Iron Works Barbecue

This is my second time eating at Ironworks and I was not disappointed. I had the beef ribs and they were great. Added Mac and cheese and green beans both of which were good but not great. This is a walk up order and pickup and go find a seat. The price for beef ribs was lower than I expected and they tasted mush better than ones were significantly more expensive. This place is basically own air and does not have air conditioning so it can be somewhat hot inside. Whenever I am in Austin, I will stop here at least once.

Basic but historic BBQ in Austin. Walk in and order. Grab your ice cold drink out of the tub. Take a seat, BBQ sauce bottles on the tables. Good selection of classics, brisket, pork and beef ribs, sausage, pulled pork, beef and turkey. Spicy dry rub is flavorful but the meats were on the dry side. The beef rib was my fav. sides we tried were not that good, had the pickles, mac n cheese, gross! corn on the cob, mush city ! Should have tried the potato salad, coleslaw or the pinto beans. Loved the celebrity photo wall!

Located a few blocks from 6^th st in Austin, I found this place to be solid Texas BBQ. I went for lunch and the line is out the door, but moves fairly quickly, you order and pick up your food up front, pay at the register, and find your own seat. As an out of town visitor who may never be back, I decided to try their sampler platter that included one huge beef rib, some beef brisket, and one spicy sausage link, served with two sides Mac n cheese and Cole slaw all for $ 16.95. The interesting thing about this place is their is no central AC just wooden fans, surprisingly it was not so hot.
The smoked sausage was wonderful, great on its own. The beef rib was not as good as, I had in salt lick, but solid. The brisket is what, I felt they did best, practically melts in your mouth. The Cole slaw is always a refreshing bite in between eating BBQ. I was not that crazy about their sauce, not bold like most Texas sauces, this one was a little sweet and had some vinegar, it was ok, did not blow me away though.

There food is not the best but the Sweet Cream Corn is amazing. The coleslaw tastes just like the coleslaw at KFC. Plus there is not central AC so I felt like I was going to die.

Came here after the first BBQ place we went to had closed down for the day due to running out of product.
When you first walk in, you are definitely charmed by their décor and you fall in love with the smell of BBQ. There was a line out the door for this establishment but it moved quite fast. I will say that the salad bar is right next to the line to order. A strange spot and kind of grossed me out, but who is really getting a salad bar at a barbecue place anyways? Not me.
I ordered some sort of monstrous rib plate and grabbed a beer from their redneck cooler. I was supposed to get a slice of good old white bread but it was missing from my plate. I opted not to bother them because I did not really need it anyways. I came for the meat.
The ribs were good and I liked the sauces that they had on the tables to sample. My husband had ordered brisket and what I sampled of his was amazing too. My side was mac and cheese and it was honestly quite bad. The pasta was waterlogged because it was overcooked. It was completely flavorless and mushy. I am glad that I came for the meat. The busers do leave you a little chocolate treat when they clean your table which is super cute.

Beef ribs are out of control delicious and great portion sizes! My friends got the brisket and they thought it was okay, but the the ribs were lip smacking damn good! I’m from Texas, but live in NYC now, so I was dying for some bbq! This hit the spot! I needed a damn nap after though… whew!

All I can say is, DAYUM! They are not stingy with their meat, the flavor is spot on, and I had to eat the beef ribs 2 days in a row!
We arrived, both days, at around 11:30 for lunch. There was a line, but it moved pretty fast. When I read the menu and saw that the beef rib plate only came with three ribs, I was disappointed, then I saw the size of the ribs! 3 was MORE than enough! I’ll be back next time I visit Austin for sure!
Go, you won’t be disappointed!

