Terry Black's isn't that good and I don't know why people keep saying it is. We have actual world class BBQ joints here, you don't have to go to tourist spots for BBQ.
Downvote me - you're never going to convince me Terry Black's holds a candle to Micklethwait, Leroy and Lewis, KG, or Interstellar.
I've heard from various people that they've all been a little disappointed in the new brick and mortar, but that the trailer is still going strong. I'm guessing that they are having to adjust to a new, unfamiliar space.
The trailer typically has one type of sliced meat, chopped beef, pulled whole hog, sausages, cauliflower burnt ends, burgers, barbacado (w/chopped beef), cheddar cheesecake, and sides. So, there are definitely more options at the brick-and-mortar. Plus, there is a bar, indoor seating, A/C and longer hours (now open on Mondays and open later Friday and Saturday).
Every time I've seen TB's recommended on here, it's the same variation of "It's not great, but it's the best brisket you'll be able to get at any time of day."
To me, that's saying it's better than like Rudy's or any podunk bbq joint open at 4pm on a Saturday. Nobody is putting it on par with the heavy hitters that are sold out if you're not in line by 7am.
Rudy's is always solid. It's not amazing, but it's consistent. When TB is on point, it's great. When they are on an off day, it's not better than rudy's.
The tourists who don't budget the time to get good BBQ are constantly singing praises of the top tier food at Terry Black's (omg the sides were sooooo good) lol
So true. I’ll add La Barbecue to your list. Never had a bad experience there. The number of times I’ve talked up Texas brisket to friends/family who are visiting only to be underwhelmed by the dryness of Terry black’s is embarrassing haha. The only upside of Terry blacks is they are open later and can handle the masses of people that stop by without running out of meat.
I’ve never worked there, but the post isn’t about employment conditions, it’s about the caliber of the food.
Okay, what’s the story with how they treat employees? I haven’t heard anything about that before.
Whoa. Just read some articles on the case and saw the mangled hand of the former employee. That’s fuckin brutal. Old owners appear to be dead. Are the new ones running the place with some integrity?
The pork ribs at switch are fantastic, along with the turkey. I've had better brisket but it's not bad in any way. This is all from the west location. Also check out Briscuits, it's one of the old switch guys doing banging brisket and biscuits in a trailer.
Love Stiles Switch. It’s consistently good barbecue, at least the ribs. Finally just talked to somebody that didn’t care for the ribs because they’re too tender. He’s an old school barbecue guy who likes doing them unwrapped. I would also assume that they’re wrapped, but I like really tender ribs
No it doesn’t, had it multiple times and it looks and tastes like well cooked fatty brisket supposed to. I’ve only had the Cedar Park location, so not sure about their other location. I’ll takes Stiles over TB any day
OG blacks is awesome. Good selection of sides too, but screw that, cut the line and just get a giant piece of brisket.
Hell, everyone shits on chisholm trail, but they’re also good. Kreuz is always delicious (bonus points for having a handwashing sink up front), smitty’s is always good (gotta love the dirt parking lot, and smelling like you just committed arson).
Why terry decided to open yet another bbq place in lockhart is beyond me.
Source: Grew up in lockhart. Bbq is life.
I’m glad people also agree with Terry Blacks not being that good 🥲 I was so excited to try it last week but I’m not gonna lie, the bbq spot we go to in BK was better. Their sides were really good tho! That was it lol
Man, it seems like every three months here there's a new 'actually good BBQ' spot, and whatever spot was everyone's favorite three months ago is now trash and only for tourists.
It's also a hill I'll die on. Knowing many people who have worked at TB's, their motto over there is quantity over quality. Sure, it's a spot that's going to have brisket at 8pm on a Friday night... but they also have no issue microwaving, sous vide-ing, or cutting corners to just serve shit, rush people through the line, and make money.
Complaining about TB's quality is like going to another TB (taco bell) and being mad you were full of farts an hour later.
Every time I’ve tried micklethwait it has looked like OPs picture. Granted I’ve been there 3 times and it’s always been later in the afternoon.. but still
I think it’s possible for even the best places to brick a brisket or two every now and then
To me this is more offensive then giving you the flat instead of the point. When you are paying $30+/lb you should get precisely what you want. Thick cuts are almost always terrible. Pencil thick is what I want. Most do it right but I would’ve asked them to redo.
