The infamous family feud of the 1990s that had many of us fearing that barbecue in Lockhart was doomed has actually turned out to be a good thing for barbecue lovers. The Schmidt family duked it out, and in the end, one side got to keep the name Kreuz Market, while the other side got to keep the original building from 1900. Meanwhile, everyone has continued to make top-notch barbecue. It must have been a real blow to lose the Kreuz name, and along with it the reputation, but perhaps that has kept the crew at Smitty’s working extra hard to maintain quality.

The pit room of the old red brick building doesn’t seem to have changed a bit, and the heat and smoke from the fire that is right there—watch your children, please—can be a bit overwhelming initially. But we take visitors here when we want to give them 100% Texas. Once your eyes adjust to the dark (the greasy, smoke-infused black walls make this room darker then you might expect), you can watch the men with giant metal hooks wrestle your meat out of the pit.

The small dining room certainly has changed some since the old days, although it’s still as bright and plain as ever, in stark contrast to the more done-up (and vastly bigger) Kreuz Market. Smitty’s has a TV on the wall, and new tables and chairs; sadly, the knives that were once chained to the walls have disappeared. (Was the health department involved here?) But you shouldn’t miss them too much, as the brisket at Smitty’s is tender as can be, especially when ordered moist—lean, it’s pretty dry. We’ve also had some of the best prime rib of our lives here: rare, smoky, juicy, full-flavored beef loveliness. Ribs are usually thick and meaty, but have on rare occasions been thin and miserly. Sausage is excellent, if a little greasy, and is loose packed and finely ground.

Sides are definitely secondary, but you have to be sure to at least grab a few slices of raw onion to cut through all that fat. And make a little dipping pool of Smitty’s vinegary hot sauce (Kreuz doesn’t even bother with sauce) and another of seasoned salt—although most meats need no help in the flavor department, a bit of heat makes it even more powerful. After your lunch, walk off some of that brisket by heading over to the Caldwell County Courthouse, built in 1893—long before there were so many wonderful barbecue choices.

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