#29 - LA BARBECUE - Hot Things Come to Those Who Wait

La Barbecue in Austin was the 29th stop on my quest to visit all 50 of Texas Monthly's top BBQ joints.  (Sadly, it was the last of the Austin BBQ joints on my list since Freedman's closed last year.)

When we arrived, we found ourselves standing in the parking lot of a Quickie Pickie.  What the heck is a Quickie Pickie you might ask?  It's a small, neighborhood grocery store.  La Barbecue is tucked away in a corner of the store.

There were about 35 people in front of us, all inside the Quickie Pickie, waiting for the magic hour when La Barbecue opened.  The QP must love La Barbecue because when we were standing in line, we got a full view of their stocked shelves.  This got me thinking about things to add to my shopping list.  It was a short list focused on protein...brisket, sausage, turkey...and done.

Speaking of lines, I've found that many of the lines at Texas barbecue joints have their own vibe.  Real barbecue fans don't mind a long wait for good barbecue.  The best lines are the ones that have a pace and a purpose.  Some are really long, like the one at Franklin BBQ.  It's well-known and has developed a style of its own.  People show up early, they bring their own lawnchairs and coolers, and they talk about barbecue.  They know that when they go to Franklin, they are going to wait and they're OK with it.

Cattleack BBQ's line has a different vibe, stacked with professionals escaping from the surrounding office buildings and in-the-know barbecue hounds.  The outside line looks short, but once you make it past the friendly doorman (tough job dude, but you do it well), it snakes through the restaurant to the counter.  Given that Cattleack is open only a few days a week, it's worth the 1-1.5 hour wait to fill your plate.

The line at La Barbecue has its own vibe too, and it's uniquely Austin.  Everybody is young.  Everybody is thirsty, so they'll grab a cold draft from inside the Quickie Pickie and go back to the line. Sunburns don't matter since their youthful skin has barely experienced the annual heat of the Texas summer sun. Everybody is so happy to be there, living in Austin, so young and so free, that the pace of the line just doesn't matter. Time is irrelevant in the La Barbecue line.  It just is.

When it was our turn, we made our way to the counter.  We had a big group, so we sent some into the seating area to play "Duck Duck Goose," aka "Find an Open Table." 

At our table, we spread out the fare and dove in. The La Barbecue team takes its time with its food, and it shows. We ordered moist brisket, hand-made chipotle sausage, turkey, shells and cheese, pinto beans and chipotle cole slaw.

The brisket and turkey were perfectly smoked and could hold their own against the best in the state.  But the true heroes of the meal jumped off the tray, sLApped me in the taste buds, and demanded my respect.

The sausage, cole slaw, shells and cheese and pinto beans were delicious, hot and spicy.  They were dialed up to 11, with a fantastic, memorable, lingering burn.  So hot that some members of our lunch party couldn't eat them...not that that was a problem, since it meant more for me.

My favorite food groups are jalapenos, Sriracha and Mrs. Renfro's Ghost Pepper Salsa.  After visiting more than half of the best BBQ joints in Texas, I've enjoyed some spicy items, but nothing that was truly memorable.  Sure, you'll find a pickled jalapeno, jalapeno cheese sausage or ghost pepper mac n' cheese on the menu, but the heat profile on many of these items are like matches...they burn and they're gone.

La Barbecue doesn't tout it, but they clearly know their way around heat and on this day, they had the tastiest, hottest BBQ menu in Texas.

Queue up at the QP next time you're in the ATX and get ya some La Barbecue BBQ.  The food is outstanding, hotter than a Texas summer, and the memory will stick with you like parking lot gum.