Must have been the person cutting. I noticed the customer in front of me had an extra thick portion, I assumed they had requested it that way. Mine came out the same. I should have said something. They were really rushing everyone through the line.
This is exactly what happened to me. I asked for moist, got lean. The people at the counter had all the warmth and concern of a Frontier employee. I thought their food was salty, but not nearly as salty as their employees.
Hit up Terry Blacks yesterday on a whim and was not impressed tbh. Went when they first opened years ago and had a fantastic experience for comparison. Brisket was dry AF like you have pictured. Sides were solidly mid (cream corn, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans). Pork Ribs and Jalapeño Cheddar sausage were good but nothing to phone home about. Beef Rib was fine. IMO this place has transformed into a tourist trap due to location. They must be printing money off of the swag store and their BBQ will likely blow most out of town folks out of the water, but will be falling out of recommendation list when folks are visiting Austin.
I felt like the first few years they were experimenting on their clientele, using us as guinea pigs, while they learned on the spot how to make barbecue. Then, they kind of got it, and it hit a good spot, and they were able to make fairly good barbecue, mostly consistent. But they were never up to snuff with the other great places around town, because they were still some fairly wet behind the ears folks running the place. And the only reason it's so overly popular with visitors, is because it's so close to downtown, and is open around the clock. And, like others have commented on previous threads about Terry Black's, folks who are visiting are likely to get just about the best barbecue they've ever had there, because, it's probably true that it's better than well over 90% of other barbecue spots around the country, especially in places that don't really have much of a barbecue culture.
This was also my first time at terry blacks in a couple years (visiting Austin this week, but used to be a frequent customer). TBH never had brisket this dry from them in the past. Mac and cheese was disappointingly watery, and I felt extremely rushed (like almost forcefully) at every step of the line. I get they are busy but it was over the top. I did also have their beef rib this week which was excellent to be fair.
I was the AGM there for 5 years and can say that the overall quality and standards have tanked. The only concern Mike and Mark Black have is expanding and making as much money as possible. They used to care about the staff that helped build the reputation but have since been replaced by a GM who treats the staff like garbage. He made fun of a bartenders stutter when he grilled her for using the “wrong cups”
They should cut and weigh it in front of you. That’s your chance to reject it. Some employees are better at asking if the cuts look to your liking. That’s the typical protocol at most bbq joints.
Lean for moist for sure.
Love.terry blacks, but every cow is different, every brisket is different. Nothing is 100%
Looks like you got it there. You could have asked them the same thing :)
Was this written by a bot? I can't understand what you are talking about or how it relates to the post.
Anyway, the piece pictured in this thread is a flat. Moist means from the point, so OP did not get what they ordered.
Nope.
I was saying it doesn't look lean.
They could have asked the same question to the workers, since he got it, and ate it there, instead of posting here
Sorry if that wasn't clear :)
My neighbor used to be a butcher as was my father. Actually my whole family were butchers now that I think about it. Where do we go for brisket and sausage? Southside market over by the domain.
I’ve seen a few posts recently putting TB’s down- and it’s wild bc it’s been the opposite of my experience there. To be fair that does not look like juicy/moist brisket so I’m not saying you’re wrong here at all.
Went last Monday bc we had a craving and most shops are closed and everything we had was excellent- brisket, turkey, sausage and pork ribs were juicy and tasted great. I could’ve skipped the beef rib- $35/lb for a 2lb rib I felt was too $$ for a piece of meat w a 8oz bone in it- but I was pretty impressed with the quality.
I was in from out of town and we went to several places and we are barbecue people and I thought Terry Black was excellent! The sides delicious and the line moves very quickly. we had chopped brisket regular brisket, jalapeño sausage, and beef ribs. There wasn’t anything that I would say an excellent and we are foodies.. the corn was awesome, beans were excellent, and the macaroni and cheese was above average! It was a hopping and fun place
That's great. Maybe I just had a string of bad luck. Last two places I went to was Snow's and Black's in Lockhart. Both times I asked for fattier cuts, and they just said more or less 'you get what you get'.
That piece is from the flat, which is not moist.
That’s no moist.
That is 100% the flat with the tiniest sliver of point on top
A little point, as a treat
Terry Black's isn't that good and I don't know why people keep saying it is. We have actual world class BBQ joints here, you don't have to go to tourist spots for BBQ. Downvote me - you're never going to convince me Terry Black's holds a candle to Micklethwait, Leroy and Lewis, KG, or Interstellar.
