Been putting off writing my 800th Yelp review, because I wanted it to be for something "special."…read moreSearched through my 186 "drafts" (yuppers...mostly three liners and such) and decided why not chat about the Austin Beer and Bacon Fest...absolutely two of my very favorite things and it was a stellar event! So, here goes... In a land far far away and all the way back in January, Edible Austin decided to host their 4th annual boozy foodie heavenly get together. Never one to deny a bite of bac or a chug o' brew, I bought tix for the hubs and I as soon as the posting went up. Absolutely worth every cent of 50 bucks p/p! Greeted by really friendly folks at this years venue - Brazos Hall. Got wristband and walked to front table to pick up our sample glasses and forks for bites. Brazos Hall was the perfect venue with just the right amount of attendees. The event was sold out, and I was happy to see EA didn't over-sell as is often the case. Plenty of room to peruse around and not bump elbows and no long lines for the many beers and/or bacon inspired dishes offered throughout. Beer samples were 2oz pours (a silly TABC thing), but it was easy to get your fill by simply going from one table to the next and make rounds, stopping by food reps here and there in-between. Beers on-site inc, but were not limited to, TwistedX, Hops & Grain, Live Oak, Austin Eastciders.....major shout out to all the local ATX craft beers I love so much. There was also a large list of local food vendors offering up some pretty tasty and creative bites. Amy's Ice Cream (yes, beer flavored), fancy smanshy Pink Avocado catering (one of the best of the afternoon; Panna Cotta Pecan Bacon Crumble w/ Bourbon Cherries ), VOX Table (yummy sweet "Elvis" concoction), and my personal fav of the day was Baton Creole's Chicken Fried Bacon and Pecan Waffle (omgoodness - so so good!)...plus more. Overall: What a great way to spend a Saturday! At first I thought 3 hours was cutting it kind of short; however, it ended up being the perfect amount of time to indulge in everything offered (esp. since seating was not available). 5 hard stars! Highly recommend. I know where I'll be after the fastly approaching New Year. ;) Cheers!

So, first things first, it's a *beer* and *bacon* festival. It's hard to get better than that, but…read morethe food was amazing and while the beer didn't quite live up to the food, it was a pretty good cross section of the Austin beer scene. I think the best thing I had was a bacon and beer sausage on a pretzel crisp accompanied by a beer infused goat cheese from Frank. I will definitely be going there to figure out what else they do. Hoover Cooking had a phenomenal roasted pork belly over grits with what I think was a honey sauce. There were 3 different bacon-wrapped figs and I liked Swift's Attic for the most interesting which was super peppery and Bacon (the restaurant) for the best traditional one even if it was saltier than I would have liked. My one regret is that I didn't take more and better notes to know where to go after the event. I'm going to have to poke around at the listed restaurants' menus to see what jogs my memory. For reference, these were the participating restaurants: Abel's North Grill and Tap House Amy's Ice Cream Bacon Barlata Celtic Seafare Cipollina Frank Greenhouse Craft Food Hillside Farmacy/Eden East Hoover's Kerbey Lane Lamberts Lenoir Liberty Tavern Little Barrel and Brown Micklethwait BBQ Noble Pig NO VA Kitchen & Bar OMG Cheesecakery Otto's German Bistro Pink Avocado Salt & Time Searsucker Snack Bar Swift's Attic The Bonneville The Seedling Truck The Turtle Restaurant TRACE St. Phillip Zed's And these were the participating breweries: Circle Brewing Co. Independence Brewing Co. Infamous Brewing Co. Pedernales Brewing Company Real Ale Brewing Company Rogness Brewing Company Shiner Brewery St. Arnold Brewery South Austin Brewing Co.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY! I went to see Zion Marley on Friday. Very lackluster with…read moresound/feedback problems. I asked to purchase a Gen. Adm + plus. They charged my card then said that they didn't have GA+ for one day, only for 3 days. So they LIED TO ME!. Then they had NO REFUND and wouldn't return my money! The ticket desk could never give me a time line of the artists performances. When you buy your ticket, they never say anything about a $5 chair fee to TAKE YOUR OWN CHAIR IN! There's even a fee to take your own blanket in! Then when you get in, the area close to the stage is blocked off and says "No Chairs/Blankets" past this point, after you paid for it1 The only food vendor (jerk chicken) line was too long. They need about 3 jerk chicken vendors. Last year was $20 and $25 cash at the door, in and out option and definitely no chair fees. These new owners really took the fun out of this event. Will not attend again!

