Loro

“Asian smokehouse from the Franklin and Uchi teams”

Loro is a collaboration between Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tyson Cole of Uchi, and the pairing produces something genuinely new: Central Texas smoke braided with Southeast Asian flavor across a bright, fast-casual room on South Lamar. It is the most inventive use of a smoker in a city that treats smoke as sacred. The smoked brisket over Thai coconut rice is a dish that could only exist in Austin — deep oak flavor cut with lemongrass, chili, and herbs — while the char siu pork ribs lacquer Chinese barbecue tradition onto a Texas cut. Oak-smoked salmon extends the range beyond the usual proteins, and the cocktail program ranks among the best in the city's barbecue scene. Loro's thesis is simple and well proven: Central Texas smoke is a technique, not a cuisine, and it pairs brilliantly with Asian flavor.