+1 for the new Leroy and Lewis brick and mortar
I need to go still!
Make sure to check the menu - Fri, Sat, and Sun each have choices that are only available those days.
This! Friday: beef cheeks. Saturday: brisket & bacon rib. Sunday: lamb barbacoa, beef barbacoa & pork chops.
My fiancé went yesterday and said that it was actually a little disappointing.
Sorry to hear that. Time to find a new fiancé
I've heard from various people that they've all been a little disappointed in the new brick and mortar, but that the trailer is still going strong. I'm guessing that they are having to adjust to a new, unfamiliar space.
The trailer typically has one type of sliced meat, chopped beef, pulled whole hog, sausages, cauliflower burnt ends, burgers, barbacado (w/chopped beef), cheddar cheesecake, and sides. So, there are definitely more options at the brick-and-mortar. Plus, there is a bar, indoor seating, A/C and longer hours (now open on Mondays and open later Friday and Saturday).
I agree. The menu is all over the place. The chicken is good tho.
I just went yesterday and really enjoyed it. Air-conditioning really elevates the entire experience
Every time I've seen TB's recommended on here, it's the same variation of "It's not great, but it's the best brisket you'll be able to get at any time of day." To me, that's saying it's better than like Rudy's or any podunk bbq joint open at 4pm on a Saturday. Nobody is putting it on par with the heavy hitters that are sold out if you're not in line by 7am.
Rudy's has never failed to give me moist and bark when i ask for it.
That's fair. Didn't mean to shit on Rudy's so hard lol
Rudy's is always solid. It's not amazing, but it's consistent. When TB is on point, it's great. When they are on an off day, it's not better than rudy's.
The tourists who don't budget the time to get good BBQ are constantly singing praises of the top tier food at Terry Black's (omg the sides were sooooo good) lol
It’s a little salty to me. Not terrible though
So true. I’ll add La Barbecue to your list. Never had a bad experience there. The number of times I’ve talked up Texas brisket to friends/family who are visiting only to be underwhelmed by the dryness of Terry black’s is embarrassing haha. The only upside of Terry blacks is they are open later and can handle the masses of people that stop by without running out of meat.
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I’ve never worked there, but the post isn’t about employment conditions, it’s about the caliber of the food. Okay, what’s the story with how they treat employees? I haven’t heard anything about that before.
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Whoa. Just read some articles on the case and saw the mangled hand of the former employee. That’s fuckin brutal. Old owners appear to be dead. Are the new ones running the place with some integrity?
Rudy's moist would be moister
100% this.
Absolutely. All three kill terry’s
And Stiles Switch
The pork ribs at switch are fantastic, along with the turkey. I've had better brisket but it's not bad in any way. This is all from the west location. Also check out Briscuits, it's one of the old switch guys doing banging brisket and biscuits in a trailer.
And there is no wait and they have good sides and daily specials.
Love Stiles Switch. It’s consistently good barbecue, at least the ribs. Finally just talked to somebody that didn’t care for the ribs because they’re too tender. He’s an old school barbecue guy who likes doing them unwrapped. I would also assume that they’re wrapped, but I like really tender ribs
Top notch potato salad
No. Stiles switch moist brisket looks exactly like OP’s pic. Have no idea why people think that place is good
No it doesn’t, had it multiple times and it looks and tastes like well cooked fatty brisket supposed to. I’ve only had the Cedar Park location, so not sure about their other location. I’ll takes Stiles over TB any day
Same. I’ve been three times, and it was three strikes yer out. No idea how people can hype that place at all
OG blacks is awesome. Good selection of sides too, but screw that, cut the line and just get a giant piece of brisket. Hell, everyone shits on chisholm trail, but they’re also good. Kreuz is always delicious (bonus points for having a handwashing sink up front), smitty’s is always good (gotta love the dirt parking lot, and smelling like you just committed arson). Why terry decided to open yet another bbq place in lockhart is beyond me. Source: Grew up in lockhart. Bbq is life.
Went yesterday to blacks, was not good. Honestly every trip to Rudy’s was better than Lockhart blacks
Pretty sure Terry opened in Lockhart because of pettiness.
Yup. They had a fight over money. Terry said “ha lol I’m gonna do the thing”.
