I've stopped by here probably half a dozen times in the last year but every time was a day they were closed. So today I was super excited when I realized I was driving by at lunch time, on a Friday. I really like the place! The restaurant itself is really comfortable. Mix of old with new style. The staff were super friendly. I had their 3 meat plate with the Brussels sprouts and corn casserole. The meats all were good. Very tender and juicy. The bark on the brisket is very tasty. The ribs were also really good and cooked perfectly. The sausage is good. Has nice flavor but I can't put it up there with the best. The sides: the Brussels sprouts were really good. Unusual for a barbecue joint. The casserole was good - but the texture threw me off a bit. It has a gritty texture, not unlike grits. Mix that with kernels of corn and it just messed with me. The kernels of corn were actually sticking to my teeth. If there weren't kernels so the texture was lore consistent, I would have been fine. It wasn't bad but it just wasn't right in my books. Lastly, the meat was honestly really good but... it wasn't smokey. Maybe it was my batch. The place itself has a nice smell. So I expected smokey. But no joy. I would absolutely come back though. It was really good food. I would pass on the casserole though. read more

We have ordered take out a few times. Every time something has been missing. I asked the manager when I went in if he checked the bag. He said yep everything is there. Get home and missing two items. I called and asked them to refund the items and the tip I left. He apologized and said he would right away. Checked my statement two weeks later and no refund. Will never go back again. They also charge a "packing fee" for Togo orders so it really pissed me off they can't take 15 seconds and check the order. read more

The Switch is an offshoot of Styles Switch, the longtime, iconic North Austin barbecue joint. Unlike its parent, it is in an swanky suburban retail park at Belterra Village, with very modern vibe. I think it fitting that you walk past the huge, well-equipped and enclosed pit area when you walk from the parking lot to the entrance. Holy Mary, do they have a lot of huge smokers. We've made several visits here since the opened a very few years ago. We've watched them through the vagaries of opening and getting their act together, and we cut them considerable slack for a while. And they I,proved over time. This visit was for Friday dinner prior to Memorial Day weekend. Expecting it to be slammed because of the hellacious traffic on 290, we were more than pleasantly surprised that the crowd was much less than oppressive. They have plenty of space, and while it lacks the funky soul of the old Styles Switch, it is a pleasant ambiance, spacious, clean, well lit. Hospitality was top notch, and Jackson, our server was very attentive and personable. One star for that. Brisket, to me, is the raison d'etre of a Central Texas BBQ joint. The Switch has learned over time to do it very well. Tender, juicy, and just, well, pretty. That was less satisfactory when they were learning early, but they've learned their lessons. Three stars for that. Sides on the other hand were disappointing. The complimentary hush puppies were fried in old grease, but the butter salvaged them and made for a nice start. The corn casserole tonight was tepid. Ordinarily, it is rich, creamy and savory and, at least, warm. I wish I'd sent it back to be nuked to an acceptable temperature. The cole slaw was 'meh'. The portions are large on the plated meat meals, so that somewhat offsets the deficit. And reasonable pricing saves the sides from being a star-deduction. Access is easy if you're traveling west on 290 to the wine country or wherever, so if you want really good brisket, the Switch is worth the stop. read more

Picked up a little to go on the way back from Fredericksburg. Ordering on the app was easy and we timed it so the order was just about ready when we got there. This meant the food was still piping hot after pick up. We snagged some: 1. Brisket - super smokey and tender 2. Turkey - moist and flavorful (not dry!) 3. Sausage - jalapeño and cheese - good and smokey but a little on the dry side 4. Potato salad - yum 5. Cole slaw - pretty good - has julienned apples in it 6. Mac and cheese - what's not to like 7. Comes with bread (packed in sandwich bags - this was a super nice touch), pickles (they look homemade) and slivers of onions It's pretty good Que - especially if you live out in that Belterra area. read more

We stumbled upon this place, while we were deliriously hungry and man did we find a gem of a place. We came in on a Wednesday and were seated on the patio, it was great weather that day. We were first served some complimentary hush puppies as we ordered our drinks and man were they good. Super fresh and had some jalapenos in them, really tasty. I then ordered the Brisket plate with the Sweet Corn Casserole and fries and i was absolutely blown away how good the food was. That gave me burnt ends and a fat slab of Brisket, ridiculously moist, super tender, and extra flavorful. The fat on it melted in my mouth! The corn casserole was friggin awesome and the fries were super fresh. We ended the meal with some banana pudding and that was really good, like outstanding. We will definitely be back for Sunday brunch, that menu looked real good. read more