LOOKING FOR BBQ IN AUSTIN, TEXAS? LOOK NO FURTHER — IRONWORKS HAS IT ALL
I am in Austin, Texas every April for a music event and each year I take a group out to dinner just before or after the event. This year, after much research, I decided we would go to Iron Works BBQ on Red River. Before our group dinner, I checked it out for lunch a couple days earlier. I was very pleased with the lunch and confirmed then that the group would go there on Thursday.
I arranged for a table of 10 and the staff was very accommodating. I called Thursday and told them we might be running a little bit late, they assured me our table would be waiting.
When we did arrive, the table was waiting and so was about the friendlies staff you’d ever want to meet. They assisted people in the group that has never been there before by explaining the ordering process and about their meats. With the exception of the vegetarian in the group, everyone ordered the Sampler Platter. This comes with a YUGE Beef Rib, the tastiest Brisket ever and very flavorful & a bit spicy Sausage Links. You are then able to order two sides; most ordered the mac & cheese and corn, having been there a couple days before I ordered double coleslaw. It was seriously like Mom use to make.
The atmosphere, the staff and the amazing food makes this the place to go for your Barbeque needs while in the Austin area.
Special thanks to Charlotte & Matthew for helping wrangle our group and getting them fed! We will definitely be back. Save me a quart of slaw.

Stop by if you’re in the area
I went twice on my short trip to Austin. I had the sampler platter and left very happy both times. Even my buddy from KC said it was pretty good after he talked trash about TX BBQ before the meal.
The brisket was so tender that it would fall apart on the fork. It was so good that it didn’t need sauce but I couldn’t help pouring that delicious sauce on it for an extra kick. The sausage was good too, however, those beef ribs are what made me go back for a second visit.
The place is very cool looking and the service was great. The staff was friendly and they seemed happy to be there. It has a very casual atmosphere and I think it’s reasonably priced. I paid $ 22 for the sampler, chips and an iced tea.

Great BBQ … Of course only great BBQ in Texas will last. That being said I really enjoyed the Texas sausage. Spicy and smokey with good snap. Lots of meat choices by the pound or in a meal combo. Aides looked good but I didn’t eat any … Only meat. Indoor and outdoor dining.

I’ll be in Austin for 6 weeks and I will be in search of all the good BBQ. Iron Works definitely makes the grade. I had the pleasure of having lunch on a nice spring day and enjoyed the river view from the patio. I ordered the chopped beef sandwich with potato salad and cream of corn. Unfortunately, they ran out of mac n cheese which I hear great things about. All in all, it was delicious and would visit again.

Pretty solid barbecue!!! I’m sure there’s better and cheaper out there, but for what we need Saturday night (affordable, convenient to walk to in downtown barbecue), this place delivered.
I got the pork ribs with mac and cheese and coleslaw. Mac and cheese was alright (to be fair, I’m extremely picky about mac and cheese), coleslaw and ribs were delicious. At 14.95, the price was a bit steep but it was a great meal.
I didn’t love the bread it came with — it was kind of just store bought white bread. I really feel like some well made corn bread could set the plate off better.
Great, friendly service and affordable beer and wine. If I were ever in downtown Austin again wanting barbecue, I would definitely be back!

Delicious brisket and BBQ sauce! Definitely worth the visit and price. Atmosphere is fun and appropriate.
I expected a little more for the slaw. It was soggy, sweet and almost seemed store bought. My corn on the cob was also a little mushy (seems typical of restaurants that serve it tho. Think KFC)

I’m no BBQ expert, but this place was legittttt.
I was here for SXSW, but the prices were reasonable and the food was delicious.
It’s an «order pay sit» kinda joint, alms it like a hybrid of fast food.
I tried the beef brisket plate — you get the brisket plus two sides, bread, onions, and pickles on the side for less than $ 11.
The hot sauce wasn’t as hot as I prefer, but there was Tabasco, so I can appreciate. The BBQ sauce was a good taste.
It’s picnic style, but indoors with air conditioning or patio seating.
The ambience was fitting, but for whatever reason they played Doo Wop/​Ragtime music… I’ll take it, tho. It almost matched with the vibe they’re going for.
They also serve alcohol, good selection of non-​alcoholic and domestic drinks. The sangria was excellent!

With the praise of every travel website for Franklin’s Barbecue, but also the notice of unreasonably long lines, I wanted to make my time in Austin special, and get the barbecue somewhere.
By an unexpected visit, we found ourselves in Iron Works. The location didn’t seem to be the greatest, but that is of the opinion of someone who is not familiar with the city.
The ambiance was awesome, with antiques everywhere, and of course, the smell of barbecue.
To the food: I admit I made the mistake to eat the turkey with mac and cheese and beans, instead of going for red meat. This was rooted in my love for turkey breast, and the great turkey dinner I get in CT from a local barbecue spot. With that said, the turkey was okay, nothing work going back for. In the restaurants defense, my friends found the food to be excellent. I do remember the barbecue sauce was great, the mac and cheese and bean sides were as well. I just wish there was more of everything. Next time, I go for pork or brisket!
I wouldn’t write it off, but found my experience to be negative. I would give it another shot if I went back to Austin, or lived there.

