Iron Works BBQ
| Address: | 100 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701, USA |
| Phone: | +1 512-478-4855 |
| Site: | ironworksbbq.com |
| Rating: | 3.9 |
| Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
JI
Jimmy Ho
During SXSW, there are long lines that extend to the end of the block at most quality barbecue joints. Iron Works BBQ is not immune to this either. They were my favorite barbecue joint in college. The delicious beef ribs probably skewed my opinion back then. Iron Works is located right by the convention center and numerous hotels in an old iron work shop. People who are in town visiting or for work can walk over to Iron Works. I do not know if that is a good or bad thing. Apparently this week during SX, they have smoked tofu. If I was not out of town, I might try it on this meatless Monday. I got the sampler plate which came with three meats and a side of beans and potato salad. I added a beef rib to the meal. The brisket was smoky but dry. It did not have a lot going on for it. There was not enough flavor and almost roast beef like. The baby back ribs were solid. It had good smoke and a sweet glaze. I only ate one of them because I did not want to get overly full. The sausage was good. It had a nice grit and fat content. The sausage had a peppery flavor and was little spicy. They could have filled the sausage better because the casing was loose. The first time beef ribs were introduced to me was at Iron Works. I remembered it being one of the best things I have ever had. On this trip, they were good but not in the league of others out there. It had a sweet glaze like the pork rib. They did not have a lot of meat on them. I guess they get this cut so it would be easier to smoke and would be cheaper as well. The ribs were smoky but could have stayed in the smoker a little bit longer. They were a little bit chewier and hard to bite off the bone. The beans and potato salad were forgettable. Iron Works BBQ is average Texas barbecue. It seems like a touristy destination. The Salt Lick and them. A lot of celebrities have visited Iron Works over the years. I wish more of them were like Jimmy Kimmel. With all of the good barbecue in this area, I would skip Iron Works unless you wanted some barbecue for dinner. They are also closed on Sundays.
MA
Marcelo Teson
Iron Works was my first experience with Texas Barbecue in Austin. I was visiting my future wife, who lived here in Austin (I was in LA) and a family friend of mine invited us out to Iron Works to have some traditional Texas Barbecue. I didnt know at the time what I know now - that potato salad and beans was about as good as I was going to get when it came to sides, that sauce was a side condiment to be used sparingly, and that Texas BBQ was as much about the experience as the flavor. So to me it was all a great unveiling. Iron Works BBQ is not the best in Austin. That goes to Franklin or Sams. Its not the prettiest - that goes to Salt Lick. But its a trooper. Theyre there, every day, serving up food, and they do a damn good job of it. The brisket is tender and well-smoked, and with the bread and some sauce it makes a mean sandwich. The pork ribs are good as well. But the beef ribs - holy crap. Theyre awesome. And you dont get anywhere else really that serves em. Beef ribs are often underused - theyre too heavy and bony and fatty, and the meat above them is better suited for ribeye steaks. Iron Works knows better. I loved their beef ribs so much, and I salute them for carving out a niche for themselves. The atmosphere deserves a mention too, its old school, smoke-color on the walls, with wrought iron everywhere. Theres a gorgeous outdoor patio area overlooking a small chasm behind the restaurant. You forget youre anywhere near downtown. All in all, Iron Works is a go-to workhorse, a steady habit that needs more attention in this age, where the only BBQ worth trying is the new one, the best one. The beef ribs are worth a visit alone, but everything else is great too. One bad thing - the sauce features high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. Boo, Ironworks!
CL
Clint Miller
We were sad to find that an Austin icon has chosen to rest on its laurels. Being next to the convention center likely brings in fresh “meat,” but for folks who know what both good and mediocre Texas BBQ is all about, this place was bottom of the barrel. Fact – They dont offer a combo plate. Really?! You have to be standout great to operate like the Soup Nazi, and even then it only makes sense to offer what many customers want. Fact – You cant order less than 4 pork ribs. Really?! Why choose to exacerbate the no-combo oversight with such a silly requirement. The choice was simple – “No thanks.” to their rude insistence that we order more than we wanted. Experienced Opinion – The brisket was terrible. We opted for moist because we find that it has more flavor than lean, and while it was very fatty, it offered absolutely no flavor. None?! Really?! Our best description was if you took a piece of unseasoned (and clearly un-smoked) meat and boiled it, you might be able to reproduce what was offered to us. Thankfully there was some hot vinegary BBQ sauce to soak it in, otherwise we couldnt have choked it down. It also helped knowing that Rainey Street was our next destination and that some trendy food trailers were waiting. Conclusion – There are too many great BBQ joints in Central Texas and even in Austin to waste time giving Iron Works a second chance. Of course we were disappointed for ourselves, but almost as much were disappointed that so many BBQ virgins will continue to flow out of the convention center and keep this Austin icon afloat. We just wish Iron Works would choose to impress them and give them a true experience of Texas BBQ. Maybe with enough constructive feedback they will.
JO
John Gilchrist
Worst Service Ever. The staff here is consistently jerks. On a recent visit my friends and I purchased nearly $100 of food and drinks. I was getting a refill of tea and when I tried to refill my friends soda, the cashier told me there was a charge for soda refills. I asked if tea refills were free and he said yes. I refilled my tea with no problem, but when i started refilling my friends soda with tea the cashier barked at me that I would have to pay for an entire new drink as apparently you cant refill a soda with tea even though they are the same price. When I told the cashier that we just bought a bunch of bbq, and paid for both drinks at the same price, and that he just told me tea was free refills, his response was accusing me of trying to steal a drink. I ended up paying another drink so that I could get my friend a refill of tea. I would chalk this up to a bad day for this cashier, but have had friends have similar negative experiences with this employee on separate occasions. As for the food, it is pretty unimpressive, save for some good beef ribs, but Austin has dozens of better BBQ restaurants that serve much better food with much less attitude.
K
K M
Had to try some barbecue while in Austin! Even though we weve been on a plant based diet lately we did get in some barbecue, I mean we were in Austin, TX after all! I like more flavor to my meat so I wasnt particularly excited about their brisket or their sauces. The spicy barbecue sauce was just hot and the regular one had a nice sweet flavor but nothing special. I couldnt eat the brisket without the sauce. But Im probably not the best person to judge meat. I loved the corn on the cob and the fresh tasty peppers from the salad bar. Unfortunately, the lettuce itself had a weird taste to it so it did not get finished. Everyone happily finished their shared sample platters of a beef rib, brisket and sausage. I didnt try anything except the brisket. If we were to go back again I would make sure to go earlier in the day so I could get a baked potato which they only serve at lunch time, instead of starving to death.
