Food brisket had no flavor literally tasted like a white person made it. I think I could smoke it better. Plus no jalepenos sides. The potato salad was pretty good. I would never go back. read more

This is real Texas bbq- Salt,pepper and smoke. The picture speaks better than any words I have read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I enjoyed visiting the Original Black's BBQ. Sadly, I don't think it is on the same level as Terry Blacks. Brisket was better than most and jalapeño sausage was slightly above average. Their mac n cheese made the meal. Very creamy and good! Not much seating and like was mainly outside with no menus for you to see until you're up next. Music created an old-school, southern vibe which was fun. With that being said...If you want a shorter line, go to Black's. If you're okay with a long line and better BBQ, go to Terry Black's. read more

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Well, we really wanted to go to Franklin's BBQ while here in Austin but you simply cannot get into Franklin's unless you are willing to queue up at the crack of dawn (seriously!) and hope that they don't run out of food by the time it's your turn to get in....if indeed you ever make it to the front of the line while the place is open. Not for me. We settled on Black's as there was no line to get in and we heard that this was pretty good BBQ. And pretty good it was. The concept is: you order at the counter and then move yourself further down the counter to select how much meat you want at which point the meat server cuts and weighs out what you've selected from the array of meats before you. So you are paying by the pound of meat. I chose the pork ribs and was able to select how many ribs I wanted. The ribs were then weighed. You then select the sides you want which are purchased a la carte. While I don't love counter service, I liked that I could select the amount of food I wanted. Portions in places like this are often more than I can eat which is fine if I am at home and can bring back leftovers...but I really didn't want leftovers in my hotel refrigerator as it was unlikely I would ever eat them. The seating is at indoor picnic-style tables. They serve soft drinks and a couple of local beers. I tried a Shiner blonde and liked it. My pork ribs were quite good. Not the very best I have had but very good. I ordered one side: mac and cheese, and it was creamy and delicious. They offer you sliced bread along with your BBQ which is something I have encountered at other BBQ places in the south. One of my friends got a (as in singular) beef rib...one that was indeed very meaty and Flintstone-esque. She loved it and it was plenty of food. My other friend ordered the brisket sandwich and loved it. While it was not the Franklin's BBQ experience we had hoped for, this was just fine and dandy. And honestly, you must have BBQ at least once when in Texas. read more

Great BBQ and the service was good. The place gets packed quickly so be ready to wait in line, but worth the wait. The place has a friendly environment. ​ read more

Very disappointing! While visiting friends in Austin we had time for one meal that wasn't planned. We picked Black's based on its reputation, history, and ratings. I don't know if it's living on its laurels or we caught them on a bad day, but this was far from good barbecue. I went with the lean brisket, pork ribs, and pulled pork. My wife had the half chicken. We rounded out with the typical BBQ sides: beans, cole slaw, and potato salad. The brisket was dry and almost cold - lukewarm at best. The ribs were good, but overcooked to fall-off-the-bone doneness, and the pulled pork was completely tasteless and barely warm from the start. To give them some juice we unfortunately decided that we'd have to add sauce, conveniently available from two steel containers on the sidebar. But the sauce was cold, as in, kept in a cooler every night and put out cold every day. That's a huge mistake in a barbecue restaurant, where the high-fat proteins must be kept warm to hot from kitchen to tongue. So we dipped our dry brisket into the cold sauce, then our drying ribs, then the nearly cold pulled pork, and they went from being lukewarm and bland to being cold and bad. The quality was not quite to the level of even some of the large bbq chains like Rudy's or Dickey's (and no, that is not good). There was a decent crowd for a Friday lunch, the inside tables almost full, and a short line at the counter. For the locals this is probably a routine thing, and they know what to expect. For those of us traveling hundreds of miles to get some "authentic Central Texas barbecue", this place is grossly overrated and easily bested by truly good barbecue much closer to home. read more