A local recommended Iron Works to me based on his experience with the restaurant and the proximity to my hotel. I got there for lunch before it opened. Some members of the police force were waiting too so I took that as a good sign. If cops eat there, it must be good. My assumption was spot on!
The size of the restaurant is very deceiving. It is much bigger inside than expected. They had fun booths inside and over looking the river. Great ambiance.
For whatever reason, they had heaters turned on. I had to find the coolest spot in the place to enjoy my lunch.
The portion size blew my mind. Such a great bargain for the price. I ordered the Sampler — one beef rib, beef brisket and sausage. It came with a choice of two sides. I selected pinto beans and potato salad. The sides were nothing to write home about but the beef rib made up for it. The beef rib was gigantic! I felt like Fred Flintstone eating a Brontosaurus bone. The sauce is more on the tangy side than smoky. The sausage was spicy. A little more zip than expected. The brisket was nice and tender. I think the pinto beans were cooked with a ham cock. Potato salad was fine. I was glad I had an entire paper towel roll available as I had BBQ sauce everywhere in my face. The rib was pretty great. I cannot compare it to other local establishments but I was happy with it. I would recommend it to others!

Had the pleasure to gorge at Iron Works a couple weekends ago. And I DO mean gorge. Unabashedly, delightfully, with plenty of paper towels necessary for clean-​up. Brisket plate, with Pinto beans, mac-​n-​cheze, slice of white bread, and a beer fished outta a big tub with ice. OMG, this boy from North of the Mason Dixon DOES know good smoke-​n-​Q, and this joint is the REAL DEAL. Nothing fancy — thank GOD. NOTHING wrecks a place like going after the yuppy-​puppy /​trendy turds bidnezz. Place just what it says, and smacks a grand slam. I’m glad it’s down there and I’m up here, ’cause I’d weigh 500lbs and grease a flat-​bed Ford with my blood cholesterol.

Very poor customer service. I was made embarrassed in front of what felt like the whole restaurant. The last time I was spoken to like this was maybe a run down McDonald’s. I was asked for my ID upon checkout at the counter. With a very snark attitude he said that he could not except my ID for the beer. The reason: the lamination did not meet the edge.
I travel for a living. I have roamed the globe with this valid Florida Drivers Liscence and NEVER have been denied in the 4 years that I have had it. I live and work downtown Austin and called this place my favorite barbecue spot (the only reason for the 2^nd star). I am a very customer service oriented individual and he could not have tried harder to get me not to come back.
When i asked to speak to the manager he said «You’re actually speaking to the manager, ok!?». Needless to say they lost out on my $ 15 for tonight and every other time I want barbecue.

This place is definitely a good bbq joint to try out. My coworkers and I came here for lunch. Very friendly staff and plenty of seating. They have a patio by the creek which was really nice to sit in. The beef ribs Jr plate was more than enough to eat. The ribs came with two big ribs with plenty of meat on them. I will say I wished they a bit more of a smoked flavor to them. But the meat on them was so tender and juicy. They weren’t dried out at all.
They portion the plates really well. Trust me you will get full off your plate. I have a tapeworm that loves to eat and I was full when I left.
The parking for this place can be a pain if you come when it gets busy. So make sure you are ready to pay for public parking when both parking lots are full.
I really like the place. It looked like a place has been in the ATX for quite some time.

If you’re from out of town, it’s worth stopping by mostly because of tradition. Other than that, it’s far from the best BBQ in town. It’s a fun location and if you go during non-​peak hours on a nice day, definitely grab a spot outside. Parking – as you might expect – is horrible. So if you’re driving, go somewhere else. If you’re walking or taking Über, no worries.

