Smitty's Market in Lockhart Wants to Cure Your Anemia

No real news to report on the condo.  The "owner" and his realtor continue to sink to newly hilarious levels of insane sleaziness, and meanwhile, we wait.  Like I told my father last week, I'm buying laundry soap in the small sizes just in case we have to move suddenly.  Har.

Memorial Day Weekend was filled with fun and food and happiness in the form of my inlaws, the inestimable and inimitable GQ and Mama Bear, who haven't made an appearance on this blog in some time but are still trucking along just north of New Orleans.

While they were here, in Central Texas, we had to go eat barbecue.  Texas-style barbecue, of course.  For those of you who are blissfully unaware of what sets Texas barbecue apart from that of lesser states, well, we scoff at the vinegary marinades of North Carolina.  We laugh at the childlike yellow of Central South Carolina's mustard-sauced shredded pork.  Here, we do beef.  And some pork.  But mostly beef.

And sauce is always the condiment, never the star!

Meet Smitty's Market, in Lockhart.  Lockhart's a town famed throughout the area for its barbecue, and perhaps less so for being the backdrop for Waiting for Guffman.

Wow, I just wasted 45 minutes watching Christopher Guest clips... and I wonder why I don't get anything done around here?

So, yeah, Smitty's. 

They have frontage just off the courthouse square, but we walked in the back.  The line wasn't too bad, about ten people waiting for smoked meats.

Yes, the pit is inside.  It was 95 degrees outside that day, and a thermometer on the other side of the room from the pit read 104.  It must have been at least 120 next to that fire, though.  Sheez.

In one of those bizarre foodie coincidences, my June Gourmet arrived the day before our barbecue trip and included a paean to the sausage at Smitty's!  So, when we made it up to the counter, we ordered two links.  And a slice of prime rib, a couple of pork ribs, and a few slices of brisket - moist.  All of this is weighed individually, and then you're asked if you want bread or crackers.  I prefer bread, which makes me a heathen.

Then all your meat gets wrapped in butcher paper and handed to you.  At this point, you can take it home, or you can walk into the much, much cooler room next door.

This room is where you can get your sides - beans, potato salad, cole slaw, raw onion slices, pickles, sticks of bright orange cheese, avocado (?), and drinks. 

They'll give you plastic knives with your meat, and spoons with your beans, but stubbornly do not provide forks, the better to help you get meatgrease all over yourself.  A very good thin piquant sauce is on the table, as is a bottle of seasoned salt.

Unwrapping the butcher paper released some awfully good smells and a huge amount of meat staring us down.

The menfolk parceled out the meat.  Man, were we hungry... we hadn't eaten breakfast, and we'd then spent all morning at two different farmers' markets, and then we'd driven a half-hour down to Lockhart.  I was pretty sure that the in-laws thought we were awful trip-planners!

The verdict?  They loved it, we loved it.  I think this is the best barbecue I've had in central Texas.  The sausage was my particular favorite - mostly beef, with a little pork, and so much juice that I'm surprised it didn't run over the edges of the table.  The prime rib and brisket were quite good, too, though both were just this side of overcooked, and the pork ribs were freaking awesomely tender.

And I actually liked the watery beans, which I usually don't!  Huh.

Now there are several other places in Lockhart that lay claim to the barbecue crown, and that's leaving out contenders in Luling and Elgin.  I don't know anything about them, but I will say that Smitty's Market was really delicious and a whole lot of fun for the family.  And that if we had a chest freezer, it would have several boxes of their sausage nestled within.

There's Blue Bell ice cream cones for dessert to wash down all that meat.

Smitty's Market, 208 S. Commerce, Lockhart Texas.  512.398.9344.  As always with barbecue restaurants, you probably want to get there fairly early for the best selection.

Comments

[maryn]

What I especially love about the photos is that they remind me of what Calvin Trillin said is the key question to ask about a barbecue joint: "They got plates there?"

If the answer is Yes, he said, don't go.

[Joolie]

I still have to try City Market in Luling and Louie Mueller's in Taylor, but Smitty's is hands-down my favorite so far.

[rooney]

another coincidence........I just watched a long feature on Smitty's and Kreuz yesterday on the travel channel.

[Girlie]

Maryn, that's a great quote! It's all styrofoam and butcher paper around here, so I guess his theory continues to hold.

Joolie, that's good to know, because those two places are on my list. Maybe I'll return to Smitty's first?

rooney, see - it's coincidences like that! I wonder why the places are getting so much press right now. Summer BBQ season?