Micklethwait Barbecue — Restaurant in Austin

I’ve been trying to come here for a long time, finally made the voyage and it is well worth it. Really cool atmosphere and vibe with tons of picnic tables under the shade. There is the food trailer as well as the inside bar to get your drinks at. I came around 2pm on a Saturday in March and there was hardly a line, waited maybe 10 minutes. However by the time we were leaving they were starting the pile up. Abbey the cashier was super friendly.

I ordered the Ribs, Turkey, Pulled Lamb & Moist Brisket, Cheddar Jalapeño Grits, potato salad, Lemon Poppy Seed Slaw, Mac & Cheese as well as the Frito Pie & a Rambler. All in all was $63 which was a really good price compared to most craft bbq spots I was very happy with the value here.

I will say, the cashier did not ring up my potato salad and I did not get that, I also was given sausage instead of ribs on accident, and I did not get my drink, I’m not sure I might of needed to grab it out of a cooler or something, however I was so excited by the feast in front of me I couldn’t have cared less.

All the food was good, the turkey was so moist and peppery. The Sausage was classic & delicious. The Smoked Lamb was a new one for me and I truly enjoyed it but that gamey/ lamb flavor is strong so buyer beware. The moist brisket was top notch with beautifully rendered fat, a more complex rub than Salt & Pepper and was melt in your mouth perfect.

The BBQ sauce on the table was also top tier and I’m not usually a fan of thinner vinegar type sauces. Probably one of the best I’ve had, it was kind of mustardy.

The Lemon Poppy slaw is sweet, fresh & perfect for cutting the fat. Mac & Cheese was creamy, peppery and rather simple but stands on its own 2 feet.

The two standouts for me was the cheese grits & the Frito Pie. The cheese grits were so creamy, not dry and had a savory flavor with a hint of jalapeño. So so good. The Frito pie was amazing, first of all they put a ton of sliced moist brisket on top, which while it wasn’t the best for eating with the Frito pie itself, the fact you get a ton of brisket is a selling point on its own, and that brisket covered in their salsa verde with cilantro is spectacular. The Frito pie is just so good, it’s very chunky with large onions, jalapeño slices, and carrot slices?? (I’m not sure if it was carrots I did not care while shoving it in my mouth).

Everyone I encountered was super nice, even ran into the man himself and he was friendly, chatted with some people in line, talked to strangers about BBQ. The whole experience was a great time and I’ll be sure to make by way back down here again.

Secret tip, if there’s no tables available there’s one kinda hidden in the front of the...

For a Sunday in Austin, TX, some people head to church where I decided to head over to the Meat Church. From its early food trailer beginnings, Micklethwait Barbecue has now upgraded and moved into a former old church building in east Austin. They operate Thu - Sun, and are located on the busy Springdale Rd @ Tanney St, east of Airport Blvd. Parking is available on the neighborhood streets. They have made the highly coveted Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list in 2017 & 2021 (and I bet will make it again for 2025). Micklethwait is serving up traditional Texas bbq, with some unique specials, a variety of sides and awesome desserts. The new building in east Austin offers indoor or outdoor seating, plenty of shade, and great service.

My two meat order came with brisket, pork spare ribs, mac & cheese, and jalapeno grits. They also serve two different styles of sausage, turkey, occasional beef ribs, and smoked pulled lamb. The choice of sides come from chili beans, potato salad, beet salad and several others. Mickelthwait will also serve items like Frito Pie, Elotes, and smoked half chicken. The desserts choices give the options of banana pudding, pecan cookie or freshly made moonpies. The brisket is oak smoked, very tender with solid bark and seasoning. Pork spare ribs are tender, well cooked, and also properly seasoned. The mac & cheese sides are of a good cheese melt, and the jalapeno grits are a southern specialty.

Micklethwait has been open since 2012 and continues to be one of the top spots for Austin TX bbq. Micklethwait might not be as large as the other spots, but they are serving proper Texas style bbq with amazingly friendly service. It is Texas BBQ style to the core! You can tell their crew works more as a family and operates a very well run establishment. The food is fantastic, but add in the friendly service they offer, this place is a true staple...

I’m not even sure how to rate one of the best BBQ spots in Austin!

I guess I’ll start with the people. Carson was there working the pit and was such a blast to chat with. So cool to get a little peak behind the scenes and learn about what makes Micklethwait’s BBQ unique over others. All BBQ joints have their way of doing things and their beliefs about what makes great BBQ. From the wood used to the placement of the meat in the tanks, it all adds up to an amazing food experience with slight differences from BBQ spot to BBQ spot.

This particular time, we tried a little of pretty much everything. My favorite remains their brisket and regular sausage. We also tried literally all of the sides. My favorites were the mac-n-cheese and green beans. The only one I didn’t care for were the grits. I’m just not a grits fan I guess.

Lastly on the food, we tried the banana pudding and loved it! I’ve never really had it before but this was a fun treat to end the meal with and 1 container was enough for 7 of us to share.

On the line, it’s so hard to say. We were there most recently on a Saturday and I thought for sure it was going to be a long line. We got there an hour before opening for this but we ended up being first in line and others didn’t get in line until 10:30ish. However, I’ve been there on other Saturdays where the line is 25-50 people by 10am. So I guess it really depends on the weekend and if there are big events in town or not. You’ll have to use your best judgement. If you’re like me though, you won’t mind being first in line...