J. Leonardi's Barbeque

“East 11th's quietly essential smokehouse”

J. Leonardi's has quietly anchored its stretch of East 11th Street with the kind of proper Central Texas barbecue that keeps a neighborhood loyal through a decade of change around it. It isn't a marquee name, which is exactly how the regulars like it — a counter they can count on, staffed by people who know the meat runs out. Beef ribs sit at the top of the board, big and beefy with a hard smoke edge, and the house-made hot links bring a peppery, snappy punch that rewards the trip. Brisket holds a firm bark and clean fat, and the pulled pork gives the menu range. The East Austin crowd has learned the rule that governs every serious smokehouse on this street: order early, because the best cuts are gone by mid-afternoon.