A great place for some good olé Texas bbq. Perfectly located in downtown Austin, right by Rainey street, this is a nice stop if you are craving some real Texas style meat. Prices are good and the environment is friendly. Service is friendly as well, so bringing a friend from out of town here was an excellent way to show him how things are done here in Texas.
I ordered the pulled pork with a side salad from the salad bar. The sauce was great, and the meat was tasty. The sampler plate with the different meats looked a lot better though, and I wish I had tried the other sides. Not the best bbq I’ve had but delicious nonetheless. Wouldn’t mind bringing someone back to try it out!

First time here and 2^nd bbq joint in Austin I’ve hit and the ribs are amazing. The chicken is dry and not a real fan but would come back again and again for these ribs!!!

I was directed to this place as being the best barbecue place within walking distance to my hotel near the convention center. It takes it name from the fact the building used to house an iron works shop. So the place has a ton of character.
Walking in, you immediately feel the heat from s wood burning stove/​furnace. You walk up to the order desk, passing autograph pictures of two presidents, a governor and a few other celebrities.
The menu is written in chalk on a board over the order station. Since they have so many choices, I went with the Sampler Platter of brisket, sausage & beef rib. Long neck beers are in a tin tub so you grab your selection, pay for your food and find a table.
The brisket was very tender but seemed a little bland to me. The sausage had a little heat to it but the texture was a little soft on the inside. Finally, the ribs were huge. Some of the biggest I have ever seen. However,?I was a little disappointed in the taste. Once again, the flavor just did not pop for me.

I ordered the sampler platter since it was my first time here. Pricing for platter and a regular fountain soda was around $ 21.00 or so. The pIatter was awesome! I ordered cream corn and coleslaw for sides. Both complemented the sampler platter perfectly overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend this place to anyone craving local BBQ dishes in Austin, TX

I wanted to try some place new on this trip to Austin. Sometimes it’s hard growing up on KC BBQ. You’re so often disappointed when eating elsewhere. This was another example. It wasn’t horrible and the meat was moist and tender, but it was a $ 12 brisket/​pork sandwich. $ 12. Everything smelled right, but something about those commercial smokers that leaves the meat lacking flavor. Sure they can cook larger volumes but I think at the sacrifice of flavor. Minimal smoke ring on the brisket, pork was tender but lacked a strong flavor. The sauce was a disaster. It was sweet, with little other dominant flavors. That was the biggest issue. Anytime they have Tabasco on the table and you actually need to use it… well…that says it all I guess. Hey, the pre-​cooked, bagged fries and soda fountain were ok. Need to head to Stubbs next.

Don’t get consumed by all the trendy bbq joints in town! Iron Works is old school and Delish! Outdoor patio overlooking the creek. Longnecks are on ice so always cold!!! Great for groups, kids, or a quick lunch alone. Still my favorite BBQ in Austin. Don’t miss it!

They need to step it up. Obviously, they have an awesome location close to the convention center, but the bbq is far from the excellence a Texas bbq place should be representing. Our brisket has been so dry on our last few visits. Anyhow, we live down the street, so are bummed that we are taking this restaurant off our list, but for the time being, we are taking a break from it.

The Best BBQ ribs I’ve ever had in my entire life!!! I’ve even dreamed of eating more of these ribs. They are yummy and the holy grail of pork. Dry rubbed and perfectly smoked with and light and delicious crust on the outside, perfect deep smoke ring. Excellent from the first bone to the last, I even sucked them dry.
I can’t wait until I return to Austin to eat more ribs from Iron Works BBQ. I need to go with a bunch of people so we can order everything on the menu.

Servings weren’t Texas size but between two people they were good for a bite between lunch and dinner. Came in before the rush, service was great, got to sample things. Variety of beer was good, pickles were crisp. Brisket was cooked to perfection, but the bread was basic white and not Texas toast, which would have been what gave this place a 5 star review. Definitely worth the trip!

I had to get some Texas barbecue when I stopped in Austin for work, and IronWorks hit the spot. The brisket plate was astounding, but I found myself wishing I had chosen the sampler instead, after seeing how enormous that plate was. I went early in the morning so many of the sides were not available, but the potato salad did the trick.
If you don’t want to wait in line for hours, and want good BBQ, treat yourself to this gem.

This was my first actual barbecue place and it is right next to rainey street and the convention center which made it pretty easy to get to. I didn’t know what to expect and got the ribs. I sat on the window side which overlooked the stream down below (I think it was sewage but still pretty nature «y» and pretty) The meat was juicy and tender. The sides were alright and nothing special more of a medium between bites of the meat. Nothing euphoric from the meat in this case though just a pretty full stomach.

