Opie’s BBQ

To me — this place is extremely consistent when it comes to BBQ.
The brisket is my favorite… but I am a brisket person. The bark is something I personally look for when it comes to meat and Opies gets it right.
The spare ribs are a hit with kids. They are not dry and have the perfect amount of smoke and season.
BEANS!!! I love the beans, both pinto and butter (weekends only)
My kids actually get mad if we drive by and don’t stop… so I make sure to stop :)

A friend of mine really built this place up saying it was on par with Salt Lick… therefore, I was super excited to give it a try! Unfortunately, I did not find it to be anywhere on the same level and I, personally, don’t feel any need to go back again to Opie’s again…
The meat was good. I enjoyed the brisket I ate, but it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted. The potato salad was normal and the butter beans were alright… I’ll admit that I did like the tator tot casserole. What really disappointed me was the ambiance! Could this place be any more boring!!! I hate saying that, but it was dull and almost creepy on the inside. Everyone seemed depressed and like they were moving in slow motion. The lighting was dark and the furniture was awkwardly bulky. None of the staff members seem to enjoy their lives either… I hate being so harsh on a restaurant for the ambiance when the food is ok, but it is so important!

Not gonna lie I don’t come for the Bbq I come for the butter beans. They are so yum. But so is the bbq.

This place was packed on a Saturday around 1:45pm.
It was a unique set up. When you walk in there’s all the meat on display instead of being back behind a counter somewhere. You could just reach in and grab it. An employee cuts off the meat for you and then you go to the counter for the sides.
The sign on the door about the butter beans cracked me up. They must really be good if they don’t want people to take them to go.
Here’s what we tried:
Brisket: good bark and not too fatty
Jalapeño sausage: spicy and my favorite
Chicken: this was good
Spicy baby back: not too spicy and falling off the bone
Potato salad: sweet like they used sweet relish (not my thing)
Tater tot casserole: yummy!
The beans were free, but I didn’t try any.
They had live music which was cool.
Power went out since a thunderstorm was going on, but that didn’t stop people from buying bbq.
I would definitely recommend this place.

Best bbq I’ve ever had. Brisket and ribs were moist and delicious. Potato salad was on point. Their tatertot casserole was yummy but a bit creamy and cheesy. I would definitely recommend!

I would give this place 3.5 stars for the food. As you enter in the meat is in a black box to the right. You get to pick what and how much meat you want. Then you move over to choose your sides and desserts.
The price is a little more expensive than other bbq places. The ribs were very good. The brisket was good, a tad dry but with the sauce it was better. The pork was ok. The turkey was moist. Their tater tot casserole was very good.
Their cobblers were very good.
The place is big with ample seating. The people who work there were very friendly.

Nice weather in April in TX! We wanted to see blue bonnet so we drove to Bonnet. On our way back we passed through Marble Fall and then found this bbq place. The brisket was run out by the time we went there. The baby pork rib and sausage are worthy a try!

Excellent brisket, nice selection of sides, free butter beans.
This is a no frills BBQ joint that just makes damn good BBQ. Their fatty brisket is probably a contender for the best in central Texas. Don’t go here if you’re from California looking for some fancy dining, go here for incredible slabs of meat. :D

Now this is the best BBQ spot I was able to attend while in Austin texas. I wasn’t going to wait 4 hours in line for Franklin’s and we didn’t have time to drive over to Salt Lick so I felt as if I wasn’t going to enjoy any good BBQ spots but I’m glad we were able to eat here.
All the meat selections were super flavorful, tasty and wonderful from the brisket, ribs, and sausages. We opted for the spicy corn and tater tot casserrole as our sides. Both were really good and be warned, the spicy corn is really spicy!
I’d recommend this place to anyone visiting Ausitn like I did and try to check this place out. You won’t regret it.

Wow, wow, wow. Best brisket I’ve ever had. The baby back pork ribs were soooooo good. All of the sides were good, but I particularly enjoyed the tator tot casserole and creamy potato salad…
Great for crowds and kids. Lots of space. I was pleased to also hear some live music playing. Stop by and get some bbq here and take it with you to Krause Springs.

