Went to Austin BBQ Last night. Walked in around 8:45 with a line about 4 deep with the restaurant more then 3/4 full. We felt really lucky that we were able to try the beef ribs. The last full slab of beef in the Pit. With my husband and two friend we placed our orders sat down and waited for our orders to be filled. Not a very long wait and people were still coming in! We could not believe it. By the time we were almost finished all of the patrons were gone and The owner Doug came over and offered us his last rack of Baby Back Ribs to try. We asked him if he would like to sit and join us seeing that no one else was in the restaurant and the staff was closing the kitchen. He did, and we were so honored that he would take the time to sit and chat and eat with us. He really is a great guy with a great heart! He works so hard to make this place work. Every time I have been in here he is working. I asked about the ribs not being served on the lunch menu and his response was, That a lot of time is spent coming in when the place is closed to keep the fire going in the pit and if he served ribs for lunch he would have to make another early morning run to load the cooker. If I remember correctly, I think he would need someone to be there if food is in the cooker? Anyway, with only a few people asking for ribs at lunch, It is not in the cards right now. He also talked about how he is trying to get a better flow in the kitchen. He is totally aware of how this should work as he has owned a restaurant before. I am sooooo thrilled about this place and also thrilled that my husband loves it just as much as I do. So when I want BBQ all I do is say..Austin? I usually get a big smile and away we go!

I can't believe they are allowed to keep a wood fire going all night without anyone there but maybe the oyler is supersafe. It would be nice to have ribs at lunch but I see now what the problem is. I'm glad I live about a seven minute drive so I can drop in when the bbq urge hits.

I went on Tuesday evening at about 7:30 and it was fairly calm, with a steady stream of business. Doug took me in the back, showed me the smoker and gave me a brief tutorial on the different cuts of meat and let me try a few samples. I had the beef ribs and brisket, beans and brisket chili on the side. I loved everything, and I've never liked beef ribs (always thought they were too oily) but these were great and I would get them again. I had his sauce on the side, and loved it with the brisket and the wonder bread. Sauce is a bit spicy with a nice vinegar tang. I only live a few minutes away, and I'll definitely be back. He's working his butt off to get things going, but you can tell that he loves his craft and he likes to talk about it if he has the time. This isn't the type of place that you expect in Wheaton, but it's certainly a welcome addition to a pretty mundane downtown dining scene.

Went for lunch again today. Ordered the brisket sandwich w/potato salad & hush puppy. My wife ordered the pulled pork sandwich with a sausage.

The good: The hush puppy is really good. Way better than the cornbread. Potato salad is very nice as well. I liked the pulled pork. Good bits of bark, with porky, smoky flavor. This was the first time I had the pulled pork, but in the future I would ask them to not sprinkle additional dry rub on it after they plate it. The rub was not needed and just tried to overpower the meat. I had to do my best to wipe it off.

The bad: Brisket was not that great today. Very dry. Not at all juicy. Not sure if it was just because we received the very first slices of the edge or what the deal was, but it was nowhere near as good as the first 2 times I've had it. Sausage was also not one of my favorite things. No snap at all, very mushy texture. The jalapeno/cheddar sausage I had last time was much better.

I'll certainly be back in hopes that I can get the transcendent brisket I had last time. I'll try to time it a bit later in order to not get the first slices.

the wimperoo wrote:I'll certainly be back in hopes that I can get the transcendent brisket I had last time. I'll try to time it a bit later in order to not get the first slices.

I remember reading a post where Mike G called ahead to inquire when the ribs were likely to be pulled from the smoker. He arrived around the appointed time, perhaps waited a little bit more, but received it fresh from the smoker. Given the vagaries of BBQ, it is a pretty good idea to coordinate your visit to when food is pulled.

I was recently at a BBQ shack just as they opened. Nothing was ready and frankly nothing was cooking. They said come back in 20-30 minutes. As I walked away, I remarked to my friend, "We're getting yesterdays reheated BBQ." It was as bad as expected, too.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

the wimperoo wrote:I'll certainly be back in hopes that I can get the transcendent brisket I had last time. I'll try to time it a bit later in order to not get the first slices.

I remember reading a post where Mike G called ahead to inquire when the ribs were likely to be pulled from the smoker. He arrived around the appointed time, perhaps waited a little bit more, but received it fresh from the smoker. Given the vagaries of BBQ, it is a pretty good idea to coordinate your visit to when food is pulled.

I was recently at a BBQ shack just as they opened. Nothing was ready and frankly nothing was cooking. They said come back in 20-30 minutes. As I walked away, I remarked to my friend, "We're getting yesterdays reheated BBQ." It was as bad as expected, too.

