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Texas BBQ Road Trip in June or July

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    #16
    Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ on the south side of Austin is a must if you get a chance. This guy does trad bbq extremely well, but the brisket tacos snd other specialties make it a real treat. Plus there a lot more to see/do along your route than bbq. Just sayin’

    Comment


    • Texas Larry
      Texas Larry commented
      Editing a comment
      If you are thinking Salt Lick (and you should) you might consider the 25 mile Hwy 32 drive along the Devils Backbone to Blanco. Very scenic, and Old 300 Bbq in Blanco is very good. We’re afflicted to their chopped sandwiches
      Last edited by Texas Larry; April 28, 2021, 02:55 PM. Reason: Corrected Hwy #

    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      +1 on the scenic drive. Very worthwhile. Me and my Harley buddies would go to the Hill Country every year in the 90’s. We made that same ride you’re talking about, Devil’s Backbone. Beautiful scenery along the Blanco River.
      Last edited by Panhead John; April 28, 2021, 02:40 PM.

    • wcpreston
      wcpreston commented
      Editing a comment
      I've been to Salt Lick before and loved it, but I found it interesting it didn't make either the top 50 or 41 lists I was using as a source. A local Austin friend thinks Micklethwaite's is way better and Franklin's is over-rated. I HAVE to try both of those, though. And the Salt Lick was the biggest name I ever heard before Franklin's.

    #17
    No suggestions on the restaurants, but since I own an RV, let me clue you in on the benefits. Rolling house, so no hotel rooms. Lots of RV park choices - skip the Walmart lots. Make base camp in a couple of central locations and visit places. Great folks in the RV parks. Bathroom availability. Fridge for leftovers and cold brewskis. Put a black stone and propane tank in the basement and cook breakfast, only dine out on afternoon Q. Or just cook breakfast in the RV kitchen. Leftover brisket hash and eggs your way. Plus an RV forces you to slow down and take your time. Get a couple chairs and sit out and watch the sunset. Can’t do that from a hotel parking lot.

    Con is that you do need a tow vehicle. That it the only drawback, but if you talk to a rental company, they may have a solution. And they are gas hogs.

    I hardly ever disagree with Panhead John (ok, that is not even close to true) but I think RV is the way to go

    Comment


    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      klflowers Ya know.....Tennessee ain’t THAT far from Texas. I’m thinking you oughtta load up that puppy and meet us at Snow’s. 🧐

    • klflowers
      klflowers commented
      Editing a comment
      Panhead John, I would but the wife has other plans for me around then. I would like to say I'll man up and tell her "woman, we are going to Texas"... Yeah, right.

    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      Funny as hell! And I could just picture that big ol stink eye she gives you. You’d be moving in with me after that. 😂

    #18
    The wife and I have talked lately about the possibility of getting a "recreational vehicle" for road tripping, and I am leaning towards a travel trailer mostly for the fact that I do NOT want to drive a big gas guzzling hard to park RV once I get where I am going, and like the idea of just unhitching my Silverado. I will probably upgrade the pickup truck in a few years, but right now the current hitch setup is rated at 6200 pounds, and I can get a lot of nice travel trailers that are down around 5000 pounds. Like klflowers says, the advantage of the camping route is having a fridge that stays with you, the ability to cook breakfasts and eat leftovers, and so on.

    I am a "foodie" and would be so into a BBQ road trip. My wife is just not that into food, and we have a huge difference in that regards. Getting her to plan dinner the morning of or before is like pulling teeth, as she is just a last minute person who doesn't want to think about dinner until dinner time. I am the one prepping food the night before for the next day's dinner.

    Comment


    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      "Like klflowers says, the advantage of the camping route is having a fridge that stays with you, the ability to cook breakfasts and eat leftovers, and so on."

      I’m an RV/travel trailer fan too, but like he said, with a car and and RV, crazy expensive. I recommended in my original post to look into hotels with a kitchenette and a small fridge.
      Last edited by Panhead John; April 28, 2021, 03:21 PM.

    #19
    You guys are being SUPER helpful. I really appreciate all this back and forth. Here's my current plan for those who are following along.

    1. I will rent a mid-sized car that my wife can also drive
    2. Will get hotels along the way.
    3. Will land DFW Thursday morning (Jun 3), do BBQ in Dallas Thu evening and Friday
    4. Drive down to Franklin Fri evening and stay there for the night.
    5. Snow's Saturday morning.
    6. Austin & San Antonio for several days
    7. North Houston for a few days
    8. Drive up through Waco (wife wants to see Magnolia)
    9. More BBQ in Dallas if we're still up to it.
    10. Fly out Sun Jun 13.

    Now all I have to do is pick the places!

    Comment


    • Clark
      Clark commented
      Editing a comment
      wcpreston A great example of Texas hospitality would be Panhead John loaning you his red/green/primer Pinto for the week.

