House Park Bar-B-Q

Got a
coupon for this place. The guy behind the counter was friendly and part of the family. This place has quite a history. Good bbq. The brisket was pretty lean.

Great BBQ for a great price. Very well served too. Two very nice men behind the counter went out of their way to please us.

Pretty decent food, casual, cheap. Good place to hang out with some friends but parking is a hassle. Sadly they are only open for a very short amount of time.

Very good bbq at the right price without the lines or wait. Moist brisket is tender and sides are good… especially the beans. This place is non-​pretentious and doesn’t want to be compared to the other hipster, «flavor of the day» BBQ establishments that do everything they can to be on the Food Channel.

Classic to the bone, the original Need no Teef. Matt & Co. run the store like an old cue house should be run. Super reasonable for the quality price wise, always consistent in character and flavor alike. The smoke stains on the walls speak volumes. We love you House Park!

There’s all kinds of BBQ in Austin, but one thing the more well known places haven’t mastered is being RELIABLE. That means having your trailer OPEN or being there on MONDAY.
The guys at House Park have been doing this 11 am — 2 pm ever since, well, who knows? But it’s the same, good reasonably priced, smokey, flavorful, and tender meat every time I go there. We’re talking a little, laid-​back BBQ joint that knows you by name and works to make YOUR plate the way YOU want it. No California hipsters here, just real people wanting real lunch.
Need a pan of BBQ for an office party? They do that too. BTW, it IS LUNCH ONLY. LUNCH ONLY. LUNCH ONLY. 11 – 2.
Hint: order the sliced beef sandwich with chips, a jalapeño and a Big Red. Eight bucks can’t buy anything better between 45^th Street and the river.
Oops…I probably shouldn’t have said anything.

I have been going to this place since the 70’s.At one time or another I have had everything on the menu and never been dIsappointed. It bothers me that some folks put it down. My guess is they don’t know what bbq is supposed to be. Keep it up my friends.

No frills, old school BBQ. One of the tastiest plates I’ve had in Austin. Had the shredded beef sandwich with extra pickles and fresh tasty buns. Can’t wait to go back.

Intrigued by the divey look and 70+ year history of this place, my boyfriend and I decided to stop in for lunch. On first glance, this place has all the markings of delicious BBQ production: smoky-​grimy walls covered with years of old flyers, signs, and posters (plus a portrait of Willie), fantastic smells wafting out into the parking lot, and a simple menu of meats and sides. However, the actual food fails to deliver.
I had the quarter chicken plate, and he the chopped bbq sandwich plate. Meat plates come with potato salad, coleslaw, and beans; sandwich plates come with two of those three. Chips can be subbed for a side as well. The meat itself nothing to write home about. Potato salad had great flavor, but was extremely mashed/​whipped. The coleslaw was limp and peppered beyond taste recognition. Beans were the best of the sides.
This place just goes to show that even though somewhere may have been around forever, that doesn’t mean it’s the best place to eat. In a BBQ town like Austin, House Park can’t hang.

First off, how is it possible that only 6 folks have reviewed this place before me?!? It’s been here since 1943 people. And that’s probably what I like about it best. The atmosphere is very old Austin, and there is a layer of smoke and grit inside the place that cannot be faked (think Smitty’s in Lockhart, the original half). So 4 stars for authenticity and atmosphere. For the food itself, a solid 3 stars. I had the brisket sandwich plate which comes with 2 sides, I chose the housemade beans and cole slaw. The brisket was good with a proper smoke ring and bark. Not the greatest I’ve ever had, but totally respectable. The beans and cole slaw were both above average. I liked that the slaw was not mayo based, which is a big turn off for me. This place is BYOB, and there are tables inside and picnic tables outside. They have a lunch special each day at $ 1 off the regular price. The staff was really friendly and the customers all seemed to be happy there. I am happy to have found this little hole in the wall of an authentic bbq joint so close to my office. I’ll be back to try their ribs and sausage next.

I came to this place while I was on vacation and believe me I will drive from Arizona to Austin anytime for this Que, these guys are great they make you feel like your at a Sunday Family BBQ if your from Austin and haven’t been to this Austin institution which by the way has been there 70+ years your missing out Love this place plus they have cool T-​shirts

Smoky pork ribs that taste like fine ham. The smoke is real. All the wall coverings are tar colored. Can’t be healthy to work here. Sides of potato salad and cole slaw are vinegary and mustardy and perfect. Love it. Watch out for smoke filled bathroom but it was also spic span clean.