The Switch - Raise the Sausage! - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Very disappointing. Our waiter was very pleasant but the young man who brought food to us brought several orders to us that were not ours. Extremely loud. Could barely hear each other without shouting. I thought cucumber and tomatoes would be just that. Nope. Fresh tomatoes and very sour pickles. I sent it back. Potato salad was ok. Corn casserole was good. Meat was very salty. My friend ordered the loaded baked potato. It was not cook thoroughly and it was cold. No brisket on it at all. $18.50 for a cold, half cooked potato. I'll never go back. Jan read more

The Switch is a great BBQ restaurant and watering hole. I've been here many times and have not had a bad meal. Today we did curbside pick up due to COVID19 and the food was outstanding as always. The online ordering and pickup was a breeze! I personally love the brisket, Mac and cheese, and the Diablo sandwich. I highly recommend this awesome establishment. read more

The Switch - Um, er, it was a beer. - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Excellent ribs and brisket. Pinto beans undercooked but flavor of beans was very good . Loved the brisket queso , chips and sides . Potato salad my wife liked a lot . Would come back again read more

This is a 16 dollar shrimp po boy. Save you money and drive east, it'll be way cheaper and better tasting. To be honest, the 4 shrimp I got had NO seasoning at all. It tasted like cornmeal/ flour. No salt or cayenne/Cajun/anything. Even the Mayo was bland. They also do not have green beans here. Which is really sad for a BBQ place. Who doesn't have green beans with bacon in it? Also the Mac and cheese was really bad, the noodles were hard and undercooked and it smelled like some one shoved it in the fire pit. Also under salted and a strange bitter taste. I've been here about 5 times and have always been really underwhelmed. If you come here, just stick with the meat. Don't get the actual entrees read more

The Switch - This is a 16 dollar shrimp po boy. 4 shrimps - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place is super underrated. I know all of the talk goes to their neighbor (pieous), but you really ought to give this place a try. It may not look like a super traditional authentic bbq joint on the inside, but their meat speaks for itself. Ungodly tender and moist brisket, paired with the best (seriously, the best) pork ribs in Austin and you won't be left wanting for much more. I've been to my fair share of bbq places in Austin (franklins, Terry blacks, etc etc etc) and this place doesn't cower beneath them. Really glad I found this place, will most definitely be back. Some other good tidbits: Great Mac and cheese but even better potato salad (it's light and much more potatoe than anything else, doesn't taste mayo based, likely sour cream instead). Jalapeño sausage was good but not necessarily the best thing on the menu Boudin was just okay. Only let down of the meal, a bit too salty. Getting their items to go means that they'll package up some bread, pickles, onions, bbq sauce for you, super convenient! (Though they forgot the utensils, so make sure you pick those up) read more

Great addition to the limited options in Dripping. The turkey BLT had perfectly toasted, but not greasy, sourdough and was perfectly portioned for the turkey slices. The mayo and guacamole countered the crisp of the toast but wasn't dripping and soggy. My husband really enjoyed the brisket enchiladas, too. I will say they don't strike me as the traditional Texas bbq joint. The bbq sauce was more thin and tomato-heavy and didn't resemble bbq sauce as we know it. The food is amazing and doesn't need the sauce, but heads up if that's what you're looking for. read more