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One of those meat-by-the-pound joints where you order at the counter and take a tray to your seat. Definitely appreciate the fast casual format instead of having to deal with waiters/waitresses to get your meat not immediately. And wow, everything beef I tried was just great! Giant Beef Rib: Very impressive. Looks like something a barbarian would eat; it's so big and primal. Because of the huge bone, it can get a bit pricey with one rib weighting ~1 pound. You're paying brisket prices, but getting less than half the meat because the bone is so heavy. But it's a delicious splurge. Tender meat once you get past the perfectly crisped smoky exterior. Very rich, so a small forkful at a time is good enough to really savor the taste. Lean Beef Brisket: Usually what I think of when someone says brisket. Mostly meat with a little fat around the edges. It was so tender, except for the delicious edge that was full of hardened smoky sear. A really good texture contrast. Fatty Beef Brisket: Thick brisket, with a big wedge of fat in the middle. It's so nicely slow cooked though, that fat is not chewy at all but rather melts away. I actually thought this one had more flavor than the lean brisket. Edgar's Original Sausage: Looks cool and it's much cheaper than the other meat items (like $4/link). But it's just sausage, so it pales in comparison to the beef rib or brisket. Though if I got this from a sausage-only place, I'd probably appreciate it's smoky aroma and firm texture a lot more. Norma Jean's Beans: Pretty standard pinto beans. A classic pairing to BBQ. Extra Cheddar Mac & Cheese: Creamy. Cheesy. Very much a sideshow compared to the beef on the mainstage, but a nice palate cleanser after a few meat bites. read more

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Visiting Austin for a short time and wanted some real Texas barbecue. It's definitely a country vibe. Great country music... My husband, especially liked the song, "big John.!" This is our first time in Texas so I can't really tell if it's authentic Texas barbecue or not but the locals tell us it is. I love that you go in and order your sides first and then you go over to the butchers block and they weigh out whatever meat you want in front of you. My husband got the lean brisket And I got the turkey. Our friends had the ribs and they looked delicious. It's a very casual restaurant with picnic tables inside and out. Very pleasant. It's nice to be able to see the meat before you order it so you know exactly what you're getting. They offered us bread as well, but being in Tex-Mex country, we've had enough bread and tortillas who is a fun place read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Turkey with yummy potato salad, and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Very quick time to get your food which is a plus! Not the best barbecue I've had in Austin but still very good and for the price point , it hits the spot read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Pulled pork sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time visitor and trying out bbq Order fatty brisket half pound and Mexican corn / potato salad / extra cheddar Mac n cheese Online ordering / delivery available Plenty of lot parking Indoor and outdoor dining available Definitely a meal in it self and good to share but I consume it all in 2 hours and some change Came with 2 slices of bread / pickles / onion / bbq sauce Brisket tender flavorful and marbleized fat Mexican corn tasted just too be corn or the flavors were as intense as I thought to be Potato salad refreshing Extra cheddar Mac n cheese was peppery Good to try out - accessible - easy on the service - hit the spot for a lunch tasting read more

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Very sub par bbq for the expense.. Ribs were very dry aka rib jerky. bbq places should have sides that knock your socks off like Mac and cheese. Box Kraft is better. Was looking for great bbq in Austin and this was a huge miss. read more

Really solid option in the university area for good BBQ. All meat is cut to order and everything is tasty. I actually am a huge fan of the smoked turkey and the jalapeño cheddar sausage, both outstanding. The brisket is very good as well but I don't feel it's their best item on the menu. Staff is nice and friendly. I feel the prices here are a little better than some competitors in the area. Over all solid choice for any barbecue cravings. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - sausage and brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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First guy dishing up sides was grumpy AF. Once we got past him it was a bit better as far as service but everybody just seemed kinda meh on our visit. Fortunately the food is anything but! The sides are amazing. Pro-tip: just get the small sides unless you're super hungry, it should be enough for at least 2 people. The corn was great, the slaw was great, the Mac n cheese was amazing and I don't even care for that normally. It looks like what you'd get at KFC but tastes soooo much better. Peach cobbler was the one thing I wish I'd gotten a large side of, it was out of this world. The banana pudding was fab too but it's no peach cobbler. The meat is enough to make you wake up in the middle of the night with a case of the meat sweats...the good ones, not the bad. Thank god we had leftovers in the fridge to help me through my withdrawals. Simply the best barbecue I've ever had. read more

