Kruez Market » Girl Eats World

619 N Colorado St
Lockhart, TX 78644

Oi. It’s Monday again. Sadly, this Monday is not going to be LAST Monday. I had the best Mondays at the “office” last week. There’s a few yearly traditions at my work place and I’m enjoying experiencing them for the first time as a new employee. One of which is Barton Springs Day. (Barton Springs is a man made spring here in Austin.) Tradition dictates that we leave Austin and drive a short long (yes, short long) drive to Lockhart, Texas and eat at one of their famed barbecue joints, Kruez Market. After the lab stuffs themselves silly on quality barbecue, we then caravan to Barton Springs and wade, sun tan, enjoy the shade, swim, and or continuously jump off the diving board (what my boss did). What an awesome tradition, no?

Kruez Market is one of the memory keepers of this yearly tradition. It’s one of two famed barbecue places in Lockhart. Lockhart’s claim to fame is barbecue; without barbecue, it’ll probably be another dusty Texan town. I’ve never set foot in Lockhart (just tire tracks) so it was fun for me to experience a little bit of this sleepy town. What better way to experience a town than through your taste buds?

I was forewarned that this is one of those gungho joints. No forks. No barbecue sauce. As much as I love good barbecue sauce, I can conceptually appreciate the no sauce. I’ve never been to a barbecue place without barbecue sauce but Kruez is forcing their patrons to really experience the naked meat (Shhh, be mature :p). Without sauce to mask the real seasoning and flavoring of the meat, you can really appreciate their point. What is their point? Crust, marbling, and smoke. They laid out their no sauce, no fork policy on a very humorous sign pictured below.

I had cash on me but they totally took my credit card. FYI.

That cowboy looks like he’s about to get me. Eek.

My order, pictured above, was under 7 dollars. Potatoes, 1 sausage link and a 1/3 lb brisket. I would have sampled more but I was gonna be in a swimsuit later. Needed to eat like a lady as opposed to as a beast.

The meat flavor was gooood. My boss and I compared briskets and he was a little upset his was much leaner than my fatty pieces. I wish mine was less fatty. I love some moist brisket and love the fat usually but it made it a little bit hard for me to chew. The no forks thing was fun. Made me feel like savage and gave me the urge to growl. Grrrrr meatttt! Gooodddddddddd, grrr! Sausage was smoky and superb.

Again, I knew I was gonna be half naked in less than an hour and so I steered clear from the dessert. Next time.

Before I saunter off, I have a darling before and after photo of Sarah at Kruez. She was my work person. Unfortunately for me, she’s leaving for grad school and Barton Springs day was her last day at the “lab” (what a wonderful last day right? Meat and sunshine?)