Smitty’s Market

Been coming here for 20 – 30 years and have never had a bad meal. This is where I bring my out-​of-​town friends. The side dishes are ok but that’s not my reason for coming here. Doesn’t get better than this, consistently. Wish they stayed open a bit later during the week.

Stopped in on a recent Lockhart BBQ tour. Sadly we arrived early when the only thing ready was sausage, but it was the best sausage we had all day. It was so moist and tasty. Dont overlook it when there. We really enjoyed the friendliness of the folks working and the character of the place. One of Lockharts treasures for sure.

I had heard a lot about this place and decided to make the hike from Austin. I was very excited coming in on a rainy day. The place looked really cool from the outside and as I stepped in– it felt great, with the warmth from the pits and the tantalizing smell of the smoked meats greeting me. I was too excited to finally be in the belly of the beast! The excitement was short lived as the BBQ fell very short of the expectations.
The brisket was too tough, the sausage was very greasy and the ribs didn’t fall of the bone. Isn’t that everything that BBQ should be? Now on to the next legendary BBQ place in Lockhart. Any guesses?

I came here for lunch and ordered brisket and sausage. I was told the sausage was ⁸⁵⁄₁₅ beef and pork. The sausage was a bit greasy but very tasty. The brisket was moist and flavorful. I would have given 5 stars if this were not a cash only business and if the sides were better. The Mac and cheese tasted like Kraft and the coleslaw was dry.
FYI they don’t have forks because they want you to get the full effect of eating the meat. They have never had forks and don’t intend on it. #traditions.
Great experience overall.

I have no idea what all the fuss is about. The brisket had zero Taste and the sausage had a bland taste so I tried the jalepeno all I could taste were the seeds. I’m pretty disappointed not only is some of the staff rude but I drove almost an hour to get here and half the sides they serve they are out of. They do not take card just checks and cash. They do not have forks here either. Def will try blacks down the road

It’s still good, and a cool venue, but the meat quality seems to have fallen over time. Today, the sausage was nearly all fat, and it ran out like liquid when I bit into it. Not much meat was in there.
The sides are small and forgettable.
The pork ribs didn’t have much meat on them, and the brisket was dry and tasteless. I’ll still come here occasionally, I expect, but it’s really not worth the drive from Austin. Better meat can be had at Mueller’s in Taylor if you’re in the mood for a drive.

We are doing the Texas BBQ pilgrimage.
1^st they were out of ribs, so didn’t get to report on those.
Brisket moist cut– chewy, fat is grizzly and tough.
Sausage looks greasiest. Had pockets of grease.
I didn’t finish my brisket and didn’t eat the sausage. I can’t handle greasy foods as I get really sick, so I had to say no.
I noticed all the places we tried in Luling and lockhart all did their sausage the same, kept in a ring. So this might have added to them being greasiest than most.
I really like Chapel Hill sausage and use then as my standard.

This is another one of those that is perfect for a 4.5 stars, it is my favorite in the Lockhart area, but not by a whole lot all three of the «famous» ones are pretty darn close. Anyplace else and they would all be at the top of the game in that town, it is just Lockhart has so much great competition.
I always love the burnt ends here they are always spot on, the hotlinks are always excellent as well. I am not that much into the sides as I am into the main meat course so you will have to forgive me for not saying a lot about that.
The atmosphere is amazing, I just love it, you will never get closer to the bbq scene than here. It is just truly classic bbq and the pitmasters skills, no fancy smoker that has pellets or gas fed or anything of that ilk, just raw experience.

Food is okay had better. Didn’t really eat much because while I was eating my beans I bit on a nickel, yes filthy money in the beans. When I took the beans and the money to the register they laughed. I told them I didn’t think that it was funny. They finally came to my table and brought me a one dollar bill for the beans. What a joke!