This was a great festival! This was my first year going and I also volunteered for the first few…read morehours through my employer on Sunday. There were many vendors selling drinks and food, none of the lines were crazy long, which happens at most festivals I go to. The view of downtown was fantastic, I hope they keep having the festival at auditorium shores! It wasn't overcrowded on the lawn, lots of room to spread out. Many portable bathrooms. The music was awesome. I stayed pretty much all day. Good vibes all around. Will definitely be going next year!

Held this year at the great space/venue that is Shady Springs Party Barn, I would liken the Gettin'…read moreSauced BBQ Fest to the grandiose Texas Monthly BBQ Fest albeit on a MUCH smaller scale and a LOT less expensive (don't get me wrong - I LOVE TMBBQ FEST, see my review). The Sauced Fest was just that great! The space located in East Austin, is surrounded by farmland, complete with the fresh smell of manure and hay. Free parking was a breeze, located directly adjacent to the venue. Check-in and follow the little sign - "BBQ Barn." Ample space! Live music playing, tons of covered and decorated picnic tables, plenty of space on the grassy hills to sit and chill. Several beer vendors (~7, inc. one Cider) set up in one area. Went to grab a brew before heading for the Q and somehow ending up "manning' the @InfamousBrewing table when Josh needed a BR break...and stayed until the beer ran out. ;) Always eager to help out a bud, and was actually fun. I haven't been a "salesperson" in a while....and of course I saved the last cold can for myself. Lol! BTW - each wristband purchase (GA or VIP) came with 3 drink tickets - no "pay for beer." Holy least expensive event effort! Headed toward the BBQ "Barn." Think screened in, worn wooden house with two separate rooms and plenty of space to peruse. Didn't expect too much. It was supposed to be "samples" with an emphasis on the assorted BBQ and hot sauces produced by the vendors. Um, yes...and no! A few joints only offered sauce, some offered their sauce with a small sampling of meat(s)...and then there was Opie's, who handed out a complete serving of delish brisket and jap sausage without any sort of sauce at all because "good BBQ doesn't need sauce." Thanks for a great start! There were a lot of my other favorites there. I have been on a sort of Q-Quest this past year and I realized it might be turning into a little "problem" when at least 4 of the pit masters and crew recognized my hubster and I and chatted us up. That explains that extra 10 lbs - for realz! Louie Mueller's sauces were yum and I scored a free koozie. Cooper's was present with plenty of meats and sauces (FYI - there has been a delay on the opening of their Austin location, but coming soon!). Mark and his SLAB crew were in the house providing samples of their previous award-winning sauces with a bit o' brisket, including their amazing "Backyard Red Sauce" that yes, they are currently in the process of bottling and getting ready to sell retail. Can't wait! Black's had their sauces for sale, but they had so nicely gifted me one at the recent TMBBQ Fest that I haven't had the chance to open yet, so I didn't buy any. The inevitable at these sorts of things....Yes...it happened again!! My hubby and I both hit the brick Q wall and painfully (sinfully) had to throw a few pieces of BBQ away that we simply couldn't handle. Bottom line, the BBQ Barn offered far more than mere morsels - we exited completely indulged and stuffed to the rim! Thank you so much to everyone who was present and presented! About an hour before the Fest ended all but Middleton had run out of beer, which wasn't a problem at all. Three hours was just the perfect amount of time to drink, eat, chat, and chill! Shout out to CarmelaS, her friend Jackie, BrandonC, and KymS, oh, and RobM for of course making the event even better! All for the meager general admission price of $15 p/p. Oh, and add $6 for a Getting' Sauced pint glass. Money and a wonderful Sunday afternoon VERY well spent!!! We'll certainly be back next year! NOTE: Pre-tickets were sold via Living Social (even through the event site). The LS deal, nor the event website, stated exactly how things would work with the beer. The purchase price included admission to the BBQ Barn and also included three beer tickets. Great deal! But, none "for sale." It seemed like people were getting "just stupid enough" at the end, so maybe three is the perfect number. ;)

