Austin is of course synonymous with barbecue, but until lately, there were few standouts in the city proper, says Matthew Odam, restaurant critic for the Austin American-Statesman. “To get it done right,” he says, “you had to drive out of town”—to rural outposts like Lockhart, home to the holy smoke trinity of Black’s, Smitty’s, and Kreuz Market. (Black’s, the best of the three, finally opened an Austin location last fall.)
But now a new BBQ guard has arrived in town, sharing Franklin’s attention to detail and rebel heart. At 90 Micklethwait Craft Meats, a ramshackle camper serving terrific pulled pork and jalapeño-cheese grits, the stereo favors Dinosaur Jr. over Junior Walker. At La Barbecue, the sound track hews to Guided by Voices, and the molten brisket rivals Franklin’s for best in town. Franklin’s own favorite? Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ truck, where handmade tortillas are filled with impeccably smoked brisket and carnitas. “I don’t eat much barbecue myself,” he admits. “But man, Valentina’s is rad.”
I mention Franklin and his cohort up front because barbecue’s upward trajectory is a parallel for Austin dining in general. Let’s face it, even six or seven years ago, the idea of traveling here solely for great restaurants would have been, well, weird (to borrow a term from Austin’s playbook). Sure, there were plenty of killer bars, and all manner of food trucks catering to drunk people outside those bars. But destination dining? Not so much.
Even Paul Qui, the local hero turned Top Chef winner, who’s done as much as anyone to raise his town’s profile with his food-truck empire and award-winning restaurant Qui, admits that Austin was not his first choice. “My plan was to save some money and move to New York,”here calls.“But then I started seeing Austin’s potential, the passion of the people I worked with—and suddenly my mind-set switched. Spending my whole career here? I’ve met more chefs and restaurateurs I admire than I would have if I’d moved away.”
Qui’s admiration continue
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