The Posse returns to Central Texas and not a bad bite of barbecue was had

The Texas BBQ Posse returns to Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (L-R) Mark Vamos, Jim Rossman, Bruce Tomaso, Chris Wilkins, Michael Ainsworth, Gary Jacobson, Daniel Goncalves & Tom Fox. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

We weren't on the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston. And it wasn't snowing. Still, James Taylor would have liked the scene.

In the early morning sun, a white frosting covered the fields along the highway from Austin to Lexington, Texas. Ice crystals glistened, almost as if they made their own light.

It was a nice way to begin a barbecue tour, especially since we were headed to Snow's BBQ, open only Saturdays, where brisket for breakfast remains one of the Posse's favorite meals since we first visited the place in 2009.

I recently moved to Austin so Posse co-founder Chris Wilkins and I were driving from there, an hour or so west of Snow's. Others were making the road trip from Dallas, about 180 miles north. A few more Posse members would join us at later stops.

Legendary Snow's BBQ pitmaster Tootsie Tomantez works the pits during our visit. (Photo ©Tom Fox) 

Over two days, the Posse ate at seven places, most ranked among the top handful of barbecue joints in the state, including Franklin Barbecue and La Barbecue in Austin.

Other stops, all in Austin, were John Mueller Meat Co., Freedmen's Bar, Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, and Micklethwait Craft Meats.

We also planned to visit Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew, but were so stuffed from earlier eating that we had to wave the white flag of smoked meat and surrender until another time.

"Not a bad bite was taken, though some of us, like me, took too many bites," Posse member Michael Meadows said of the tour.

Taste highlights were the brisket at Franklin, the brisket and egg tacos at Valentina's, the pit chili at Freedmen's and just about everything on the menu at La Barbecue, a food trailer that also offers free beer and live music.

The massive beef rib at La Barbecue was a hit with the Posse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins)

"My absolute favorite was the beef rib at La Barbecue," said Scott Montgomery, Meadows' brother-in-law, making his first tour with the Posse.

Wilkins ordered the giant rib -- at $22 a pound it cost $47 -- and shared it with everyone. My 21-month-old grand daughter, Ella Gagne, loved it, too.

Ella also dined on the spicy pinto beans at Franklin the next day. That was a love-hate relationship. She'd eat a few beans, cry and clamor for water to ease the heat, then take another bite and repeat the process. It's early in her barbecue-eating career, but she appears to have the makings of a first-rate Posse member. She is a little crystal that does generate her own light.

Her four-month-old brother, Jake, also made a couple stops with us. He smiled a lot so he fit right in with the group, but he didn't eat any barbecue. Maybe next time.

The longest lines we encountered were at La Barbecue and Franklin. Steve Hecht, a reader of this blog from California, saved us a lot of time at La Barbecue. He was making a tour of Texas joints, based in part on some of our posts. He was near the front of the line and discovered we were near the end so came back to talk.

Hecht then let us piggyback on his order, saving us at least an hour and a half of waiting. Thank you, Steve.

Man's best friend joins in the line at Franklin Barbecue on a chilly Saturday morning. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Sunday morning, while the main Posse party went to Valentina's for breakfast, I got in line at Franklin at 7:35. The place opens at 11 a.m.

It was 36 degrees and there were already 20 people and one dog ahead of me. The first person in line told me that he arrived at 5:30. We all wore parkas or several layers of warm clothing and head coverings. Some wore gloves.

The wait, even in the cold, is a social experience and the time goes fast. People bring chairs and drinks and play cards or other games. The guy behind me had been a U.S. Army tank commander in Europe who was soon deploying to Korea. I got a quick lesson in depleted uranium tank-buster shells.

My daughter, Libby Gagne, mother of Ella and Jake, joined me about 90 minutes or so into the wait. She lives a short distance from Franklin and brought hot coffee and pastries. The Posse contingent from Valentina's arrived soon after that bringing extra tacos.

Brisket breakfast tacos at Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

"That's the best breakfast taco I've ever eaten," Wilkins said, handing me the warm bag. Libby and I sampled one. Chris might be right.

After the doors opened and we moved inside, our attention was drawn to a photograph of Aaron and Stacy Franklin and crew at their original trailer, first set up in 2009 near I-35 and 34th Street.