BBQ is good, not great! Pulled pork was amazing! Our fatty brisket cut was dry. Out of our family of 5, only one cared for the Mexican corn. No one cared for the mac & cheese. read more

Line was awfully long for the results; the brisket flavor was fine, but it was very dry. Green beans were good, but Norma Jean's Beans were really underwhelming. Even after adding whole packet of salt and pepper, they didn't taste like much. I was expecting a flavor-loaded charro bean. Service folks were nice, but I just wasn't super impressed for a place that's been around since the 1930s. Maybe we just came by at an off day. My pick for BBQ out here would be the Smokin Shack food truck. Faster lines & better food for sure! Louie's BBQ food truck in Buda is also a good pick. read more

I came here on a Saturday night and shockingly there was no line. I can say this the first Texan bbq place that I've gone to with no wait time during a peak hour. It was unbelievable. Getting into the food, for sides, I ordered the potatoes and green beans and for the meat, I got the fatty brisket, lean brisket and jalapeño sausage. When we arrived, a lot of the meats were sold out which they listed out in the front. Prices are listed by the pound on the board but you have the option to order less than a pound if you would like. There is a self serve station for the sauce, pickles and onions. Everything I ate was delicious. As for the restaurant itself, the inside is fairly small but they managed to squeeze in a decent amount of bench seating. They have a large patio area as well which most people opted for since the weather was nice when we went. read more

Overall the best item was the beef rib. All the other meats were ehh...pork rib and sausage was overcooked and dry. Fatty brisket was not as tender or fatty as I would've liked and pulled pork was ehh. Mac and cheese was good, potato salad and Cole slaw was flavored just right. Overall 3.5 star overall rating as the beef rib (5 stars) and sides ( 4 stars ) but the pork rib, sausage, pulled pork and brisket was not as well liked (2.5 stars) so overall average is 3.5 stars but since yelp doesn't do half stars I'll go with the 3 out of 5. Again this was just how my meal came out (party of 3) so we may have just gotten the end of some meats that were not as fresh or something. Give it a try but get smaller portions, they do 1/4 lbs portions for everything but the sausage & beef rib. Beef rib is whatever bone they give you. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Bbq meats - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Went on a Saturday night and was very fast! Good portions, good service, and nice staff. We got pulled pork, brisket, and mac and cheese as a side. Pulled pork was a little salty, but with the sauce it was good. On such a hot day, it was great to have a spot that wasn't insanely busy like Terry Black's always seems to be. Would definitely go back! read more

5 stars for the food, but... Here's why the one star: The young hispanic boy working "THE SIDES ONLY" was incredibly rude, unprofessional, HOSTILE, and unhelpful. The young skinny short black haired kid is the first person we see when we come in as GUESTS he should welcome you like say, "Hi welcome to blacks barbeque." He was VERY insistent on letting us know he only did sides and as first time guests he didnt answer questions or help at all, overall our party of 3 spent 160$ (with tip) and the food was amazing, but the service made me feel like i was at an outdoor flea market next to a dumpster filled w pig s#it, we wont be back. Sincerely, A local business owner... read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Greeting - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm not from a typical "bbq area" but I've tried many throughout the country. This was my first stop for bbq in Austin (and Texas!) and although I never duplicate a place on a short trip, I'd go back asap! Brisket is a must for me. The staff recommended the fatty brisket. Incredible. Didn't need sauce or anything just the best amount of flavor. I added some ghost chili sauce to the mac and cheese and the corn but even without it - again PACKED WITH FLAVOR. This meal was heaven. Idk what made me go for chicken bc I never do. The breast was a little dry for me so I used a lot of the bbq sauce but the dark meat was fantastic. I'm not a chicken breast fan in general if that's helpful for this review. And the pickles were the dill kind so I ate an entire container. Thank you for the best bbq I've ever had to date Didn't try the beef ribs but the table were big fans! read more