I think I've finally had enough with this place. Despite the changing hours and inconsistent food I've tried to love them. Enough though they added guac and 86ed the Duke's mayo to detract from what was a perfect smoked turkey BLT, I kept going. I ordered online and upon arriving at the restaurant to pick up my to-go order, encountered this sign. Following the arrow, I proceeded to the bar. The restaurant was busy, so it took some time for the bartender to get to me, but no big deal. About 10 minutes had passed when she came over to see what I needed. I told her I had ordered online and was here to pick up. She points across the restaurant to what looked like an expo station and told me I had to get it myself from there. Again, no big deal. I mentioned to her that the sign at the front beds confusing and suggested they might think about changing it. Her response, "I didn't make the sign." Hmm... I made my way to the expo station to get my food, was greeted promptly, and as given my already ready food. I showed the girl the picture of the sign and told her that I had waited at the bar for awhile unnecessarily, again suggesting that they may want to change it to make it clearer, ie online orders go "this way" to expo. Curtly, she retorted, "not my job!" Wow. When I responded to her that it isn't my job either she became defensive and told me to stop yelling at her. Don't get me wrong, it was loud in the restaurant and I had to raise my voice some to be heard, but was in no way "yelling" and told just that. Meanwhile the meat cutter?) guy next to her just stared at me. Finally who I think was a manager (who was standing there the whole time) asked me what the issue was. I explained and she nodded her head, in no way indicating that she would make any change. I also explained to her that the responses from the staff were less than hospitable. Again, no indication that she would address anything. I said thanks and left. When I got home, I found that one of my meals was missing the sauce that would have given it any flavor. Because of the staff interaction I didn't even want to call back about it. Like I said, I think I'm really done with this place. It makes me sad because it could be great. read more

The Switch - Sign - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Better than expected overall. Brisket - 8/10 is full of flavor and moist. Mac & cheese - 5/10 dry Potato salad- 10/10 super fresh with lots of dill and chives...Amazing! $18 baked potato- 10/10 Worth every penny! Highly recommend adding the queso to this. Corn bread casserole- 9/10 takes me back to Atlanta. read more

I came to try a smattering of tastes right after their grand opening. I tried the boudain, which I was pleasantly surprised to find on the menu. It was a bit salty sausage, but it was full of great shrimp flavor. Cheese grits were amazing!! This is such a good complement to the BBQ. I wish more places had this as a choice. Course and chunky cheese bits were all throughout and it was rich, but not over the top. Thick, not salty brisket. It was chewy and moist just like from Stiles Switch! read more

The Switch - Spread 1 of 2 - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A sudden case of the munchies on our road trip brought us to The Switch for a quick lunch. A quick Yelp check validated that this locale is a cousin to the Stiles Switch on Lamar. My first impression, this joint is too clean and bright to serve good BBQ, and it looks like a chain restaurant. Well, bless my heart I admit I was rootin tootin wrong. Is this a carbon copy of, my favorite joint, on Lamar? No, it has its own identity and a full bar! Speaking of the bar as you are in Dripping Springs, of course, there is a slew of local brews on tap. Our server started us off with a Comped hush puppies order with a pretty lively dipping sauce. We ordered brisket, short ribs, and beans. Their brisket was smoked to perfection, tender, needed no BBQ sauce. I loved that their ribs were finished with a peppery rub that gave them a nice crust. The beans were AOK as well. A strong four and a half stars. Hopefully, the good folks in The Drip will embrace The Switch. read more

I'm sorry to give only 3 stars, because the people were great and the food had a good taste, but it was overpowered by pepper, spice and onion. The ribs were much too peppery/spicy. The turkey was also spicy, but very juicy tender and good. The mild sausage was very good and one of the few non spicy items. The cucumber and tomato salad, was full of red onion. The feta tamed the salad, but the cucumbers tasted more like pickles. The bbq sauce was not spicy and had a tomato soup thing going on. The pulled pork was quite boring, needed bbq sauce for sure. They were out of brisket, so that could be a game changer on the stars count, plus I should try some more sides. read more

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I love The Switch. I was a big fan of Stiles Switch and was so glad to find The Switch when we moved to Dripping Springs. Their classic Texas bbq is on-point and their non-traditional dishes are also incredible! The smoked wings with Alabama white sauce were fantastic. My wife loves their gumbo and Cajun-inspired dishes. Also, their dining room has to be the most beautiful of any Texas bbq joint. read more

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Terrible service and over priced, FATTY beef ribs were the final straw here. Ready for this place to close its doors so maybe we can get some better food selections in the Dripping Springs area. read more

This place is a rip off. Do not give business. We have been a regular customers here and they have reduced the size of the plates in crazy levels. Check the meat difference between what we ordered in March vs July. When I questioned I was told ribs bone weight it more now. Insane. Very bad customer service too. read more