The menu listed the price of brisket then at $13 a pound. Now, it's $20, more than a 50 percent increase. Seems like a lot, but Austin home prices have also shot up over the same span. Shelter and barbecue, after all, are two necessities of life.

Stuffed, we headed to our last stop, Micklethwait, a short drive away. It's a trailer operation in a nice park-like spot. Some of the Posse had headed back to Dallas after Franklin.

The few of us left ordered a three-meat platter with a couple of sides. We barely picked at the food but it was all good. I found myself thinking that this would be a great weekday lunch spot for anyone living in Austin, then quickly remembered, that's me!

I'll be back.

Return to Austin BBQ Tour  

Saturday Jan 23

6:30am: Leave Dallas, meet at Snow’s around 9am  (178 miles to Lexington)

9am: Snow’s BBQ, 516 Main St, Lexington, 979-773-4640. Open Sat. 8am–12pm or until the meat runs out.  (66 miles to Austin)   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

noon: La Barbecue, 1906 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, 512-605-9696. Open Wed & Sun 11am-6pm or until sold out, Thurs-Sat 11am-9pm or until sold out.   (Texas Monthly Top 50)

3pm: John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th Street, Austin, Open Thurs-Tues (closed Wed) 10:30am-6pm or until sold out.  (Texas Monthly Top 50)

7pm: Freedmen’s Bar, 2402 San Gabriel St., Austin, 512-220-0953. Open Tues-Wed & Sun 11am-10pm, Thurs-Sat 11am-midnight.

Overnight in Austin

Sunday Jan 24

8:30am: Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, 7612 Brodie Ln, Austin, 512-221-4248. Open 7 days a week 8am-10pm.  (trailer/breakfast tacos)

11am: Franklin Barbecue, 900 E 11th St, 512-653-1187. Open Tues-Sun 11am-until the meat runs out.     (Texas Monthly Top 50)

1pm: Micklethwait Craft Meats,  1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, 512-791-5961.  Open Tues-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-3pm.

2:30pm: Head back to Dallas (195 miles)

Out late Saturday lunch at John Mueller Meat Co. was stellar.   (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The wait at La BBQ was over two hours from the back of the line. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Ribs are pulled off the pit at Snow's BBQ in Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The Texas Capitol dome hovers in the background across I-35 from Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

The brisket, ribs and sausage at Franklin Barbecue were among the best of the weekend. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

A photo of Aaron & Stacy Franklin from their original BBQ trailer hangs on the wall at Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Posse member Jim Rossman enjoys breakfast at Snow's BBQ. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

More photos from the Return to Austin BBQ Tour

Tending the late-night pits at Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

One of the great rewards after a Texas BBQ tour is looking back on our trip through the eyes of Posse member Tom Fox.  We've written about Tom's amazing work before, he's a staff photographer at The Dallas Morning News and a 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for his work on the Morning News photo team coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

We consider Tom to be one of the top visual storytellers documenting the Texas BBQ trail. Along with our friend Wyatt McSpadden, the godfather of Texas BBQ photography, Tom brings the unique beauty and artistry of  the Texas barbecue scene to thousands & thousands of readers. You can follow Tom's work on Instagram @weatherfox.

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Beef rib at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Pitmaster Dylan Taylor, 21, at La Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ pitmaster Elias Vidal, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Snow's BBQ, Lexington. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Franklin Barbecue, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Freedmen's Bar, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, Austin. (Photo ©Tom Fox)

Zip Code 78702 -- East Austin -- the center of the Texas BBQ universe

Tom Micklethwait, pitmaster & owner of Micklethwait Craft Meats. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Last spring we wrote that Austin had replaced Lockhart as the new barbecue capital of Texas.

Now, with La Barbecue moving east of I-35, we're prepared to be even more specific.

East Austin, specifically Zip Code 78702, is the undisputed center of the Texas barbecue universe.

La Barbecue, with pit boss John Lewis, opens this week in its new location at the corner of East 6th Street and Waller.

According to Google, that puts La Barbecue about a half-mile (a 9-minute walk) from Franklin Barbecue on East 11th Street, about six-tenths of a mile (an 11-minute walk) from Micklethwait Craft Meats on Rosewood Ave., and about a mile from John Mueller Meat Co. on East 6th.