Regards,

I arrived about 15 minutes after they opened. They pulled the whole brisket out of the smoker. It was just the first few slices off of the skinny part of the flat. No fat and really dry. I'll come about 10-15 minutes later and hope that people have ordered so I can get slices a bit closer to the middle where there is more fat and less likely to be dry. Or I might just ask for pieces from the point.

HI,

Personally, I go point all the way. It is the fatty part used for pastrami.

Regards,

Had some business up in the western burbs. Lunch @ austin bbq.

Not impressed,

mealy poor textured brisket. Mushy, didnt finish it. More like pot roast than brisket.

Pulled pork was dry & lacking flavor.

Brisket chili was bitter with creosote.

A couple of good items, we really liked the hot links, and cole slaw. Other than that no bueno.

Expensive lunch @ $26.. no bread served with 2 meat combo, had to go ask for some and was handed a couple slices over the counter. Teenagers working the smoker, mixing rub, etc. Dirty tables, really a disorganized, messy place for having been open for only 45 minutes at the that point of the day. Really cant see going back - different strokes.

2 meat meal with brisket chili, slaw, link, and brisket:



"brisket" closeup:

wow..ive had brisket there 4 times now and never got it served liked you did in those pics..that almost looks like they served you the beef clod (which is on the menu) instead of brisket by mistake..that would certainly explain the resemblance and texture to pot roast
thats too bad considering the mostly postive experience others have had there

My wife and kids visited Austin on Saturday at 5PM....When we first walked in it smelled great, but unfortunately that's some of the only praise that I had for the place.

The ordering process is quite slow with one register...There were 2 people in line in front of me and it took almost 10 minutes for me to get to order. When I went to order the piquinto beans (sp), I was told that they were out....It was 5PM on Saturday...Was there a huge rush in the afternoon? With 3 kids, we had 5 differenet meals to order and the first order sat on the counter, getting cold, for at least 5 minutes as they figured out what each order needed.

We tried the BBQ nacho for something different, and was disappointed. The cheese was not even melted and looking into the kitchen as they prepared it, it did not look like they even knew what went on the nachos. They placed the lettuce below all the toppings, so by the time it got to us, it was a soggy unpleasent mess.

One child had the BBQ chicken sammy, and it was super dry. I saw it being unwrapped from a package in the kitchen, this should have been my first warning.

The highlight was the Tri tip, never had it before, but thought it was tasty, but that alone would not bring me back.

I really want to love this place since we live so close, but just can't bring myself to do so. There were others seating near us that had the same feeling about the place, a couple people even left most of their food on their platters, saying how disappointed they were with the food. I see that others have had good experiences, but I can't bring myslef to spend another $60 for the family to eat at this place with the same result.

Just my $0.02

It seems as if they are having consistency problems as well as service problems. The reviews on yelp were mixed. No way should you get all the little shards of meat for an order you should get slices of brisket and maybe a few shards. Personally I don't think you get a very generous serving of meat at Austin and they could give a little bit more. I think this is a function of the help they have as the owner should oversee or teach the help to provide a good portion of well cut meat and not little shards.

I personally think its hard to ensure consistency in a bbq restaurant. What piece of meat you get whether they be end pieces and how long its been in the Q will affect the quality. Also it seems that they have service problems too and and need to figure out how to improve the flow of the food ordering process there. Also running out of food - they should not be out of ribs (or anything) at five or six pm.

One reviewer claimed that the sauce was like catsup -- no way. Their sauce is spicy (I like hot and spicy food) and tingles the tongue for a while, which I like.

I've been here a few times and loved everything EXCEPT for the cornbread muffins (just ok) and the baby back ribs (overcooked to the point of being practically inedible). The place is definitely capable of putting out the best bbq I've ever come across, in my limited experience.

Just had lunch at Austin BBQ. A wonderful experience. The brisket was delicious. Great smokey notes and very juicy and tender. I love the Texas sausage as well. I also went for the mac and cheese and hush puppy. Everything just rocked. The owner was really friendly. He asked me about the lunch and then pull out some of his BBQ books and showed me some of the original restaurants that have inspired him. Nice guy who is passionate about BBQ. Can't wait to go again.

toria wrote:...I personally think its hard to ensure consistency in a bbq restaurant. What piece of meat you get whether they be end pieces and how long its been in the Q will affect the quality. Also it seems that they have service problems too and and need to figure out how to improve the flow of the food ordering process there. Also running out of food - they should not be out of ribs (or anything) at five or six pm. ...

I generally agree with your statement on bbq restaurants and consistency (regardless of type or geographic location) but somehow Barry Sorkin and Smoque have figured it out and are awfully amazing at being consistent.

T Comp wrote:I generally agree with your statement on bbq restaurants and consistency (regardless of type or geographic location) but somehow Barry Sorkin and Smoque have figured it out and are awfully amazing at being consistent.

