Lockhart Smokehouse

Reviews 5

TO

Tommy Neuman

I dislike having to write a review like this given the many positive reviews that this location has received. The website touts that the experience at this restaurant is much like you would experience if you visited one of the classic barbecue joints located in Lockhart, TX. Im from central Texas and have been to these places and sadly, the only thing that semi-resembles any barbecue place in Lockhart is the counter service. Ill start with the sauce. Why start with the sauce? Because Kreuz which this place closely associates itself with does not have sauce. Lockharts smokehouse does have sauce. Kreuz says that they dont have sauce because they have nothing to hide. Lockharts Smokehouse needs sauce to hide a lot (although I ate all of my barbecue with none, as I always do). I tried the brisket, shoulder clod, ribs, sausage and chicken so I can speak accurately about all of them. Ill start with everyones favorite Overcooked. You couldnt pick it up without it falling apart and it was dry and lacked any flavor (even beef). If Lockharts smokehouse is attempting to cook without a thermometer to check the finish of their brisket they are failing. I understand that a probe test is a good indicator of whether or not a brisket is done, but it is only a good indicator if you know what youre doing. Clearly the pitmaster at this location doesnt. A probe will go into over-cooked brisket just as easily (if not easier) than brisket that is just-right. I had both lean and fatty. The fatty had chunks of un-rendered fat in it likely due to the brisket being cooked too low and the lean was dry likely because it was cooked for too long. Next the shoulder clod. I will admit that I dont eat a lot of shoulder clod so I wont spend a lot of time on it, but it was much dryer than expected. Rather than slathering it with sauce to finish it, I just abandoned it. Next is the ribs. Again, overcooked. No tug to them whatsoever. They didnt even fall of the bone, they disintegrated off of the bone. The moisture and flavor was okay due to the fat content of spare ribs but they were not cooked properly. The sausage was excellent, but it isnt made in-house. It comes from Kreuz. Good snap and good flavor. Lastly the chicken which, again, was overcooked. I couldnt pick up a a leg without coming up with just bone. When I finally did get some meat in my hands and took a bite I came up with a mouth full of rubbery skin. When the meat finally made it into my mouth it was dry. Overall I hate to say it but the experience at Lockharts Smokehouse was nothing like one would experience if they visited Lockhart, TX. Dont judge central Texas barbecue based upon this location. Lockharts Smokehouse is doing central Texas barbecue and the city of Lockhart no favors by using the name.

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TO

Tony Wang

Not a huge fan, but it was worth a try based on all the reviews. Im probably not the typical Texas BBQ lover, for what its worth, but to each his own, eh? So first off, Im not crazy about wrapping up everything in butcher paper and then having to spread it out on the table to eat off of, I prefer plates, etc. But thats ok, seems like thats the common way of doing it. But it does make it hard to eat as a family. Definitely not Instagram-friendly if youre into that :-) We had the ribs and brisket. The brisket was tender and juicy, but I really dont get why people like the bark; to me its just a thick layer of tough, burnt meat that is mostly inedible. And this brisket has LOTS of it. The ribs were pretty good, although the first piece I had was a bit dry; the others were much better. The bbq sauce is good, and I like that they dont even bother putting any on your meat, just let you help yourself, most places add too much. I also wanted to try the sausage, but they were out. Seems like that would be an easy thing to keep in stock, I dont think it takes hours in the smoker, but oh well, no big deal. I dont care at all for the cole slaw or beans, both are way too spicy. And I dont like plain white bread, either, that seems like just a cheap filler. Decent dinner rolls would go much better. The butcher/server was really nice and helpful when I was trying to figure out how much to order. I can see how some folks like this style of food and the overall setting, but for me, I probably wont be back.

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HA

Hans Drasher

This has the most amazing Texas BBQ in the Plano, if not entire Dallas area. Traditionally served on brown paper with a fixins bar that includes pickled Jalapeños, bread & butter pickles, spicy pickles, pickled red onions & their AMAZING spicy bbq sauce. Theres plenty of paper towels & seating space. The sides also include amazing Mac and cheese, baked beans, Devils eggs w/brisket, potato salad w/brisket, Lockhart coleslaw with their spicy bbq sauce & their Bleu cheese coleslaw. They also have plenty of whitebread for soaking up the sauce, making sandwiches & they use the stale bread to make a number of INCREDIBLE bread puddings. During girl scout cookie season the bread puddings are samoas, mint chocolate, trefoils, and the ubiquitous bourbon, cinnamon raisin!! Wednesdays are the beef rib night which are as long as my forearm & full of tender rib meat. Covered in a perfect bark, this bbq joint sells out incredibly fast. Other favorites are Kreuz market sausages, the most tender & juicy smoked turkey breast, pork ribs, brisket & shoulder clod. During lent they have a selection of freshly smoked fish! The decor is casual, theyve got an enticing cocktail selection & plenty of local breweries on tap, bottle & can. I wish I could give this place an extra star for service. The staff is unbelievably friendly & attentive.

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MI

Michael Prior

Note that Im a native Californian, but I did attended culinary school so I know a few things about food. This place was hands-down the best BBQ Ive ever had! I had the shoulder clod, but wish I had the brisket (a kind friend shared with me). The shoulder clod is good if you want less fat, but people...FAT IS FLAVOR. The staff is super friendly and typically adds a "snack" with your meat of a little more meat for you to munch on immediately. They will also sample cuts for you (within reason, cant just eat a whole rib). The sausage was good, but if you go, you gotta eat the brisket and ribs. The mac and cheese was delish. I got half jalapeno and half normal as a friend suggested it. I like spicy foods but was concerned that it wouldve been too spicy. It was not, so Id suggest getting 100% jalapeno mac and cheese if you like spicy foods. I also got the bleu cheese coleslaw. It was ok, better than most coleslaws, but very savory as opposed to the KFC sweet kind. They also offer BBQ sauces and a few pickled items at the condiment table, but definitely hit up the pickled red onions. If you go, know that youll smell like smoke the rest of the day (and until you shower and wash your clothes).

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ZI

Zi-on Cheung

While the quality at Lockharts is still miles ahead of pretty much any BBQ outside the state of Texas, my updated 3 star is based against the creme de la creme of Texas (and some choice spots around the South). In terms of texture and how well the meat is cooked, Lockhart could easily receive a 5 star rating. The brisket and pork ribs are so damn moist they practically melt in your mouth. But the last time I went there, it was that quality that overwhelmed me. Theres far too much grease and fat, and more often than not, it feels like Lockharts is leaning on the heaviness to mask the fact that the meat doesnt have much flavor without the BBQ sauce. Both times Ive been, I left feeling simultaneously satisfied and disgusted with myself. The remedy here may be to stay away from the moist brisket. All in all, solid BBQ that would outdo the vast majority of BBQ joints. But compared to the elite, a solid 3 star.

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