Hours
Sat 8:00am–noon
Credit cards None
www.snowsbbq.com
Lexington
45 miles from Austin
516 Main St.
Lexington, TX
(979) 773-4640
East Coaster in Texas for the first time: “So, what part of the cow does brisket come from?”
Austinite, taking him to taste his first Texas BBQ: “The part that was touched by God.”
When Texas Monthly outed Snow’s Bar-B-Q in Lexington in mid-2008—we’ll admit to being bandwagoneers in this particular case—the place went haywire. People came from all over the state to try the brisket, the sausage, the ribs, even the chicken. Suddenly, the little shop—which was, and still is, only open on Saturday mornings—began selling out within a few hours of its 8am opening. Nowadays, if you show up much past even 9am, you risk coming away empty-handed—quite the booby prize for someone who’s just gotten up first thing Saturday morning.
Lexington is an hour-ish east of Austin, and it’s a pretty drive. Coming into town, you may wonder where Snow’s is; when you see all the cars, and can smell the wood smoke, you can bet that you’re close. Snow’s occupies a tiny building across from an old grain silo. Soon after it opens, the queue is out the back door, and the pit masters are weaving their way through, bringing in fresh meat.
While you’re waiting, check out the guestbook—it’s a testament to how far the barbecue aficionados (or Texas Monthly readers, anyway) will travel to get their fix. Don’t worry about the small number of tables inside; there’s plenty of seating outside near the pits.
When Snow’s brisket is on its game, it’s easily the best: subtly smoky and nicely seasoned, spectacularly juicy and meltingly tender. But on a few visits, it has come out somewhat dry. Your best bet is to ask for a slice near the end. All-beef sausage, from the Giddings City Market, is coarsely ground and peppery, and especially good with the (gasp!) prepackaged tart and tangy sauce. The barbecued chicken can be uneven—sometimes spectacular and sometimes a little tough. Free sides (mushy, overcooked baked beans; good potato salad) are beside the point—but then, this is Central Texas BBQ, so that’s sort of a given. As for that brisket? Yep, touched by God.
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