    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      Hey man! I got that thing painted months ago. Earl Schwab’s....$299.
      Last edited by Panhead John; April 28, 2021, 04:23 PM.

    • gcdmd
      gcdmd commented
      Editing a comment
      If you like fruitcake, Collin Street Bakery is also in Waco, just off IH-35. They sell a variety of baked goods and have a restaurant, as well. Also, they are near Magnolia. The original Collin Street is in Corsicana, on Collin Street, believe it or not.

    #20
    If you folks want to plan a Meat Up at Snows on June 5, I'm all for it. That would be amazing, actually.

    Comment


    • Loren
      Loren commented
      Editing a comment
      I'd be interested in meeting you folks and finally making it to Snows. Please count me in as well

    • Panhead John
      Panhead John commented
      Editing a comment
      Loren 58limited wcpreston I just found an absolute jewel of a place to stay in Rockdale, 15 minutes from Snows. I just booked a room for that Friday and Saturday. Are we confirmed for Saturday June 5. wcpreston ? I’m gonna post a link to the place soon if anyone’s interested.
      Texas Larry can you make this meat up?
      Last edited by Panhead John; April 28, 2021, 05:26 PM.

    • wcpreston
      wcpreston commented
      Editing a comment
      We are confirmed as far as I'm concerned. Yes, post a link.

    #21
    This is happening. (That's the price for two tickets, BTW.). Oh, and I have a voucher from taking a later flight, so it's actually like half that.
    Attached Files

    Comment


      #22
      Panhead John

      Do you think Rainbow Courts is good enough for me to stay their for the Austin leg of my trip, or should I find something closer to Austin, probably southwest to accomodate San Antonio and Salt Lick.

      Comment


      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        Panhead John. No I don't. not yet, anyway. Did you see the list earlier in the post?

      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        wcpreston I’ve got a great idea, maybe. There’s a beautiful little town called San Marcos in between Austin (38 minutes away) and San Antonio (57 minutes away) This might be an ideal place to stay for a few days while you hit the Hill Country area. I’ve been there before and it’s a great place to visit. I think after your stay in Rockdale you could then go there.

      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        And yes I saw your list. Let me check it again.

      #23
      wcpreston Micklethwait’s, Franklin’s and Saltlick you wanna hit for sure, is that correct?
      Last edited by Panhead John; April 29, 2021, 12:05 PM.

      Comment


      • TxF
        TxF commented
        Editing a comment
        Dump Micklewaits if you’re doing Franklins and add Louis Muellers if you’re staying in Rockdale.

      • TxF
        TxF commented
        Editing a comment
        The original Salt Lick in Dripping Springs is something you should see, but the real cool thing about that place is that you can bring your own beer. When I was in my 20’s and lived in Dripping we used to go on Sunday’s with the left over weekend keg and finish it off. It helped that one of my roommates grew up in a house on the other side of the creek, so we may have had special privileges.

      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        TxF I have to do both, IMO. I want to give my outsider's opinion of the local comment of "as good as Franklin's w/o the wait."

      #24
      The trip is happening next month and I really need your help narrowing things down to the best 2-3 places in each region (DFW, Austion/SA, Houston). I've created a google spreadsheet you can edit if you'd like to help. I'll publish the results here when I'm done.

      WHERE: The restaurants are listed in my order of preference, which is by rating. That is also the order I am most likely to go to them. So if you see something towards the bottom of each region that should be at the top, please say so in the comments. Vice versa, if you see something at the top I should skip, please say so.

      WHAT: ALSO, if there's really only one thing I need to try (Brisket @ Franklin's, Sausage at Black's. Clod at Smitty's), please tell me so. There is a column for that. One thing I'm planning to do is to eat just one thing at multiple places.

      LINES: Please tell me the places that have huge lines and when I should go based on those lines. I only know about Snow's and Franklin's at this point.

      Here's the spreadsheet. You can just type right in there:
      41 Both Lists?,Region,City,Rating,Name,Address,City,Phone,Typical wait time,Advice for visiting,Must eat,Comments,Hours AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO REGION X,Austin/San Antonio,LEXINGTON,5,Snow’s,516 Main,LEXINGTON,979-542-8189,Hours,S,Sat AM early,Sat 8–1:30 or till meat runs out X,Austin/San Antonio,AUSTIN


      Comment


      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        Y'all funny w/your "50 miles" comments. Did you notice I'm flying all the way to TX just to eat BBQ? I've got nothin to do but drive between BBQ places. Oh, and I'm an Uber driver who drives 400 miles a night

        Y'all tell me your top picks regardless of miles and I'll figure out what's too far for me to drive. BTW, I"m pretty familiar w/how big all your cities are. I've done many trips there for bidness. I also know to avoid the Galleria anywhere near rush hour

      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        Well....ok then. 😂 Just an FYI, avoid 610 West Loop/Galleria area like the plague...especially now. They’re doing roadwork there for another 3 years.

