Even though The Salt Lick is not located in Austin, I still think it's noteworthy. The original Salt Lick is located in Driftwood, TX- about 40 miles outside of Austin. At first I thought that 40 miles was quite a drive for some BBQ, but I soon found out that it was well worth the drive!
We went on a Saturday afternoon around 5, and when we pulled into the parking lot, I was shocked at how packed it was! I thought we would never find any parking, but luckily someone pulled out right when I was driving by, so I was able to get a spot pretty easily. When we walked up to the entrance, I was surprised to see so many people waiting, eating, sitting, drinking- everything! There were literally hundreds of people spread out all over the place! Most of them waiting with a beer or mixed drink in their hand! The cool thing about The Salt Lick is that it's BYOB- people can bring the drink of their choice, whether it be beer or a bottle of liquor. From what I could tell, most people took advantage of the BYOB policy, and I saw people with coolers, cases of beer, and plenty of bottles of liquor! Our group had also taken advantage of it! We had plenty of bottles and beer to go around! :)
Since me and the birthday boy had arrived super later (oops), we had friends already waiting for us, and they were able to put their name on the list to get seated. By the time we arrived, we only had to wait about 10 minutes before our table of 14 was seated! My suggestion, though, to anyone deciding to take a trip out there- get there early if you don't like long waits because the lines are very long, and the wait is at least an hour depending on the size of the group.
The Salt Lick looks very much like what you would think a BBQ joint should look like. It's very casual, there are both indoor and outdoor seating, all of which consists of picnic tables. The place is pretty big, so there is definitely enough room for everyone who shows up, and it's also very organized- there is a check in station when you get there, and another station when your table is called. From what I could tell, everything runs quite smoothly on a daily basis, and the staff is very friendly!
When walking in, we passed this amazing open pit of all the barbecue that they serve there! There was sausage, brisket, ribs, and chicken all around the smoking pit, and it smelled amazing. Obviously, they have bigger pits in the back somewhere because although there was a lot of barbecue out, it wasn't nearly enough for all the people that were eating there. It was quite entertaining to see, actually, and I felt like a tourist trying to get a picture, but didn't feel so bad when I saw everyone else trying to get one too! :)
We finally got to our table, and we were immediately greeted by a very friendly waitress who was on top of her game! Our whole party hadn't arrived yet, but as soon as someone showed up, she was right there ready to take their order! As busy as The Salt Lick is, I was really impressed with her service- it was fantastic! I should mention that The Salt Lick in Driftwood is cash only, but if you forget or don't know (like me), there is an ATM machine ready to remedy that! It's always easier to remember to get cash, though, because those pesky fees are no fun, and can get expensive!
The menu is fairly simple: you can get a plate of your choice of barbecue, or you can get the family style dinner which includes all you can eat pork ribs, brisket, sausage, and burnt ends. It also comes with potatoes, coleslaw, beans, and rolls. The family style platter is $19.95 a person, and goes a really long way! The people I was sitting with all decided we'd try that since we all agreed we wanted to try everything! The waitress literally kept bringing as much meat as we wanted! We didn't have to get all of the same thing every time, either. If we wanted more brisket than sausage, we could get it, or more ribs than brisket- no problem!
The barbecue was absolutely AMAZING!!! I loved everything, but my favorite was the pork ribs- they were so tender, and fell right off the bone! They were flavorful and delicious!!! The brisket was also very tender, flavorful, and you could tell it was smoked for a very long time because you could taste it!! I am a big fan of barbecue (what Texan isn't?), and I have to say this is one of the best barbecue places I've ever eaten!
We all had a fantastic time at The Salt Lick- great company, great atmosphere, fantastic service, and out of this world barbecue! What more could I ask for?! When the bill arrived, it was all on one check, so we all just pitched in our portion (tip included) and paid the tab. By the time we got up to leave, it was a much cooler and night time, and people were still arriving to eat! The place never stops being busy!
If you are looking for a nice, family-friendly place on any day- The Salt Lick is the place to go! It should definitely be on your list of places to visit! I was glad I went, and I can't wait for my family to come into town so I can take them- I know they'll love it! Until next time, friends!
The "Original" Salt Lick
18300 FM 1826
Driftwood, TX 78619
http://www.saltlickbbq.com/
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