I want to start this with the caveat that I ate at 10:30 a.m. For all I know, I was eating brisket that had been around too long that scrap out for the oddballs that eat lunch too early. I don’t know.
Man, what a difference five years makes. Smitty’s was, at one time, my hands down favorite place in central Texas. A lot has changed since I first went to Smitty’s back in 2006 or 2007 (can’t remember for sure). This was back when Smitty’s was regularly mentioned in the state’s best and Texas Monthly was still listing a joint with a gas smoker as your best bet in Austin. And they were probably right.
These days, there is an embarrassment of riches here in town. Even if you don’t think Franklin’s is worth the multi-​hour wait, there are still easily at least half a dozen great places in town. Even some of the traditional Lockhart names are churning out good Q here in town.
I kind of wondered how olé Smitty’s was holding up these days. I have to admit being pretty disappointed and have to admit that I see why they have slipped down in the rankings.
I had brisket and sausage today with a friend. The brisket still has a wonderful, deep, smokey flavor, but the texture is something you’d expect to find at a BBQ chain. It was depressing, these great hunks of richly flavored meat marred by having virtually no moisture left. Even the fat cap was dry. The sausage too seemed quite a bit more greasy than I remembered it, and I am not someone squeamish about the grease. Central Texas sausage is a grease bomb by nature, so you should be aware any time you indulge that you are taking time off your life probably. However, this seemed a bit more than usual.
The folks at Smitty’s are still pretty friendly, and I’m pretty sure they do care. I’ve been to Black’s and City Market down in Luling several times since I’ve been back in Texas, and they were both miles ahead of what I had today at Smitty’s each time. In the case of City Market, this is especially painful as they recently switched to a gas smoker on the weekends while Smitty’s is still all wood all the time.
Basically, snap out of it, Smitty’s. Texas barbecue needs you! It’s just not the same barbecue scene when’ y’all aren’t killing it down there. It’s still one of the coolest cutting/​smoking rooms anyone will ever see. I look forward to getting some more killer brisket there some day. I’m not posting this to encourage people not to go. I’m posting this so that fellow travelers that have been eating Q in this state since before the recent barbecue renaissance here in Texas will have an intervention.

Completed the BBQ trifecta of Lockhart w/​Smittys and of the 3, I have to say this one is probably my fav.
You walk in and feel like you are in the bowels of a smokehouse. It is kinda creepy and cool at the same time.
It was literally less than an hr before they closed, but we still managed to get some brisket, which was nicely fatty, though a bit dry. However, the burnt ends were OMG!
We also got a hotlink, which I wasn’t sure I’d like, but ended up being delicious as well.
Per the TX BBQ scene, you get your meat and then go to the cafeteria style counter to order your «fixin’s». They were sadly out of the mac n cheese, so it ended up being potato salad for me. I’m not that big a fan of potato salad, so the fact that I did not really care for it should be taken w/​that disclaimer. You of course had the usual BBQ staples of white bread and pickles.
The staff was very nice and didn’t throw me shade when I asked for sauce, which they did have. They didn’t have any forks, but spoons and knives… which I guess is a thing here?
They also had a small selection of beers, which we got Shiner Premium which went well w/​the meat and sauce.
Glad I was able to mark this place off the list!

I finally have hit all of the big four BBQ joints in Lockhart and Smittys market hangs with the best of them. Their brisket is out of this world. It was caramelized perfectly and the smoke flavor was perfectly balanced as well.
Their sausage was also fantastic. Their sides includes potato salad, cole slaw and macaroni and cheese. What else do you need?
Just remember they don’t have forks!

On my trip down memory lane last week, we visited both Black’s and Smitty’s to jog our memories of both since it had been about 5 – 6 years since we visited either. Black’s was a total and complete letdown. Smitty’s wasn’t too far behind either.
Smitty’s definitely gets good marks for environment — as you walk in, you’re greeted by a wood burning contraption where all the meat is being cooked and smoked. The whole lobby was full of smoke and the smell of cooking bbq. The guy cutting our brisket and weighing handled it with bare hands along with our dollars and coins. Kind of unsanitary if you ask me.
Moving onto the brisket: Better than Blacks (can’t go much lower than the bottom) in that the brisket was actually moist. The fat marbling was a bit inconsistent — we’d have huge chunks of fat that were inedible. The smoke flavor was pretty good though — it definitely went into the beef pretty far as evidenced by the smoke ring. But overall, the quality of the meat was sub-​par with lots of overly fatty chunks in the brisket.
Lockhart, you had me at hello.

