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The Switch

3.7 (279 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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THE SWITCH ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Brisket Benedict on Brunch Buffet
Samantha J.

We've been to The Switch more times than we can count over the past couple of years, and honestly I'm embarrassed we haven't left a review until now. Even more shocking? The surprisingly low star ratings on here. Y'all... this place is SO much better than that! Most often you'll find us here on Sundays for their AYCE Brunch Buffet -- which is hands down one of the BEST brunch values around. Price usually runs $35-$45 depending on if it's a holiday, and it's worth every penny. They always have two smoked meats on the chopping block that rotate every couple of weeks (pro tip: check their website ahead of time to see what's carving that week along with their rotating entrees and sides). Some of our PERSONAL brunch MVPs: -The mini biscuits (flaky, golden perfection) -- do yourself a favor and add the strawberry jam. -Cucumber salad & Cobb salad for a refreshing bite. -Fried chicken that's always crispy and juicy. -Brisket or pork belly Benedict on their bomb ass biscuits (rich, smoky, and so indulgent), we legit eat 2-3 every time!) -Stuffed French toast (brunch dreams come true and always rotating). -Ribs, tri tip, pork tenderloin, and honestly whatever smoked meats are on rotation. -Mini chocolate cakes to finish strong! Bonus: you can also order pancakes and scrambled eggs on the side if you're craving the classics, OR just skip the buffet and order off the regular menu. Either way, the food has always been fresh, hot, and super satisfying. Outside of brunch, we've also had plenty of lunches and dinners here and the hits just keep coming. The food feels like a Southern Louisiana-meets-Tex-Mex fusion and it works beautifully. Favorites include the fried catfish (Wow oh wow, also a MUST!), Tri Tip French dip (A MUST and one of THE BEST We've ever had!) , smoked chicken wings, cowboy ribeye, and their BBQ platters. Truly, you can't go wrong with anything on this menu! Plus they have weekly rotating specials as well, which you can also find on their website! Service? Always on point. Friendly, attentive, and welcoming whether you're posted up inside or enjoying the patio outdoors. All in all -- The Switch is one of those spots we'll keep coming back to again and again! They are a MUST visit when you're here and hands down make the 30-45 min drive EVERY TIME, because they are THAT good and WORTH IT! Incredible food, great service, and a brunch buffet that's worth every calorie and then some! Don't let the low ratings fool you -- this place deserves way more love! Whether you decide to become a regular or make a trip JUST to visit them while you're in town you won't be disappointed!

Pork Ribs, Brisket, Corn Casserole, Brussel Sprouts w/ Serrano glaze
Elle K.

We started with the queso, hush puppies and Alabama white sauce wings. The queso and chips were great. The hush puppies were some of the best I've ever had! Loved the wing sauce until I got a wing with feathers still on it and stopped enjoying there. For our meal, we liked the pork ribs and brisket was alright. The Brussels and corn casserole were great picks for sides. The Mac and cheese was good but could have used a little more flavor or salt maybe. We also tried the truck stop enchiladas which were pretty good. The rice it came with however was hard and undercooked. Our waitress was very attentive and helpful! We were also helped out by the bartender who brought drinks to our table and another staff member who brought out some food and all were very kind and personable. They had plenty of seating inside and TVs. Hope this review helps!

Inside view
Joseph E.

Stopped in for Sunday brunch buffet while visiting friends in Austin and glad I did. The Switch offers a brunch buffet that mixes traditional breakfast with BBQ, oh my. As you get your plate and start the walk along the offerings they have from traditional eggs, bacon, and potatoes, they also have biscuits and gravy, cream filled french toast, pasty table, and a carving station with two types of protein. As a bonus, they had a special offering of brisket tamales that were really delicious. Overall, this was a great first introduction to The Switch and I look forward to coming back when I'm in Austin again to try more of the menu.

Pulled pork plate with Mac and cheese and cucumber tomato salad
Riley H.

So yummy! The pulled pork was delicious - so moist and tender. The Gouda mac and cheese was also great. Cucumber tomato salad was nice and refreshing. Our waiter was great and atmosphere was clean. Would definitely come back here!!

Brisket and Baked Potato Gumbo
Scott G.

This is more of a PSA than a complete review. This restaurant is next to Pieous, a great place on its own merit. At first glance, I thought it be a typical BBQ experience. Stand in line, order, wait, leave full, and smell like a smoke house. The PSA is for the most ingenious creative culinary BBQ fusion dish I've had. Their Special Brisket Baked Potato Gumbo. Rich and meaty and served with cornbread tasting Ritz crackers makes for a hit especially on a cold day in Austin. Geez. I can't say anymore other than I'm glad I tried it. Equally surprising, I ordered their brisket queso which by all measures is light years in flavor and texture than majority of Tex-Mex restaurants. The chips were fresh, puffy, and crispy again better than the flat bland greasy chips found everywhere else. Load up the queso. The Switch is mostly full service. The Switch staff especially the bar tender serving me was over the top friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive with impeccable timing and detail on everything. Ticket times under 5min. Extraordinarily fast. Lastly, they have a full bar, a big friendly and inviting bar unlike all other BBQ places. TVs too.

