Riley's may be a small little BBQ spot in town, however, the food has always been exceptional. You can dine in, or take your food to-go. Service is always top notch, and it's nice to see the owner behind the counter serving up his delicious creations he made that day. Everything has always been fresh, and they also offer a nice variety of sides. I also enjoy their specials they offer, just have to keep an eye on their Facebook page! One of my fave BBQ spots here in town, without a doubt. read more

This is the second time it's been bad. DONT GET THE HALF CHICKEN I got it Togo so I didn't look at it tell I got home So burnt it was black as a charcoal. Could not eat it. Dogs would not eat it. So disappointed. That's it for me NEVER EVER GOING BACK. Icant believe that he severed it. So disappointing when vendors do this What can u do to improve. CLOSE UP read more

Stopped for lunch on our way to the Hill Country. Food was excellent! Meaty juicy flavorful ribs and tender brisket. Riley was so welcoming and sat with us for awhile. We would have stopped again on the return trip if he was open on Mondays! This is just really good BBQ. read more

This place was delicious. As the other posts say, the owner was very kind. We got beef and pork sausage and a turkey plate. All the meat was delicious and the turkey was notably moist. I had the mac-and-cheese and beans. Both were good but I liked the flavoring beans better. The three plates, with two drinks, were about $47 total. Definitely worth a stop and I will stop back by again. read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

Riley's has the best chopped brisket that I have ever eaten. The price is so reasonable. They don't have the overhead like other BBQ joints. I'm going to miss this place when we move back into the city. read more

Very nice and small cozy feel when u walk. Was immediately greeted coming in. I went with the brisket w beans and mac. Brisket. Had a nice ring and taste was tender a little on the dry side. Could be from coming in so late. The Mac and beans average, was expecting a little more from these. Overall I give it a 7. Price was probably the best I've seen in Lockhart and they didn't skimp on the. Brisket. Will be back to try other foods they serve read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - Brisket plate. Comes w 2 sides. I took Mac and cheese and beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

The building is an unassuming standalone building that shares a parking lot with a little strip mall. The decor is fun with lots of little decor things to keep your eyes busy while you eat. The owner was very friendly and so was the lady working up front. Riley went to the back and got a brand new brisket that had a great black coating, cut it in half for me and gave me a piece to try. It just melted in my mouth and the blend of oak and mesquite woods used in the smoking came through clean without bitterness. He also makes an amazing meatloaf that he cooks in the smoke. It is a beautiful thing. I ended up getting the brisket plate with mac and cheese and potato salad. The mac and cheese held its texture and wasnt a mushy blob but it was lacking in seasoning and underwhelming. The potato salad was pretty good and will be on my plate again. I opted for the moist brisket and it was great! The BBQ sauce was nothing special. I dont know if they make it there but it was pretty normal. The whole thing cost me $14.88 which is about the same as what I spent on a basic meal at whataburger and far better. read more

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We went on a tour of BBQ in Lockhart, Texas and this was by far our favorite spot. The turkey was so juicy, the brisket superb, the ribs great. This will be my only spot for BBQ whenever I go back to the area. read more

Warm, Down home atmosphere where they call you by your name and greet you with a friendly smile. The pork ribs were unbelievable tender and delicious. The sauce is tangy and also delicious. 3 meat plate with very generous portions, 2 sides and a large sweet tea came to just under $20. Unheard of nowadays. Will definitely be back. read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - Brisket - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

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First off, the customer service is amazing. We met Riley and he was such a great, kind man. The hospitality was wonderful. He definitely has a passion for barbecue! He was very generous and helpful! The brisket AND their spicy sauce is the most delicious of all the barbecue I've had in Texas. Without a doubt. Their Mac was pretty yummy- I added some bbq sauce to jazz it up some more. The regular beans were tasty and the potato salad was super delicious!! Personally, I'm not a fan of the green beans or sausage. But the 4 other people I was with thoroughly enjoyed them both. Brisket and regular/spicy barbecue sauce takes the cake!!! read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - Half eaten everything - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

Quick service. Sausage was ok. Brisket was way less than expected. Had been wanting to try for so long and finally did, came away disaspointed. With all BBQ options in town, surprised Riley's is surviving. read more

Husband and I have been to Riley's several times. BBQ is always great. This time we got a pound of lean brisket and a link of sausage. Brisket was tender and yummy. Sausage was also great. Very friendly folks! read more

If you don't eat pork for whatever reason, don't eat the chopped brisket sandwich, they use pork and beef scraps for the chopped beef and has been doing it for years. I know someone who worked here that I'm close with tell me everything wrong with this place. It's dirty and constantly has roaches, the guy who runs it is a weirdo to his female employees especially YOUNG ones!! It's so bad that his wife has to come in and make sure he's not "messing around with other women" and to wrap things up they use way to much lighter fluid when getting the pit going, the brisket I've had there 50% of the time tastes like straight lighter fluid just with store bought bbq sauce. (He doesn't make his own BBQ sauce even though he calms he does. read more

Good food excellent service friendly Staff. The owner shared his story and the price was fair.

