Parish Barbecue — Restaurant in Austin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (If I could give 20, I would!)

My wife and I had the absolute honor and privilege of dining at Parish BBQ and meeting the owners, Holden and his lovely wife. These are not just restaurant owners—they are salt-of-the-earth, genuine people who make you feel like family the moment you walk through the door.

Now, the food. I’ve eaten BBQ from Texarkana to El Paso, and I can tell you without hesitation—this is Texas BBQ at its absolute best. Holden is not only one of the kindest gentlemen I’ve ever met, but also a true pitmaster. His brisket literally melts in your mouth. The ribs? They fall right off the bone. The duck, ham, and sausage are packed with flavor in every bite.

And let’s talk about the sides! Holden brings a Louisiana twist that takes everything to another level—mac and cheese that’s rich and creamy, crawfish dressing that will leave you speechless, and potato salad that’s hands-down the best I’ve ever had.

A simple 10/10 doesn’t cut it here. This is beyond excellent—it’s unforgettable. Do yourself a favor: take the trip to Austin, pull up a chair at Parish BBQ, and taste what BBQ is supposed to be. You’ll...

Honestly, I was so excited to try this place. I’m a huge fan of both BBQ and Cajun, so this should’ve been a dream come true. Sadly, Parish manages to fumble on every single front.

I showed up right at noon, stood in line for 15 minutes, and was greeted with a sign that said they were out of Brisket, Turkey, Duck, and Chicken. Basically, everything. The “good news”? They had sausage and ham. So I ordered sausage and got a buzzer.

Thirty minutes went by. Nothing. Were they out back smoking the sausage from scratch? Forty minutes after ordering, my buzzer finally went off. The sausage was… fine. Nothing special. And definitely not very Cajun.

The guys running the place were grumpy and short, which didn’t help the vibe. The one saving grace? The crawfish dressing. Genuinely delicious. So if you do go, brace yourself for disappointment, order the dressing, and try to find joy in that while staring at an empty meat counter.

Bottom line: Austin has no shortage of great BBQ joints with friendly service and plenty of meat. This isn’t one of...

I've been reading about how great Parish BBQ is on Eater and the Infatuation, and I finally found myself on the East side after leaving the airport, coming home from s long International trip. I was really craving some BBQ and Parish delivered. There were two of us and we shared 1/2lb each of brisket, ribs, turkey and the ham. I had heard people raving about the ham. It was excellent and tasty, but the brisket was still the star. Just stunning with nice line of fat down the middle. The ribs were tender and nicely smoked, and the Turkey was tender. The owner came by to chat, and explained a bit about technique and was appreciative of our business. Also had the fantastic fried roll and honey sauce, along with creamy pimento Mac and cheese that had a little crunch on top, and the Vinegar coleslaw - nice kick. We took about half the meats home with us, as I intentionally ordered extra. This truck is in the grove for Batch, and they sold the craft beer. Separate review for them....