Still my favorite Q (other than mine). We had our usual beef brisket, pork sausage and a jalapeño pork sausage, served on paper with some soft white bread and jalapeños. There were only a few who made fools of themselves trying to get forks, plates and even one who asked if they had any vegan plates. I was very polite and suggested they order coleslaw and several jalapeños. Believe it or not, they ended up liking the suggestion, even though they did not know what was a jalapeño. They even went back and got more. As I was sitting there they stole a couple of bites of Q from one of their friends when they had gone to the bathroom. :-)

Authentic Texas BBQ is what you will find here. There are no extra bells and whistles; heck they don’t even take credit cards. Cash and checks only. Yes they take checks! They have long tables set up. People here are friendly so don’t worry about sitting next to new friends.
In order to order BBQ you have to go to this area that does get quite smokey. Girls your hair will smell of smoke later. You can tell them how many slices of brisket you want or how many pounds. They serve the food in butcher paper. The brisket is my favorite. The jalapeño sausage was more dry than the regular sausage. Inside they have sides and drinks. I was a bit disappointed by how you pay for each individual side. If you want anything extra such as jalapeños, pickles, or onions that’s extra.
Afterwards I walked over to the ice cream station and bought a cone for $ 1.50. Too bad they still don’t have Blue Bell that would have made my day.

Atmosphere — 5
People — 5
Food — 5
Value — 5
Out of all the three BBQ places in Lockhart, TX, Smitty’s has to be the best.
The brisket was spot on and the rib was perfect… So much flavor, driven by the smoke and the pit master’s experience.
They only accept cash, however they do have an ATM 5 feet away for happiness.
I will be back!!!

Fifth stop on my BBQ Texas roadtrip.
This is what I imagine a hole in the wall BBQ joint to look like. Stuffy, dark, dank, and full of smoke.
Street parking. Order and there have a seating are to eat.
CASH ONLY!
BBQ prices are listed by the pound but you can order a quarter pound, a slice, or how ever much you want.
Pork Rib — $ 13.90 per pound — Fall off the bone but had no real flavor.
Hot Ring — $ 2.25 each — Better then Kreuz but still was nothing special. Good seasoning.
Beef Brisket — $ 14.90 per pound — Supposed to be fatty but it wasn’t. Tender but I the meat didn’t melt when you chew it.
My second Lockhart fail.