Well, it was... interesting. The sausage was maybe the best I've had. Very dark and flavorful. However, the brisket was gray and dry and flavorless The side of fries had been sitting out and was colder than cold. They replaced them with hot fries from the back quickly, but dumped mine back in on the cold ones. I didn't see those tossed. Beans were just sugared, nothing special. read more

Great place , great food and great service. Some of the best BBQ and my wife had the fish which she really liked. They make their own sausages, I had the brisket and sausage special and it was some of the best. Riley, his wife and others were so friendly. When they were not busy behind the counter, they spent time talking to customers even first timers like us, very good people. I think the food was must better that the larger BBQ joints in Lockhart. read more

Needed a bbq fix and wanted to try someplace new. My husband is in love with the jalapeño cheddar sausage! He can't stop eating it. The brisket was very moist and tasty. Mac and cheese was creamy and tasty, but the potato salad was a little too different for me. The rib was moist and tasty and moist. I love the coleslaw, and the green beans were ok. The drinks are really large. Overall we are happy we went out of the way to try this place. It was worth it! read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - Sausage, brisket, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. The sausage was wonderful! - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

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I'm in Lockhart, Texas for a three-night camping trip at Lockhart State Park. While reviewing my spreadsheet of places to see and things to do in Lockhart, I got to wondering if there were any new barbecue places. I know that, since Lockhart is the "Barbecue Capital of Texas", I'm supposed to be happy with the other four. However, I have always felt that three of them were highly overrated, and the fourth was too busy. Anyway, to my surprise, there was a "new to me" barbecue place in Lockhart, Riley's Pit BBQ. It has been open for just over one year and did not even show up on my searches last year when I was here. Since I am on a fairly restricted eating plan, trying to get back to pre-Covid conditions, I decided to only eat barbecue one time while here. Riley's offers barbecued meatloaf on Wednesdays. Well, that was a no brainer. Since meatloaf is my absolute favorite food in the world, that was the day I planned to visit. It was really hard waiting to eat barbecue. Normally when I'm m in Lockhart, I don't even carry food with me and plan on eating barbecue for every meal. But, this time I prepped all my own lower calorie meals and waited tooth and nail for Wednesday to get here. Well... cut to the chase! It was more than worth the wait. I decided to order the meatloaf plate which came with two sides and a two-meat plate for dinner later that also came with two sides. To get a sampling of their sides, since I had four, I picked potato salad, green beans, pea salad, and macaroni and cheese. For my two meats I chose turkey and sausage. That way I would get a pretty good feel for Riley's barbecue in general. First, let me start with the meatloaf. They had to have started with some really good meatloaf. You can't mix up a bad meatloaf and make it amazing by barbecuing it with some sauce. You have to start with a good recipe. Somebody who works there has a mama who knows her stuff. My wife makes what I consider the absolute best meatloaf. If I brought them some and asked them to barbecue it, it would be better than Riley's. But, let me tell you, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Their barbecued meatloaf is simply amazing. The edges have that gooey black goodness that you find on the most skillfully barbecued briskets. Even though the turkey and sausage plate is for my dinner later tonight, I went ahead and took a taste of both of them. The turkey is moist and very flavorful. I can't think of anywhere that has been so much better that it stands out in my mind. This was what I consider perfect barbecued turkey. The sausage is the kind that I absolutely love. It has that grainy beef texture on the inside. It's nice and greasy and fully flavored. I wish you could get stuff like that in San Antonio. Now, let's talk about the sides. I made sure I tried all of them so I could write this review. The green beans were just that - green beans. There was nothing special about them. But the menu didn't say "special green beans". So they delivered what they advertised- green beans. The macaroni and cheese did not really do it for me. I don't know if they use an instant product or not, but it was kind of soupy and not very flavorful. Normally, I wouldn't have ordered that anyway, so no harm done in my book. The pea salad was a major problem for me! I want to know how Riley's broke into my house and stole my mama's recipe for pea salad! I'm considering taking the rest of it home to be analyzed for a possible lawsuit. It was exactly like my mama's. They even had the great big chunks of cheese in it. The potato salad was really good. It was nothing like my mother's, so they must've missed that recipe when they rifled through my recipe box. However, it was very nicely done. OK... Let's talk about the service. There were three people behind the counter serving me. One took my order, one got the meats, and one took my credit card. They were three of the nicest people you'll meet anywhere. I enjoyed talking to them. I don't think I've felt that welcome in a restaurant for a long time. So... Here is my final opinion after my excursion to Riley's Pit BBQ: It is now my new favorite barbecue place in Lockhart, Texas. That is pretty much all I need to say about it. read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - meatloaf plate & sausage and turkey. Sides from left to right: green beans, mac & cheese, pea salad, and potato salad. - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

