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

Environmental experts say Texas data centers come with uncertainty

Published

7 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Environmental experts say Texas data centers come with uncertainty

article

The main switchyard at a Midlothian power plant. The federal government is sending Texas more than $60 million to strengthen the state’s power grid. Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune

Texas is home to approximately 400 data centers — some currently operational, others still under construction and a number that are still in the planning stages. Experts say the boom comes with a lot of uncertainty.

Texas data center power demand

What they’re saying:

“Data centers are a relatively large power demand in a small area, something like, you know, 100 or 200 megawatts of power. That’s more than a small city or a small town would be consuming itself,” said Carey King, a research scientist with the Energy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

Over the past year, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has received more than 200 gigawatts worth of large load interconnection requests, approximately 73% of which are from data centers. That has led to questions about whether the state’s grid is up to the task of supplying power to the facilities.

“Many of us who suffered through winter storm Uri still have PTSD over, you know, fears that the grid won’t be able to meet demand,” said Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, a local nonprofit working to safeguard the state’s natural environment.

Question of infrastructure

That’s not the only question. King points out that there is also a question of whether all the proposed data centers will actually be built. He says if they don’t end up materializing, it could spell trouble for anyone making investment decisions based on the projections. And if infrastructure is built to accommodate the needs of projects that never come to fruition, those costs could be passed off to consumers in the form of higher rates.

Experts say these speculative data center projects have led to uncertainty around how much power will actually be needed to meet the demands of the state’s data centers.

Senate Bill 6, which was signed into law last June, outlined new requirements for data center projects, including stipulating that data centers put up more capital up front for things like transmission studies and interconnection fees. The bill is, in part, intended to reduce some of that uncertainty around speculative power loads.

Potential environmental impact

But concerns still remain around the potential environmental impact of the state’s data centers.

“There are an estimated 130 new gas-powered power plants that have been proposed for Texas, in part to meet this demand for data centers, and if they’re all built, that’s going to have as much climate pollution as 27 million cars,” said Metzger.

Above all, Metzger says the biggest uncertainty is water, as there is no central entity in the state that collects and compiles information on those needs.

On average, a single data center consumes millions of gallons of water annually, according to researchers with the University of Michigan. Metzger says that’s of particular concern here in Texas, where water supply is already being pushed to its limits.

“Texas is a very drought-prone state, and already, you know, you know, according to the Water Development Board, you know, we don’t have enough supply to meet demand,” said Metzger. “There is no way to make more water. And so, I think ultimately, you know that that could be the greatest concern for the state.”

Over the past year, residents across Central Texas have spoken out about data centers in places like Round Rock and Taylor, citing additional concerns including falling property values, noise, and health impacts.

What’s next:

Moving forward, experts recommend that local leaders undergo long-range planning to determine whether they’re able to allocate limited resources to data centers in the long run prior to approving these projects.

The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 7 interviews with experts.

TexasTechnologyEnvironment

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Austin, TX

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

Published

19 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued a Silver Alert for an elderly man who has been missing since Friday afternoon in Austin.

The Austin Police Department is looking for Charles Evans, a 73-year-old man diagnosed with a cognitive impairment. Evans was last seen at 5:37 p.m. on Jan. 9 in Austin.

Silver Alert issued for missing 73-year-old man in Austin

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Police describe him as a 6’3″ tall white male, weighing 225 pounds, has gray hair, hazel eyes, and who uses a walker.

Law enforcement officials believe his disappearance poses a credible threat to his health and safety.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-5000.

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Austin, TX

Man arrested, charged for deadly shooting at downtown Austin hotel

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Man arrested, charged for deadly shooting at downtown Austin hotel

article

AUSTIN, Texas – A 20-year-old was arrested and charged with murder for a deadly shooting at the Cambria Hotel in downtown Austin, police said.

What we know:

Police said on Monday, Jan. 5, around 6:55 a.m., officers responded to a report of a gunshot at the Cambria Hotel at 68 East Avenue #824. The caller said a person had been shot.

When officers arrived, they found a man with injuries. He later died at the scene. He was identified as Luke Bradburn.

The investigation revealed that Bradburn drove and crashed a car that belonged to 20-year-old Maximillian Salinas. After the crash, Bradburn and the other people in the car left and went to the Cambria Hotel.

Salinas went to the hotel and shot Bradburn.

On Jan. 6, Salinas was arrested and charged with murder.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police at 512-974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.

The Source: Information from the Austin Police Department

DowntownCrime and Public Safety

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