San Marcos BBQ — Restaurant in San Marcos

The barbecue scene in San Marcos is starting to get crowded. About a year ago, San Marcos BBQ took over the spot that Hays County BBQ vacated. Owner/pitmaster Justin Pearson has some BBQ experience working with his grandfather at Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Que in Lockhart. He is using the same pits that Hays County BBQ left behind. The location is tucked away a couple of miles off of IH-35.

The first thing I noticed was the prices. They were comparatively lower than some of the places I go to. I have now done back-to-back posts where brisket is 13 bucks a pound. That is a heck of a deal. I ordered a quarter pound of moist brisket, one pork rib, half link of the regular and of the jalapeño and cheese sausage. I had a coupon for a free side so I got the braised cabbage. That is healthy, right? The brisket was solid. The rub consists just of salt, black pepper, and a little red pepper. It had a good flavor but was a little chewy. The post oak gave the meat the right amount of smoke without overpowering it. The brown sugar with a touch of barbecue sauce gave the rib a nice sweetness. It played well with the smoke. The rib meat was tender towards the middle but dry and hard around the edges. Homemade sausages are always an added bonus in my book. The sausages had a great coarse grit with a good snap from the casing. They both had a good amount of fat. The regular was a little bland. Salt can go a long way in sausage making. I prefer the jalapeño and cheese because it had more of a taste plus a spicy kick to it. The braised cabbage was an excellent change of pace and had bits of sausage in it. I felt my blood pressure drop while I was eating it...

Thinking of all the options in San Marcos, I would still come back to San Marcos BBQ. You get more for your money, and the 'cue was above average. I only spent $10 on my lunch. Next time I will take Amber so we can try the turkey, chicken,...

Before he passed in August 2021, this was my Poppas favorite restaurant in the San Marcos/Wimberly area. It's a walk through buffet restaurant. If you can think of a protein to BBQ, trust me when I say that they have it covered. The brisket and sausage are beyond reproach. I mean oh my stars, smack your knee, mmm mmm delicious! You have to ask for extra sauce. You've got mild and 'mouth on heavenly fire' hot. I'd recommend the later. The also have family meal packs that can be ordered ahead for pick up. There's a good selection of sides. I'd recommend the potato salad, and the vinegar based coleslaw. And then to round things off, get yourself some dessert 🍧. Through various members of my party, I was able to try the 7 layer bar, peach cobbler, my pecan pie, and the Buttermilk pie. And honestly I couldn't decide which was my favorite. (other desserts too). But I have to admit, I did take home an extra slice of the Pecan Pie as well as some Hatch Green Chili sausages and 5 lbs of brisket for later eatins'. Long story short, if you love BBQ, then San Marcos BBQ is a must visit when you're...

Easy ordering. Friendly staff. Good food.

My favorite was the coleslaw. Brisket was moist and yummy, i wanted more when it was gone. Bbq sauce was good and complimented well! I prefer real melted cheese Mac but the Mac was like velveta and it was meh. Turkey was amazing, so juicy and perfect flavor. I spit out the sausage, nope, i didn’t like it at all. My husband said the 7 layer dessert was delicious. I ordered peach cobbler and i couldn’t tell you how that was because they gave me an individual sized bbq sauce instead. Not gonna make a big deal because i don’t have the energy so i cut it as a loss but i would recommend maybe a better system of storing or marking containers because I’m sure it was an accident and they grabbed the wrong one. We ate in the car since i had my dogs with me, there’s no outdoor seating here and actually no lawn at all so not ideal to bring pups. I will for sure eat here again but will not order sausage and will check my food before i walk out the door. Great place from first impression and i...