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OMG, great barbecue!! We had ribs and brisket, the fatty brisket was my favorite. The Mexican corn and potatoes salad were awesome! Efficient and friendly service! read more

Food was pretty good. No complaints about any of it. If you like a fatty brisket, this is the place for you. Line took a little longer than expected. Bbq sauce is very good here. Friendly folks as well. Side note: There's some sort of family feud between this place and Terry Black's. I'm not sure of all the details, but it sounds like pretty juicy. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Waiting in line, umbrellas are provided - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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My current colleague has helped set up several Black's bbqs and I had to give this one a go. I ordered a slice of fatty brisket, lean brisket, and turkey; beans and potato salad as my sides (even though I was told not to go here for sides). Everyone was so lost when ordering...when explained to that it was a la carte only people still struggled with comprehending such a simple manner. I believe there could be a better way in communicating this. Also, the person working sides was very energetic and I did not even know which meat I wanted so it was hard to make a blind decision on sides. The fatty brisket is to die for. With bread and pickles/onions, it melt in my mouth like a dessert. The turkey was good but not better than Rudy's, sadly. The lean brisket was so so so dry and I really wish I hadn't ordered it. The sides were absolutely a let down. I will never purchase their potato salad again. The beans were cold. Sad... The tea was great. The staff was alright. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pocket friendly Texas bbq near by the university Avenue. The bread pudding was really great and the food was pretty good as well. Lots of side choices to look out for. The only downside was the bbq sauce, very watery, with little flavor read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Still love their brisket, coke slaw and macaroni & cheese. Their beef ribs are huge. I tried a bite of four desserts--vanilla ice cream, banana pudding, peach cobbler and pecan cobbler. Pecan cobbler was the winner! The employees are so friendly. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I've been wanting to get bbq for some time now. We were going in to Austin so we thought we would check out Black's. My wife is gluten free so we called ahead of time to double check what meats she could have and they were really nice and friendly. When we got there they have outside and inside seating. A pretty decent sized area inside. When we got there we got the chicken and beef rib to share and I got some pork ribs. Customer service was great. I was just expecting more food wise. I thought pork ribs were probs the best. Then the beef rib, which was more bone and fat than meat. The meat was good coulda had more flavor. As for the chicken not much flavor as well and it was a little dry. We just got the bbq sauce from the dispenser it tasted really surgary and vinegary. That didn't seem to have a whole lot of flavor either. It sure we'll be back again but it was good to try. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Chicken, pork ribs, beef rib - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Best barbecue!!! The perfect Texas barbecue, we ordered a few pounds of BBQ including brisket, giant rib, chopped beef and sides; coleslaw, Mac n cheese, corn & baked beans. Nice patio right outside, we had a food coma after that but it was worth it. Definitely a must try if you visit Austin!!! read more

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Horrible service. Out of everything. We arrived at 1 pm and there was no turkey, the dining room was closed, and there was no sweet tea. Not a good experience. To add insult to injury, for $11 they hand you a styrofoam cup of brisket and a hamburger bun straight out the bag and you get to make your own sandwich. I'm not on the payroll! read more

Fatty Brisket and banana pudding was so delicious Definitely going back!! The staff is really nice and friendly! read more

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This place has some of the best BBQ around. This is a tried and true BBQ joint and one that will not disappoint ever! The staff is wonderful and the sides are very good too... get one of everything to make sure you get a good sampling.. we did and we loved it... read more

We ordered the brisket, beef rib, pulled pork, side of beans and side of mac n cheese. The bbq sauce was yummy and all of the food was good. I would definitely recommend checking this place out. Check out the prices before going because they price out the meat per pound and it can add up quickly. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable. Great service! The ambiance in there was nothing special, but I did like the look of their menus on the wall. read more

