The Salt Lick Experience

The bbq joint we picked, after much research and asking around, was the Salt Lick. www.saltlickbbq.com This one in particular is located in Driftwood, Tx about 30 minutes south of Austin. The drive out was really quite pretty. You kind of feel like you're in the middle of nowhere going down a 2 lane road surrounded by trees and ranches. I was imagining seeing signs everywhere "2 MILES TO SALT LICK!" "1 MILE LEFT TO SALT LICK!" a la Outer Banks advertising. But there was nothing. So we started worrying how we would see it...would we miss it? This is hysterical in retrospect. Suddenly we rounded a corner and there up ahead was a massive parking lot full of cars. It could have been a state fair or something. We pulled up and there was a police man directing traffic and so so many people. I could feel the intimidation setting in... how am I going to eat all that meat, what am I supposed to order again? am I not supposed to ask for sauce on the side? eek
I thought for sure we'd have at least an hour wait. The outdoor areas were insane. A band was playing in one section and big groups of people, or even families, were hanging out by the picnic tables getting their kegs started. Kegs you ask? Oh yes, this is Texas after all. Salt Lick is b.y.o.b. so people roll up with kegs and coolers galore. I couldn't stop laughing. Particularly at the families rolling up with little kids and grabbing their bud lights from the cooler. haha We were sat after about only 20 minutes. They took us to one of the many huge rooms with row upon row of picnic tables. It was time. The moment of truth. What to order... We all settled on the meat combination platter. And we did ask for the Salt Lick jalapeno sauce on the side, faux pas or not, bec. we were curious to see how it tasted. Our plates came out and they were intimidating (though not nearly as intimidating as the bottomless meat platters families around us were ordering). We had sausage, beef brisket and ribs as well as potato salad and coleslaw. I've been a true North Carolina bbq devotee for years so I was dying to see how this measured up. I should also mention that I can't even remember the last time I ate ribs. I've been grossed out by them since I was a kid bec. I don't like getting messy when I eat food. haha Laugh all you want, I know it's ridiculous, but it's just how I am. However I made an exception for this place and in the end the rib was my favorite. I thought the sauce, both the regular and the jalapeno, were delicious! The meat was good, the rib really good, but I didn't think it was exceptional. The thing is you really go here for the whole experience, not just the meat. That said, i did think all of the meat had such a fantastic smokey flavor. When we were leaving they let me go back in the kitchen to take pictures of the big bbq pit and now I can understand why it had such an amazing flavor. None of us conquered our dinner, but we were also desperately trying to leave room for the dessert: pecan pie and peach and blackberry cobbler with Texas bluebonnet vanilla icecream. The pecan pie was nothing special, but the cobbler was scrumptious. We didn't make too good of a dent in it but it was still delicious. Alas, our time at the Salt Lick had come to an end. I have to say, i still stand by my North Carolina bbq, but this was definitely a cool experience. You MUST check it out if you go to Austin. Unless you're vegetarian of course... :)