Was okay. If you haven’t had brisket anywhere else you will like it here. Salt Lick’s has way more smoke, and I find that better. The best brisket in Texas is at La Barbeque. Beans were good, and the slaw was okay if a bit watery. This is an old school place and was nice.

We took a road trip from Round Rock out here, and were not disappointed!
The drive was really fun and beautiful, definitely recommend going out to Opie’s as part of a day-​trip from the Austin area.
The BBQ was all exceptional. You get to pick what you want from the pit, which is always fun. I was particularly impressed with the jalapeño cheese sausage, which I am not normally a fan of, and the sweet n’ spicy ribs… oh man those ribs. Yep, you should get those ribs. We got turkey and brisket too and although it was very good, I could have been happy with just those ribs.
Don’t leave Opie’s without getting enough Tater Tot Casserole. That is one delicious food. I’m not even sure what I ate, but I really loved it. The complimentary butter beans were just awesome. I feel like it’s not a real BBQ place without free beans, bread, onions, and pickles right? We also got some cobbler, which I imagine is like your Texan grandma’s. If your grandma’s is better, please invite me over.
What really brings Opie’s up to 5 star level, for me, is the atmosphere. It’s not a dark, smoky room like some BBQ spots. It’s an open, bright, large, and pretty beautiful when you start looking around space. They have some awesome shirts too. Make sure you check those out.

I was reluctant to drive all the way out here since I lived near so many great BBQ spots in Austin, but I wasn’t disappointed. It’s pretty cool walking in and commit face to face with a giant pit of smoked meat. A notch or two below some the heavy hitters in Austin, but still really good stuff. The free beans (I was lucky to come in when they had the pinto and butter beans) are probably some of the best BBQ sides I’ve had.

Good ribs and decent brisket. We tried a little bit of everything. It’s a self service type of environment w good eats.

Mr.: I stuffed myself on brisket, ribs, sausage, beans, butter beans, and potato salad. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like.
Ms.: had chicken since I had brisket at Cooper’s earlier in the day. Chicken was good, thoroughly cooked without being dry. Soda had a nice carbonated kick and the ice is crushed, not cubed, so that was a plus. The potato salad has both mustard and mayonnaise – good stuff. The butter beans was more of a bean soup in my opinion. The pinto beans were just so so – a little too salty or peppery for me, I can’t remember which now.

This was my first visit to what I can truly call original Texas barbecue. Walking inside the doors to the main dining area to the right they have a large pit that has all the different types of meats that they have prepared for the day. I was lucky enough to get there while there was still plenty of several different kinds of sausage, pork spare ribs, baby back ribs, pork chops, brisket and a couple of other items. I chose the baby back ribs, brisket and regular sausage. At the counter area they offered to cut up the different meats, to which I gladly said yes. Also here they had slaw and potato salad. I chose the potato salad, but passed in the desserts they had next. Even though the Blackberry Cobbler looked delicious! I knew there was a good chance I’d be too full to enjoy dessert. I ordered a sweet tea to go along with the food and happily sat down. I waited for a friend to join me and she arrived just a few minutes after I got to the table. She got some brisket and the tatetot casserole (which was very good).
They have a «center station» on the middle of the large dining room. Here you can get pinto beans, butter beans (only for those dining in), bread, jalapeños, and BBQ sauce. These are all complimentary, which is great! A restaurant could easily, and would charge for the beans and jalapeños (both whole and sliced). Great idea and so good for business to give these to the customers.
The dinning area is a large open room with «genuine» wood furniture. It’s the only way I can describe it. The chairs aren’t the most comfortable, but look good. Speaking of good, I would describe the food as good to great. The pinto beans were average and the butter beans had a nice light flavor that was surprising. I was expecting a heavier flavor, but it was very good! The meat and sausage made the trip from San Antonio worthwhile. The brisket had great bark, the «have to be there» smoke ring and a tenderness I could not believe. It came apart so easily, unlike some brisket do that tend to stretch and really have to be pulled apart. The ribs were tender, flavorful and meaty. The sausage had a good firm texture and a full flavor.
5 Stars — Brisket, Ribs, Sausage
4 Stars — Butter Beans
3 Stars — Pinto Beans
Live music was an added plus, making for a great dining experience at Opie’s. Looking forward to returning one of these weekends to try more items on their menu, which I’m sure will be taste temptations.