Recently had a chance to check out Iron Works while on a work trip down to Austin. The place has TONS of character and is definitely a cool spot to check out. That being said, the BBQ was good, but not great and I was hoping for a little more from my first Austin BBQ experience.
I ordered the combination plate (brisket, sausage, beef rib) with pinto beans, and Mac & cheese. I requested a swap of pulled pork for the beef rib, but that was a no go.
Brisket — The brisket was really good although I wish I’d gotten a bit more of the delicious point rather than the leaner flat. The flavors and textures were all very cook and it was clear that this was an art that had been honed extensively over the years. I basically had one ‘point’ slice and it was the best thing I ate all day (by a pretty wide margin). Clearly no sauce was needed for this delicious brisket.
Sausage — The flavor of the sausage was very good, and I love the snap of what I have to assume is a natural casing. That being said I didn’t love the texture of the sausage. The grind on the sausage is VERY fine leading to an overly tender almost mushy mouth feel. this is unrelated to the cooking and may simply be the way TX sausage is prepared, but I strongly prefer a coarser grind and a little better chew. I did enjoy a bit of sauce with the sausage, but I’ve had better sausages elsewhere.
Beef rib — I’d say this was disappointing, but I’m not really much of a fan in the first place so it’s probably more accurate to say it failed to surprise me. The ribs are HUGE and the look awesome on the plate, but mine was pretty severely undercooked and tough. The flavor was okay but nothing to write home about and I found the rib really troublesome to try and eat. Granted, I was there for a working lunch, wearing a suit, which is not the preferred BBQ attire, but that shouldn’t have been TOO much of an impediment. Finally, I don’t believe the membrane was pulled from the back of the rib prior to cooking which makes enjoying the meat really challenging. I by no means think rib meat should fall off the bone, but this was tough to bite, tough to chew, and impossible to enjoy.
Pinto beans — fairly basic and straight forward, but DELICIOUS! Especially tasty alongside the sausage. If anything the beans elevated the sausage more so than vice versa.
Mac & Cheese — the taste was pretty good but the mac was way overcooked and had basically lost all texture. When I get mac & cheese the best part is the crunchy caramelized part on top, and this had none of that. A dash of Tabasco helped immensely, but all in all I wish I’d have doubled down on beans or got green beans instead.
The ambiance was fantastic and I could definitely see hanging out at Iron Works with a mall to medium sized crew but as far as excellence in BBQ is concerned I didn’t quite find it hear on this visit.

Maybe it is because I’m not a BBQ expert but I was impressed by my meal:
The food: I had the sampler which came with brisket (super tender and yummy), sausage (flavorful and delicious as well), and a beef rib (tasty as well). I agree that the sides weren’t stellar (had the mac and cheese and potato salad) — these could def be improved.
The prices were reasonable.
Ambiance– nothing fancy but cool that is used to be an iron works (whatever that is) — it kinda feels like an old texas saloon.
service: efficient. nothing special otherwise.
Im sure there are lots of great places to get BBQ in Austin– this one did not involve waiting in a long line or paying a lot and satisfied my craving.

Smell that smoke! The pork ribs here are top notch. Lines start forming out the door at 11:30am (especially during SXSW) but they move quickly.
Worried about finding a seat? Iron Works is deceptively larger than it looks from the outside, trust me.

I had 4^th of July lunch here with my
Bf and his family. I ordered the sampler plate with potato salad and mac n cheese. The presentation looked delicious! The bbq was lacking flavor… It was bland to me… All of it minus the sausage. The brisket and ribs were cooked perfectly, it’s just lacking seasoning… Mac and cheese was delicious though!

Mmmmm, ribs for breakfast. We stopped in for a half-​slab on our way elsewhere, because we had heard good things about Iron Works.
Thankfully, the line was short and moved very quickly. Like other places in Austin, the meat was cooked with a rub, and sauce supplied on the side. The crust on the ribs was excellent. The sauce here was more of the «vinegary» style than other places, which some in our group enjoyed.
The size and shape of these ribs made for an easier time eating than we had experienced in other places. The men gave these ribs high ratings for that accessibility factor.