Kreuz Market

To say that Kreuz Market is an institution is an understatement. They’ve been Barbecuing at a commercial level for well over one hundred years. They claim that all the fires have been lit from the original one started early last century. I believe them. They’re a serious bunch when it comes to barbecue. Just check out their sign!
As famous as Lockhart is for its barbecue, it’s not not well regarded for its brisket by the ‘experts’. Well, while I’m no expert on Texas barbecue, I thought that the fatty brisket was pretty damn good. It had a nice amount of smoke to it and the fat rendered out nicely. It didn’t come out in distinct slices, but it was tasty. Was it as good as the brisket at Franklin Barbecue? No. It was good, though. The clod, on the other hand, is just not a cut of meat that I’m into. It was nicely smoked with a good smoke ring and fairly good bark, but in the end it just reminds me of an over-​cooked roast beef. Not for me, sorry. The pork ribs were solid. In fact, I thought that they were better than the ribs that I got on my inaugural visit to Franklin. The rub had a better and more nuanced flavor to it and the meat wasn’t over-​cooked and still had some resistance to it when it pulled away from the bone. Really good. The jalapeño/​cheese sausage was my absolute favorite at Kreuz, though. I know that might sound strange to most of you. ‘How hard is it to cook a sausage?’, you might be asking yourself, ‘My dad’s been grilling brats in the backyard for decades.’ With all due respect to all the backyard, grillin’ warriors out there, the sausages at Kreuz are amazing. They make and they smoke ‘em. There’s a snap to the casing that I’ve never experienced before and just the perfect amount of smoke. The interior of the link is flavorful, with a little heat from the jalapenos and moist. I love sausage and this is one of the best that I’ve ever had!
They do so much many different types of meat at Kruez that it would be impossible for one or even two people to make a serious dent into the menu. They have pork chops, ham, turkey breast, whole turkeys, beef ribs and whole prime ribs. It’s a veritable carnivore’s wonderland!

In Lockhart there are 3 great bar b ques. But Kraus is the best. Their brisket melts in your mouth. And their ribs look like free flinstones they’re so big. DONT ASK FOR SAUCE. They don’t have it and you don’t need it. The staff could be a little nicer though

Stopped in on a recent BBQ tour of Lockhart. This is a really big place. We got there before lunch, so we had the place to ourselves. We tried the sausage, ribs, brisket, kraut, and jalapeño cheese. Sadly this was our least favorite in Lockhart. The brisket was dry and the ribs were very salty, almost cured like ham. The sausage was good on bread with some kraut and cheese. I had really looked forward to this place, but sadly it did not live up to my expectations.

I’m not sure how to rate this. I drove an hour out of my way to pick up some brisket on my way home. Got here at at 7:45p (website and signs say they close at 8) and was told they’re closed. I asked about the sign and was told that just means you can sit and eat.
Finally someone with decent concern for their customers walked in and asked what was going on. I said I just wanted some to go and he said no problem… Except they’re sold out of brisket.
Highly disappointed. Complete opposite of my last visit, and I still need to write that review.
And they turned off the parking lights while I was standing outside typing this. Only 7:52p.
My mouth was watering earlier. Now I just want to spit. Guess Taco Bell for supper.

Took an out of town visitor to Kreuz, figuring that it would be a nice stop between the Austin airport and San Marcos. I gotta tell you, Black’s and Smitty’s are better.
This time around, they had no beef ribs, no pork ribs, no brisket, no turkey and no chicken at 6:30 PM on a Friday night. And I love beef ribs (grr). So we got sausage and beef shoulder,
and then cole slaw and green beans and iced tea.
The sausage was outstanding — I’d eat that again in a New York minute — it was melt in your mouth delicious. The beef shoulder was pretty good — tender enough, but not as juicy as I’d like. The sides were OK, and the iced tea was actually a plus.
So, a tolerable experience, but far below what I expect from a Lockhart barbeque.

Excellent BBQ and a few options not offered at the other Lockhart sites. This provider is prepared to process many diners, very quickly. There is ample seating and the meat and sides tasted great.

Does every single person there HATE their job? I took off points because of the negativity in the place. The wood smoke was tough to breath even though we went in and away from it as much as possible. What is the deal with no forks? Eating green beans with a spoon was ridiculous. Don’t sell foods that you need a fork for… LIKE MEAT! We ordered pork ribs. They were so tasty. I paid for it later and wished I had not eaten 3 ribs… I paid for it later when we were at Austin City Limits trying to enjoy the Willie Nelson concert… Grrr! Next time I visit Lockhart, TX we’ll go to Black’s!

Our last stop in Lockhart for BBQ.
Ribs have crunchy skin and seasoning, tender snap meat.
Brisket moist with a tug, good charcoal bark, taste the beef.
I didn’t sample the sausage.

This is good, but it isn’t as good as other places in Lockhart. If Kreuz were in any other city I would probably give them four stars rather than the three.
Their sausage is the best thing on the menu, but doesn’t make up for the fact there is better within a mile or so.
Would I go back here, definitely, heck I would even drive an hour or two to go here, BUT I like a couple of others a bit better just down the road.

