have liked at least one slice.
The pulled pork was delish and the most tender I’ve ever had. Son said he loved the slaw. I was disappointed with pablano pepper creamed corn, it just wasn’t tasty.
It filled our bellies but I won’t go back just because of the price.

The brisket tacos they serve in the morning are outstanding. They use tortillas that are a corn/​flour mix that have the taste and flavor of corn but the strength and consistency of flour. Add to that some excellent brisket and a some egg and cheese. Most places you get a lot of egg with meat added; here you get the meat with the egg and cheese added in. It seems like a small thing, but the brisket is the star of this show and I like that the taco has plenty.
Order one and you’ll be full. Order two and you won’t need to eat the rest of the day.

I have to say that I’m surprised by the comments I’ve read about this place. One person mentioned no flavor and another mentioned «leather» like brisket. My experience was drastically different. The ribs and brisket that I received were both moist and full of perfect smoke flavor. I consider myself an experienced Texas BBQ connoisseur as I’ve personally smoked meat at a professional level for many years. That being said, this meat was as better than most I’ve had. The beans were «to die for» and the potato salad was the best my roommate thought he had ever had. I came here because I read the the «pit boss» from Smitty’s in Lockhart is an owner & I wasn’t disappointed. BTW, Smitty’s is at the top of my list of Lockhart BBQ, and really BBQ as a whole. Schmidt’s was right there in my opinion

Another solid choice for BBQ on the West Side of Austin. While slightly generic in locale (there is a nice patio, the inside is modern but looks a bit sterile, like a cafeteria), the BBQ is excellent. I’ve eaten a fair amount of BBQ if you check out my other reviews; and this is definitely a spot that is worthy of the Lockhart location.
Standouts include the shoulder clod (to my tongue a slightly leaner version of the beef rib or brisket), and the baby-​back ribs, which are not slathered in sauce — and have a nice bite of either chili powder or cumin at the very end. The brisket is above average and has a great smoky flavor, and the lean is just as good as the fatty, a rarity in my experience.
This place gets 4 stars on the ‘CTJ Scale’, as noted below.
5 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Jesus good. Would be OK passing on after finishing a meal here.
4 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Mary good. Would be OK being seen eating here by Mother Mary.
3 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus’ Dad.
2 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​the-​Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn’t have my last supper here.
1 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Nobody good. I wouldn’t have my penultimate supper here, either.

Oh man! I love barbecue, and I’ve been on a health kick! I came out here to pick up my Fit Bit HR on my lunch break, and I decided to try something new, despite my initial instincts telling me to just go to one of my favorite restaurants. But, OH NO! Barbecue! Things are looking good. I hear such good things about barbecue from Lockhart, and many people were comparing portions of the menu to Lockhart.
I’m going to keep this short and sweet.
I got the brisket. I got both lean and fatty, so I could taste both of them. I also got a rib. Come with me on this adventure; I need a witness.
Service: ¹⁄₁₀. Everyone expected me to know what I was doing. They just looked at me as I walked my way down the line, and I actually had to ask, 3 different people, what I needed to do and what information they needed from me. Literally no one talked to me from behind the counter. I also got some interesting looks from the staff and the customers. I felt a little uncomfortable.
Meat: ¹⁄₁₀. Absolutely no smoke flavor. Tastes like the smell of a gas leak. The lean brisket was dry, tough, and rubbery. The fatty brisket was very moist, but it had no flavor, except the gas leak taste that had infiltrated the fat. The bark was good on the lean brisket, but it was hard to tell if it was the bark or the crispy fat that tasted good — fat just always tastes good when its crispy. YUM!
Ribs: ²⁄₁₀. No flavor, except a slight peanut flavor if you eat the bark alone. Tough, also. I had to tug a little at the meat.
I won’t be back. I don’t like all of the patrons looking at me when I’m trying to understand how to eat leather. Maybe it was quite the spectacle. I don’t know.

