Iron Works BBQ

A couple of weekends ago, I took my first trip to Austin, TX. I wish I could say to prep I packed a bag full of cowboy boots & hat, checkered shirt and bandanna...but all I really brought with me was an empty stomach ready to dive into some BBQ. We had place already picked out...and we couldn't check in soon enough to get into town to reach our destination Iron Works BBQ.

A friend of my boyfriends recommended the place and it couldn't have been better. This divey restaurant (a place that could totally be featured in Diners, Drive-in's and Dives) was no muss no fuss. When you enter the place, straight ahead is a big open order window with a chalkboard menu and 2 guys behind the counter. You tell the guy what you'd like and they serve it up by the pound. They literally chop up some meat, throw it on a scale and slap it on your plate and say here ya go. So with our pound of meat on a tray (and our teeny tiny portions of coleslaw and beans) we headed to the checkout where we could choose our drinks out of an iced barrel and head to our table. At the table you have a squeeze bottle of BBQ sauce and a roll of paper towels. We were able to grab an outdoor table which was nice as the weather in Austin was ideal (in comparison to Chicago's volatile May weather).

At first we dove into our original choice (I got the pork ribs and he got the brisket) we were nothing short of delighted with the flavor. The boyfriend, knowing that I like to sample everything, went back to the "meat counter" and ordered us up 3 more pounds of meat. Crazy I know. But honestly it was genius. We then sampled the beef ribs, the sausage and the chicken. All fabulous, but really I've never felt more like a carnivore than when I sunk my teeth into the beef ribs. It was the most amazing meat experience I've ever had. The taste, the tenderness of the meat, the juiciness...man oh man, I will never forget it.