Definitely agree with some of the other reviews that said ordering can be confusing. Wish they had some recommended combination plates but the staff was helpful with our questions. Wish they didn't run out of things but I understand it can get happen when you're getting there later. The fatty brisket was pretty good and the pulled pork was also good but not anything extraordinary. I did like the sausage it was very tender and fresh. I do wish they had more than one bbq sauce option. Also sat outside which is a nice set up when the weather is nice. Also nice to see they had beer and wine options especially after a long day. I'd try it again but maybe go earlier before they run out of the good stuff. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Fatty brisket, pulled pork, green beans and mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

For the two of us, we got a 1/2 chicken, 1/2 lb fatty brisket, and potato salad. The winner was DEFINITELY the pitato salad. Salty, sweet, and creamy goodness. The bbq chicken was lightly seasoned and had a smokey flavor. The fatty brisket was mildly seasoned and did not necessarily need any sauces. Good, standard bbq but nothing special. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Black's BBQ was by far the best texas BBQ I've ever had. I mean just look at that juicy brisket, it was everything I could ever want from brisket. It was fatty, succulent, buttery, flavorful, smokey, meaty, it literally melted in my mouth; it was so good. Paired with coleslaw, barbecue sauce, on white bread, it was the perfect bite. Everything else was really good! I love how you can really taste the smoke that penetrated the meat of the chicken and the ribs. The sausage also had great flavor, only thing for me was that the sausage had too much of a grainy texture, and not meaty enough. As for their sides, I thought the coleslaw had a little too much mayo, but the mac and cheese + corn were both pretty good. Service was good! The guys at the counter were so nice, gave great recommendations and really loaded it up for us. Overall all the meal was great! Everything worked well together, we'll definitely be back! read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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As a couple, we went to the original location in Lockhart and the food was mediocre. So, a few days later we had the opportunity to visit this location in Austin with family members and went and the food was excellent! When we got there, around 12:30PM on a Monday, there was only a few people in front of us, so the line went quick. Seating inside was really open as well, so it wasn't tough to find a seat. We tried some lean brisket, fatty brisket, a beef rib that was HUGE, and some pork ribs and all of it was excellent! The beef rib was moist and very flavorful! Their jalapeños were nice! This location was a lot better than what we experienced at the on in Lockhart. Service here was friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend this location! read more

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Holy crap this place is good. Highly recommend the lean brisket and big beef rib, along with the street corn. Quality overall is great. They also serve pickles and onions on the side, and their bbq sauce is excellent. I'm giving this place 4 stars because I think the price is too steep for what we got - we got half a pound of brisket, 1 beef rib and 2 small sides - this whole platter was $53 with tip. What?? read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time we ordered briskets with 2 sides. It was good. We haven't been eat brisket for long time. We tried to tru different taste brisket.... Not bad for the Mac chesse and other side can't remember.... read more

Totally delicious, classic Texas BBQ join. There was line 30 people deep out the door, but it moved fast and we were able to order and eat within 20 minutes. Worth the wait! The menu is extensive, with lots of meat variety and sides. Vibe is authentic Texan, no frills, no fuss- plastic plates and forks. All the glory is in the yummy food. Yeehaw. read more

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$30 for two slices of brisket and a medium Mac and cheese? Taste is phenomenal! Really out of this world. The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy, the meat was extremely tender. It's just pretty pricey dropping $30 on a plate of food in a college town for bbq . Service was nice, friendly staff! A nice environment but I'm dining at a bbq place in Texas, I've eaten on rodeo drive for less Only thing I'm really mad about is I can't eat here more often with it being so pricey X ( You can see how much food it was in the pic. read more

Black's Barbecue Austin - Fatty brisket and side Mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

The main thing I wanted from Black's was the beef rib which means no ordering ahead. I walked in about half an hour after the store opened on a Sunday and there were only 3 people in line in front of me. However, it is a slow moving line so prepare to wait. In addition to the beef rib, I also ordered the street corn and a cheddar jalapeño sausage ring. The beef rib was as always, amazing. I will come back to Black's again and again for it. I wasn't a fan of the street corn bc it was too tart, barely any sweetness at all from the corn. The cheddar jalapeño sausage ring was also a disappointment as I could barely detect the jalapeño and cheddar and the sausage is a bit too mealy for me. read more