There's cycle variation at Smoque, but through attention to detail, experience, patience and diligence they are subtle.

Austin BBQ is just three months in business, cycle swings are sure to be more pronounced. I've been once thought the brisket exemplary and I am guessing, having seen the passion in the eyes of the owner, they will become constantly on the mark as time passes.

Enjoy,
Gary

We luckily live about 3 blocks from this place. What a bonus in downtown Wheaton! We've been several times and have been really happy with the brisket, pulled pork and the ribs. The brisket is juicy and flavorful. We got the spare ribs last time...those were the only ribs they had on. Ribs aren't normally my first choice but I could not get enough of these. The BBQ sauce is on the sweet side which I don't mind. My husband makes a pretty rocking BBQ sauce of his own so we use that.

For sides, I'd stick with the chicken chili. I think it has great flavor and adds to the meal. My husband loved the brisket chili but I thought it was a little oily and heavy for my taste. I wouldn't get the mac and cheese again...it's a little dry. I also really like the coleslaw. My husband hates mayo so I get it all myself. Winning.

They're still working out some kinks as far as service goes but seem to be getting their stride. We've had friends get mixed up orders and such but we've never had that happen. The service was spotty the first time but it's getting much smoother. Some items are not available that are on the paper menu. We really want to try the smoked chicken wings...hope they make those soon. Can't wait to go back.

I had an excellent first visit with the exception of a somewhat unpleasant encounter with the teenage cashier who shot me a dirty look when I asked for a certain part of the brisket. "There's only one kind." I have a feeling that the owner, who's familiar with the barbecue traditions of central Texas, wouldn't be too pleased. They really need someone more knowledgeable working the front.

There is a Living Social deal for Austin BBQ today (Thursday) only!

Living in the area, my wife and I went got take out. Brisket, Pulled Pork, Pit Beans, Blue Cheese Potato salad, and other things.

The brisket was tough and dry, the pulled pork great, and the sauce was so good we were dipping everything on our plates in it to get more of that flavor. Pit Beans were best either of us had ever had and Blue Cheese Potato salad equally good. I love a place that really cares about the sides.

If this place had opened just a few weeks earlier they probably would have been getting a GNR monday night.

A few of the Oak Park Boys took a journey out to Wheaton to try this place out. Overall consensus was "pretty good, but not great."

Beef Ribs (note fried pickles left side)


Tri-tip


Clod


Funny how Jim loved the cole slaw...it was the only thing I really did not like...super oniony and sweeeet. Onion rings were top notch.

Tried this place a couple of weeks ago. The tri-tip and pulled pork both had very good flavor but neither was even close to moist (at prime dinner time on a weekend). The blue cheese potato salad was awful -- undercooked potatoes and cheapo "bleu" cheese. Really liked the beans, though.

cilantro wrote:Tried this place a couple of weeks ago. The tri-tip and pulled pork both had very good flavor but neither was even close to moist (at prime dinner time on a weekend). The blue cheese potato salad was awful -- undercooked potatoes and cheapo "bleu" cheese. Really liked the beans, though.

That about nails it. This was woulda, coulda, shoulda BBQ. I mean, underneath, peaking out, around the bend, existed some fine fare, but by our dinner time, it all had sunk just a little too metaphor mixing much. It was a shame that time failed us as the underlying product showed tons of character, including a nice rub.

I thought a good deal of the accessories worked, especially the sauce, which I really liked. I was fine with the fried sides, the onion rings, pickles and okra, and who does not like a big hunk of sausage as a side too (maybe the best of the meats was this "side). I really did not care for the beans or cole slaw.

Lunch seems in order (not the least, brisket was 86'd by the time we arrived).

I agree with the assessment from teat and vital. There was some potential there and some nice flavor in the meats, BUT we were there at what should still be considered "dinner time" and none of it was exactly "fresh out of the smoker", and I think the meats all suffered because of it. All the meats had a prety good taste but were just missing that, how do you describe it, freshness that you would like/expect. In some ways it was like taking food from a buffet steam table that had been sitting there for awhile. Not bad, but not as good as when it first went into the warming table.

I really enjoyed the sides. I liked the potato salad, beans, fried pickles, onion rings and cole slaw. I also ordered some food to go with a few different sides including the blue cheese potato salad and brisket chili, and both of those were really tasty as well. Even eating them the next day.

The carryout that I got was a chicken dinner and a short ribs dinner. The short ribs we very good re-warmed the next day. They had a nice bark on them, and some really nice smoke flavor. Even re-warmed they were still good. I am sure they would be even better "fresh". The chicken was not what I was expecting, but was still pretty tasty. Instead of chicken parts, bones and all, it was cut up chicken in a sandwich between 2 pieces of bread. The chicken was cooked well and had a nice flavor to it as well as being pretty moist. The sauce that accompanies everything is good.