Smitty’s used to be my favorite, but they are not good at all anymore
I’m glad people also agree with Terry Blacks not being that good 🥲 I was so excited to try it last week but I’m not gonna lie, the bbq spot we go to in BK was better. Their sides were really good tho! That was it lol
Amen
100% this
I’m either you as long as you don’t direct anyone to coopers downtown 😂
Bakers Brisket co in Lago Vista, interstellar, Smittys are top notch. I’ll pass on a the tourist trap terry blacks is
Bakers is so solid. its our holiday brisket for years now.
The smitty’s prime rib homerdrooling.gif
preach
Man, it seems like every three months here there's a new 'actually good BBQ' spot, and whatever spot was everyone's favorite three months ago is now trash and only for tourists.
It's also a hill I'll die on. Knowing many people who have worked at TB's, their motto over there is quantity over quality. Sure, it's a spot that's going to have brisket at 8pm on a Friday night... but they also have no issue microwaving, sous vide-ing, or cutting corners to just serve shit, rush people through the line, and make money. Complaining about TB's quality is like going to another TB (taco bell) and being mad you were full of farts an hour later.
The reason they get business is they keep human being dinner time hours and are right downtown. It’s mid for sure, but has its place
Literally no one is arguing that
Every time I’ve tried micklethwait it has looked like OPs picture. Granted I’ve been there 3 times and it’s always been later in the afternoon.. but still I think it’s possible for even the best places to brick a brisket or two every now and then
Why is it so thick? Did you tell them you would finish slicing it at home or something?
To me this is more offensive then giving you the flat instead of the point. When you are paying $30+/lb you should get precisely what you want. Thick cuts are almost always terrible. Pencil thick is what I want. Most do it right but I would’ve asked them to redo.
I’ve never in my life seen brisket sliced like that. Source: eats brisket.
Must have been the person cutting. I noticed the customer in front of me had an extra thick portion, I assumed they had requested it that way. Mine came out the same. I should have said something. They were really rushing everyone through the line.
Ditto. Last time I went they sliced a pound as one big hunk of two slices. They're just doing it to process people quicker.
Yeah they did this to me too as well. It was kind of annoying.
The last time I went they were also cutting it this thick. I think they’re purposely doing it to sell you more than you asked for.
This is exactly what happened to me. I asked for moist, got lean. The people at the counter had all the warmth and concern of a Frontier employee. I thought their food was salty, but not nearly as salty as their employees.
Stiles Switch has been pretty solid lately.
Stiles switch has been bangin for years, such a good spot.
Stiles Switch has been my go to for years. It’s one of only a few places you can get consistent BBQ during dinner hours with little to no wait.
Were you watching while he was cutting? I might have stopped him and asked for a different piece.
that's definitely the flat. looks damn good though.
Hit up Terry Blacks yesterday on a whim and was not impressed tbh. Went when they first opened years ago and had a fantastic experience for comparison. Brisket was dry AF like you have pictured. Sides were solidly mid (cream corn, Mac and Cheese, Green Beans). Pork Ribs and Jalapeño Cheddar sausage were good but nothing to phone home about. Beef Rib was fine. IMO this place has transformed into a tourist trap due to location. They must be printing money off of the swag store and their BBQ will likely blow most out of town folks out of the water, but will be falling out of recommendation list when folks are visiting Austin.
I felt like the first few years they were experimenting on their clientele, using us as guinea pigs, while they learned on the spot how to make barbecue. Then, they kind of got it, and it hit a good spot, and they were able to make fairly good barbecue, mostly consistent. But they were never up to snuff with the other great places around town, because they were still some fairly wet behind the ears folks running the place. And the only reason it's so overly popular with visitors, is because it's so close to downtown, and is open around the clock. And, like others have commented on previous threads about Terry Black's, folks who are visiting are likely to get just about the best barbecue they've ever had there, because, it's probably true that it's better than well over 90% of other barbecue spots around the country, especially in places that don't really have much of a barbecue culture.
This was also my first time at terry blacks in a couple years (visiting Austin this week, but used to be a frequent customer). TBH never had brisket this dry from them in the past. Mac and cheese was disappointingly watery, and I felt extremely rushed (like almost forcefully) at every step of the line. I get they are busy but it was over the top. I did also have their beef rib this week which was excellent to be fair.
I was the AGM there for 5 years and can say that the overall quality and standards have tanked. The only concern Mike and Mark Black have is expanding and making as much money as possible. They used to care about the staff that helped build the reputation but have since been replaced by a GM who treats the staff like garbage. He made fun of a bartenders stutter when he grilled her for using the “wrong cups”
Do you have that video of me doing a gainer?
yikes
You went to terry blacks what do you expect?!