This was the second annual Gettin' Sauced BBQ festival, where you could get a sample of BBQ from…read moreeach vendor if you bought a wristband. I have to say, there was a crowd, but not as many people as other festivals (ie. Hot Sauce Fest). I arrived early because I wanted to STEAK out at Franklin's, and told my friends to MEAT me inside. I think that is the only time I will ever be first in line at Franklins. People are crazy for waiting hours and hours in line for BBQ. Speaking of crazy lines, once the festival was in full stride, them lines got ridiculously long. Props to the people manning the stands for keeping the lines moving. Well, this was a crazy hot day to have it on, and a lot of people ended up crowding inside Independence Brewing Co's garage bay where they had beer and fans set up. The few dogs I saw looked downright miserable, because they had to walk around on the hot concrete. I think one person threw up near the entrance. :\ Overall, I feel that the festival was headed in the right direction, but definitely still has a few kinks to iron out. It is only their second year doing it, after all. One BBQ stand (J Mueller) ran out of meat about 30 minutes after 3. Not sure if someone forgot to pack a cooler of meat or if it was just poor planning. Suggestions for improving the festival: Push it to a later date. A 90 degree day sure beats a 108 degree day. Also, put out more benches for people to sit on. And maybe have a first aid tent, because there will be some heat stroke/heat exhaustion cases. Having this event on a grassy area would allow more people to bring their dogs. I understand that having this event at Independence Brewing Co probably saved some $$, but there definitely needs to be more shade/seating. Also, maybe holding it at a different time, like 10-1 would help with the heat. 3-6pm is just the hottest part of the day. Things I did like: generous sample portions, crowd size wasn't overwhelming, diversity of sauces, free beer samples/Honest Tea/Big Red, door prizes, live music (Sour Bridges), people watching, signs directing people to the event and having enough parking.

The first time I attended the Danger Derby at Blue Genie was last year and I have to say this year…read morewas so much better. This is a free Austin event that is open to anyone of all ages! For all of you that don't know what the Danger Derby is allow me to elaborate! It's an extreme pinewood derby hosted by Blue Genie Art Industries every year during the East Studio Tour. There is quite a bit of parking located within the canopy lot, on the street or in the surrounding neighborhoods. Also, some of the studios were open so, if you didn't get a chance to go on the tour you can take a minute to appreciate some art by local artists. If you wish to enter a car into the race you can stop into Blue Genie and purchase your kit and register your car on-line. The track runs from the rooftop of Blue Genie to the ground, winding cars through obstacles including a swinging anvil, flames and blades. The event has an alcohol sponsor so; we all know what that means: Free drinks! Last year it was sponsored by Deep Eddy but, this year it was Tito's, East Ciders and I believe Live Oak Brewery. The lines aren't very long but, if you are like me, come prepared with some beers in your purse or bag. Also, please remember to tip your bartenders! Blue Genie was also screen printing T-shirts for sale on-site. There were also a handful of food trucks/vendors on-site this year which was a nice change. There was also an opportunity to buy VIP tickets and have perfect viewing of the races, small bites and booze included in the ticket price. This is a dog friendly event however; some of the dogs were irritated with the fireworks that were going off. There were announcers this year and music playing in the background throughout the event. There is also an after party located at Gourmands down the street! I had a great time last year however, I feel like Blue Genie really stepped up and took this event to the next level this year!

