Austin BBQ Tour
An Austin BBQ tour lives or dies on timing. The good barbecue is not downtown and the lines start early — so we build the route around opening times, sell-out times and drive time, and you hit the places worth the wait.
The short version
Barbecue is a lunch tour. The destination pits open late morning and sell out by mid-afternoon, and several are closed Mondays. Two stops is the right number. Lockhart puts three pits within walking distance, but it is its own day rather than an add-on.
The good barbecue is not downtown and it sells out
Central Texas barbecue runs on two constraints nobody mentions until you are standing in the wrong line: the destination pits mostly open late morning and sell out by mid-afternoon, and several are closed on the day you assumed they would be open.
Opening times decide the route, not preference
Most of the destination pits run Tuesday or Wednesday through Sunday and sell out by mid-afternoon. Franklin Barbecue on East 11th opens at 11am and is closed Mondays, and the walk-up line has been known to run two to five hours — though their online pre-order lets you reserve meat for pickup and skip it.
Build the day around that and you eat well. Build it around a ranked list and you arrive at 3pm to a sold-out pit.
The no-line option is a legitimate choice
Terry Black's on Barton Springs Road runs a cafeteria-style line, is open daily, rarely sells out and has a full bar. For a group of twenty that is often the better stop than a two-hour queue, and nobody is compromising on the brisket.
Stiles Switch is the sit-down version of the same idea. Cooper's is open daily with a bar as well.
The Lockhart pilgrimage is its own day
Kreuz Market, Smitty's Market and Black's Barbecue sit within walking distance of each other about thirty-five minutes south of Austin. Three pits in one afternoon, in one town, with no driving between them.
It is the single most efficient barbecue route in Texas and it is genuinely different from an Austin crawl. Pick one or the other.
Austin's own spread is east and south
la Barbecue on East Cesar Chavez, LeRoy and Lewis, Micklethwait, Mum Foods on Manor Road, the Original Black's near campus, Interstellar out on RR 620. Several of these have picked up serious recognition in recent years.
Some are BYOB and some have a full bar, which is worth knowing before twenty people arrive thirsty.
Three ways to run it
| Version | Shape | Realistic block |
|---|---|---|
| Austin crawl | Two or three pits across the east side and south | 4–6 hours |
| Lockhart day | Three pits within walking distance, one town | 5–6 hours |
| Pit plus brewery | One barbecue stop, then taprooms | 6–7 hours |
| The long haul | Austin pit, then Taylor or Lockhart | 7–8 hours |
Two pits is usually the right number
Barbecue is not a tasting portion. After two stops most groups are finished, and the third is ordered out of completism rather than appetite. We would rather route you to two you will remember than four you will regret.
If you want a third stop, make it a brewery or a bar rather than more meat.
Barbecue days are a staple of Bachelor party bus Austin bookings, and a lunch pit plus an afternoon stop is one of the better Corporate event transportation Austin offsites in this city.
Early start, and check the BYOB question
Start early. A barbecue tour that begins at noon is already behind. Late morning pickups are standard on this route and the reason is arithmetic rather than enthusiasm.
Ask about drinks before you go. Some of the best pits are BYOB and some have a full bar. If your group is planning on beer with the brisket, that difference decides whether you need a cooler on the coach.
Included: coach, driver, route planning, and confirming each pit's hours and days for your date. Not included: food and drink, paid at each stop.
Coaches are 20, 25 and 30 passenger — the fleet page has interiors. This is a routed tour; for a day built around an occasion instead, see Trips & Experiences.
Questions we get on this tour
What time does a BBQ tour need to start?
Late morning. The destination pits open around 11am and sell out by mid-afternoon, so a tour that starts at noon is already competing with the sell-out clock. Barbecue is a lunch tour.
Do we have to wait in line?
Not necessarily. Franklin's walk-up line can run two to five hours, but their online pre-order lets you reserve meat for pickup. Terry Black's and Stiles Switch get you excellent brisket with minimal waiting, which for a group of twenty is often the better call.
Should we do Austin or Lockhart?
One or the other, not both. Lockhart is about thirty-five minutes south and puts Kreuz, Smitty's and Black's within walking distance of each other — three pits, no driving between them. An Austin crawl spreads across the east side and south. Both are good days; combining them is too much driving and too much meat.
How many barbecue stops is realistic?
Two. Barbecue is not a tasting portion, and after two stops most groups are done. If you want a third, make it a brewery or a bar rather than more brisket.
Can we drink with the barbecue?
Depends on the pit. Some of the best are BYOB and some have a full bar. We will tell you which is which when we confirm the route, so you know whether to bring a cooler for the coach.
Are any pits closed on certain days?
Yes, and this catches people out constantly. Most destination pits run Tuesday or Wednesday through Sunday, and Franklin is closed Mondays. We confirm days and hours for your specific date before routing.
Our other tours
These are routed tours with a planned stop list. If you would rather build the day around an occasion — a bachelorette weekend, a wedding, a birthday — start at Trips & Experiences instead.
Tell us the date and the group size
We confirm every stop for your specific date before we build the route, because tasting rooms, taprooms and pits all change their hours and some are closed on the days people assume they are open. You get a written quote with the vehicle named on it and the stop list attached.
Austin Party Bus Bros · 11104 Alterra Pkwy, Austin, TX 78758 · (844) 825-4032 · austinpartybusbros@gmail.com
Serving Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Buda and Kyle. Venues named on this page are examples of the kind of stop we route to, not a fixed itinerary and not partners of ours — opening days, hours, group policies, tasting fees and availability are set by each venue and change, so every stop is confirmed for your date before the route is finalized. Tasting fees, food, tickets and anything bought at a stop are not included in transport pricing. Timings are typical rather than guaranteed and depend on traffic, group readiness and conditions on the day. Alcohol on board is for passengers 21 and over only; bookings involving passengers under 21 are arranged alcohol-free and confirmed in writing with the organizing adult beforehand.