The Salt Lick BBQ

“Open-pit Hill Country 'cue under the Driftwood oaks”

Founded by Thurman and Hisako Roberts in 1967, The Salt Lick is a Driftwood landmark that cooks brisket, sausage, and pork ribs over an open stone pit in full view of the dining room. The sprawling Hill Country campus, the cash-only counter, and the BYOB ranch setting have made it one of the most famous barbecue destinations in Texas — as much an outing as a meal. The open-pit method gives the meat a distinctive char and a smokier edge than closed-pit joints, and the family-style platter is the way to experience it, brisket and sausage and ribs arriving all at once under the oaks. The signature tangy-sweet sauce is found nowhere else and divides purists, which is part of the fun. The Salt Lick is a Texas institution built for a crowd — a long, lazy, platter-piled afternoon in the Hill Country.