La Barbecue

Established in 2012 and owned by women only, La Barbecue sets high standards for authentic Texas barbecue.

Five days a week, you can find Austinites waiting in snake-like lines that circle the indoor metal handrails, go outside through the picnic tables, and run all the way into the parking lot. If you plan on dining here, be sure to clear up a few hours to stand in line (and acquire some sunscreen to shield you from the 100+ degree Texas sun). You are welcome to grab cold beer from the grocery store connected to the shop as refreshment while you wait to eat.

The place itself is laid-back and contemporary, with the voices of those waiting in line echoing throughout the small space. Two employees are stationed at the slicing station and register. Meat gets cut and chopped as fast as you can order.

After waiting for over an hour (a minimal wait compared to the lunchtime rush), we ordered a Pulled Pork La Chopped Sandwich and a Sliced Brisket Sandwich as well as potato salad, warm pinto beans, and crunchy chipotle coleslaw (plus an extra half pound of brisket to take home). The cashier tossed a couple of burnt ends on our cafeteria tray for no charge.

I’ll tell you now: the wait is well worth it.

The La Chopped Sandwich is piled high with dripping pulled pork and cold chipotle coleslaw on a soft potato bun. The pork is tender and bursting with smoky flavor, perfectly offset by cool, creamy coleslaw. In-house barbecue sauce is a unique, balanced blend of tangy and spicy, complementing the rich flavor of the pork.

Brisket is cooked over Texas post oak for 14 to 16 hours until the outside is smoked to a deep black color. The beef is sourced from a local ranch, is grass-fed, and is guaranteed to be hormone-free. When piled into a potato bun and topped with crisp pickles and onions, the brisket shines.

If you’ve got an afternoon free, gather some buddies, pull up to La Barbecue, grab a cold beer, stand in line for an hour or three, and savor the smoky flavors that are cooked up in this urban barbecue spot.