What a stand out spot in the BBQ Capital of Texas! Difficult to do with so many "bigger" names in the area. I was happily surprised with the lovely people running this restaurant, and of course the food. I ordered a 2-Meat Plate w/Moist Brisket & Pork Ribs. Macaroni and Potato Salad as sides, along with some white bread and onions. Brisket was absolutely moist and happened to be the first slices off of a freshly smoked brisket. Seasoning and texture was great. Pork Ribs were slightly dry, but flavor made up for it. One of the best potato salads I have had, anywhere. Macaroni was good, nothing to write home about, but I did not leave any behind. Great value on the plate! Regular and Spicy BBQ Sauces were both good. I was offered some fresh sliced watermelon right as I was finishing my plate. The perfect refresher to close out the meal. I suggest you drive past Kreuz, Black's, Smitty's, or Chisholm Trail at least once to eat here. read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - 2-Meat Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

Lockhart was on my list of stops from San Antonio to Austin. Unfortunately (or fortunately) most BBQ places were closed due to Easter Sunday. We did find this gem which was great! It's nothing big and super casual. The service and employees/owner amazing so so helpful and friendly. Food was delicious as well and did not disappoint. Meat was tender and flavorful, Mac & cheese delicious. Glad we found it. read more

Riley's Pit BBQ - 3 meat platter (sausage, ribs, brisket) with Mac & Cheese and green beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Lockhart , Texas

We ordered over the phone and went and picked it up. For bbq around Lockhart and all the food we purchased the price was super reasonable. (Inexpensive) Great flavor on all the meats. Their homemade sausage was phenomenal! Loved every last bite! Pork ribs were pretty good as well. I'll say that the brisket was pretty good. Their sides were mediocre but the meat was fantastic will visit again vs over priced blacks bbq. Also we got a half sweet tea and half lemonade. The lemonade was really good tasted fresh to me. Also the service was good. read more

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We are visiting TX and my sister and BIL took my husband and I to Lockhart today to do the "BBQ Trail." We visited all the iconic bbq places but Riley's was our favorite. From the moment we walked in we felt welcomed. We explained this was our 5th stop and we just wanted to try their best meat. Riley suggested turkey and it did not disappoint. His special spicy sauce was divine. My husband just retired from law enforcement and when we pulled up there were 3 county constable cars were parked out front. My husband commented "if cops eat here it's gotta be good!" And it was! read more

Ordered the Special which was brisket, sausage with two sides and a drink for $10! I got green beans and coleslaw for my sides. The green beans had a slight garlic flavor and were spiced really well. The coleslaw was also very good. The sausage seemed home made and not something processed unpacked and just heated up. It was smoky and delicious. The brisket was tender and flavorful. Portion size was very good as well. The owner check by my table a few times to make sure I liked everything. This is a small business that I intended to support in the future by returning often. I know it's a bit out of the way but if you are in the area you owe it to yourself to stop in, Matt the owner and enjoy some real Texas Bar BQ! read more

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The food was fresh and flavorful. This was our first time to Lockhart. We came this way to eat at Terry Blacks but glad we stopped here. I had the 3 meat platter and it was a great way to sample the brisket, turkey and ribs. My mom had the catfish plate and they did such a great job cleaning the catfish, so good! We didn't feel rushed selecting our food and we were not overwhelmed in the dining area. The owner and staff made us feel welcome. We will be back! read more

We're back! Visiting my mother this week and the only place she wanted to eat out was Riley's! Quality of the service and food was awesome. Consistency of quality is hard to find in this day and age but I guarantee you that you will never be disappointed here. Give them a try if you are a BBQ fan. You will not be disappointed! read more

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I had a chance to have lunch at Riley's on Verten's Day, (brisket, beans, and giblet rice), the plate was delicious. Thank you for acknowledging our Vets. If anyone wants some great BBQ stop by Riley's. read more

Great bb que. Great potato salad! Better option than the big named places in Lockhart!

