Smokey J’s Barbeque

Almost my daily go-​to for breakfast, haven’t found a better taco yet in ATX for breakfast! I like mine just egg and briscuit, simply delish!

Dare I say better than Rudy’s, especially for the price. Nice convenient food stand, with plenty of covered outdoor seating. The chopped beef wraps were incredibly moist and delicious, and came with a nice cup of potato salad. You can’t beat the quality of food for the price, and fast, friendly service.

Best value for BBQ and breakfast tacos ever! I go here after every scuba dive in Lake Travis. Very consistent, solid, dependable! Better value than Rudy’s (tho’ Rudy’s is good!) without question! Smokey J’s seems to be happy being Smokey J’s while Rudy’s is taking over the world (which is OK by me!). AN AUSTIN TRADITION.

Best chop beef for the buck in Austin! While I love Rudys, Smokey J’s is the place to go for chop beef.

An ok place for breakfast tacos either with brisket or sausage but no bacon. I much prefer Rudy’s. Best are Taco Deli and Torchy’s. In terms of BBQ, its not bad but not ranking up there either.

Been going here since I moved out this way over a year now. The atmosphere of the place reminds me of the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld. Try not to make small talk when you order just be thankful he blesses you with his delicious BBQ. I ordered the Beef Fajitas for the first time. At $ 16 bucks a lbs. The delicious pieces of Skirt were worth every penny. I think he gave me a little over a lbs needless to say he must of knew who I was. I recommend getting out there by 10:00 as the owner says that’s when the fajitas come off the pit. I’m sure they sell out so get there at least by 12 to ensure a taste. I’m voting this place best beef Fajitas NW corridor of Austin hands down.

This place is awesome! The chopped beef is delicious. I’m not sure what they have mixed in there but it’s sweet and tangy and my taste buds seem to want it every weekend. The breakfast tacos are awesome. The sandwiches are great. I will for sure keep coming back here. Thanks guys!

I’ve eaten a fair amount of BBQ if you check out my other reviews, so don’t think that I’m panning a place with three stars. As others have rightly noted, in other parts of the country this would be considered excellent BBQ, here it is only average.
Smokey’s has been around forever at 4-​points and their convenient locale + value pricing will always keep them in business. I’m also a fan of their excellent $ 5 BBQ beef sandwich, which I will defend to all comers as excellent.
I personally find the rest of their fare, especially their brisket, to be average and on the dry side. That said if you’re in the area and need a bite by all means grab the ‘wich and smile!
This place gets 3 stars on the ‘CTJ Scale’, as noted below.
5 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Jesus good. Would be OK passing on after finishing a meal here.
4 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Mary good. Would be OK being seen eating here by Mother Mary.
3 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus’ Dad.
2 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​the-​Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn’t have my last supper here.
1 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Nobody good. I wouldn’t have my penultimate supper here, either.

Chopped beef sandwich was great! Would’ve gotten 5 if they had it on a large bun instead of a small. I’d come back again though.

There is something weirdly amazing about how good a simple chop beef sandwich here is. Chopped beef, on a bun. I’ve eaten it probably once a year for a decade. (I don’t get out this way very often.) But it is damn good and simple and homey and yummy. Bam. Cash only. Don’t get anything but the sammie, except for maybe another sammie.

Don’t let the smoke fool you. Only in times of desperation and if you can’t make it down the street to Rudy’s, then my heart goes out to you.
This is a local eatery that offers mediocre bbq at best. It’s more of a sandwich stop rather than meat indulgence. Normally one would find the gas station corner hole in the wall a great find, sadly this isn’t it. The Brisket and chopped beef sort of lack. Sausage is the strongest draw I believe.
When I see the name Smokey J. s, again I’ll keep driving.

I will go out of my way to go here. I have only tried a couple of things, but honestly, I don’t go there for BBQ. Chop beef sandwich is pretty decent. Why four stars? The Fajitas. The fajitas have a garlic soy sauce something to them and they are fantastic. My whole family eats them without tortillas, fixings, nothing. They’ll slice them up for you and we just eat them with our fingers. Perfect for the golf course, boat ride, or just a picnic. If you don’t get the fajitas you ordered wrong. I probably shouldn’t be writing this review because they usually sell out of them first.

This food stand has been a staple at 4-​points for sooooooooo many years, they must be doing something right! Before moving to the LT area, Smokey J was a frequent stop on the way to the lake-​kind of like tradition.
Perhaps best known for their great chopped beef BBQ sandwiches, huge!, for a whopping 5 bucks, and of course with the Texas Q obligatory accoutrements: pickles, white onions, and extra sauce if you want — it is certainly the way to go. Breakfast tacos are yum, everything else is meh to a-​ok.
Overall: If you’re craving the Q and want it fast, to be tasty and filling, AND on the cheap… Smokey J’s is the perfect joint for you!
Recommend!
Tips:
*Cash only. Located in same lot as 7-​Eleven with ATM if needed.
**Outdoor, covered seating available… if you can beat the Texas heat and keep the flies from eating more of your Q than you. ;)

Went there last week for the first time in years! Some of the same staff that was there 12 years ago!
Great food and the banana pudding is still great! All for good prices!

We have been coming here since 1985. If your heading out to the lake– getcha some fajita or brisket wraps with the works.
Then get some beer and off you go.
Smokey taste

This place has been around for as long as I can remember; and theres a good reason for that. Their BBQ has stayed the same through the years and that a great thing because its always been fabulous. Easily the best sausage wrap I’ve had.
Only catch; it is cash only so keep that in mind!

For a barbecue place, this one does not disappoint. They have a very affordable prices and their chopped beef sandwich is amazing.
Plenty of outside seating, but no inside seating. I’m sure that hurts business a little on rainy or cold days.

If you like chopped beef sandwiches or baked potato w chopped beef then this is your place! Quick service, walk up window. Reasonable prices! Busy at lunchtime!

The guy wore gloves.
The brisket is dry, rubbery, super-​lean, and flavorless. I had to drown it in leftover sauce from Rudy’s to stomach it. The chopped beef is pretty good — just enough grease, tender, and passable flavor. The standout here is that there’s some kind of pickle relish in it, which adds zest and brightness to balance the greasy nature of chopped beef. Not amazing, but it would make a tasty sandwich.
I forgive it for being cold as a coworker brought it back to the office for lunch and it’s like 35 degrees outside, but I don’t forgive the bland.
What’s the win here? The breakfast tacos are reputed to be good, and it is definitely cheap. That’s about it. It’s hard to compete in barbecue in Central Texas, and there’s a Rudy’s about half a mile north, which makes it even harder.
Anywhere else in the country this would probably be great barbecue. But in Texas, well, good just isn’t good enough.

$ 6 even (cash only) for a quarter-​pound of chopped beef and a quarter-​pound of brisket. Didn’t get any sauce with it.
Skip the brisket. It’s just rubbery roast beef. For this price range, you can get some smoked brisket from Bill Miller and you’ll be a lot happier.
The chopped beef was good – great texture and not at all greasy. Made a fine sandwich with some onions and pickles (although some BBQ sauce would have been great).
If you’re headed to the lake, get a sandwich or a stuffed baked potato. Grab a can of Coke for 75 cents (the convenience store next door only has fountain cokes and plastic bottles). Just make sure you bring cash.