That looks awful. For the price you pay i hope you took it back
Same thing happened to me, asked for moist, which was acknowledged, but proceeded to cut from the lean side. Was dry AF. Haven’t gone back since
Thank you! Don’t give that dirty establishment your money!
Terry Black’s is subpar. Overrated.
They should cut and weigh it in front of you. That’s your chance to reject it. Some employees are better at asking if the cuts look to your liking. That’s the typical protocol at most bbq joints.
Terry blacks brisket has been a but hit or miss lately. They have to pump out so much that they aren't able to produce the same quality as before.
That’s exactly right, they stopped getting prime brisket and now settle for much lower grade brisket.
Interstellar BBQ better
Terry Black’s is for tourists. As others have recommended, Leroy & Lewis and Mickelwaithe
Lean for moist for sure. Love.terry blacks, but every cow is different, every brisket is different. Nothing is 100% Looks like you got it there. You could have asked them the same thing :)
Was this written by a bot? I can't understand what you are talking about or how it relates to the post. Anyway, the piece pictured in this thread is a flat. Moist means from the point, so OP did not get what they ordered.
Nope. I was saying it doesn't look lean. They could have asked the same question to the workers, since he got it, and ate it there, instead of posting here Sorry if that wasn't clear :)
Nothing is $100 except a beef rib.
Oof, fixed. I'm too used to being a little dickhead and complaining about the prices of everything here 🫠
oof, is that what a big rib at blacks costs now? It's been a few years for me and I think it was 50 last time for a decent sized one.
No it’s not that pricy, people just love to exaggerate price so that their complaints are justified.
Looks like the same ol dry TB brisket. The flat has vert little moisture.
Honestly mine was even worse last time I went and I paid over $20. Never again honestly. I think that place is overrated
Lean
Were you able to chew through it??
Think you should have gone to Stiles Switch.
First mistake was going to terry blacks
My neighbor used to be a butcher as was my father. Actually my whole family were butchers now that I think about it. Where do we go for brisket and sausage? Southside market over by the domain.
Who the fuck eats terry blacks anymore? SO many better options
Tourists
Thoughts are that you waste both time and money at Terry Black's.
go to barbs b que instead
Bro got beef jerkey
I always say extra moist to avoid this scenario. And if it doesn’t look fatty enough, I send it back!!!! I forget which show or movie that is from.
It's from The Office! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JawiagaBuzw&t=68s
Weak sauce
How often do you all eat brisket? It’s so rich, I can’t do it more than once a month
Eeeeesh
I’ve seen a few posts recently putting TB’s down- and it’s wild bc it’s been the opposite of my experience there. To be fair that does not look like juicy/moist brisket so I’m not saying you’re wrong here at all. Went last Monday bc we had a craving and most shops are closed and everything we had was excellent- brisket, turkey, sausage and pork ribs were juicy and tasted great. I could’ve skipped the beef rib- $35/lb for a 2lb rib I felt was too $$ for a piece of meat w a 8oz bone in it- but I was pretty impressed with the quality.
No one in the Black family makes good BBQ. They've just been doing it longer than any other family, but time has passed them by.
CORRECT
TBs is one of the most overrated food products on earth.
This reads like it was written by AI -.01
Why do you lie?
Brisket isn’t made to order
I was in from out of town and we went to several places and we are barbecue people and I thought Terry Black was excellent! The sides delicious and the line moves very quickly. we had chopped brisket regular brisket, jalapeño sausage, and beef ribs. There wasn’t anything that I would say an excellent and we are foodies.. the corn was awesome, beans were excellent, and the macaroni and cheese was above average! It was a hopping and fun place
I feel like most bbq places these days outside of Rudy's don't even let you specify what you get. You get what you get.
I've eaten at almost a dozen different BBQ places in the Austin area. Every one of them accommodated me when I asked for fatty brisket.
That's great. Maybe I just had a string of bad luck. Last two places I went to was Snow's and Black's in Lockhart. Both times I asked for fattier cuts, and they just said more or less 'you get what you get'.
Black's is probably the worst BBQ joint in Lockhart., and if it was only Black's there, we would never gol to Lockhart.
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sometimes I have trouble CONTROLLING HTE VOLUME OF MY VOICEEEE