DAY 11 - All Day In Austin

I jinxed the weather we’ve been having by saying we've had nonstop beautiful days. It was in the 80's yesterday and today was 48 degrees; 30 degree change in one day, that’s unreal! It didn’t stop us from having a good time though. In the morning we went to a huge dog park on the river and the pups were eternally grateful.

Mama D. and Zuma took a brief rest after walking up and down the river bank

The dog park was right along side the river with a great view of downtown Austin

Zena gave so many kisses after her romp through the dog park; her and Zuma had a blast

We shopped a bit in the SoCo area hitting more antique shops and then headed out of town to the Salt Lick BBQ for lunch (see review below). While out in the boondocks we drove around the housing developments to see how Austinians live.

We stopped at a small cupcake stand during our shopping in Austin's SoCo district

Antique shopping; the sombrero didn't top my He-Man lunch box, but it was close

A 4,600 square foot two story, five bedroom place was listed at $450,000. Although the development felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, it was only 15 minutes to downtown Austin.

We hung in the room in the afternoon watching the Eagles beat up the Vikings to make it to the next round of the playoffs. After the game I changed and did dinner at Stubbs BBQ (see review below). Mama D. was a little worn out from the day and wasn't ready to try and top Salt Lick's BBQ just yet so she hung in the room while I did dinner and bounced around town.

THE REVIEW - Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX

For being so popular Stubbs BBQ – www.stubbsaustin.com – didn’t live up to the hype. It makes you wonder how it became so famous. Stubbs' BBQ sauce is sold nationwide, but the waiter said the sauce sold in stores isn’t the same as the sauce served at the restaurant – no clue who made that choice. Stubbs is in the heart of downtown Austin off the popular 6^th St. The place was more set up for live music than bbq and it was obvious the music was their main focus. I know we were coming off the best bbq of the trip so to live up to those standards was tough, but Stubbs didn’t even come close; disappointing across the board.

Sauce – 2 – Apparently the sauce sold at grocery stores around the country and that put Stubbs on the map, isn’t the same as the one at the restaurant. The sauce in the stores is decent and the sauce at the restaurant was sub-par. A bit peppery and too thin; it lacked texture and balanced flavor.

Sides – 3 – For the first time since Josh’s BBQ in Santa Fe we saw sweet potato mash on the sides menu. It was decent, but lacked extra flavor; it was like they cooked a sweet potato, mashed it and served it, no addition of butter, cinnamon, etc. They also had Mac&Cheese, which was cheesy, but it was a bit bland to.

Slabs – 2 – Standard at best. The meat was dry and tough. The skin lacked flavor and I barely finished one rib.

Steaks – 3 – The brisket was the best part of the meal. It was nicely moist with a bit of smoke flavor. Unfortunately, it was fatty and didn’t have a glazed skin.

Sandwiches - Didn't order sandwiches or pulled pork

THE REVIEW - The Salt Lick, Austin, TX

The Salt Lick – www.saltlickbbq.com – is the exact place that comes to mind when you hear Texas bbq. It is 20 minutes outside Austin along a rural two lane highway. After you think you’ve gone too far up pops an old ranch with a large wood barn looking structure with outdoor picnic tables, wood fences, gravel driveways, horse corals, piles of chopped wood and smoke billowing out of the roof vents. The aroma of the bbq pit hits you as you get out of the car.

As amazing as the setting and smell of the Salt Lick was, it was only the start. With three of the highest ratings so far - including two 4.5s and our first 5 - the food was no doubt the main attraction.

The Salt Lick outside Austin, TX looks like a barn on a ranch; even the sign is unassuming

Seating at the Salt Lick was at large worn wooden tables

When you walk in the door the first thing you see is a circular pit covered in ribs, brisket and sausage. You could tell it has seen its share of meat, smoke and sauce. From experience we’ve learned good bbq starts with a tasty sauce and a seasoned pit; the combination results in a savory sweet glazed skin and a meat flavor you can’t create with a rub or marinade.

The Salt Lick's seasoned pit resulted in unmatched flavor in all their meats

Footage of Salt Lick's amazing meat pit

Footage of our Salt Lick feast

Sauce – 4.5 – Highest rated sauce so far. It was vinegar based so it had the tang and it was complimented with a nice sweet kick. A few pepper seasonings balanced it out with a tiny spice. To be a five it could have used a hint of smoky flavor.

Sides – 3 – The potato salad was the best of the bunch. It was more of a mashed potato salad with a layer of spicy seasoning. It wasn’t creamy like a typical potato salad. The Texas-style beans were standard and a bit bland, no bbq flavor. The slaw was simply shredded lettuce with no seasoning or dressing; definitely disappointing.

Slabs – 5 – Our first five of the trip and it was well deserved. The beef and pork ribs were outstanding on every level; every bite got better and better. They met all the criteria: meaty, but not fatty; amazing sweet crispy glazed skin (a result of the delicious bbq sauce and seasoned grill); meat was tender and smoky pink and it required a slight tug to get it off the bone (just the way we like it); and they were delicious with or without the sauce.

Salt Lick's pork ribs (top) and beef ribs (bottom) met all the criteria resulting in a 5 rating

We were happy to get our hands messy eating Salt Lick's ribs

Steaks – 4.5 – Although not a five, this was the best brisket we’ve had. Similar to the ribs, it had the mouthwatering sweet crispy skin (again a result of the delicious bbq sauce and seasoned pit). It had the right amount of moisture and it was cooked perfectly with pink in the middle and well done around the edges. Great taste on its own and with the sauce it was top notch!

Salt Lick's brisket was perfectly cooked with a sweet glazed skin

Sandwiches – See steaks for brisket review.

Honorable mentions – Blackberry cobbler was made with fresh berries and a thick flakey crust. It was served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. A great way to finish off an unbelievable bbq feast