The Switch - Rip off Reduce meat. - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Service was fast and efficient. I had come here because my first choice of BBQ was sold out. Had the brisket and ribs and it was great. Glad I stumbled upon here. The brussel sprouts were fried and had a sweet glaze. Really tasty. The cucumber and tomato salad was okay. If you are out in this area, I think this is a solid choice. read more

The Switch - St. Louis Pork Ribs, PRIME BRISKET, Brussel Sprouts w/ Serrano glaze, Cucumber Tomato Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Don't bother trying to have food delivered - it takes forever and they don't bring what you ordered. When you call, they tell you it's not their problem. The food doesn't travel well and just isn't good - salty, mushy, pretty disgusting. And the snotty person answering the phone just makes everything worse. Go somewhere else. read more

I really really wanted to like this place. The atmosphere is 4 stars, it's super cute and newish so it's clean and nice. But this much fat on a brisket is not "Normal" which is what the waitress said. When I questioned the meal - and my husbands meal she brushed it off. We literally paid for lard. read more

The Switch - Brisket aka fatty disgustingness - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food: 4 stars Service: 2 stars (friendliness was 4 stars) Atmosphere: 4 stars The food was good to very good. The service not so much. I would go back again, but probably order ahead and carry out the food. We arrived around 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon with 7 in our party. We were seated almost immediately, which was a pleasant surprise, but unfortunately it went downhill from there (on the service side). We waited for 10 minutes and no server had visited the table. I got up and approached who I believed to be the manager and asked him if we had a server. He apologized and grabbed someone and told us we could have a queso on the house. We had intended on ordering it anyway so that was nice. The waitress took our order and then brought the appetizers: stuffed jalapeño poppers and the queso. Both were very good. To back up on the ordering a bit, we experienced another service glitch: the website (which we had visited before arriving) stated that brunch was served until 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. It was 3:30 and 3 people in our party wanted the brunch items. When they attempted to order them the waitress said brunch had ended at 3. I told her about the website and she asked me if I could show her, so I did (on my phone). She apologized and said that was inaccurate. So we regrouped and ordered other items. Then the wait was on. And on. And on. We waited a full 35 minutes for our food, which is unusual in a BBQ joint where there's little cooking to order involved, mostly just the serving. To make matters worse, we observed 3-4 other tables of similar size being served before we finally were (and we had arrived before each of them). As I said off the top, the food was good, hence the 3 star rating overall. The brisket was moist and tender, a perfect amount of smoke and not overpowering. The smoked turkey was among the best I've had. Loved the peppery outer crust which perfectly housed the tender, juicy meat inside. The sides were good to very good as well: Cole slaw, mashed potatoes, pickles and onions. We just had to try the desert: The peach cobbler (made with Fredericksburg peaches) was delicious. The "smoked banana sundae" sounded very good and we ordered one of them too, but it was disappointing. The bananas had not been smoked at all - just peeled and sliced like what you'd get at any ice cream store. So, our first time visit was a mixture of enjoyment (food and atmosphere) and disappointment (service issues, lack of attention, etc). I think next time (and there will probably be a next time) we'll order ahead and carry it out. read more

The Switch - Brisket, smoked turkey, mashed potatoes and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Brisket is unbelievably good. Smoked turkey was awesome and sides, especially the Cole slaw and potato salad. Had an amazing dinner with excellent service. Highly recommended. read more

My husband found this place. I'm always down for some good bbq! We've been multiple times and have always had a great experience! The food is great too. We also tried their brunch on Sunday's and it is also amazing!!! My brother came into town and we took him and his family to brunch. Everyone really enjoyed their food. We recently recommended The Switch to a friend who was looking for a caterer for her wedding. I know her family went to check it out and we're blown away! I looked at their catering prices and they were extremely reasonable!!!! Over the weekend we attended said wedding and had The Switch BBQ! It was just as delicious as in house!!! I was told everyone really enjoyed the BBQ and are raving about it! My friend also wants to go in person to try the food again since she loved it at her wedding! Pic from wedding reception read more

The Switch - Brisket, Ribs, Turkey, beans, coleslaw, pickles and bread. - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went here for Sunday brunch and it was the buffet only menu. Lots of things on the buffet to choose from and I found the food decent. You can order eggs and pancakes from your server and the pancakes were delicious. I think the price of the buffet was pricey but I guess if you're eating BBQ it's what to expect. read more