James F.

Geez, where have I been with the follow ups of local Hays County dining? First visit 2018 and if you read back I went back for that $21 Catfish dish. It was served to me with raw fish. Along with that observation who puts a giant blob of cold Potato Salad on top of fish???!?!?! Cleaning up info tonight I deleted the Cajun fare still showing up on Yelp and replaced it with now BBQ paired with Tex-Mex. Not exactly original (Valentina's) but for my recent visit the combination worked well. We met car club friends ahead of our departure for the solar eclipse for lunch. We grabbed drinks before hitting the counter. Friends arrive and we're ordering a spread. Buddy exclaimed Switch produced his new favorite Smoked Wings paired with Alabama White. His wife lent me a Chicken Enchilada from her plate. GF and I ordered the three meat plate; shared our vittles too. Pork ribs, Brisket, and Turkey. Two out of the three slices were amazing. Third was that crusty outside that had sat there a bit. Pork Ribs had good flavor and better than expected tear off the bone. Sauce choices are plentiful. Overall, it's nice to come back and see a different menu direction that was executed properly. Price for the 3 meat plate and two sides was $29. Nearby Salt Lick doesn't offer this exact combination of meats we chose but I will point out SL's AYCE aka Family Style is just a few bucks more. Choose The Switch instead of Driftwood. Craft BBQ is here; SL cuts soooo many corners to feed the masses especially on the Brisket. I'd still say SL has the edge on Pork Ribs. Sides I'm siding with Switch. Way more creative even factoring SL's Sunday specials.

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Rollin Smoke BBQ - Brisket Taco Mac n cheese with pulled pork

Rollin Smoke BBQ

(431 reviews)

$$

East Austin

Review: Fierce Flavors at Austin's Top 100 BBQ Tucked into a…read morequintessential corner lot, this Austin food truck isn't just serving barbecue; it's serving a certified experience. As a recipient of the prestigious Texas Monthly Top 100 BBQ Award, the expectations were high--and for the most part, they were met. The venue itself provides a fantastic, relaxed vibe, complete with plenty of TVs and a music stage, making it the perfect spot for chilling out on a lazy afternoon or settling in for an evening hang. The Main Event: Pitmaster Excellence The true test of a Texas BBQ joint is the holy trinity, and here, they nailed the fundamentals: * Brisket: This was Texas BBQ as it should be. The brisket was super juicy, delivered a profound, deep flavor, and possessed a flawless, great bark that spoke to hours of skillful smoking * Spare Ribs: A study in contrast and texture. The ribs offered a satisfying "good pull"--firm enough to bite but still falling cleanly off the bone. The thick, peppery bark was beautifully balanced by a slight sweetness from a pepper jelly glaze, adding a layer of sophisticated flavor you don't always find. * Pork Belly Burnt Ends: These were pure decadence. Each bite provided a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth experience with a distinct and welcome hint of Fierce Whiskers bourbon woven into the smoky, fatty flavor. They are so rich and irresistible, you know you shouldn't eat too many, but good luck stopping. * Jalapeño and Cheese Sausage: This locally sourced link brought the heat with a good level of spice. The flavor was excellent, though the texture leaned slightly toward the processed side, which was the only minor drawback among the meats. The Supporting Cast: Sides A great plate of BBQ requires sides that stand up to the meat, and while two of these were stars, one needs a little work. * Mac & Cheese: An absolute winner. It was cheesy, creamy, and featured an excellent smoked flavor that permeated the dish. The slightly charred edges added a delightful textural counterpoint. * Hash Brown Casserole: This was a surprisingly strong contender, offering a nice assembly of savory flavors. The secret weapon was the corn flake topping, providing an unexpected but welcome crunch, complemented by a satisfying hint of bacon. * Creamed Corn: Unfortunately, this side was the weakest link. It tasted primarily bland, despite a slight peppery note. It desperately needs some fresh jalapeños mixed in to cut through the creaminess and add the essential Texas kick. Final Verdict The meat selection here is truly Top 100 worthy, excelling in technique, flavor, and execution (especially the Brisket and Burnt Ends). The atmosphere is perfect for a relaxed gathering. While the Creamed Corn missed the mark, the stellar Hash Brown Casserole and Smoked Mac & Cheese prove that their side game is usually strong. Come for the high-quality, authentic Texas barbecue, stay for the great outdoor patio.

