Eaker Barbecue — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

If you're coming into town for the weekend or just passing through around lunchtime, don't sleep on Eaker BBQ. While I am certainly no Daniel Vaughn, I've eaten more than my fair share of BBQ here in the Lonestar State and Eaker hits a lot of the high marks.

There are a few things that really stand out and are important; and honestly, I wish I lived closer so I could come back and eat a few more of their options. Their meat offerings are pretty extensive, some of which are traditional Texas style BBQ while others are a bit more creative and reflective of the owner's Korean background. We had the Texas trinity, of course, as well as one of their Saturday specials, which were the pork belly glazed burnt ends, which were just exceptional - super well balanced between sweet + heat with enough of a rendering of fat. The brisket is very high quality beef, reflected in the fact that both their moist and lean cuts were very juicy, tender, and appropriately smoked. Well seasoned with S&P. Smoke came from mesquite, which is a really nice change from the typical Central Texas post-Oak and reflective of the Hill Country settings and what's grown there.

The sausage is probably the best I've had in Texas. Many places really give sausage the short shrift because its not a huge revenue driver but places are expected to offer it. Other places smoke their sausage at such a high temp that it renders all the fat inside and you bit into a hot liquidified geyser of fat. You get none of that here at Eaker and an INCREDIBLE snap on the casing. I had both the Jalapeno and traditional and enjoyed them both thoroughly, even reheated the next day. (I stopped writing this review midway so I could go and eat the leftovers in my fridge...) True to their Texas roots, the traditional is a pepper forward, yet balanced, sausage. I personally love this but my young kids didn't care for it.

The pork ribs were pretty good overall but not my favorite. I would try the gokujang ribs next time to really get the Korean vibes.

We had the mac & cheese, kim chi Fried Rice, and Korean cucumber salad, as well as their lemon cookies. The Mac&Cheese was good but needed a bit more salt in my estimation. My kids loved it and I really do like Mac with my BBQ, and most placed in Austin don't offer it, if any. The kim chi fried rice wasn't my favorite but I also love a pretty strongly flavored kim chi fried rice and this was more moderated. Given the local audience and tourists, I think this is the right call. Fried rice is also really hard to pull off in a serving line format because fried rice is best when cooked to order, served hot with a lot of wok hei, topped with scallions, etc. Korean cucumber salad was on point for any Korean place serving banchan. Really nice semi-spicy, little funky, fresh side for all the heavy meats and sides. Also, get the lemon crinkle cookies - very yummy. I may be biased because I LOVE a good lemon cookie.

Service is exceptional - I love seeing the actual pitmasters and owners working the line. Boo, the co-owner, was the first person in the cutting station and an absolute gem. Personally, it's really gratifying to see Asian Americans influencing traditional Texas BBQ and putting some new twists on things and pushing the boundaries, helping people think differently bout cue. Everyone was super friendly and nice; a very appropriate pace for a line that started really gathering around 11:30. You don't feel rushed at all, which is great because there are a lot of options for both meats and sides.

If you're a BBQ junkie like me, this was an unexpected surprise in Fredricksburg. Def make time to swing in; you won't be...

Eaker BBQ is the best BBQ in Fredericksburg, and it's not close. The Korean fusion foods are a huge cherry on top making a stop here a BBQ eaters' dream! ALL of the meats are smoked on the 2 big pits you see through the windows when you walk in the door, and they are all great, but the brisket, turkey, and pulled pork are the best I've ever had. Not to be outdone, the regular pork and gojuchang ribs are fantastic and have visitors from all over planning their next trip eat here before they even walk out the door!

Every single one of the 6-8 sides are made in house by Boo and are fantastic! My personal favorites are the creamed corn, Mac and cheese, borracho beans, and kimchi fried rice, but the Korean sides of kimchi and cucumber salad are absolute crowd pleasers.

If you're a desert person, they've got you covered with all in house made items. Lemon cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and pecan pie bars are oh so good, but I do not leave that place without Boo's adult version of Banana pudding...it's phenomenal!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they have quite a few beers to choose from as well. All in all, it's my favorite place to eat when I'm in Fredericksburg.

One last thing, if I may. Lance and Boo Eaker have gone all in on this adventure of a lifetime to give their patrons the best dining experience possible in every way. They are great and friendly people who make you feel right at home every single time. They have a 4.9 star rating for a reason, so when someone who claims to be from Fredericksburg says he visited with 5 other Fredericksburg people and not 1 of the six liked it and can't recommend (laughable)....well, I have to assume sir that you are family/friends with other BBQ places in town, and if that's the case, then I completely understand your review. If I was you, and I tasted how good Eaker BBQ is, I don't believe I'd like that one bit either lol.

Thanks for...

One of the hidden treasures of Texas Barbecue in Gillespie County. Located in Fredericksburg Texas, on the far west end of Main Street. The perfect size bbq joint. Order at the cutting board what you want by the pound, slice, link, pint or quart. Bbq has mild smoky flavors from the mesquite wood sourced from one county over in Hays. Brisket is the King of Texas bbq and Eaker’s brisket did not disappoint. They are currently using Prime Akaushi, an extremely high grade of beef. The brisket was a great balance of seasoning and light smoke with distinct mesquite flavor. Both styles of pork ribs are great. I like the traditional one the best, but the gochujang rib was a very tasty treat. The sausage was simply fantastic - the snap, texture,casing, balance of salt and seasoning. The turkey was flavorful and juicy. My favorite side was the slaw - very well crafted. Kimchi fried rice was one of my other favorites. It has the authentic Korean flavor with a solid sesame oil hint. On the daily special, Korean fried chicken sandwich was a delight with a perfectly fried chicken breast richly flavored sweet and house made pickle to cut the sweetness and balance every bite. I can’t wait to come back again. Wait in the line was not bad - about a 4 minute wait from the door. Remember to be patient. It’s a small town and extra staffing for weekends is not really an option . Please don’t miss this great small town business where one of the owners is always present. The nice lady behind the counter is Boo and her husband is Lance. Chat them up! They will make you feel like a regular with true Texas...