On the positive side, the sides are pretty good. The Brussel sprouts, Corn casserole and Cobbler are are great. Now... on our first visit, the brisket was not well cooked and not very warm. We decided to try again a few days later and we both had the Brisket meatloaf special. Again the food was barely warm. Our waiter said the keep it that way so it doesn't overcook in the warmer... huh? The mashed potatoes tasted like a mix you buy from the store and my biscuit hard as a hockey puck. If you are going to run a BBQ joint, you better have your act together on the Brisket, luke warm food ain't going to cut it either. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the food quality! The nachos were awesome (and huge), the white potato salad was great, and the Brussel sprouts were delicious. We went during lunch when it was fairly quiet! Restaurant was clean and had plenty of seating options. read more

Came in for dinner, food and service was excellent. Love love love their ribs. It's across town for us but we wish we came sooner! read more

The Switch - 3 meat plate with brisket ribs and jalapeño sausage with corn casserole on the side. - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Rib dinner had only two ribs but the flavor was outstanding. Potato salad and coleslaw was way above normal. Son had special prime rib that was a hearty portion and he said delicious. Grandson had great smoked turkey with super mac and cheese. Wait staff was very courteous and knowledgeable about entrees. Nice sports bar atmosphere. read more

Great bbq and service. Also a great place to grab a seat at the bar for happy hour. I would definitely recommend over going to the salt lick! read more

Even before Covid their hours and days that they were open seemed unpredictable and didn't make much sense. It's only gotten worse in the pandemic which is somewhat understandable (although it seems like they're missing a lot of opportunity to make money where they can right now). The food is great but way overpriced. I've tried ordering takeout via a delivery app a couple of times recently and ended up canceling because an hour later they STILL hadn't even started the order. It would be a great place if they could get their act together by providing a better service experience, lower prices for fairly standard bbq dishes (the gumbo is the only stand out in terms of doing anything different from the other great bbq spots) and actually be open during peak days/hours. read more

Lucky enough to be the first in line for their Grand Opening on 06.22.18. They've made some great additions to their regular menu with Cajun items like their dirty rice, Mamou smoked seafood sausage/boudin, and PO-Boys. They also added a dinner and brunch menu with stuff like gumbo, pork ribeyes, and blackened catfish. Super envious of that pit room filled with all those Moberg Smokers Everything was awesome! read more

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Great if you like over salted bbq...bleh. Not worth the trip. ************************ read more

The food is okay although over priced. My fried chicken was borderline burnt. The bbq sauce is almost straight vinegar. Keep in mind this is during COVID times. The young man slicing meat had his mask barely covering mouth and not covering nose. One of the wait staff had her long hair hanging over the trays of food she was carrying. They are not using disposable or one use menus. They do not have the tables they are using properly spaced. They are also seating people in the high traffic center of the room. Sorry to say we won't be returning. read more

Delicious and huge portions! Definitely plan to visit The Switch again. I would recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Our family enjoyed a wonderful family lunch at The Switch on Easter Sunday and had a tremendous experience! The service was awesome and the food superb. Brian, the manager was exceptional in providing a great customer experience. We'll be back again soon! Highly recommend rgis restaurant for great food and service. read more

Maybe a victim to Covid or supply issues, staffing but problems lingering. Hate to be entirely negative because they have had good food in the past. Often they're out of food, meat etc and prices not aligned reasonably to quality. Servers have always been nice and attentive just quality vs price not there or at least any longer. read more

Will recommend to any of my friends! Quality good, clean & modern decor and environment. Happy staff. The specials were outstanding im favor. I had the shrimp and grits; one of the best shrimp (tasted like lobster). 5 cheese Mac had a unique and pleasant mix. Spicy fried chicken was on point! Italian sparkler (choose your flavor) was a refreshing touch. read more

The Switch - Shrimp & Grits - Barbeque Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went for brunch wanting to try something a bit different and food and service (Barry) are excellent. I had the migas and tried the brisket hash. Really well done. We were full but still ordered peach cobbler and banana pudding which were delicious. Save room and wear your fat pants. read more

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