Terry Black's Barbecue — Restaurant in Austin

Being one of the top BBQ joints in the state (one of, not the) we had to give Terry Black's a try since the evening was young and our bellies were empty. Now it goes without saying, if you are lucky enough to get a parking spot in their ~50-car max lot, good on you. Otherwise, there are plenty of public or paid parking lots nearby. We were fortunate enough to find a spot across the street at the park and had a brisk walk over.

Walking up, the aroma of smoked meat filled the air and prepared us even the more for what was in store. The line wound around the entryway, then back around the smokers. I'll admit, walking up we had second thoughts as it was bound to be an hour long wait (if that!). But, after reading other reviews and the having small talk with regulars in line, we were assured that it goes fast. So, after about a 30-min putz in line, it was our turn to order. It's also worth noting the frequent beverage stations that were positioned strategically throughout the line, making sure impatient patrons were properly "watered".

Stepping inside was when the real experience started. The first official counter you come to is the bar, where you can get one of their margaritas that reminded me of those slushie machines at your local movie theater. You really can't go wrong with these, especially if you get the salted rim. The flavored spice that accompanied the drink was something our group talked about even after leaving. Snaking our way to the 2nd counter brought back vivid memories of my grade school lunchroom - the ones with the impatient lunch ladies who would snap at you if you didn't dare have your order ready the second you step up! I can't say I didn't blame them given the sheer amount of people who come through here in a given night (let alone a Sunday night). After getting hustled along to the next counter, it went by so fast that I didn't even realize all my side dishes disappeared somewhere! Looking around like I lost my puppy; a young gal drew my attention with her balancing skills as she hoisted my tray full of food well above the bustling patrons and prompted me with a short jerk of her head to follow her to the 3rd counter.

Ahh, here is where the main dish is! Our tray was dropped off and just like that, the gal who helped guide us to our next destination disappeared just as fast into the sea of drooling customers. As I gazed upon the fresh brisket and glazed ribs before me, I had to snap out of it as the woman behind the counter with a large knife asked me again "what would you like?". I couldn't decide if I wanted 1 pound of brisket or 2, since we were sharing it with 4 other bellies, but the lady put her best sales face on and reminded me that there is nothing wrong with leftovers. She was right, we did enjoy them the next morning mixed in our eggs! After paying well north of triple digits, something I didn't even balk at, we were pushed to the 4th and final counter to get our beverages. This too reminded me of the theater as we were handed an empty cup to help ourselves at the nearby soda fountain. It was then that we were on our own to find a seat in the wilderness! With the same luck we came in with, we were fortunate to find some stuffed patrons stand up amongst the sitting crowd, giving way to an unclean table with leftovers still waiting for us. This needs to be expected if you want a chance at sitting! We cleared the previous guests trash making way for our own and proceeded to hand out portions to our party.

It goes without saying that the brisket was amazing. Slow cooked to perfection with an absolute scrumptious bark. The rendered fat paired great with the crunchy outer edge, and the flavored slaw went with just about everything else. Our tower of bread was slathered with the cream corn and made our kids very happy when paired with the creamy mac and cheese. Sadly, our green beans lost their warmth in the hustle and bustle, so most of us took one or two bites of them only to be reminded of our childhood snack of beans at grandma's.

All in...

Our first mistake was going to a tourist spot on a holiday! As a local, we know better. But my husband had to get that gigantic rib for Father's Day. He deserves it. We knew there would be zero parking and laughed at the line of car attempting to grab one in the tiny parking lot as we walked by.