Rollin' Smoke is a bbq joint located inside Chalmers. We…read morewere there earlier today to get lunch at our beloved Discada. A friend is in town for work so we decided to grab bbq as well. We got the chopped beef sandwich and decided to share it between three people since we just wanted a taste. Gotta say it was darn good & I'll definitely go back to try more. The beef was so tender and juicy that it really did melt in our mouths. The bun was soft and fresh and held the sandwich together well.

Lamberts Downtown Barbecue - Wild boar ribs

Lamberts Downtown Barbecue

(2.1k reviews)

$$

Warehouse District, Downtown

We had a great time here!!!! Staff is great…read more Neat 2 story building with bar, music, and food upstairs. Restaurant downstairs. Really great food - queso n chips = wow Skirt / flank steak with chimichurri butter sauce = da best 3 meat sampler = oooofa Smoked ribs = CHA CHING!!!! Super duper good. Drinks n beer / I'm staying. Keep up da great work lamberts!!!! I'll b back

Ambiance - The building itself and the ambience 10/10…read more Service - Terrible from start to finish. Our waitress took a little over 10 min to greet us and take our drink order. A drink runner brought the drinks and we didn't see the waitress again for over 30 min. We had to ask other staff members if they could get her to begin placing an order. She showed up 5 or so min later and took our food order - she even wrote it down. 20 min go by and she asked if we were ready to order. We told her we already had and she asked us to remind her what got & walked off in a rush. I had to use the restroom so I went the same direction and saw her feverishly punching in our order because she had completely forgot. We then didn't see her again until well after we were done and looking around for our check. We again had to ask someone to find her. We chalked it all up to an off day and do hope she was ok! Food - Crispy boar ribs were freaking amazing! Our whole table thought those were the highlight of the entire night. Everything else was just ok and the 3 bbq sauce options weren't our preference on taste. Besides those bison ribs - nothing about our meal was gourmet. If cool vibes and ambiance is what you're looking for I say check this place out. If it's killer bbq and service I would definitely not recommend.

Stubb's Bar-B-Q - Fried okra is delicious here

Stubb's Bar-B-Q

(1.6k reviews)

$$

Downtown

Good food, great vibe, big price. I wish this wasn't so much of a tourist trap but it is. The price…read moredoesn't match the food unfortunately. But the experience makes it worth it in most cases.

I had a lot of great BBQ while in Austin. Unfortunately, this wasn't included among it. Stubb's was…read morea name I recognized because I actually like their BBQ sauce a lot, and buy it at home to adorn all sorts of meats I make myself. This spot was close to my hotel, and on my departure day, I decided to have one last hit of Q. It's a big restaurant, and it appears to also be quite the music venue. When I went, a little on the early side for a Friday dinner, there was not a wait and I was sat immediately. My server was attentive, and got me in, fed, and back out in plenty of time to catch my already delayed flight. I ordered their 3 meat combo plate, which also came with two sides, and added on a piece of cornbread. I chose brisket of course, as well as turkey and sausage. The server recommended the serrano pepper spinach (like a creamed spinach) and onion rings, and I took those recs. The best of the three meats was the turkey. Not a good sign. It was moist and tender, though not particularly smokey. Even so, I enjoyed it more than the brisket and sausage, which I would have guessed the reverse when ordering. The brisket was on the dry side and kind of bland, it did not smack of being freshly carved. The Stubbs BBQ sauce helped me eat some of it... now I see why they are famous for their sauce. I had a couple bites of the sausage and pushed it aside, I didn't enjoy their recipe on that at all. It was cooked seemingly well, but the blend of spices and meat they use wasn't pleasant to me. The sides, the onion rings were very crispy which I like, but again... something in the batter. Maybe even the oil they were cooked in, I did not enjoy as much. The spinach was actually quite enjoyable, maybe even a little rich. I think if it were warmer, if might help milden out some of that. It was really thick. The cornbread wasn't worth the add-on. No sweetness or anything to make it memorable. Vessel for butter. The portion was massive, and I had leftover food, but did not take it... and that would have been the case even if I wasn't headed to the airport. I wouldn't recommend this spot.