Due to it being our first time it was confusing, we were ordering to go and I explained to the girl what we wanted I wish she would of been more helpful I think I would of spent the same amount and got more with a deal but the girl checking out was nice but not a care. Unfortunate.
The meat is on the basic good side, skimpy on their side and pricey. Make sure to ask for any of the charred part of the brisket or you don’t get any smokeyness. I definitely would not suggest the sausage. But brisket is good if you request the burnt pieces. Again unfortunate.
Sides Mac and cheese amd beans were good. Beans are not classic baked, but I liked them.
I wouldn’t come again. Maybe if you take your time to order you’ll have a better experience. And don’t be afraid to be picky since you can see what they are chopping for you.

Strike two. It’s been seven months so I decided to give Schmidt’s another try. I didn’t order the same things as before. This time we had the chicken which was fine and the pulled pork which had a big long chunk of fat that took up half the container, not edible at all. For sides we had green beans, which weren’t great and the jalapeño mac & cheese which was really good.
There was not much of a crowd but the crew behind the counter was still slow and awkward. I’ve heard they’re opening a second location in Lakeway, but unless they improve I can’t imagine them staying in business out here.

Quite good. I prefer Smitty’s in Lockhart but this does in a pinch. Wonderful staffing! Really kind. A lot of the customers are goof balls who fled California and want stupid things like vegetarian BBQ but just ignore them and Hope they move back to Heaven’s Gate and let you get on with your BBQ. Quietly ask for burnt ends from brisket. If you’re a regular customer you may be in luck!

Schmidts Family Barbecue is Texas’ version of comfort food. Straight up. I see a few 1 star reviews, but I do not share that opinion at all. This was good, solid, Texas BBQ all around.
I’m a little skeptical when a new BBQ joint opens up and immediately proclaims they have the best recipe, or the best method or any other claim jump on the Bar-​B-​Q range (one legend has it that the ranch named the Bar-​BQ was the first to organize meat/​fire/​seasonings/​time into what we now call BBQ. I think this legend was created in a long happy hour at the Mean Eyed Cat, but who am I to judge?).
But we’ve been there several times now, and it’s official. Schmidt’s has the genuine article. Whether you eat it there or take it home, you got you some good grub, bub. Here’s the breakdown.
The building: It seems way to new and way to industrial/​modern to be a good BBQ joint. But disregard what your eyes say and listen to what your nose knows when you walk in. Mmmmmmm, there’s that fire & meat & spice smell that makes your mouth water. The ordering process seemed a bit awkward to me. Out front there are two doors. The right hand one leads to a small room with a counter for picking up or ordering take-​out food, the left door leads into the belly of the beast, so to speak. There is a long counter to the right and I went to the far end to order. The guy behind the counter was very nice, but I got the sense I may have done it wrong coming to this end. But he took my order and handed me off to a nice young woman that took my money and set up my order.
Brisket: Moist (fatty) cut, very tender, nice smoke ring, nice char. Great flavor. And brisket sandwiches two days later still tasted great and were still tender. You heard me right, in that voice in your head that talks words to you. Tender.
Pulled pork: I know many don’t consider this real BBQ but they’re wrong. It’s fabulous. I like it in sandwiches but it’s delish on its own.
Sausage: The only part that is not my fave. They buy it from one of the well-​known BBQ places in Lockhart, but honestly, it’s not my fave. But it will do in a pinch.
Sides: the normal fare. Really good potato salad, decent coleslaw (I haven’t tried the beans).
Sauce: A nice spice kick and very good. Normally I don’t like sauce on my BBQ but this was really tasty.
We didn’t try the ribs, so I can’t comment here. There did seem to be a number of folks eating them and I didn’t hear any complaints though.
Kicker: They sell brisket burnt ends as a side item, either dry or marinated. We had the marinated. OH BABAY! SO GOOD YOU WANT TO SLAP SOMEBODY!!! I’m not joking. Sit clear of strangers when you take that first bite or deal with the ensuing restraining order. Don’t ask me how I know.
Beer selection: Pretty good. Not as good as Smoke N Hops, but still pretty good. I’m a Fireman’s 4 kinda guy and they have it so I’m happy.
Not cheap, but barbecue isn’t really a cheap meal, which still irks me. Oh well, just dig in and enjoy and let that warm BBQ glow settle over you.