I was surprised that the line for food wasn't out the door when we arrived and was thankful. This wasn't going to be as bad as I thought! Immediately upon entering, there is a sign that says, "Please Keep Doors Closed!" For A/C, I assume. Hey, I'm Texan, I get it. I shout this in my sleep during the summer months. But this phrase is also what you're greeted with as you enter, and then, "if you are new, scan this code to keep things movin'!" We'd been here before, so we stayed in the line. When we get to the sides area, they are so busy at getting you through they appeared frustrated as we wanted to order more as if we didn't read the menu. We just wanted extra sides, but they'd throw a side on a tray and swish it down the line as we said more of what we wanted. We had 7 in our group with one person ordering for all. Then you take the tray to the meat area, which is hectic. There is no real space to stand while you're waiting for your turn. People looking for tables, getting drink refills, workers looking frustrated. The cashier was pleasant, but all of that wasn't worth the 20% gratuity we added to our $300 total. We still left the tip anyway, and then we were off to find a table that would fit all of us! You are told not to look for a table prior to grabbing your food, which makes sense but is tricky with a group this size and makes me think, why did we tip? We finally find a table inside and are grateful because it is HOT outside. Unfortunately it was probably just as hot but no air flow. There is actually a vent near our table but there is no evidence that it is running.

My husband ventures off for drinks. There is a swarm of people at the station and zero ice. The sweet was OK, but obviously would have been better cold.

We ordered beef ribs, brisket fatty and lean, two types of sausage, green beans, slaw, mac n cheese, beans, and the Dino rib. They gave us 6 slices of bread.

The star was definitely the sausage. Green beans were different and pretty good. Slaw was fresh and crunchy. It is a little sweet, but I know this is typical for a BBQ joint, so I'd rate it high. It is just not my preference. Mac was gooey and good. Beans were very salty. Brisket lacked some salt. We were so hot we could only eat a few bites and took home 4 boxes filled to the brim with food.

I joked about starting petition to move Father's Day to a winter month. At least in Texas.

Was it worth it? No, not really. Not the way we did it. I do think a BBQ lover should go at least once. But go with a friend on a random Tuesday in February at an off time. Get an adult beverage, sausage, mac n cheese, and some slaw. Smile to the workers, even if they are cranky. Tip them appropriately. Sit on the porch in the cool winter breeze and then check this...

Terry Black’s BBQ Review Bottom Line of this review: Don’t waste your precious dollars on this joint- it is a complete rip off with terrible-quality BBQ. Three of us were so excited to be going to the legendary Terry Black’s BBQ in Austin, TX for some authentic Texas-style BBQ. The web page looked very authentic for a down-home BBQ restaurant, Texas style. Some additional background- I am very much a BBQ afficionado, studied the science of BBQ meat and styles of regional BBQ. I know what it takes to produce great ribs and brisket from years of practice. We chose Terry Black’s based on its legendary reputation. We ordered 4 side dishes, three Shiner Bock beers, and 4 slices of brisket. The total was a surprising $133.00. I thought to myself, “wow, this place must be great- it’s so expensive and they must put a lot of time into their BBQ.” When we were getting the BBQ meats, I was a little dismayed to see that the brisket had over 1 inch of fat cap. The ribs had an appearance of being undercooked. I thought to myself, “I’m buying BBQ by the pound and getting charged for a lot of non-edible fat on the brisket and bones on the ribs.” We tried the ribs first- they were undercooked, cartilaginous, and extremely salty from too much brining. I was disappointed that there was so little smoke flavor. Next came the brisket. We scraped off the inch-thick back cap of fat and tried the meat. The brisket in my opinion was sliced too thick and had a rubbery texture from being undercooked. It did not fall off the fork like a properly cooked brisket that I was used to cooking in in my Weber BBQ at home. As the brisket cooled down, it became even more firm, kind of like a hockey puck. The Terry Black finishing sauces were very disappointing. These were mustard-based sauces that seemed very watery. The “hot” version was not that hot. Arguably, great BBQ does not need sauce but I could have found a better BBQ sauce in the condiment aisle of the local HEB store in Austin. We felt that Terry Black’s is a complete rip off when it comes to the quality of its BBQ meats. I find it very objectionable that they intentionally leave the fat cap on the brisket so thick in order to charge customers more. Who wants to be paying for the inedible brisket fatty back cap? We left extremely disappointed, leaving some half-eaten brisket and chunks of cartilage from the ribs. Our message to future diners at Terry Black’s is think about another BBQ place in Austin to avoid terrible quality BBQ. Attached photos show the inedible cartlidge ends of the ribs and the inedible one-inch-thick fat back on...