We used to think Uncle Billy’s barbecue held up admirably, given the city’s high standard, but after an intensive study of Austin’s best city-limits barbecue, we find this totally out of the league. The reason you should come is for that one thing the best barbecue joints in town don’t offer: beer. And an outdoor patio with live music and misters. And lots of vaguely vegetable-related dishes. (Also not found in traditional barbecue joints: ladies’ night, sangria, and a lot of ‘tude from the misguided youngish staff who perhaps watched too much “Alice.”)

Burgers will better satisfy barbecue connoisseurs than anything else here. Otherwise, the genre’s been worked over with a Soprano-like impressiveness; you’d need dental records to identify this odd, sorghum-and-liquid-smoke smell as pork ribs, and moist brisket (“fatty” carefully excised from the menu by a scrupulous chain-restaurant consultant, perhaps?) has the texture and flavor of moist sponge. Sausage is fine, and cheese-jalapeño sausage is even better, in the way we don’t much care for Oscar Meyer bologna, but the pimento loaf kind of rules.

Fried okra’s good and not greasy; cole slaw’s oddly pineapplish; mac and cheese gets even better with the murderously hot habanero sauce on your table. As for the brews, they’re faithful to profile, if rarely inspiring. Sample for yourself in a flight, or employ the several guest taps; best after a long swim in the nearby lake or springs.