Day Trips: Under-the-Radar Barbecue Joints Worth the Drive
Make a side trip to these notable meat-makers
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., March 22, 2024
By a rough estimate, I have visited at least 65 barbecue joints in Texas in the last five years. These are some of my favorites.
Austin’s BBQ Eagle Lake is a little town southwest of Houston best known for being near the entrance to Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. The old-fashioned barbecue joint in a converted gas station landed on the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list in 1988, 2000, and 2008. It’s still really good. Pro tip: The banana pudding is top notch.
515 E. Main St., Eagle Lake, 979/234-5250, Wed.-Sat., 9am until sold out, facebook.com/AustinsBBQ.
Brick Vault Brewery & BBQ It’s usually a pretty good sign when a restaurant is surrounded by cop cars at lunchtime. When I visited on a Saturday there were at least three law enforcement agencies represented in the line. The brisket was a bit fatty for my taste, but the turkey was smoked to perfection. Pro tip: The locally crafted beers are as delicious as the food.
102 U.S. 90 W., Marathon, Thu.-Fri., 5-8:30pm; Sat., noon-8:30pm; Sun., noon-3pm, 432/386-7538, brickvaultbreweryandbbq.com.
LaVaca BBQ Pitmaster Kelli Navarez cooks the delicious briskets and other smoked meats at the award-winning Port Lavaca location and delivers it daily to the northern outpost. The Navarez family plans to move the kitchen operation to the much larger former tire shop in Victoria. Pro tip: The sun-dried tomato bread alone is worth the trip.
2001 N. Navarro, Victoria, Thu.-Sat., 11am-7pm; Sun., 10am-3pm, 361/212-4860, lavacabbq.com.
Tony DeMaria’s Bar-B-Q This family-owned joint has been cranking out great barbecue since 1946. Fourth-generation pitmaster Blake DeMaria can often be seen at the butcher block. Get there early because they often sell out by 1pm. Pro tip: Try the smoked bologna.
1000 Elm St., Waco, Mon.-Sat., 9am-2pm or sold out, 254/755-8888, tonysbarbque.com.
1,695th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
