Seth, good recommendations. I love the brisket at the Salt Lick, but have never been crazy about the sauce. Strange, since it tied with R.O.'s Outpost for "Best Barbecue Sauce" in the 2011 Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll, so take my opinion for what it's worth.
Been to most of the others you mention and agree they're all good. In fact, it's pretty hard to find a BBQ joint in Texas that isn't pretty good from the get-go.
A relatively recent addition to the Austin scene is Franklin's barbecue on 11th Street. It was voted "Best Brisket in the History of the World" in the 2011 Austin Chronicle Restaurant Poll. That one I'm more likely to agree with, although in my opinion it's about tied with Cooper's, which also has locations in New Braunfels and Fort Worth.
- Robert