Get the sausage.
I’ve had Kreuz Market brisket and it was fine. Actually it was quite good. My sister wanted turkey but they were out. Their distinguishing feature is their sausage. I’ve tried the regular sausage and the jalapeño cheese sausage (hot) and they are both very good.
There are no forks at Kreuz Market. Spoons for sides and a knife for slicing, but that’s it. No sauce either, which is just fine. None of our meat needed it.

If it wasn’t for most of the top Austin bbqs being closed on Mondays, we wouldn’t have driven to Lockhart. The brisket here were better than Black’s but still just so so compared to some of the Austin stars like La Barbecue. Links were the best and ribs were the best of all the meats.
Kruez and Smitty’s were close in quality. Come just to say that you’ve visited Lockhart but def have tempered expectations.

I am torn.
I have heard a lot about Lockhart and BBQ, so the family and I went to try it out (I was/​am the noob). Got here and stood in line for BBQ. Interesting place. One half of the place has no A/​C (that is the part you spend most of your time in line sweating waiting to order), the other half has A/​C (where you pay and eat).
You order and pay for your entrée from the actual pit (its wrapped in butcher paper) and take it to the cool side to pay for sides and eat. Its general admission seating, so send a scout to find a place sit while you pay. Drinks, utensils and other things are on the side. Now to the grub:
We ordered lean and moist brisket; I think I got prime rib instead (cuz’ it didnt look like moist brisket — and our other party ordered the same thing which DID look like moist). The lean (per the missus was TOO lean) but my PR was darned tasty. I had a taste of the tater salad — meh. The lemon iced tea was a religious event.
All in all — not bad food, but honestly I would rather drive a little closer to home, wait in a little shorter line, and order sides that I enjoy from Rudy’s.

I was so disappointed after hearing so much.
2 stars for the tea and sides, one star for the beef ribs.
Long story short: I got a beef rib that was half way just plain solid white fat. Unrendered, uncooked white fat. The ribs were too tough, I couldn’t pull it off the bone like you can at any other BBQ restaurant.
Most disappointing: I took the meat back to the meat guy and asked him if all their ribs were cooked like this (all fat, too tough to eat) and he sneered and said «it’s beef — it’s tough».
I’ll post a picture you can check it out for yourself.
All in all, 3 people spent $ 80 on BBQ that was basically inedible. What a waste.
I also asked them on Facebook because I honestly wanted to like this place and no one has responded in a week so I’m assuming they don’t care what their customers have to say.

Another in my extremely slow-​motion tour of the great barbecue restaurants in Texas. I didn’t love the brisket here. Parts were oddly chewy, and I prefer a stronger rub. Having said that, the sausage at Kreuz is perfect. And I actually love the building — a massive warehouse filled with smoke and fire.
I think I’d rather go to Black’s, but still — delicious.

Its hard to pick one place that is «the best» BBQ; especially in Lockhart.
Kreuz’s excels at sausage (especially the jalapeño cheddar) and they have great sides. Decent brisket (Smitty’s is a tad better) and a large dining area. Ambiance-​wise, Kreuz’s is a little generic, not that you go to a BBQ joint for ambiance, per say, but hey; this is a review. Black’s has more of a down home Texas feel in terms of ambience (complete with live music on occasion), whereas Smitty’s, being in a building that looks to be over 100 years old, has a cool retro vibe that looks like a throwback to a different era (but much smaller, with a dining area resembling an old Woolworths or something like that.)
But anyway, this is about food, not buildings. Mostly.
True Kreuz’s doesn’t have any sauce of any kind of ailable for your BBQ. But then this is serious BBQ. And if you know serious BBQ, you know it doesn’t need sauce; it’s about authentic smoke flavor and high quality meat.
When I am in Lockhart, & I don’t live too far away, I tend to come to Kreuz’s the most. Often shorter lines than Smitty’s, cheaper than Blacks, and better side dishes then Smitty’s too. So overall the most bang for your buck. In my opinion.

I hate to give this place three stars given the crazy amount of recommendations I’ve received to try the bbq. So, came in with high expectations.
Off the bat, one hour wait, which was to be expected given its a top notch joint in Texas. One must wait in line for good bbq, fact. Also they sell beer that you can drink in line… major plus. However, they were out of the beef ribs and did not mark it off the menu board. Slightly disappointing when you wait that long to find out they are sold out. Most places I’ve been will notify customers as items run out.
Regardless, ordered brisket and sausage. The sausage was incredible! We tried jalapeño and regular. The brisket was good, not great. The brisket was very dry and with no sauce around, it wasn’t a pleasure to eat.
We ordered the mac n cheese and green beans and they were just OK.
However the ambiance is great. It’s a large area with plenty of seating.
Overall I was disappointed but that’s because I’m comparing it to the rival restaurant Black’s where I had an amazing beef rib the size of my forearm and succulent brisket. Black’s is also smaller and less touristy.