I was there recently for probably the 40^th or 50^th time over the past 15 years, and it occurred to me I had never written a review of Smitty’s. Shame on me, because .
…folks, this is the ultimate, the premier … the zenith of Texas BBQ.
Most of you know the history of Smitty’s…German family grocery and meat market, long history of simple bbq from less desirable cuts of meat, no sauce, the big family split that resulted in the birth of Kreuz Market just up the road…
What it comes down to here, hermanos, is that this is by far the best BBQ in Texas. Louie Mueller’s in Taylor is a close competitor, and relative newcomer Franklin’s in Austin certainly merits a mention as well, but nobody, and I mean nobody, makes BBQ as consistently good as Smitty’s.
The ordering experience is unique… you file past the open fire that feeds the pit… it’s right at your feet. It imparts a smell that tells you of the goodness to come and also lets your friends know where you had lunch… That smell to me is the equivalent of the bell used by Dr. Pavlov
If you’re not used to ordering off the pit, please figure out what you’re doing before you get there, because your inability to get it right makes those salivating veterans have to wait just that much longer. Just say how many pounds of whatever kind of meat you want, except for sausage, which is sold by the link. You then tell them if you want bread or crackers, which come with the meat free (I am a saltine man myself). Have your cash ready… NOTE: NO CARDS, JUST CASH.
You want sides? Ok, if you must. You get them at the counter inside. Look… want to go authentic? Screw the stuff like potato salad… get the traditional «sides»: a tomato, an avocado, some onion, pickles, a jalapeño and some cheese. This is also where you will get your beer (which, if you don’t order beer… something must be horribly wrong)…nothing goes better with Smitty’s que’ than a cold Lone Star (well, nothing other than several beers, actually).
Quit bitching because they don’t have forks. Want a fork? Get your etiquette-​obsessed ass over to Dickey’s or Spring Creek.
Ok…to the meat… everything is good, everything. The beauty of Smitty’s is they know just how much smoke to use. It’s enough so that with the brisket, you know it’s not just roast beef from an oven (hear that, Spring Creek?), but they don’t overdo the smoke, which can lead to an acrid, burp-​inducing, tar-​black hunk of goo (hear that, Black’s BBQ?). As for the variety, there are no bad choices here…
Brisket: very flavorful and never dry (ask for a «moist» cut to be sure you get some fat in it).
Shoulder: Great flavor, but not as moist as I like. A good choice for those wanting a more lean cut.
Pork ribs: always good, never dry.
Sausage: very well flavored, never dried out. They have both jalapeño and regular, both are excellent. The only sausage in the state any better is at Luling City Market.
Pork chop: very good… not as good as the other items, but still top notch.
Prime rib: my absolute favorite. Yes, it is pricey, but get some anyway… worth every penny. The flavor is amazing. Just enough smoke to let you know it is BBQ, not so much that it overpowers the delicate nature of prime rib.
The «atmosphere’…well, it’s dumpy, family style eating, which is what a BBQ joint should be. It isn’t as dumpy as Louie Mueller’s (the ultimate in appropriate dumpiness), but is more dumpy than the somewhat «sanitized» Kreuz Market. It’s great.
They don’t have sauce, except upon request. They don’t need sauce. There’s some hot sauce looking stuff on the tables. I’ve never seen anybody use it.
Honestly, folks… you owe it to yourself to go to Smitty’s at least once before you take the big dirt nap. A bucket list item for any Texan… hell, for anybody.

Smitty’s was our first stop during our barbecue pilgrimage to the BBQ Capitol of Texas. We arrived well past lunchtime and well before dinner, so there was no wait for us.
Walking down the hall, it is hard not to be impressed with the smoky smell that is emanating from the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. Our mouths watered immediately and we were glad that there were only two groups ahead of us. It was a warm day and the fire pit was making it uncomfortable. But good barbecue was promised, and I do love the smoke smell (seriously, why is there no eau du smoke? Maybe because it will be too strong an aphrodisiac and the world is just not ready for that chaos?), so we dutifully waited in line and tried to ignore the heat.
We ordered a pound each of ribs, brisket, and sausage. As I do not eat red meat, I can only report hearsay about the brisket and sausage. My dining companions were all very impressed with the brisket and how tender it was. The sausage was good, they said, but they would be willing to forgo it next time for more brisket. The ribs were not fall-​off-​the-​bone, but they were pretty tasty. I am not saying the ribs were tough, it just takes a bit more work to coax the meat from the bones.
The service was pleasant enough and the ambiance is cafeteria-​style, nothing much to distract you from enjoying your barbecue.
We are so glad we made it a point to do a barbecue pilgrimage in Lockhart and that Smitty’s was our first stop. Their barbecue makes Lockhart deserving of the renown.

Made the pilgrimage out to Lockhart, Texas to experience the legendary Smitty’s Market and was not disappointed.
I’ll just cut to it and throw out some ratings:
Atmosphere: 2 stars. Family dining is not my thing. And what’s with the ‘no forks’ policy? I had to hold my meat in place with a plastic spoon as I cut it with a plastic knife. No bbq sauce on the tables. Had to go request some at the counter. For first-​time visitors, you really need to feel your way through the place as the set-​up is a bit awkward.
Brisket: 4 stars. I’ve gotta say Pecan Lodge up in Dallas set the five-​star standard for me. Smitty’s brisket is outstanding too.
Sausage: 4 stars. This had a unique texture (more tender than I’m accustomed to) but it was good.
Potato Salad: 4 stars. I am very hard to please when it comes to potato salad. They nailed it here.
When it comes to BBQ, I could care less if I’m eating it in the Taj Mahal or on a paper plate at a picnic table. This four-​star rating is all about the food.
2 slices of brisket, a sausage circle, potato salad, white bread, and a couple of bottles of Lone Star and I’m good.