All are in the same Zip Code.

When we made our Austin tour earlier this year, Micklethwait had run out of meat by the time we arrived. We remedied that -- partially anyway -- two days after Thanksgiving. Posse member Mike Gagne ordered brisket to go from Micklethwait and we ate it a few minutes later at his East Austin home.

It was delicious, rivaling the brisket at Franklin and La Barbecue, we both thought. And the line at about 1 p.m. that Saturday was short. Only a couple of people were ahead of us.

Short lines and great barbecue. At the Posse, that's our holiday wish.

Locations of the joints:

• La Barbecue, E. 6th St. and Waller.
• Franklin Barbecue, 900 E. 11th St.
• Micklethwait Craft Meats, 1309 Rosewood Ave.
• John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th St.

John Lewis, pitmaster at La Barbecue in Austin. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

Slow Bone Update: Less smoke is a good thing

Brisket, ribs and cilantro sausage from The Slow Bone. (Photo by Jim Rossman)

I stopped by The Slow Bone for lunch today and I was really happy with what I found on my tray. I started out with a two meat plate of moist brisket and ribs, but owner Jack Perkins told me he's been tweaking the recipe and grind of the cilantro sausage, so I adjusted to a three meat plate.

I have to say my first bite of brisket made me close my eyes, stop chewing and savor. The texture was right on and the fat was perfectly rendered. The combination of fat, meat and rub made for one of those perfect bites.

I've had really good brisket here before, but what I ate today was among the best I've eaten anywhere. Jack's brisket is ready to be in the conversation with the best joints in the state.

The Barbecue Chronicles: Austin is the new Lockhart BBQ Tour

       The Texas BBQ Posse dives into a spread of sausage, brisket, ribs and turkey at La Barbecue in Austin. 

(Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)     

Story by Gary Jacobson

It would be easy to get carried away by what’s happening in Austin barbecue.

Amid a fertile startup environment, young pitmasters are creating a smoked-meat renaissance, using only wood-fired pits and adopting old-school ways to cook for a new generation. A case could even be made that Austin has replaced Lockhart as the capital of Texas barbecue.

We’ll leave that big-think stuff for another time. This is a story about barbecue tourism.

The Texas BBQ Posse has been riding since 2009, and the mission on its most recent tour was to sample as much of that good Austin barbecue as possible during a day trip from Dallas, covering 400 miles in 13 hours.

The five places we visited were all located within a 5-mile radius of the state Capitol building.

Video: The Texas BBQ Posse talks about their Austin BBQ Tour

Here's our latest barbecue tour video, shot and produced by Dallas Morning News photojournalist Nathan Hunsinger.

Is Austin rapidly becoming the the new Texas BBQ capital, replacing Lockhart? Some of our readers wholeheartedly agree, while some consider such statements as blasphemy. Yes, barbecue is a highly emotional issue.

Click here to read our Austin BBQ Tour story and see the tour slideshow on dallasnews.com.

You can join us for an online chat about the Austin BBQ Tour at 1pm-2pm on Monday, April 29th. Click here for the link to the chat on dallasnews.com.

Today in the Dallas Morning News: The BBQ Posse's Austin BBQ Tour

Here's a look at our Austin BBQ Tour story in today's Dallas Morning News travel section. This is the Posse's second installment from the Texas BBQ trail in the DMN this year. Our Best of Texas BBQ project was published in early March.

The tour grew out of a growing suspicion that Austin might be quickly replacing Lockhart as the state's barbecue capital. And nothing we experienced on that day disproved the theory, every stop on the tour was nothing short of sensational.

Click here to see the story, slideshow and video links on the DMN Travel section of dallasnews.com.

Also, you can join us for an online chat about the Austin BBQ Tour at 1pm-2pm on Monday, April 29th. Click here for the link to the chat on dallasnews.com.

See the photos from the Posse's Austin BBQ Tour - The Fantastic Mr. Fox strikes again

Dallas Morning News staff photographer Tom Fox at work on the Austin BBQ Tour.
(Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

When you're on the road with the Texas BBQ Posse, it's kind of like being in the middle of a media storm. The Posse is mainly made up of Dallas Morning News writers, editors, photojournalists and their friends. Yes, we have been accused before of being the BBQ paparazzi.

