Austin, TX

Top BBQ spots in Austin for Saturday’s Georgia-Texas top 5 college football matchup

Published

1 year ago

October 16, 2024

Top BBQ spots in Austin for Saturday’s Georgia-Texas top 5 college football matchup

Are you traveling to the Lone Star State this weekend for the big game, No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Georgia? Are you looking to get your bulldog paws on some good ole Texan barbecue?

Well look no further. The Athens Banner-Herald has found several places that locals frequent and have rated with love just for you. Go get your grub on (and bring some back for me, please).

The Salt Lick BBQ

Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. & Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Address: 18300 Ranch to Market Rd 1826, Driftwood, Texas

Phone number: 512-858-4959

Located in Driftwood, a roughly 40-minute scenic drive from Darrell K Royal—Texas Memorial Stadium and downtown Austin, The Salt Lick BBQ was founded in 1967 and has been smoking meat ever since.

The 4.6-star rated restaurant offers a plethora of smoked meats and delicious sides for everybody. Whether you want family-style, all you can eat, a plate or a sandwich, or even a half pound of meat, The Salt Lick has it. Diners can pick from a dozen sides and three cobblers (blackberry, peach or half & half) or chocolate pecan pie for dessert.

They even have their own trademarked BBQ sauce, which they sell in restaurant, in store and online. The sauce is a “Southeastern style that has been Texa-fied,” according to the website.

If you want meat for a tailgate, you can actually mail-order it and the Salt Lick website provides instructions on how to reheat different ways (outdoors, oven, etc.). Their meats are vacuum-sealed and sent via FedEx to the lower 48. Though, same-day delivery is not available, so start placing now!

Terry Black’s BBQ

Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. & Friday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

Address: 1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, Texas

Phone number: 512-394-5899

Located just outside downtown Austin, just a 15-minute drive from the UT football stadium and on the outskirts of Butler Metro Park, Terry Black’s BBQ is a family-owned pitstop brought to the city from Lockhart, run by Terry’s three children: Christina, Michael and Mark Black.

This 4.5-star rated restaurant is a gluten- and dairy-free friendly atmosphere, with brisket, ribs, sausages, turkey and beef. You can get them in family packs with several pounds or on sandwiches, and even chilled, and they have a plethora of yummy sides, from mac and cheese to beans, Mexican rice, cream corn, coleslaw or potato salad. Feel free to pick up a little banana pudding or peach cobbler to curb any sweet tooth sufferers.

Lucky for you, they also have pre-orders for pickup, and they’re a lot closer. Pickup orders must be placed 50 minutes in advance and a $75 minimum purchase, while delivery needs to be placed two days (48 hours) in advance and a $140 minimum purchase. They offer different size options depending on the group you plan to feed at your tailgate.

‘I’m going to Terry Black’s’: Olympic discus gold medalist Valarie Allman wants Texas BBQ

la Barbecue

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Address: 2401 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, Texas

Phone number: 512-605-9696

Located in east Austin, just a 15-minute drive from the University of Texas and a couple blocks from Lady Bird Lake, la Barbecue is run by LeAnn Mueller and her wife Ali Clem.

This 4.5-star rated restaurant swears by its locally sourced beef, which comes from a grass-fed, completely hormone-free ranch. It was ranked in the top 50 in Texas Monthly in a 2024 edition and Yelp reviewers have called this the best BBQ in Texas.

They offer meats by the pound, regular sandwiches and specialty sandwiches, and several house-made sausages and pickling options as sides, in pints or quarts (pickles, kimchi, onions, jalapeños). They also have a page-long menu featuring cocktails, beers, champagnes and wines as refreshments.

You can order online, and they even offer tailgate packages specialty for parties of 10 or 20, which include brisket, pulled pork, sausage, potato salad, slaw, beans and shells in cheese with bottled sweet and tangy sauce, as well as plates, napkins and cutlery.

Matt Odam: You gotta try this brisket at La Barbecue. It’s a cut above

Other well-rated BBQ places in Austin

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue. Located at 5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, Texas. Hours are Sunday-Monday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Tuesday closed; Wednesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Matt Odam: Reviewing LeRoy and Lewis, Austin’s most original barbecue restaurant and one of its best

Brown’s Bar-B-Que. Located at 1901 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas. Hours are Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
InterStellar BBQ. Located at 12233 Ranch Rd 620 N, Unit 105, Austin, Texas. Hours are Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Micklethwait Craft Meats. Located at 1309 Rosewood Ave, Austin, Texas. Hours are Thursday-Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Lamberts. Located at 401 W 2nd St, Austin, Texas. Hours are Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; and Sunday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Iron Works BBQ. Located at 100 Red River St, Austin, Texas. Hours are Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9p.m.
Barbs-B-Q. Located at 102 E Market St, Lockhart, Texas. Hours are Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and closed Monday-Friday.

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Austin, TX

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Published

3 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Texas’ Gorgeous State Park Northwest Of Austin Is A Rustic Haven With Caves And A Stunning Waterfall – Islands

Billy McDonald/Shutterstock

The landscapes around Austin are a natural wonderland for outdoor adventures, from diving into pristine swimming holes to kayaking on the beautiful lakes of the Texas Hill Country. But one destination northwest of the city is a particularly gorgeous escape. Colorado Bend State Park, about two hours away by car, is home to ethereal caves and a 70-foot spring-fed waterfall.

