East Austin is Austin BBQ central. Even though all of the joints in
and around town would qualify for a crawl, East Austin has some of
the most authentic BBQ in Texas, as many of the practitioners have
migrated here with deep roots from other parts of Texas and beyond.

There are no rules for a BBQ crawl; I like to sample the specialty
of the house, if there is one. I always order brisket, sausage, and
ribs. If the sides look interesting, then I eat the sides. (There are
always the three standards: potato salad, cole slaw, and beans.) I
recommend reading the posted items before ordering and talk to
the person serving to find out if there is something you shouldn’t miss.
When ordering meat, you might have the pit man slicing and weighing
meat items only, so forget about talking sides with him. Go with his
recommendations for meat and don’t pass up the special of the day.
Plates get heavy fast and it all smells so wonderfully smoky that you
will be tempted to eat with no regard for what is around the corner.
I like to pace myself and keep it slow. It gives me time to enjoy the
place and the people. Some of the most interesting conversations can
happen over a mouthful of brisket. The East Side of Austin has some
very colorful characters and happy to share their stories of how long
they have been eatin’ BBQ at this or that joint. And by the way the
drink of choice on the East side is Big Red.