Kreuz Market, Lockhart, Texas

That was awesome...both in terms of food and experience. Inside this giant barn-like structure (619 North Colorado Street, 512-398-2361) sat rows and rows of wooden benches with paper towel rolls perched on top of them. Walk all the way into the back and there were these huge pits where meat roasted away. The main choices were the leaner shoulder meat or the fattier brisket that you ordered by weight. It was thrown onto a couple pieces of butcher paper along with any other meats (like sausages) and paid for on the spot.

But it didn't end there. In order to get sides like beans as well as drinks, one had to go to a different counter in another room and pay for those. And perhaps most interestingly, they provided a plastic knife, but no fork, as one was supposed to use his hands. I awkwardly used a combination of sliced bread together with a stabbing action of the knife, which wasn't very effective but certainly amusing and which ultimately got me through.

The other interesting thing here was that they didn't provide any barbecue sauce, the idea being that good meat shouldn't have to hide behind it. And indeed, this stuff didn't need it. The brisket was so tender and well-seasoned that I gobbled it up with ease (the sausage was fine too, but the brisket was really the star). I was never really a fan of sweet barbecue sauces anyway, so this was right up my alley. I'd much rather eat here than at the Salt Lick.