The 5,300-acre park has 35 miles of hiking trails, including one that leads to the park’s most famous feature, Gorman Falls. The rugged 3-mile round-trip hike is considered moderately challenging to difficult, with steep, rocky sections, slippery areas, and little shade from the sun. The trek is worth it for the chance to view the cascades, towering high above the river and fed by a mineral-rich spring. “The falls were beautiful, natural, and peaceful!” said one hiker on AllTrails. If you’re interested in other nearby adventures, be sure to check out all the breathtaking waterfall destinations tourists can find in Austin.

Sometimes the water at Gorman Falls is rushing, and other times the waterfalls are quieter, according to traveler reviews. “This is a beautiful trickling fall that is right out of a storybook about fairies,” said one review on Google. Many agreed that the hike itself isn’t easy. “Very rocky and challenging but worth the effort,” commented another. Several people mentioned that the trail may not be appropriate for beginners, kids, or dogs, that it gets very busy on weekends, and that it’s important to bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Plan an escape to Colorado Bend State Park

Gorman Falls Trail and the Colorado River at Colorado Bend State Park

David Wayne Radzieta/Shutterstock

Another of the park’s key attractions is its system of underground caves, which visitors can explore on a guided tour with Nichols Outdoor Adventures. The intermediate-level Adventure Tour ($25 per person), billed as “an introduction to what Texas caving is all about,” is a 1.5-hour excursion that takes participants deep underground to crawl through cavernous passageways. “It was a fabulous experience,” said one recent guest on TripAdvisor. “[The guide] did a great job of explaining the topography, how the caves were formed, and answering any and all questions throughout the tour.” The activity is only for travelers ages 8 and up, and though long pants, headlamps, and closed-toe shoes are required, helmets and knee pads are provided. You can book your tour online.

Whether you’re touring the caves or hiking to waterfalls, you’ll need to pay a day-use fee ($5 per person) to access Colorado Bend State Park. It’s smart to reserve your pass online, since the park has a limited capacity and often fills up. If you’re hoping to camp in the park, you’ll want to make arrangements even further in advance. Simple campsites (without hookups) start at $10 per night, while larger group sites start at around $35.

Colorado Bend State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s less than a two-hour drive from Austin’s international airport. If you love Colorado Bend, consider a detour to the secluded Inks Lake State Park, an idyllic getaway with shady trails and peaceful waters.

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Austin, TX

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

Published

15 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Sunday storms expected in Austin. Here’s how long rough weather could last.

While we saw severe weather across parts of the state on Saturday, the bulk of the action happened in North Texas but don’t let your guard down yet. That system will influence our weather in Central Texas throughout much of next week, bringing daily chances for rain and thunderstorms.

Saturday’s cold front has stalled across South Texas, and the next weather feature to watch is a closed system of low atmospheric pressure lingering near the Baja California coast. That system will send several atmospheric disturbances into Texas that will keep rain chances high across the region.

Overcast skies, spotty showers, light north winds, and cooler temperatures will welcome us Sunday morning. Temperatures will be in the middle and upper 50s through mid-morning and then climb about 10 to 15 degrees by the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures will remain closer to climatological normals for early March, in the upper 60s and low 70s.

While we do expect to see some thunderstorms across the region at times on Sunday, severe weather is not on the menu. Rain chances are about 50% with rainfall totals between a half-inch to an inch.

The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday. We’ll have a small rain chance, about 30% to 40%, on Monday with a few afternoon thunderstorms possible. Temperatures will be warm, though, with the morning near 60s degrees and the afternoon reaching the low 80s.

Rain chances look to ramp up again from Tuesday through Thursday with the potential for some strong and severe thunderstorms.

“For now, it looks like late Tuesday into Wednesday will be favored as a closed low (pressure system) moves across West Texas into Central Texas,” the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast bulletin. “We will likely see some changes in the path of this upper low, but the current latitude looks favorable for a line of convection (storm activity) along a Pacific cold front to accompany the passage of this system.”

“The latest guidance shows a 60 to 90% chance of at least 1 inch of rain for most of our area with a 40 to 60% chance of at least 2 inches for areas north of I-10,” the weather service said. “There is a potential for multiple inches across some areas.”

Once this storm heads east by Thursday afternoon, cooler and drier weather will filter in with temperatures closer to our March normals of 50 degrees and 71 degrees.

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Austin, TX

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

Published

1 day ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Austin weather: Cold front, storm risk to roll in mid-afternoon

AUSTIN, Texas – It’s cold front day and storm day! The front is slowing down and not entering Central Texas until the afternoon during the warmest part of the day.

Austin weather risk

This will make the atmosphere unstable and more likely to generate isolated severe storms. The main concern will be with 1 to 2″ diameter hail.

Also a high risk of lightning and moderate chance of heavy rain with the highest flood threat staying in East Texas. Damaging wind and tornado risk remains very low. The first round of storms will happen by early to mid afternoon.

Risk for Saturday night

The second round will occur late tonight and into early Sunday. For now, a half to one inch of rain is likely for much of the area, with isolated spots getting over an inch.