Roadfood Spring Central Texas BBQ Tour

[theabroma]

Learned from a friend that the Road Food team will be doing a BBQ tour of the Hill Country in April. Anyone signed up?

Frankly it seemed a bit strange: $125.00 for the tour, plus you pay for your BBQ at each stop. If memory serves (no warrantly as to whether an MRI is in order!) it covers Blacks, Smitty's and Kreutz - so it will be Lockhart, TX bound. I know that at this point Jane & Michael Stern will both be leading the tour.

I have mixed feelings: to pay that much for the tour and have to buy your own BBQ seems harsh - especially since a couple of years ago Robb Walsh did a tour in conjunction with the publication of this book and the Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, and the price of the bus included the price of the BBQ,and we went to more places. But then, Jane & Michael do know their stuff.

Any thoughts????

Theabroma

[jsmeeker]

Learned from a friend that the Road Food team will be doing a BBQ tour of the Hill Country in April.  Anyone signed up?

Frankly it seemed a bit strange:  $125.00 for the tour, plus you pay for your BBQ at each stop.  If memory serves (no warrantly as to whether an MRI is in order!) it covers Blacks, Smitty's and Kreutz - so it will be Lockhart, TX bound.  I know that at this point Jane & Michael Stern will both be leading the tour. 

I have mixed feelings:  to pay that much for the tour and have to buy your own BBQ seems harsh - especially since a couple of years ago Robb Walsh did a tour in conjunction with the publication of this book and the Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, and the price of the bus included the price of the BBQ,and we went to more places.  But then, Jane & Michael do know their stuff. 

Any thoughts????

Theabroma

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What do you get for $125? Transportation?

[planojim]

I went down there in February this year when the Roadfooders had an informal gathering in Lockhart. That was fun. And free. I think there were about 30 of us there.

But, as much as I'd like to see some of those guys again, I'm not going to pay $125 for the priviledge. As I read it, the $125 only gets you onto the bus with the Sterns.

So, you can pay $125 to be on the bus, or you can pay $0, and eat with them just the same if you drive yourself.

here's the itinerary for Saturday April 26: The tentative itinerary begins with a stop at Round Rock donuts, then heads north to Louie Mueller's in Taylor, to Elgin for sausage, then to Lockhart to compare and contrast Smitty's, Black's, and Kreuz Market. We will be back in Austin by about 5pm.

http://www.roadfood.com/store/eatingtour.aspx

[Holly Moore]

Yes, but that breaks down to only $62.50 per Stern - a heck of a deal. An especially good value for those traveling from Europe, with the current rate of exchange for the Euro.

More to the point, I imagine the Sterns will be gabbing on about this and that during the bus trip. Considering their knowledge, it is a fair price for the experience. They're entitled to a return on their time and expenses.

I do hope the bus has operable windows for the trip back to Austin. After all that barbecue, and a few sides of beans...

Edited December 24, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[planojim]

Holly, will you be attending?

now that, my friend, would be worth the $125.

[Holly Moore]

Alas, no. Though I do see a trip to Austin happening within the next few months.

[theabroma]

What do you get for $125?  Transportation?

←

Well, literally, yes. Of course you also get Jane and Michael ... and they can be quite a rip.

But despite that, it's bbq in our own backyard, and as much fun as it would be to hear them talk about it, I would almost (I said almost) rather pay $150.00, and have the food included. It strikes me as rather Scroogish, misguided marketing of the event. No?

Besides that, when thinking of the logistics ... if this is a full-sized bus, and the tour is mostly sold out, it is going to be a bit of a CF to get everyone into, ordered, served, and through each location. I wonder whether they contemplated a prix fixe array to ease the passage?

I may have to sit this one out - make the tour myself while reading the report! Sad.

Theabroma

[Kent Wang]

I can give this tour if you pay for my food.

It would be nice if they also have the owners of each joint give a little tour. I would pay for that.