cookingbrother_dour

True story:

My mother and I were passing through Lockhart, Texas, the Barbecue Capital of the state (and by extension, the world. Sit down, Kansas City). Now, I have long heard about the awesome slow-cooked flesh of dead beasts to be had in Lockhart, so we decided to stop at Smitty's, which to me sounded like the best from what I saw on Food Network and Travel Channel.  We bought a little lean brisket, a little sausage, and a little pork ribs and tried 'em out.  Then, to my surprise since this was more like what -I- would suggest, my mom suggested that we double back to Kreuz and try their barbecue as well.  So we did, and then decided that we might as well stop at Black's too, just to have the whole set. Gotta eat 'em all!

And while I have no desire for barbecue even a week later (not because of the quality but because of the quantity), I can now present to you a dish-by-dish comparison of the three.

Smitty's
Ribs: good smoky flavor, fall-off-the-bone tender, very greasy
Brisket: also well-seasoned but a bit dry. Good smoky taste
Sausage: well-cooked and juicy. Good taste but not exceptional taste

Kreuz:
Ribs: more seasoning than Smitty's, and they were HUGE and touch-them-and-they-fall-apart tender.
Brisket: much moister than Smitty's, but not quite as tasty. Well-trimmed, so not as greasy either
Sausage: good taste, but greasy and kind of mealy. I would not go back for seconds.

Black's
Ribs: comparable to Kreuz- well-seasoned and big, but greasy
Brisket: very tender, good taste, also greasy
Sausage: OMFG. Juicy (not greasy), firm, GREAT flavor

Now, Black's deserves accolades for one other category: customer service.  At Smitty's and Kreuz, the servers weren't exactly rude, but they didn't seem to be especially happy to be there, to serve us, or to be surrounded by barbecue of the highest caliber.  But the guys at Black's, well, they seemed to love being there. They were exceptionally friendly and took time to chat a bit with each customer in line...and give out generous samples, too.

Overall, I would have to put my vote with Kreuz as far as the barbecue went. The sausage was a bit meh and the brisket wasn't quite as tasty as Smitty's, but the ribs were to die for and the brisket was still better than the typical BBQ joint.  But if I pass through town again, Black's may win me over just based on the folks who work there.  Really, though, between the three it all comes down to small matters of degree and personal preference. No matter which you choose, you'll get some damn fine barbecue- even by Texas standards.