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This is it, boys - the holy grail.
In the past two weeks, I've hit up four BBQ joints in Austin, a city famous for its smoked meats. The list went as follows: Stiles Switch, Iron Works, BBQ Revolution, and Black's Original BBQ. Here's how Black's measured up.
Black's doesn't many points for atmosphere. It's a clean little shop that has the look and feel of a successful franchise that has been polished to appeal to a wide demographic. The one thing that stands out is the patio. It's got that perfect mix of shade and open air. Overall, Black's atmosphere is very corporate. It's the type of joint you take business partners out to when the visit Austin.
My plate: Quarter Brisket, Quarter Sausage.
Sides: Green beans, potato salad, beans.
Let's start with the sides. The green beans and beans were almost, but not quiet, bland. They lacked spice or uniqueness but were pretty stock. The green beans almost certainly came out of a can, at least that's how they tasted.
The potato salad was top-notch. This is a big achievement. Potato salad is one of the most commonly botched BBQ sides, and Black's has their recipe perfected. Most bad potato salads are mushy and lack the right amount of tang. Not so at Black's.
The brisket at Black's was unreal. It had the perfect amount of bark and was perfectly balanced between fatty and lean. The texture was similarly balanced. It wasn't too soft and tender, but it wasn't so tough that it couldn't be cut with a fork. This is the sweet spot of perfection.
What really made Black's standout was the sausage. Each bite into the casing would let out a burst of smoky flavor. The casing held up and there was no separation or wrinkling. The stuffing was consistent texturally and
was a nice blend of spices and fatty juices. It doesn't get much better than this.
8.5/10
Black's is king for now.
In the past two weeks, I've hit up four BBQ joints in Austin, a city famous for its smoked meats. The list went as follows: Stiles Switch, Iron Works, BBQ Revolution, and Black's Original BBQ. Here's how Black's measured up.
Black's doesn't many points for atmosphere. It's a clean little shop that has the look and feel of a successful franchise that has been polished to appeal to a wide demographic. The one thing that stands out is the patio. It's got that perfect mix of shade and open air. Overall, Black's atmosphere is very corporate. It's the type of joint you take business partners out to when the visit Austin.
My plate: Quarter Brisket, Quarter Sausage.
Sides: Green beans, potato salad, beans.
Let's start with the sides. The green beans and beans were almost, but not quiet, bland. They lacked spice or uniqueness but were pretty stock. The green beans almost certainly came out of a can, at least that's how they tasted.
The potato salad was top-notch. This is a big achievement. Potato salad is one of the most commonly botched BBQ sides, and Black's has their recipe perfected. Most bad potato salads are mushy and lack the right amount of tang. Not so at Black's.
The brisket at Black's was unreal. It had the perfect amount of bark and was perfectly balanced between fatty and lean. The texture was similarly balanced. It wasn't too soft and tender, but it wasn't so tough that it couldn't be cut with a fork. This is the sweet spot of perfection.
What really made Black's standout was the sausage. Each bite into the casing would let out a burst of smoky flavor. The casing held up and there was no separation or wrinkling. The stuffing was consistent texturally and
was a nice blend of spices and fatty juices. It doesn't get much better than this.
8.5/10
Black's is king for now.