Hopefully they will begin to figure out the timing a little better. We were there at 7:30pm or so when stuff should still be "fresh and juicy". I will give it a try again, maybe the timeing will be better next time.

The company as always was excellent.

I think they'd be better off if they pared down the menu A LOT. Focus on a couple things. Maybe two meats and a rib rotation. Maybe four sides instead of ten. The turnover isn't there to prepare that many things and have them all fresh and properly prepared at all times.

But......we focus too much on the negatives. I'd love to have a place like this in Oak Park.

The downtown Wheaton area is hard for restaurants. I have yet to find a restaurant there that I ever really liked in the last 5 years. Emilio's was there, but the cook ran it to the ground before the location did. Rent is high and locals seem to only dine in the area on weekends. There's no business from Metra riders and tourism is pretty non-existent. Parking isn't the best for carry out. I wish Austin BBQ alot of luck. It sounds like they better step back, read reviews and do the repairs. That area needs a place like that.

After visiting my folks in the 'burbs this weekend I embarked on a mini-thon, with Naperville Road (in its various incarnations) being the main connecting line. Three sandwiches, half of each consumed on site and the rest (plus other treats) brought home for the family. First up was Austin:



I went for the brisket and was reasonably pleased; bark and smoke penetration were excellent and it really required little flavor help from the nice house-smoked sauce. The whole thing was leaner and dryer than my personal preference, but it worked on the squishy white bread. Totally off-balance was the pit bean side's candied pulled pork and a few limas in a ratio I've never quite imagined before, though it tasted good. Pickles, cheese, and onions were a welcomed touch. Corn muffin: does anyone like 'cue joint corn muffins? Can't they just be contributed directly to charity?

Something you will never see at another Chicagoland barbecue house: employees openly eating McDonald's at the very first table in front of the pass-through. Questioned by the kitchen, one of the young women replied: "I'm SICK of this smoky food! Leave me alone" in earshot of a half-full dining room. I ran into Doug at the Wheaton Meat Market and did not have the heart to tell him, but I can't imagine it (or any of the other service shenanigans) would happen on his watch.



Chick-fil-A, Danada Square East, Wheaton. Why am I nostalgic for something I only eat in airports? I'm not sure. Here, the staff could not have been more professional, sunny, or helpful, by hook or crook. The sandwich was perfectly consistent with what I enjoy in places south. Polynesian and Chick-fil-A sauces are two of the more savory cuplets out there for internal embalming. I almost ran back with a second order for the girls at Austin.



A cemita from Totopos in Naperville. Now we're talking!

Went for lunch today. Brisket and tri-tip were phenomenal. Tri-tip was especially good. Onion rings are turning into my favorite side item. Mac & cheese is not too good. Dry and off tasting. Hush puppies have gotten worse just about every time I've gotten them. Just dense balls of dough. They're still probably better than the cornbread muffins, but that's not really saying anything.

Not much mention of Austin BBQ here recently. Went there a few months ago and thought I ought to post before more time passes. From a single visit I can echo the previous comments that Austin BBQ is doing a lot right but there are a few problems that keep it from being really special. A combination tray of brisket and sausage was a good introduction to their food.



Brisket was quite good, especially the fattier point pieces on top. Nice soft but not mushy texture, with good smoke flavor (and ring).



I was especially looking forward to the Kreuz sausage, sitting there all plump and pretty.





It was good but could have been so much better. It was disappointingly dry inside, seeming like it had been held for a while. I bet it would've been spectacular fresh out of the smoker. Beans were hearty and slightly sweet, very heavy on the smoked meat, very filling. I thought the cheese cubes, pickles and onion make a fun addition.

I wonder if it wouldn't be to their advantage to pare down the menu somewhat and focus on putting out a smaller variety of items at their peak. Maybe offering a core menu plus a rotating selection of daily specials would be a good idea. I look forward to returning some day (it's quite a bit outside my usual foraging range) to see what strides forward they might take. It was good a few months ago and has the potential to be so much better. Any new reports?

Austin BBQ
226 W Front St
Wheaton IL
630-690-0526

Head's Red BBQ wrote:wow..ive had brisket there 4 times now and never got it served liked you did in those pics..that almost looks like they served you the beef clod (which is on the menu) instead of brisket by mistake..that would certainly explain the resemblance and texture to pot roast
thats too bad considering the mostly postive experience others have had there

yeah, i'd say it is either the beef clod or a a chunky mortadella..
By the way do you have any experince cooking it yourself? every time i tried i turned beef clod into a big 12lb ball of meat..

Eduardo - it cooks pretty much like chuck..meaning it takes a long time ..it will hit a stall similar to pork butt then take off from there