FF13 · Barbecue Country · 5 days · easy pace
Five days of Central Texas barbecue, from Austin trailers to the old Lockhart pit rooms
From $2,290 per person, shared double room
Questions? [email protected], Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:30 Eastern. Booking terms
Texas smoked brisket
Overview
Brisket at the counter before the line forms, sausage rings and shoulder clod in the smoky halls of Lockhart and Luling, a Tex-Mex breakfast taco crawl in Austin, and two nights in the Hill Country for German bakeries, peaches and wineries.
Central Texas barbecue is simple on paper: beef, salt, pepper, post oak smoke and time. In practice every pit tastes different, and the only way to understand it is to eat at several in a row, at the right hour. This tour does exactly that, with a host who knows when each pit opens and which ones sell out first.
Two nights in Austin cover the new generation of trailer and brick-and-mortar pits, with a breakfast taco crawl and a craft brewery. Then the van heads south to Lockhart, the town that calls itself the barbecue capital of Texas, where meat comes on butcher paper in pit rooms that have been smoking since the early 1900s, and on to Luling for a ring of hot sausage. The last two nights are in Fredericksburg, a Hill Country town settled by Germans, for a winery afternoon and a farewell dinner.
Cody Alvarez hosts every departure. Dates avoid the peak summer heat, running from fall through spring.
More on the destination: Barbecue Country: Texas, Kansas City and Memphis food tours. Tour categories: Barbecue & Grill, Cider, Sake & Spirits, Wine Regions.
Read first: How to order Central Texas BBQ: lines, cuts and the butcher paper
What you will taste
Tasting portions at the markets, producers, cellars and kitchens on the route, on top of the meals listed. Dishes follow the season, so one or two can change from date to date.
Itinerary
Day 1 is the arrival day: meet your host at the hotel in the late afternoon. The order of the days can shift with the weather, the harvest or a kitchen that closes early; the places stay the same.
Day1
Transfer to the hotel near South Congress. Welcome dinner at a Tex-Mex institution: queso, cheese enchiladas with chili gravy and puffy tacos, with Cody explaining what the rest of the week will taste like.
Day2
Breakfast tacos on the east side: migas, barbacoa and egg and chorizo on fresh flour tortillas. Then a pitmaster walks the group through his smokers before service. Brisket and ribs for lunch. Afternoon at a craft brewery for guests 21 and over.
Day3
Forty-five minutes south to Lockhart. Three pit rooms, one after another, small portions at each: shoulder clod, pork chops, jalapeño cheese sausage, white bread and pickles. Mid-afternoon, a ring of hot sausage in Luling. On to Fredericksburg for the evening.
Day4
Morning on Fredericksburg’s Main Street for German pastries and a peach stand in season. In the afternoon two wineries along Highway 290, with tastings for guests 21 and over. Farewell dinner of chicken-fried steak or smoked quail.
Day5
Breakfast at the hotel and the drive back to Austin airport, about one hour and forty minutes, arriving by 12:30 pm.
Photographs
The route
Hotels are listed by class and area; the names come with your confirmation and may be replaced by a hotel of the same standard.
What the price covers
One price covers 4 hotel nights, 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners and the tastings listed, the tastings and classes in the itinerary, transport on the route and your host.
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Tell Lena about allergies, diets or mobility needs before you book, and we will say honestly whether this tour suits you.
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Flights are not included, so you can use miles or fly from any airport. Arrive at Austin (AUS) by mid-afternoon on day 1 for the group transfer, and fly home from Austin (AUS) after 2:30 pm on the last day.
Dates and prices
7 group departures, 12 seats each. Prices per person in a shared double room; the single room supplement is per person.
| Dates | Length | Price | Single room | Status | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to | 5 days | $560 | Guaranteed | Ask about this date | |
| to | 5 days | $2,340 | $560 | Available | Ask about this date |
| to | 5 days | $560 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| to | 5 days | $2,340 | $560 | Available | Ask about this date |
| to | 5 days | $2,390 | $560 | Available | Ask about this date |
| to | 5 days | $560 | Available | Ask about this date | |
| to | 5 days | $2,390 | $560 | Available | Ask about this date |
| Private date, 6 or more guests | 5 days | Priced per group | As booked | Your dates | Plan with Grant |
Guaranteed means the date runs: at least five guests have booked. Few seats means three or fewer seats are left. A deal price is shown next to the regular price.
Prices per person in US dollars: multi-day tours in a shared double room, flights not included; day tours paid when booked. Deposit $300 per person, balance 60 days before departure, one free change of date or tour up to 45 days before. Booking terms
Before you book
Questions about this tour
General questions on booking, flights, insurance and luggage are on the main FAQ page.
Ask Lena directly
Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day, Monday to Friday.
Mostly, but Austin has some of the best vegetarian Tex-Mex in the country and every pit has sides. Vegetarians are welcome; tell Lena so we plan the stops around you.
Rarely. We arrive early or at times Cody knows are quiet, and some pits sell to us at a side window. On busy Saturdays a short wait is part of the experience.
About a pound of meat per person over the Lockhart day, spread across three pit rooms. Share plates and skip the bread if you want to last.
Yes: the Great American Barbecue Trail covers all three in ten days.
Yes. About a third of our guests travel solo. A single room on this tour costs $560 extra, and some dates have no single supplement; we can also try to match you with a roommate.
Tell Lena when you book. Vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free versions are arranged with every kitchen before you arrive; for severe allergies we tell you honestly which stops we can and cannot make safe.
Your $300 deposit holds the seat, the balance is due 60 days before departure, and you can move once to another date or tour free up to 45 days before. The full scale is on the booking terms page.
Tips are welcome but never expected. Guests who want a guideline usually give 10 to 15 US dollars, or the same in local money, per person for a day walk, or per person per day on a multi-day tour; restaurant tips on included meals are already paid.
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Dates and seats
Tell us the tour, the date and how many of you are coming. Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day with seats, room options, the total price and any questions about dietary needs.
Lena, Grant and Priya, Charleston
SubjectTexas Barbecue Trail: Austin, Lockhart and the Hill Country: dates and seats
Please include
Lena Ortiz in reservations replies within one working day. No payment now. A $300 deposit per person holds seats on a multi-day tour; day tours are paid when you book.
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