On the recent Austin BBQ Tour we had nine journalists and artists in the group, including five photographers. One of those was award-winning DMN staff photographer Tom Fox.

Tom has captured numerous major awards in our industry, including being part of DMN team who won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for photo coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Here's a DMN photo blog post he wrote just yesterday about shooting a historic photo of the five living Presidents at the Bush Library dedication on Thursday.

The Posse's Austin BBQ Tour: Is Austin poised to overtake Lockhart as the barbecue capital of Texas?

Stops on the Austin BBQ Tour, clockwise from top left: John Mueller Meat Co., Franklin Barbecue, La Barbecue and Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew. (Photos by Tom Fox/DMN)

The Dallas Morning News just posted Gary Jacobson's story on our recent Austin BBQ Tour on both dallasnews.com and the DMN iPad app. The print story will appear on the in the newspaper's travel section on Sunday.

This may have been the best single day of barbecue we've ever had on tour, sampling four meats from each joint visited. As a collective group, the brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey from La Barbecue, Franklin Barbecue, John Mueller Meat Co. and Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew were outstanding. We had a fifth joint on the itinerary, but Micklethwait Craft Meats had run out of meat for the day by the time we got there at 2 p.m.

Turkey makes a move to join the royal family of Texas barbecue meats

The turkey breast at Franklin Barbecue was amazing. (Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)

On Posse tours, we've noticed that more joints are adding smoked turkey breast to their menus, so we added it to our standard order during our recent Best of Austin barbecue tour.

Brisket, pork ribs, sausage... and turkey. The holy trinity -- plus one -- of Texas barbecue.

All four places we visited had turkey. Mainly, it was good.

The best we had was at Franklin Barbecue. It was worth the wait in line just to see the meat cutter take the turkey breast from its butter bath, slice several pieces, slosh them in the butter and then flip them on scale.

Yes, they are weighing -- and charging for -- the butter drench.  But it was worth it.

Mueller ties run deep in BBQ joints on the Posse's Best of Austin Tour

A portrait of the late Bobby Mueller, shot by daughter LeAnn, watches over La Barbecue. (Photo by Tom Fox/DMN)

Follow the roots of most of the joints on our recent Best of Austin tour and they trace back, directly or indirectly, to Texas legend Louie Mueller and his place in Taylor.

LeAnn and John Mueller,  grand children of Louie and children of Bobby, are the most direct links. LeAnn owns La Barbecue. John is the pitmaster at John Mueller Meat Co. They used to work together but then there was that infamous blow up.

Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue, once worked for John Mueller.

Lance Kirkpatrick, pitmaster at Stiles Switch BBQ and Brew, once worked at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor.

John Lewis, pitmaster at La Barbecue, worked with Aaron Franklin at Franklin's and worked briefly with John Mueller.

BBQ is..... A photo project by Posse member Daniel Goncalves

Lance Kirkpatrick, pitmaster at Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew. (Photo ©Daniel Goncalves)

Here's a sneak peek at the beginning of an extraordinary photo project by Dallas-based editorial and commercial photographer Daniel Goncalves. As most of you know by now, the Posse is a pretty creative group, made up of Dallas Morning News photojournalists, writers, editors and their friends. With this project, Daniel has raised the creative bar for the Posse.

Daniel writes about the concept:

I love people as much as I love food. The Posse has introduced me to great people and incredible BBQ. While on tour I've been working on a pitmaster portrait series. Photographers usually shoot with digital cameras. At times I get a bit nostalgic and miss the dark room days. A couple of months back I bought a Fuji Instax 210 instant film camera for a road trip to Galveston. It's a compromise between the instant gratification of digital while still shooting film (without the need for chemicals in a darkroom).

Sneak peek at our Austin BBQ Tour

Lunch no. 1 at Franklin Barbecue. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

The Posse was wheels up from Dallas early this morning to check out the growing Austin barbecue scene, which we believe could be overtaking Lockhart as the capital of Texas BBQ. This trip was a chance to test that theory.

Stay tuned to the Texas BBQ Posse blog for stories and snippets from the trip. Our reporting will culminate at the end of April with a story in The Dallas Morning News and multimedia on dallasnews.com.

Here's the trip itinerary: