8.8
Kerlin BBQ
$$East Austin, East Austin
East Cesar Chavez's small-batch, oak-fired pit
EAST AUSTINTRAILERBRISKET
⚡Sells out by early afternoon most days.
TRAILERSOUTH LAMARVALUENO FRILLS
Brown's Bar-B-Que
AIAI-generated illustration — not a photograph of this restaurant. About our images
8.7/ 10
265 reviews“South Lamar's charitable-priced brisket trailer”
Daniel Brown's trailer parks outside the Sahara Lounge on South Lamar and makes an argument that great Austin barbecue doesn't require a fancy setup or a dawn wait. It has been serving textbook Central Texas brisket since 2012 at prices that feel almost charitable by the city's current standards — a lean operation with nothing to prove and nothing to hide behind. The menu strips down to essentials: meat, bread, pickles, onions. The brisket is the reason to come, consistently well-smoked with a firm bark and a fat line that renders clean, and the pulled pork and sausage give the order some range. Skipping the East Austin lines is part of the appeal; you get elite-adjacent smoke on a residential stretch of South Lamar, usually without the anxiety of a two-hour queue.
Know Before You Go
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 11am until sold out
- Closed
- Monday
- Heads up
- Brown's Bar-B-Que keeps limited hours and can run out — go early or check ahead before you visit.
- Price
- Budget-friendly ($)
- Don't miss
- Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Sausage
What to Order
1
Brisket2
Pulled Pork3
SausageWhy It Stands Out
**Some of the fairest value in Austin barbecue.** Brown's serves consistently excellent, firm-barked brisket from a bare-bones South Lamar trailer — elite-adjacent smoke without the East Austin line or the East Austin price.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 1901 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
- Phone
- (512) 917-0684
- Hours
- Tue–Sun 11am until sold out
- Website
- brownsbbqaustin.com
- Price Range
- $
- Established
- 2012
Ratings Breakdown
6 dimensions, each scored 0-10
Smoke8.7
Bark8.5
Tenderness8.6
Value9.5
Atmosphere7.5
Consistency8.5
Back to Best BBQ in Austin
Good to Know
Brown's Bar-B-Que — Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at Brown's Bar-B-Que?
Regulars point to Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Sausage.
What are Brown's Bar-B-Que's hours?
Tue–Sun 11am until sold out
What days is Brown's Bar-B-Que closed?
Brown's Bar-B-Que is closed Monday. Hours can change on holidays, so it's worth confirming before a trip.
Does Brown's Bar-B-Que have limited hours?
Brown's Bar-B-Que keeps limited hours and can run out — go early or check ahead before you visit.
Is Brown's Bar-B-Que expensive?
Brown's Bar-B-Que is budget-friendly ($).
What kind of barbecue does Brown's Bar-B-Que serve?
Brown's Bar-B-Que serves Central Texas Style barbecue — Central Texas BBQ is defined by its simplicity: salt-and-pepper rub, post oak wood, low and slow in an offset smoker. The meat is the star — no sauce needed. This is the style that put Texas BBQ on the world map.
When did Brown's Bar-B-Que open?
Brown's Bar-B-Que has been serving Austin barbecue since 2012.