What is it about the Spicewood area that generates amazing BBQ places? This delightful place ranks in the top five places I’ve been to for BBQ without a doubt — and that does not come easily given the other places I’ve eaten at.
Like ‘It’s All Good’ just 9 miles further down the road, Opie’s is not only an amazing eatery, it comes with some of the same plusses: reasonable parking, a line that moves quickly and won’t leave you waiting an hour for your food, and a homey, comfortable place to eat. It’s a good deal larger and brighter than some places — think dining hall crossed with country lodge, medium 6 – 8 seat tables with country-​style chairs as opposed to long picnic tables and benches.
The BBQ is top-​notch, as the brisket — the pride and crown jewel of Texas cooking — places up in the top three I’ve had, perfectly marbled with just the right layer of bark. I found the BBQ pork to have an excellent spice/​smoke ring, and the baby-​back ribs were very good (though I have to give the nod here to IAG, as these were actually spicy enough to make my eyes water!)
Aside from brisket, Opie’s dominates in a surprising area — the sides. The tater-​tot casserole is easily the best I’ve had, there is a salt-​caramel cheese cake to die for, and by all means, try the butter beans when they have ‘em (I believe it’s only Fri-​Sat-​Sun).
I was lucky enough to chat briefly with the owner, a wonderful lady named Kristin (if she reads this, I hope I got that right!), who mentioned that they’ve been in business for 16 years and plan to keep on going into the future. I certainly hope so as I will be returning for my fix of brisket and butter beans!
This place pegs the ‘CTJ Scale’ at 5 stars, as noted below.
5 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Jesus good. Would be OK passing on after finishing a plate 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.

This was my first visit and I wanted to try everything, so I did. I have enough food for the rest of this week. I got the cheese and jalapeño sausage, moist brisket, chicken and baby back ribs. All of the meat was flavorful moist and tasteful. I got the peach and blackberry cobblers. They are both good. I bought the toffee butter cake but have not tried it yet. The complimentary pinto beans was good. I thought I did not like butter beans, but they were excellent. The BBQ sauce was good. I prefer a sweet sauce or sweet spicy type sauce. This was an excellent trip. I will be enjoying Opie’s BBQ all week.

Came here on Labor Day because of a Texas Monthly article that ranked it as some of the best BBQ in Texas.
Plenty of parking and easy to get to (considering it’s basically the only thing out there). You order your meats, they give it to someone to cut, you order your sides, and then you check out.
Baby back ribs were the highlight of the meal for me. I will probably just order those if I come back in the future. I also loved the spicy corn. Brisket was okay, jalapeño sausage and pork ribs were good. Tater tot casserole did not actually contain tater tots — just sliced potatoes. That was a bit disappointing for me.
I liked how they had all the trimmings (onions, bread, pickles, pinto beans) in a middle island for easy selection and packing up. The place was laid out well for self-​service.
Strange thing that happened that day that really has no bearing on the restaurant — there was a bird rehab non-​profit in the parking lot and they were doing a fundraiser where you could take a photo with an Eurasian Eagle Owl for $ 5. It was pretty neat.

The metal box at the entrance to Opies is stocked with mouth-​watering brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. As you walk in, you just point to what you want and tell them how much.
They say the best things in life are free. Do not miss a complimentary helping of the butter beans. They are the bomb. The sign on the front door says the beans absolutely aren’t available to go — not sure if that’s negotiable.
Save room for the banana pudding — one order is enough to feed a small family.