      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        Panhead John I'm going to hit Killen's in Pearland for early lunch, then drive up to The Pit Room for dinner. So I'll stay on the outer loop on the way from Austin to Pearlland, then go straight through Houston for the other places in North Houston.

      #25
      wcpreston You should check this out: https://beeflovingtexans.com/bbquest...handle-plains/

      The show is on Hulu too. Jess Pryles is the guest guide in one of the episodes.

      Comment


      • glitchy
        glitchy commented
        Editing a comment
        CaptainMike I’ve only tried a couple of her recipes so far but absolutely love these: https://jesspryles.com/recipe/meaty-...mex-meatballs/

        I love that she’s a beef fanatic, someone has to balance out Epicurious.

      • CaptainMike
        CaptainMike commented
        Editing a comment
        Oh wow, I've got everything on hand and I'm doing this in the WSCG for dinner tomorrow. Nice share!!!

      • Troutman
        Troutman commented
        Editing a comment
        Gotta admit that is a good meat ball recipe. Thanks for posting that one too glitchy. Went right into Paprika!!

      #26
      Here's my map. I will NOT be able to hit everything on here, but I'm going to do my best. I may hit a few places just for takeout of one thing.

      https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/ed...nL&usp=sharing


      I've organized them by the city they're near. I'll be flying into DFW on the 3rd, doing BBQ in Dallas then and the following morning driving down to Lexington for our big shindig on Saturday. Then it's off to Austin for the bulk of the trip, with a day trip to San Antonio, and a jaunt over to Houston for a day or two. Then we head back to Dallas for and fly out Monday morning.

      SE of Austin you'll see i put markers for the top and bottom of the devil's backbone trip. It's a ways out there, but we don't have much else to do, so....

      What do you guys think of the idea of bringing a normal-sized cooler on the trip, putting it in dry ice and putting leftovers in there to bring home? Enough dry ice would freeze whatever's in there. My wife thinks it's a stupid idea, but I like it.

      Thoughts?
      Last edited by wcpreston; May 19, 2021, 03:43 PM.

      Comment


      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        We will definitely have leftovers. We're gonna be eating noting but BBQ for 10 days
        Buying dry ice may be a pain.
        I've got airline status, so the luggage doesn't cost anything.

        My wife will be happy that someone else agrees w/her
        Last edited by wcpreston; May 19, 2021, 05:37 PM.

      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        I just wish Clark wasn’t so introverted. He’s always shy about sharing his opinion. Just like me!

      • Clark
        Clark commented
        Editing a comment
        Panhead John He asked for our "thoughts."

      #27
      Watch out for dry ice on an airplane. It is regulated as hazardous when flying. I’ve heard of several hundreds of dollars of crab legs thrown away at Alaskan airports because you cannot bring dry ice on board. It must be shipped as a regulated package.

      On a happier note, I used your post and the Google docs spreadsheet for a recommendation in the Dallas area. We went to Lockhart’s Plano location tonight and the food was great. Brisket, shoulder clod and original sausage with a side of beans for me. I am very satisfied and happy! Highly recommend! Thank you! Your trip sounds wonderful!

      Comment


      #28
      OK, Dates and cities finalized. You are welcome to DM me and join me any day or evening of this trip. Just DM me.

      Jun 3-4: I fly into Dallas on the 3rd. Eating in Dallas on the 3rd and morning of the 4th, driving through Waco (gotta go to the Magnolia store for the wife) down to Lexington for dinner w/y'all on the 4th.

      Jun 5: Brisket for Breakfast at Snow's with a bunch of YOU! (Driving down to Houston for the night)

      Jun 5-7: BBQ in Houston, leaving for Austin morning of the 7th

      Jun 7-13: Staying in Austin and going all over, including a day trip to San Antonio and drive over the Devil's Backbone

      Jun 13: BBQ dinner in Dallas

      Jun 14: Fly home and get on a treadmill


      Comment


      • Panhead John
        Panhead John commented
        Editing a comment
        You mentioned driving down to Lexington for the dinner with us Friday night. You obviously meant Rockdale right? That’s where the Rainbow Courts is.

      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        yes, I'm driving to the rainbow courts

      #29
      wcpreston Be sure and slip in a couple of Whataburgers. Many of us think they are better than In N Out.

      Comment


      • Clark
        Clark commented
        Editing a comment
        wcpreston I was just trying to make your trip a little bit better. Didn't mean to rile you up so. Everyone has their own tastes.

      • wcpreston
        wcpreston commented
        Editing a comment
        Not riled. I just don't get the fascination w/either chain.

      • Clark
        Clark commented
        Editing a comment
        wcpreston I am not fascinated by them. I just appreciate and enjoy a delicious burger.

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