County Line on the Lake

Liza
Liza
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
Editor Pick

County Line Restaurant

  • February 20, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by fungirl from austin, Texas
Warning: The food here will spoil you for "normal" barbecue. This is traditional Texas barbecue at its very best. The brisket is always trimmed completely--no fat or gristle. The sausage is sublime and not greasy. Any meat that's barbecued/smoked is perfect. I've been eating barbecue weekly since early childhood, and this is just the best there is.

The atmosphere is family-friendly and casual. The decor is rustic but comfortable. Service is very attentive. You can eat "family style," where you're brought platters and platters of food until you all say "enough!" Or you can order a platter, which I guarantee will require a doggy bag or a huge appetite.

The view is lovely--a shady, narrow arm of Lake Austin that is really the entrance to Bull Creek. You can drive your boat up and dock it, or you can park your car in the lot. There is no bus service to this upscale part of town.

It's not traditional to think of barbecue as an "upscale" dining experience, but this is the creme de la creme of barbecue. It's still pretty reasonably priced--you could spend more than $10 if you had alcoholic beverages or if you did the "family-style" thing, which is about $14 per person.

If you want to eat after 7pm and don't want to wait a half hour to an hour on the shady outdoor pier drinking margaritas or iced tea (which is actually a pleasant way to spend an early evening in summer), make reservations. If you want to eat before 7pm, don't worry about reservations.

There's a newer County Line on the Hill overlooking a vast valley, just off Bee Caves Road, but it's not quite as nice a setting, in my opinion, though it has great "forever" views.

From journal Austin--Lucky to Live Here!

Editor Pick

County Line Barbeque

  • May 22, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Liza from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
I originally describled Texas food as being way more diverse than just Tex-Mex and barbeque cusine, but I can't neglect to mention my favorite barbeque restaurant in Austin. The County Line is well known locally for it's great home-style Texas Barbeque and it's not to be missed.

The pork ribs are tender and sweet, the beef brisket is slow smoked to perfection and the sausages are peppery and delicious. All the meals come with sides; homemade potato salad, cole slaw and beans which are all also really great tasting, that is if your stomach has enough room for you to even try them. As the saying goes "Everything is bigger in Texas" and this holds true to the monstrous size of the portions they serve. You can easily split an entree with someone and still be stuffed with food when you leave. Or you can order a meal and bring over half of it home. Yes, I do agree that this is excessive, but this is part of the Texas barbeque experience. If you are either really daring or just plain starving, you can order The Cadillac which is an all-you-can-eat feast.

The decor is very cozy and the atmosphere is homey. The walls are made of stacked logs like a log cabin and there are all sorts of interesting antiques hanging on the walls and ceiling. The restaurant is actually quite large, but you can still usually expect a one-drink wait on an evening. Happy Barbequeing!

From journal Edible Austin

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