This was our first time to try Riley's. I had the three meat plate (ribs, brisket and chicken). The spice rub is simple, but very tasty. The brisket and rib had a nice smoke rings and the chicken was very flavorful. My two sides were pinto beans and coleslaw. Both were excellent. The owner was very pleasant and the place is very clean. Social distancing was being observed and everyone was wearing masks. We will certainly return. read more

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Riley's has the BEST Bbq in Lockhart, by Far!!!! The service is 2nd to none, and the atmosphere is super chill!! Just kick back, get you some ribs and sides, and a big glass of awesome ice tea, and you are set !!!!! read more

This place is really good! We were coming from Austin and very very hungry for some BBQ and found this little spot! Little spot with great BBQ!! read more

Got take out and it was good. I enjoyed the robs, chicken mac n cheese and slaw. Green beans were too spicy for me. The people working there were very helpful and even gave me some cut up brisket to eat on my way back to Austin. read more

The best bbque, All sides are HOMEMADE and delicious and the nicest people you'll ever meet. Don't miss this place if you're passing through! And don't forgot to take some banana pudding/ it's the best I've ever had! read more

I'm overdue for a review here but this place is amazing! Family owned and operated and they have some really good food served with a really good attitude! This time around I ordered their daily specials (btw happy birthday Riley ) and they even have curbside pickup! Such a convenience as my 8 month old son was with me during this trip so it was nice not to have to get him out! The portions are hefty and the food was flavorful! The mashed potatoes have a nice tang and the brisket had a good smoky flavor to them! Margaret took my order and delivered the food and drinks to my car and was so sweet and pleasant! Good food and good service certainly goes a long way and I will definitely keep coming back! read more

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We just visited the new Lockhart location and the food is still delicious. A new addition this visit was the sweet potato casserole. Wow that is some good stuff! I got some extra to take home for later. The new place is nicer, but the same friendly service and great bbq. They are now open every day except Tuesday. Get yourself in to Riley's soon. Your tummy will thank you. read more

I did research and chose this place to meet someone for lunch. I wanted to like it and expected we would based on great reviews. I gave it 2 stars because some of the meat was good and the Lemonade was good. Sides were not good at all and the sausage had a weird texture and taste. We ordered 3 meat plates because we wanted to sample several things. Even though they asked what the meats were twice on one of the plates they still got it wrong. Half the food ordered went in the trash. read more

Stopped here thinking it was still a hamburger joint not even paying attention. Ordered a little bit of everything to see how it holds up against the Lockhart Staples. Got Brisket which was a little undercooked and not fully rendered but noticed it is honest and probably would be good if I got a better piece, Sausage is one of the stars and exactly what I would expect in Lockhart, could use a little more fat in the grind but overall my favorite meat here, the pork spare rib again very honest and straight forward salt and pepper my second favorite. Had the pork loin and flavor it was good but unfortunately a little overcooked and a tad dry. On to the sides. They all reminded me of a family cook out. The sweet potato was good butter, brown sugar sweet and a little bit of pecan I think. The cucumber Salad was nice did not seem the freshest but on point on flavor. The Mac and cheese was good , Pinto beans are a little like ranch style but missing something. Green beans are pretty much right out of the can. Potato salad is nice , coleslaw pretty standard. Macaroni Salad is good but had that old homemade pickle taste. The Pea salad appears to be canned peas dressed up but ok. Corn on the cob is just frozen corn on the cob a little salt and pepper fixes that. Sauce, the regular sauce kinda tastes like little pig commercial sauce with more sweet. The Spicy sauce I like. If I come back my order would be a link of sausage with a few ribs with the spicy sauce, coleslaw, Mac n Cheese and potato salad. And I'll take some sweet potato for desert. Don't forget the sweet tea. read more

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Chicken, sausage, brisket, turkey, sides: cole slaw, beans, fries and potato salad are GREAT! Customer service is the BEST! Can't wait to come back to try the loaded Tatar and frito pie! read more

I used to live in Lockhart and now Luling. And I've eaten at all the big names. Some are better than others, depends on the day I suppose. But I really like coming here because they have EXACTLY what I like. Chopped beef on a bun with a side of cole slaw. That's all I need , I love it, it's under 10 bucks and the service is always super friendly. It's my go to spot and I wish them all much success. read more

One of the BEST BBQ places in town! You have to try his meatloaf, it's amazing! Riley is such a welcoming, sweet man who remembers his customers. We love coming here! read more

Good bark and moisture on brisket, good sausage link(coarse ground not wiener), sweet tea and fried okra. That will make a great plate. I had double fried okra as my two sides. Good portions. I bought a full rack of ribs and 3 sausage links to go. White bread served with plates and is great with the slightly sweet sauce and a piece of sausage. read more