I am always reluctant to post critical reviews but hopefully this will be helpful. My wife brought home brisket and sausage from Kreug after a X — country track meet last week. The sausage was actually very good. The brisket on the other hand was very disappointing. It was very dry, tough and cut about an inch thick. It was essentially a beef roast. Also, they apparently don’t believe in bbq sauce (none provided) so no help there. I just could not eat it without some major modifications.
So, I chopped it up into small pieces, added sausage (which as i said was good), added my own sauce, added onions and pickles, and added some cole slaw. I put all that together on some bread and all was right with the world.
I hope I didn’t offend too many bbq purists out there but it just was not done right (and i couldn’t throw it out). I’m sure the folks there know what they are doing with bbq or they would not have lasted this long. I will give them another chance next time I am in Lockhart and hopefully I’ll have a better brisket experience.

People — 5
Atmosphere — 4
Food — 4
Value — 4
I really liked the sausage and turkey. I didn’t try the brisket, but I will next time.
They don’t have forks, so bring you own. It hard. It’s hard to eat turkey with a knife and spoon. I guess they are making a point about their BBQ being so tender.
I will go back!!!

Forth stop on my BBQ Texas roadtrip.
Supposed to be one of the best and it was the worse overall BBQ I had in Texas.
Huge parking lot. Service was very RUDE and unfriendly. Self seating after you order.
BBQ prices are listed by the pound but you can order a quarter pound, a slice, or how ever much you want.
Beef Brisket — $ 8.25 — 1 slice — Fatty and tender meat. Only thing I liked here.
Prime Rib — $ 18.24 — 1 slice — DRY DRY DRY! Lacked any real beef flavor or seasoning. Also, I asked for 1 small slice and they cut me a piece more then a pound. I asked them to cut it in half but the dumb ass people there do not understand ENGLISH so I just took the whole thing. I should I have no taken it if I knew it would be crap.
Sausage, Hot. Original — $ 2.30 — Comes with 2 links. It was meh. Kind of dry and none of the seasoning really stood out. For a place famously known for sausage, they were a disappointment. I’ve had better frozen store bought sausage.
Just another story of a famous place that sucked!

Found this place on Frommers. Easy drive from Austin (the speed limit is 85!!)
The restaurant is located in a huge barn-​like building. It’s very, very basic inside. Head to the line which sends you to the pit area. All the meat is sold by the pound/​half pound. We got ½ pound of brisket and ½ pound of sausage… comes with white bread, no sauce on paper.
They do take credit cards. Then they send you into the dining room area where you can buy sides and drinks (including beer) separately. We got small potatoes, green beans, Mac & cheese & sauerkraut to sample. Plus a couple of picked peppers. The Mac & cheese was pretty tasty and I would’ve gone back for seconds on the sauerkraut if I wasn’t stuffed! The other two sides were forgettable.
The brisket was delicious! Probably could have done with less sausage, but it was pretty good anyhow.
Got a couple of iced teas for the road. Def worth the drive!

Kreuz Market has been around since 1900. So of course we wanted to see the reason behind their long success. Unfortunately, we arrived late and they have already ran out of the brisket and ribs. We settled for the beef shoulder, half chicken, and sausage.
The beef shoulder did not look very appetizing to me. I would like to point out, however, that this could be a strictly psychological thing, as I do not like beef at all. By looking at it, though, it looked dry and nothing too special. It looked as though it would look delicious with a healthy helping of gravy, and served with good mashed potatoes and salad. In short, it looked like a delicious meat fit for a dinner, not necessarily as a BBQ. It did have the distinctive smoke ring, though, so I know this is legit BBQ meat (smoked low and slow), not something that they just are trying to pass off as BBQ. My friends were unimpressed and said that it was just alright.
The chicken was pretty delicious, but it was a little on the salty side and it seemed as though it was not seasoned evenly, as some parts seemed saltier than others. But still, it was delicious. It was tender and smoky, but let’s be honest. Who really goes to a barbecue joint and immediately crave for chicken?
As for the sausage, my dining companions said it tasted just slightly better than grocery brand sausages. They were not at all captivated.
I feel like I would be giving Kreuz a higher mark if we were able to partake of their other offerings (i.e. brisket and ribs). The vibe is something we all liked, and the smokiness of the whole building was truly tantalizing. For now, I would say they are A-​Ok, but I feel like I would be giving them a higher rating on my return visit.

This was my personal favorite versus Black’s, mainly because of their approach. They have stripped down their business model to just its bare bones:
AMAZING food.
They let their food do ALL the talking here. Choose your meat, bread or crackers, then go get some fresh veggies or sides and your cup for sweet tea.
Sweet tea is nice and balanced, and mixes very well with their lemonade!
One word. BRIIIIIIIIIIISKET!!!
Hands down, THE super fleek-​mode, rubber baby buggy bumper, bomb-​bomb diggy doggy doo doo drizzle dizzle sizzle DOUBLE DANG DANG that-​is-​some-​unmatched-​buttery-​brisket-​beauty-​right-​there. There is no sensical, logical way to describe the life-​change that occurred the moment that brisket touched my tongue.
I actually observed myself become rageful at the fact that I would not taste that fresh, buttery beef for – maybe years. Cheers to you, Lockhart, Texas. You have shortened my lifespan, and stolen my heart.