Eats Beat: Put familiar barbecue destinations on the map

Texas travelers will find plenty of barbecue along the holiday drive.

Black’s Barbecue, one of Lockhart’s famous barbecue restaurants and among the oldest in Texas still under the original family owners, has added an Austin location and Sunday hours.

Black’s is one of the old-time barbecue restaurants specializing in near-perfect brisket with a heavy ring, smoked 14 hours.

It’s also known for homemade sausage, served in quarter-pound rings in a choice of three flavors.

If you’ve ever gone barbecue hunting in Lockhart on a Sunday only to find the legendary restaurants closed, Black’s is open Sundays both in the original location and at the polished new stand on Guadalupe Street in Austin.

Black’s will be closed Christmas Day but will reopen Friday and daily thereafter at 10 a.m.; 3110 Guadalupe St., Austin, or the original at 215 N. Main St., Lockhart. blacksbbq.com.

Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, another of Texas’ most famous barbecue restaurants and the closest to DFW, will add Sunday hours beginning Jan. 4.

Louie Mueller’s has been a barbecue mainstay since 1949 and steadily ranks among Texas’ three best, usually swapping top spots with Kreuz Market in Lockhart or the flagship Cooper’s in Llano.

Mueller’s also is known for brisket and three flavors of sausage: original, jalapeño or chipotle.

If you’ve wanted to bring home barbecue some Sunday without standing in line at Franklin in Austin, Mueller’s is a 10-minute drive east of Hutto, off the Texas 130 tollway; 206 W. Second St., Taylor, www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com

All-you-can-’q

For hometown barbecue, the North Main BBQ all-you-can-eat buffet line in Euless will be stocked and ready Friday and again next weekend.

North Main BBQ is a favorite destination for families giving holiday visitors a taste of Texas, or for families who need a meeting place or dining stop near the Airport Freeway.

The Green family will have the barbecue buffet stocked and ready at 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday both weekends (closing time is 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday).

North Main is at 406 N. Main St., Euless, near DFW Airport; 817-267-7821. northmainbbq.com.

(Another popular stop for holiday travelers or guests, Loco Coyote Grill near Glen Rose, will be closed Friday but open Saturday and Sunday at 1795 County Road 1004, Glen Rose; 254-897-2324, letseat.at/lococoyotegrill.)

Scant choices after Santa

Most Christmas Day reservations are booked, although many cafeterias will be open along with the Ol’ South Pancake House in Fort Worth, Humperdink’s sports grill in Arlington or Vance Godbey’s restaurant near Lake Worth.

Mercury ChopHouse still has a few tables available at off-hours, and the airport hotels such as the DFW Marriott or DFW Grand Hyatt have some space.

Los Asaderos, which has been open past Christmases, will be closed this year, although other taquerias and Asian restaurants usually open.

For a nicer buffet, the Four Seasons Resort at Las Colinas in Irving still has some room at its $74 Cafe on the Green buffet featuring turkey, lamb and more than 20 desserts. (The Gaylord Texan Riverwalk Cafe has limited space.)

Bird Café, the Flying Saucer and many Sundance Square Plaza restaurants will open Christmas night and serve their regular menu.

Merry Tex-Mex

El Fenix Restaurants have found a new way to sweeten up Christmas.

They’ve added Christmas tree-shaped sopaipillas to the menu through Christmas Eve.

The regular El Fenix sopaipillas are cut in a cookie-cutter Christmas-tree shape, but they puff up to make room for butter and honey.

They’re $1.89 or free with some orders through dinner Christmas Eve at the 22 locations of El Fenix, beginning its 98th year.

This story was originally published December 22, 2014 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Eats Beat: Put familiar barbecue destinations on the map."