If you want to experience incredible barbecue food, Stubb’s would be my first recommendation for two reasons: first, we only paid $9.95 for our meal, and second, it was delicious."Stubbs" was born Christopher B. Stubblefield in Navasota and opened his first restaurant in Lubbock in 1968. He made his first barbecue in a hickory pit and filled a nearby jukebox with vintage blues music. The Lubbock location is now closed but the legendary food and music lives on in Austin.
We arrived on a lively Thursday night and were initially told that we would have a half hour wait. We wandered to the downstairs bar but before we could even place a drinks order, our remote button began flashing and we ran back upstairs. Not knowing or caring if a mistake had been made, we kept quiet, and lucky for us we were seated right away.
The dress code at Stubb’s is informal. It’s all about having a good time with friends or family and enjoying a plate of great food Texas-style. We all ordered from their Bar-B-Q Plate menu, which includes beef brisket, chicken, turkey breast, and pork ribs. The plate comes with sliced white bread, pickles, onions and a choice of two sides. Usually the side options are limited but at Stubb’s it’s hard to limit yourself. Coleslaw, mashed potatoes, yams, fried okra, pinto beans as well as salads are just a few of the options. I went for the chicken with the fried okra and mashed yams.
The service at Stubb’s is very quick. Some guests stop in on their way to a concert at their popular music venue just downstairs from the restaurant and whilst I would have been happy to linger, Stubb’s is one of those places that thrives on the fast pace and turnover of customers.
Within five minutes our Bar-B-Q plates were upon us and we were faced with a mountain of food (although the turkey breast was the one plate strangely lacking in quantity.) Stubb’s also attempts to cater to vegetarians by offering two plates, one offers a choice of three side dishes and the other slightly more expensive option offers a choice of four sides.
Stubb’s, however, is a meat-lovers paradise and it was all I could do to stop myself from drowning my chicken, and my belly, in their sweet homemade sauce. Washing it down with a cold beer I began to wonder if there are clinics in Texas to help treat barbecue sauce and food addiction. Stubb’s even has it’s own off shoot website for bar-b-q lovers: www.ilovestubbs.com
After we’d cleaned our plates and our faces, we started heading out the door but couldn’t leave without indulging in one more moment of Stubb’s-mania. I bought one of their red vest tops as a memento of one of the best cheap meals I’ve ever had.
www.stubbsaustin.com