Central Texas barbecue in East Austin
Fire at 2am. Doors at 11. When it's gone, it's gone.
Brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey smoked over post oak and sold by the half-pound at the counter until the day's run is gone. Order ahead and skip the line.
Order ahead
Today's board
4.9 from 2,300 reviews
Post oak only
Family-owned since 2014
Wed–Sun from 11
Today's tray: fatty brisket, pork ribs, jalapeño-cheddar sausage
Posted at the window at 11
By the pound, by the half.
Prices are by the pound and we'll cut you a half of anything. The board gets wiped as the day goes, and most days it's clean by two. If you need a sure thing, order ahead.
Order ahead for pickup
Brisket
Fatty or lean, sliced to order
$34/lb
Pork spare ribs
Pepper bark, pull clean
$28/lb
Beef rib
Saturdays and Sundays, about a pound each
$42/lb
Sausage
Original or jalapeño-cheddar, made in-house
$7/link
Smoked turkey
Brined overnight, sliced thick
$26/lb
Pulled pork
Shoulder, 14 hours
$22/lb
Half-pound minimum per meat. Every order comes with white bread, pickles and onions.
Build a tray.
Two meats, two sides, white bread, pickles and onions. Or just a sandwich and a sweet tea on the patio.
Two-meat plate
Any two meats, two sides, white bread, pickles and onions.
$24
Three-meat plate
Three meats, two sides, the works. Bring an appetite or a friend.
$30
Chopped brisket sandwich
Chopped brisket, sausage, slaw and pickles on a toasted bun.
$16
Pinto beans
Potato salad
Slaw
Jalapeño creamed corn
Mac and cheese
Banana pudding
Pecan pie
Sweet tea
Red cream soda
Pickles and onions, always free
Sides $4.50 each or $12 a pint. Banana pudding and pecan pie $6. Sweet tea $3.
How the day goes
2:00 AM
The fire is lit.
Post oak only, split last fall and seasoned a year. Nothing else goes in the firebox: no gas, no pellets, no charcoal.
3:30 AM
Briskets go on.
Salt, coarse black pepper, 225 degrees, twelve to fourteen hours. The pit crew feeds the fire every twenty minutes until the doors open.
11:00 AM
The doors open.
The line is out front; the side window is for orders placed ahead. Meat is sliced when you reach the counter, never before.
2:00 PM
Gone.
Most days the board is wiped by two. We cook what three pits can cook right, so we'd rather sell out than let you down.
Twelve years of lines down 12th Street.
The line starts before we open and the board is clean by two. Here's what three pits and one wood add up to.
12
years at the pits
3
offset pits, one wood
650
pounds smoked a day
4.9
stars from 2,300 reviews
Heard in line.
Got there at 10:40 on a Saturday, the line was already around the corner, and it was worth every minute. The fatty brisket falls apart.
Marcus, Cherrywood
Ordered ahead for a Friday lunch meeting, walked up to the side window at noon and was back at the office in twenty minutes.
Priya, Mueller
The jalapeño-cheddar sausage is the best in Austin and I'll argue about it.
Danny, Govalle
Beat the clock. Order ahead.
Place your order by 9am for same-day pickup, Wednesday through Sunday. We text you back to confirm, hold it at the side window until 1pm, and you skip the line. Pay at the window.
01
Order by 9am
Tell us what you want, by the pound or by the plate, and when you'll come by.
02
We text you back
A confirmation with your pickup time, usually within the hour. Pre-orders are capped at 40 pounds a day.
03
Side window, skip the line
Say your name, grab your tray, pay at the window. We hold pre-orders until 1pm.
Rather call or text? (512) 555-0147
Send my order
Barbecue for the whole crew.
By the pound with 48 hours' notice and a 5-pound minimum per meat, Pit-Master Packs that feed 10 to 50, or full-service catering with a pit crew on site. Austin and anywhere within 30 miles.
Whole brisket, about 7 pounds cooked, sliced or whole, with bread, pickles and onions: $225 with 48 hours' notice.
Plan an event
Pit-Master Pack, feeds 10
Game day, the office, a birthday
$240
3 lb brisket, 2 lb sausage, 2 lb turkey 2 quarts of sides Bread, pickles, onions and sauce
Order this pack
Pit-Master Pack, feeds 20
Our most ordered. Rehearsal dinners, team lunches
$460
6 lb brisket, 3 lb ribs, 3 lb sausage 4 quarts of sides The works, plus banana pudding
Order this pack
Pit-Master Pack, feeds 50
Weddings, block parties, the whole company
from $1,100
Brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey by the pound 3 gallons of sides Banana pudding for everyone
Order this pack
Full-service catering with a pit crew on site, from $28 a head, 25-person minimum.
Email the catering desk
Plan an event
Tell us the date, the headcount and what you have in mind. We reply within one business day with a menu and a price.
Send the request
Asked in line, every day.
Anything else, call or text. Someone's at the counter from 10 until the board is clean.
Call or text (512) 555-0147
Do you take reservations?
No. It's counter service, and the line moves faster than you'd think. If you're short on time, order ahead by 9am and come straight to the side window.
When should I get in line?
Weekdays, 10:30 gets you into the first seating. Saturdays, come by 10:15 or order ahead. We post what's left on the board at the window as the day goes.
Do you really sell out?
Most days, between 1:30 and 2:30. We cook what three pits can cook right, and when it's gone, it's gone. Orders placed ahead by 9am are guaranteed and held until 1pm.
Can I buy a whole brisket?
Yes. Whole briskets, about 7 pounds cooked, are $225 with 48 hours' notice, sliced or whole, with bread, pickles and onions. Order through the catering form or call.
Parking? Kids? Dogs?
A gravel lot out back and street parking on 12th. Kids eat free on Sundays with a plate. Dogs are welcome on the patio, and there's a water bowl by the door.
Do you ship?
Not yet. We're a three-pit joint on East 12th and we'd rather you came by. Catering goes anywhere within 30 miles of Austin.
Fire's lit. See you at 11.
2914 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
Wed–Fri
11am until sold out
Sat–Sun
10:30am until sold out
Mon–Tue
Closed
Get directions
Call or text (512) 555-0147