SAME REVIEW POSTED ON GENERAL LISTING: Thank Que TM for…read morehosting the greatest food related festival I have EVER been to! SUPER organized, great venue, stellar staff, rocking jams, & of course tons of the best Barbeque from all over Texas in one place for me to sample until my heart was content & my gut simply could not handle any more! Definitely WELL WORTH the $80 general admission fee that some folks squawked about! Did they accidentally attend the wrong event?! What I learned this year: 1. If you really want to pay the extra$ for VIP admission & have the advantage of having one hour early admission, than please do - but it is absolutely not necessary. [Sorry TM, I know you want to make the bucks!] Three hrs is PLENTY of time to see, eat, & drink everything in sight. 2. Park at the Hyatt across the street. $6vs$9 [sorry Long Center] & the lot fills up quickly & is no fun trying to leave. 3. A few other reviewers mentioned having to wait in line for the GA time at 1pm. There are so many eager beavers & people are terrified that all the food is going to be gone. NOT the case. Show up at about 1:30, walk right in, & get the party started! 4. Right when you walk in there is a huge line of BBQ stands each handing out samples of their best stuff. The samples are rather large & you will fill up quickly. First three stands, maybe 3 people in line in front of me so no wait. Bam, bam, bam! PACE YOURSELF! And, I think sharing is a great idea. There is another complete line of stands when you walk upstairs. 5. Full bars in several locations, most with very long lines. Go inside upstairs & there is no wait what-so-ever. 6. Don't worry too much about the stands running out of food. There are a total of 25 pits representing, some more popular than others (e.g., line for Franklins was about an hour+ - didn't do it, more on that in a bit & Original Black's was about 20 mins). City Meat Market ran out of everything but sausage an hour in, but I think they were just un-prepared. By the time I made my way upstairs, La Barbecue had run out, but it was about 20 minutes before the festival ended - my bad. Unless you are a National Food Eating Champion you will not be able to make your way thrU all 25 joints. 7. There is ample seating throughout; however, you probably won't feel the need. Part of the adventure is to just walk around, explore, indulge, chat, collect some free swag, etc. Go with the flow! 8. No icky port-o-pots! Two restrooms inside building. Cool, clean, & no lines-even the ladies-gasp! 9. I took two koozies with over-the-neck straps on them. Must have accessory=two free hands! Bring a tote to put all of your goodies in. They supply a small paper sack, but it's not big enough. 10. At the end of the festival, if vendors have any meat left they won't sell it to you...but they will GIVE IT YOU! Where to start? How about where I bee lined it to? Louie Mueller's out of Taylor, TX. By far The Best Brisket out of all that I tried! Yes, even better than Franklins - remember, I said I'd get to that - I will. The prefect rub, not too salty or peppery, fantastic flavor, great smoke ring, & so melt in my mouth perfection! Original Black's was the only place I got a rib from..tear right off the bone perfection. Great Q & some of the nicest folks you will ever meat...I mean meet. Thanks for gifting me a bottle of signature Hot Sauce! Lockhart Smokehouse cooked up a whole cow head & rack of lamb. What a treat! Finally onto Franklins. Shamefully, I have never done the get to Franklins at 6 a.m. & stand in line for 7 hrs to get the famous (you have heard of it right?) Q. The festival had ended so we began to leave, I glanced over & saw there were still people standing around Franklins. I told my husband "let's just walk down & see if they have any scraps left." WOW! There were actually about a dozen (not 5,000) people in line getting trays of samples-brisket, pulled pork, & turkey. Could not have been more thrilled! Finally got to try Franklins & waited 3 minutes! How could this get any better? I said the word turkey out loud &...slam! AN ENTIRE SMOKED TURKEY BREAST wrapped in foil pulled right off the heat pit & into my hands! Then we were each given two overflowing containers of both brisket & pulled pork. AND the gal around the corner asked "Would you like that to go?" "Uh huh...yes, please." We went home w/just under 7 lbs of Franklins greatness after no wait & absolutely for free! After all of my Q quests I will say Franklin offers superb brisket, moist turkey, & fantastic pulled pork! The best EVER? No. But certainly at the top of the list! I'm probably going to shot walking down the street. No, really, please don't. Yeah, lil hype surrounding Franklins, but Aaron truly does have the craft down pat & is a truly sweet guy to boot! THANK YOU SO MUCH! There can't possibly be anything else to say-most people who started reading this probably gave up a long time ago- except to say that I will be back next year!

Better every year. Lots of cool venues to visit and products to try. Ten days easily on new bands…read moreand the free showcases. Free music free stuff, food, drinks...see ya next year!

Best week of my life!! I always wanted to live in Austin and attend SXSW and this year I made it a…read morereality. Everything I hoped for and more! The whole city just comes alive with pop ups, activations, live concerts, comedy shows, block parties, and more fun, all in addition to the actual official SXSW conference. I attended the full conference with the platinum badge which was incredible. I was able to attend 16 sessions and scoot around town from hotel ballroom to hotel ballroom for 7 days straight. Since I live nearby, I scooted to my starting point each day and never dealt with traffic or parking. So many roads are closed and there are detours, so I really recommend ubering/walking etc. There are so many fun things happening and how cool to have 300k people in town where we are lucky enough to live! SO many great local businesses partner with big brands, and it really was a dream event to attend. Can't wait for next year!

Such an amazing time and waaaaay overdue review...especially considering the 2018 event is…read morehappening in a couple of weeks. Lol! Had so much fun that I purchased tickets to this year's event shortly after last year's. Had VIP passes that included a wristband to sample good eats from almost two dozen food trucks. There were crepes, prime ribeye, hummus, lobster, southern fare, turkey burgers, tacos, and so much more. Some portions were larger than others, but either way I certainly left more than fulfilled for a VERY reasonable entry price IMHO ($39.95 p/p). And, as a VIP guest, you had the opportunity to vote on the winning truck who received a 10,000 purse - and bragging rights to boot! My choice - Gobble Gobble - came in honorable 3rd. :) There were local craft beer and ciders, and select wines, for purchase and Steel City Pops was on-site (love their avocado). The event, held in the Austin American Statesman lot, had convenient free parking close by at TX DOT. It was not horribly crowded [no super long lines], and live music played throughout the day. The new 20 truck line-up for this year has already been announced and I can't wait. Come hungry...leave happy! Cheers!