I have been twice to House Park Bar-​B-​Q. I had the brisket once and the sandwich one, both absolutely outstanding. Not only did i love the food, I loved the old-​school Austin feel. Nothing fancy, but quality food is what it’s all about The coleslaw and beans were on point and complemented the barbecue perfectly. Great to know there is still a few classic barbecue places around! Definitely my favorite barbecue in Austin! And, the staff is extremely kind and personable. A true neighborhood gem.

An old friend recommended House Park and raved about the BBQ. Well, he has not been to House Park in more than 15 years and I believe his tune would change about House Park. The BBQ was ok but not great. I am accustomed to slow smoked BBQ. The ribs did not have a smoke ring and the meat did not fall off of the bone. The gristle was not chewable as I like. The sausage was good but the casing lacked the snap. The brisket had the texture of like it was cooked in a crock pot. I would recommend House Park to friends that prefer their BBQ not too smoky but I wouldn’t join them.

Came here with a group of six guys and everyone liked what they ordered so that says enough right there. The soon-​to-​be-​groom walked out with a t-​shirt because the guys working this place are just that cool.
Great food with no pretense. It’s all about the meat, just the way it should be. Super friendly staff, cool old vibe, 71 year old smoker… the place just does things right.

Oldest smoker in Austin. One of the few «Austin» institutions left. Brisket is tender, rib meat falls off the effin bone and sausage is spicy.
Menu is short and sweet, nothing fancy here. My fav bbq in the 512.

This place is real good. Great brisket, ribs were god damn delicious. Why spend your day getting BBQ from an overhyped place when you can get BBQ as good or better here without pretentious noodles harping about.

I’ve been coming here for bbq since I was little, rib plate with slaw and potato salad extra bbq sauce, white bread, and tons of pickles! The ribs have always been perfect for me, lots of meet and the dry rub is spicy! The sides are kinda meh, but throw some bbq sauce on them and they’re perfect. I’ve had their chicken too, which is surprisingly moist and delicious as well.
The guys who run it are super nice and always chat with me, plus it takes about 2 minutes tops for them to get it all ready. I wish they were open more hours because I get the bbq cravings quite often. The location is really perfect too, and I love the inside because it has all these old poster and news paper clippings. If I don’t walk away smelling like heavenly bbq for the rest of the day I’m not satisfied. And now I’ve made myself hungry thinking about it.

House Park Bar-​B-​Que is one of the hardest places to get barbecue from for me. They are open only for lunch Monday through Friday. I have only been here once just because of that reason. Their sign on the outside reads «No need teef to eat my beef.» This slogan is similar to another Austin barbecue institution. House Park is located in a shopping center and is within a stone’s throw of an Austin classic, The Tavern. When I got there at 11 AM, there were a few people eating inside.
I ordered a two-​meat plate with moist brisket and pork ribs with a half link of sausage. The plate also came with bean, potato salad, and coleslaw. The brisket had two stories. So the long piece on the bottom of a typical brisket is the flat (lean). The top piece that covers half of it is the point (moist). The flat was chewy, and the point was super fatty. They must have cooked it too high and fast. It had a smoke ring, but without, I would have guessed the brisket was done in an oven. There were no flavors, and it was bland. The ribs were slightly better. They were dry, but the rub had a nice spice. You had to work a little to get the meat off of the bone. The sausage is made by the Texas Sausage Company which is the same people who make the sausage for Franklin Barbecue. It is sad if that was the best thing I ate. The sausage was a beef and pork house blend. The peppercorn gave it good kick. The sides were boring but did look homemade. More seasoning please?
Bland was the story here. I am not sure how House Park House Park Bar-​B-​Que is in business with the limited hours. Sure, some places in town are only open for lunch, but their line snakes around the building. A lot of the places I eat at, the smoked meats are cut in front of you. Sometimes when you watch them cut the meat, you know it is not going to be a good experience. This was one of them.

House Park BBQ has been around forever and after a hard morning riding bikes at 9^th Street during college, we’d roll over to House Park for a chopped beef. Now that I’m working downtown and fairly close to House Park, I’ve been wanting to go back.
Time has not been kind. I had the two meat sandwich this time, brisket and sausage. The brisket was acceptable. The sausage was mediocre. I had beans and slaw, both of which were yawn inspiring. Maybe I should have stuck with the chopped beef.
In a city rife with BBQ choices, it’s sad this old mainstay isn’t making my list of go-​to places.