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Smiley’s Cafe

4.1 (7 reviews)
ModerateBarbeque
Closed • Closed
Updated 2 months ago

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a hamburger and french fries
Drew M.

Awesome BBQ restaurant! Very friendly service and excellent food. They cook to order on a large pit with wood. The brisket is very tender and falls apart. The Walley burger is huge and well seasoned. The sweet tea was very well done. Sweet but not too sweet. Will definitely be visiting here again on my next trip through.

33% fat

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2 years ago

Burgers and Chicken fried steak here are AMAZING! Cody's customer service is top tier. Cozy dining and friendly environment. 10/10!!!!

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8 years ago

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11 years ago

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

We stopped in for a late lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the chicken salad sandwich and Smiley Pie! The service was great and with a smile.

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Schulze’s Pit Room - Turkey,  ribs,  sausage

Schulze’s Pit Room

(198 reviews)

$$

Schulze is underrated! The brisket is very tender and moist. I recommend the Mac and Cheese and…read moreTater Tot Casserole for sides. Make sure to come hungry cause this place will hit thr spot! Don't forget to leave room for Banana Pudding. No artificial banana flavor at all. Will definitely be coming back as soon as I can!

It's funny how certain barbecue restaurants get the top rating in Texas monthly. I've been to all…read moreThe top bbq restaurants in Texas. Burnt bean in seguin. All the spots in houston and Schulze's bbq is up there with any of them if not the best! I'm starting to wonder if Texas monthly is even a legit thing. Because this place could easily be number one. I'm surprised I've never heard of them because this is some of the best barbecue I've ever had. Some of the best customer service too! I'm so glad I stopped in. This will be my go to every single time when I'm in Seguin, Texas. Food: everything was phenomenal! The brisket was made to perfection absolutely some of the best brisket I've ever had. The jalapeño sausage, I've never had a jalapeño sausage that good! The cheese was bursting out of the seam! The tater salad oh my God! Talk about a blast from the past if you're from Houston Texas, and remember the old Heights camp house BBQ, you will remember they had Camp house potatoes. They tasted exactly the same wow I was so happy to try that because I never thought I'd have a dish like that again in my life. The brisket rice was OK. I probably would get something else. The banana pudding was phenomenal. This is some of the best barbecue I've ever had. Easy five star review! The customer service was great. The line moved quickly and everyone was extremely nice. I will go out of my way to come here and get barbecue every single time when I'm at Seguin, Texas. This should be on Texas monthly, this should be on everyone's radar if you love barbecue! Once again, thank y'all for the amazing customer service and amazing food!

City Market - Magic happening here!

City Market

(699 reviews)

$$

Texas is known as having the best barbecue in the country! We all hear about the big names that…read morestretch from Austin to Dallas to Houston. I've been to probably all of them. Well, there's another one called "City Market" that skipped right past me. Or, no one thought to tell me. It's one or the other because this place is pretty popular with lines out the door! So I heard about City Market BBQ, the same day I drove to Luling, Texas! It's an hour outside of Austin. City Market is in the downtown area, and parking was a breeze; the line I saw on the sidewalk coming from City Market, I must admit, was long, but it was a breeze, too. Now, this is on Wednesday, not the weekend. I hopped in line, the line moving fast. People are friendly, telling me that once I'm inside, there's another door I will go into to place my order. I like to call this the secret door with all the good smells of smoky barbecue. Check out my pictures of the secret door; you can't even see inside. I'm there, I made it inside, and there's 3 of the most friendly older gentlemen I will ever meet in my life. One of them caught on that I haven't been in a kitchen, never in my life, when he started asking if I wanted 1/4 of brisket. I whispered, "Give me three or four, because I'm not good at math either." Oh, we had a great laugh! I sat down, picked on a rib, and the meat slid from the bone! It was so tender, juicy, and full of flavor. The skin had the right burnt in the right spots. The meat was moist and easy to chew. I was like the Flintstones cleaning the bones before I bit into my sausage and brisket. The sausage was very good, and my brisket was smoky, like my ribs. I have to brag about the sauce. It came in a skinny bottle. It was a new flavor for me; it wasn't spicy, but it had a nice heat to it that I loved! I'm so happy I chose to ride down to Luling to visit City Market as soon as I heard about this BBQ place. I would have been so mad at myself if I had waited and forgotten!