Iron Works Barbecue - Sampler platter

Iron Works Barbecue

(1.3k reviews)

$$

Downtown

I came here for the beef ribs and they did not disappoint. Are they expensive? Most definitely, 2…read moreribs cost $54 (they weigh them so prices can vary). Were they 100% worth it? ABSOLUTELY. When I tell you these ribs were a religious experience I am not embellishing. Full disclosure: I do not currently live in the south so I don't consider myself a BBQ connoisseur, but I did spend 4 years in the south and have sampled many BBQ joints in the meantime. Take this review as someone who really enjoys BBQ (and any slow cooked meat for that matter) but who could not list more than 10 BBQ restaurants they have eaten at in the last 5 years. So the beef ribs. Great texture, tender meat but still had a bite to it. Expertly seasoned so they were not wet with sauce but still moist. I would consider 1 beef rib a snack, 2 a small meal. I also tried the chopped brisket (brisket and burnt ends sitting in a soup of BBQ sauce). That was also delicious (and more reasonably priced), but I could have done with slightly less sauce. It really was like a soup and while the sauce was tasty, there was too much of it. I went later in the afternoon (around 2/2:30pm) and got their last two beef ribs so going earlier is better. You order at the open kitchen and then pay at the counter when your food is ready. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, you can take your food and sit at any of their tables of which they have many (this place is pretty big). I cannot comment on how this place stacks up to other BBQ spots in Austin, but I very much enjoyed the beef ribs.

I really wanted to like this we wanted to try TX bbq and we could walk here from our hotel in…read moreAustin. This place has the country vibes, old school store front with bottled cokes in old ice coolers, walk up order, get food handed to you then head to the register to pay. Prices were high for bbq, side options were Mac n cheese, beans, coleslaw, potato salad. Etc. Our group had pork ribs (2) with sides of beans, potato salad, coleslaw & mac n cheese, and a pulled pork sandwich served with pickle and raw onion on the side. Plates came with a slice of white bread. Unfortunately the food was okay but not amazing for what we paid, We will be searching for a good quality bbq still!!!

Franklin Barbecue - Bbq platter

Franklin Barbecue

(6.4k reviews)

$$

East Austin

This place was really good. My partner and I arrived at 1:45pm and had waited around an hour to be…read moreseated. We are in the city visiting and did not know it closed at 3pm. This is why the line was not as long as it typically is. They were out of brisket, ribs, and sausage when we were able to order. One should go about an hour earlier if they want to get those. This place is so worth it. The turkey was 12/10. It was nothing like I have ever had. It had flavor and was juicy like chicken. The pulled pork was 10/10. The slaw was not much to my liking but the beans and potato salad were good. There were cups for free water. They had vinegar, normal, espresso, and spicy barbecue sauce. I do not normally like barbecue sauce but Franklins is great. The spicy one was perfect. Overall, I thought waiting an hour was great. With the food we were able to get I understood why people wait hours. I recommend bringing a water for the wait and comfortable shoes while you wait in line.

We arrived around 12:15 and the line was wrapped! By the time we got to the counter it was 1:35. We…read morewere the last ones to actually get pulled pork because they ran out. That is the longest weve ever waited for bbq, BUT SO WORTH IT! I do not ever order brisket because it's usually disappointing, dry and bland. However, this brisket was none of those things. It was everything a brisket should be!!! The other meats were delicious as well. The banana pie was incredible, the crust tasted almost like a cookie crumble. The potato salad is more of a mustard base, and cole slaw isn't too wet but I filled up on everything else and didn't eat much of it. After we finished eating, we even got a tour of the smokers! They are on a rotation, always smoking brisket and rotating staff to keep watch over it, and they use post oak wood. The staff were all so precious and friendly. My family thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would totally stand in line again :D

Gebby's BBQ & Catering - Absolutely delicious (just fyi, I brought the sauce)

Gebby's BBQ & Catering

(95 reviews)

$$

Amazing food! Ordered from here for a family gathering and…read morethe food and service was excellent!! Highly recommend!!

This order was delivered to us for a catering event. The ordering process was smooth and efficient…read morewhile also being delivered at the scheduled time. For fifteen people, the total cost was $425.69. This included delivery costs and taxes, but no tip. It consisted of three meats, two sides, and a dessert along with pickles, onions, bread, and BBQ sauce. There was also a set of utensils delivered, but plates were forgotten, but not a big deal. Brisket - This was definitely the best item eaten of the day. It was tender and juicy while adding the BBQ sauce giving that extra bite. The BBQ sauce was great regardless, a little bit of sweet and smoky flavor going on. Pulled Pork - This was another solid meat choice. I did not think it was as tender as the brisket, but it was still enjoyable especially with that BBQ sauce, which was key throughout the meal. Sausage - This was not bad. The snap on this threw me off a little, but it was not too bad. They were large links and had plenty of flavor. Gouda Mac & Cheese with Smoked Bacon - This was actually penne pasta with little pieces of the bacon. I actually preferred this pasta choice here. It really soaked up the cheese sauce. The sauce was not too over powerful and was just right. Beans with Smoked Bacon - These were not too bad. I thought they were a little liquidity, but the added bacon pieces definitely helped. Banana Pudding - This came in individual cups, which was nice. The pudding was thick with a little meringue or whipped cream present and a few wafer cookies on top. It was a satisfying ending to a very good meal. Will I go back? Yes.

The Switch - bbq - Updated May 2026

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