Project Smoke is one man’s attempt to explore the world of barbecue by eating it every day for a week. Find all of the entries here, and please pray for his soul.
Friday was to be the big one: a trip to Central Texas’ most famous barbecue town, Lockhart. And make the trip I did, visiting Smitty’s market, just off the square downtown. Now, deciding where to go eat in Lockhart is no easy matter; there are lots of good places and some small town history to consider.
The granddaddy of them all is Kreuz Market, but there’s a problem. Back in the 90s, the family that ran Kreuz’s (pronounced KRITE-sez) ran into some drama. The patriarch died and left the business to his sons but gave the property to his daughter. That meant Kreuz’s had to move into its own building (a monstrous barbecue barn just up the road) while the location everyone knew and loved changed names to Smitty’s.
My thought: go to either and be happy. (Black’s is another local hot spot, but it has always come in third with me.) I’ve always been partial to Smitty’s because of how old-school it feels, but most people think Kreuz’s has the better food. I haven’t agreed, but this visit actually went more that way.
There are two distinct parts of Smitty’s, the smoke room and the dining room. After a walk down a long, dark hallway, the pits and pit masters await. All meat is ordered and paid for here. From there, drinks and sides are available inside in a bright, linoleum-lined eating area. The transition is bit disconcerting, but definitely feels like step back in time.
Again, I went for moist and lean brisket, pork ribs, and instead of sausage, I went for the pork loin. The picture makes the food appear a little dry, and to be honest, the food was a little dry. The brisket and ribs were still pretty dang good, but the pork was a stretch too far.
Lockhart is also a nice little place with a great downtown square, featuring one of Texas’ most iconic county courthouses. A good long walk is just what’s needed after eating barbecue, and Lockhart has it covered on both ends. Get down and get some!