City Market in Luling was established in either 1957 or 1958, depending on the source. The…read morerestaurant's own website says "Established in 1958," and most historical references use 1958. So as of 2026, the barbecue place is about 68 years old. It's considered one of the classic old-school Central Texas barbecue joints and still operates much like a traditional meat-market-style BBQ house. This is an older building, including bathrooms... One of which was not working. Was disappointed that their sides include potato salad, and beans only because when I go to barbecue, I love Colliard greens, potato salad, beet salad, etc. not available here. The brisket slice I had likely the best piece of brisket I've ever had in my life. Now... Don't go crazy. I don't eat brisket typically when I do barbecue. The rib that I had was decent. The sausage I had by comparison to other barbecue places was unfortunately the worst that I've ever had. I'm not sure what grind they use, but it seems like it was more beef and somewhat sweet to my pallet which I personally don't care for in sausage. Overall, if I just wanted brisket, I would return but next time I'm in Luling I likely will go to the place right next-door to them and try them.

Black's Barbecue Lockhart - Giant Beef Ribs, Pork Spare Ribs, Beef Brisketbrisket

Black's Barbecue Lockhart

(1.9k reviews)

$$

When it was insisted I make the drive to tiny Lockhart because "Black's is the Vatican of…read morebarbecue," I rolled my eyes so hard they practically needed chiropractic adjustment. But, I'm open-minded (by open-minded I mean I gravitate to places with at least four and a half stars on Google). Enter Blacks, which looks like an eccentric Heartland cousin's hunting lodge married a school cafeteria. This place would shock those who require microgreens so tiny you need a jeweler's loupe to appreciate them. Ah but, brisket happens. It's a melt-in-your-mouth revelation served on butcher paper like it's no big deal. I took one bite, and basically ascended into a realm of flavor nirvana where time slowed and the only thing that mattered was bark, and each smoky, delicate bite. Skip the "Texas-style" place in Brooklyn. Fly west. Black's in the capital of Texas BBQ. Not even Madison Avenue PR spin could craft a crown more convincingly.

We'd been to Black's previously to dine in, but this time we were passing through Lockhart so opted…read morefor carryout. We bought a couple of sides and a mix of lean and moist brisket. Then we had to deal with the wonderful smell for the hour-long ride home. Service was very fast, as there wasn't a line on Wednesday. Of course, everything was very tasty. However, IMO, everything was overpriced. Seriously, about $9 for maybe a pound of potato salad or slaw or beans and $34 a pound for the meat. Yes, I'm aware of yield... and that the price of beef has risen a lot. Whatever the market will bear, I guess, but this isn't something I'd do on a regular basis.

Smitty's Market

Smitty's Market

(1.1k reviews)

$$

A Lockhart classic that's been around for ages as a true OG. While in town to visit Barb's B-Q, my…read morebuddy and I stepped out of line briefly for a quick trip to Smitty's. The firewood sits on the ground as you walk in as a part of their open-fire cooking style bringing smoke into the brick pits. These new school smokers don't do it like Smitty's. As we walked in at 10:30, there was no line. We asked for the simplest order. A single slice of brisket and a single slice of turkey. It was about $12 all in. As we sat down with one of the 4 pieces of butcher paper for 2 slices of meat, I noticed that there are no forks at Smitty's. Just knives. We got to work. The turkey was fantastic. Barbecue turkey is honestly an underrated concept and their turkey was juicy, soft, and would change any Thanksgiving meal to one for the history books. I was extremely disappointed in the slice of brisket though. It was extremely chewy like plastic. Decently seasoned but not tender at all. Probably a bit undercooked. It was worth visiting for the experience, especially to get a picture next to the fire pit, which one of the people on staff was nice enough to take for us. As we walked out, we noticed tons of their awards and recognitions. It's cool to give a classic originator of Texas barbecue a hat tip like we did. RIYL: The originators or fire on the floor

Ordering is a bit confusing unless the line(s) have formed up- one from the street and one from the…read moreparking lot out back. People seem to want to enter in the middle where you check out. Nope! Start at the scale on either end, exit the middle. Good brisket, cut to order, lots of bark. We had some lean and some fat. Liked the sauce they provide. Remember- no forks, so wash up first! We had a half link of the "spicy" sausage. Did t seem spicy, and the casing was tough, near impossible to bite it off or cut it with the plastic knives. I just pushed the meat out and ate it on a cracker. Nice to see a real, old time atmosphere, with old time smokers. Nice folks too.

LaVaca BBQ - 2 Meat plate  *Brisket *Pork Ribs *Mango Habanero Coleslaw *Mac Belly

LaVaca BBQ

(80 reviews)

Finally got a chance to stop in and was blown away by that brisket gumbo. It's phenomenal, rich,…read moreand smoky in all the right ways. The potato salad is another quiet win, better than average, and a great side for nearly anything on the menu. The brisket is tender, though I wish it had more pepper. Same story with the salmon, its solid but nothing overly memorable. The ribs didn't hit my personal taste; they lean very sweet, best description is big red with cream soda l, but they're extremely tender and could definitely appeal to anyone with a sweeter preference. The peach cobbler is really good. It's built more like a bread pudding, served warm with ice cream, not overly sweet, and light enough that I ended up finishing the whole serving. The staff here is genuinely welcoming, and the place has a fun, lively energy. While eating, I overheard locals saying they eat here twice a day and at current beef prices, that tells you something.

A Texas Monthly Top 50 Standout: Reviewing the #8 BBQ Joint…read more We recently visited a true gem of the Texas barbecue scene, a small-town joint rightfully holding the number eight spot on Texas Monthly's prestigious Top 50 list. From the moment we walked in, the experience was exceptional. The venue itself is charming, offering both inside and outside dining options, but it was the staff that truly set the stage--friendly, attentive, and constantly ensuring we lacked nothing. This commitment to quality clearly extends from the service right into the pit. The Meats: Smoked to Perfection The Brisket immediately validated the restaurant's high ranking. It was wonderfully moist and executed a beautiful balance between rich beef flavor and a robust, smoky profile. It was, simply put, a masterclass in low-and-slow cooking. The Big Red Ribs were a definite highlight, offering the perfect bite and pull that every rib enthusiast craves, yet still achieving that desirable "fall-off-the-bone" tenderness. What elevated them further was the Big Red glaze, adding a unique, sweet-and-spicy dimension over a classic, peppery bark. Rounding out the trio was the Jalapeño Cheese Sausage. This was a superb, double-grind, in-house creation, featuring a great texture and a pronounced peppery kick that perfectly complemented the melted cheese without overpowering the meat. Comforting and Creative Sides The sides were crafted with the same care as the main event. The Gumbo had a deep, savory brown gravy rich with brisket flavor and a prominent onion note, though it could have benefited from a bit more rice and okra for texture. The Creamed Corn was incredibly tasty, served thick and creamy with just the right level of hidden heat, making it wonderfully addictive. The Potato Casserole offered a delightful mix of creamy texture and savory flavor, topped with a nice, crunchy onion layer and enhanced by a perfect balance of cheese and sour cream. The Decadent Grand Finale The dessert menu showed an impressive culinary ambition. The Pork Belly Cheesecake was absolutely decadent. It was a rich, smooth cheesecake topped with a savory-sweet pork belly crumble and finished with a maple bourbon drizzle. It was a jaw-dropping, memorable way to conclude the meal. To top off the already stellar service, the complimentary Blue Bell Ice Cream was a wonderful, smile-inducing touch. Served with a cup of rainbow sprinkles to pour on top, it was the perfect casual and friendly end to a magnificent feast. Final Verdict This BBQ joint thoroughly deserves its Texas Monthly ranking as the #8 spot. The combination of high-quality, flavorful meats, thoughtfully executed sides, and exceptionally friendly, attentive service makes this a must-visit destination. The dedication to reputation and quality is evident in every bite, confirming this was a truly great experience.

Smiley’s Cafe - bbq - Updated May 2026

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