Texas Barbecue, Naturally

On my second day in Austin, my friend Maryrose drove us to Spicewood, Texas, to take a dip in Krause Springs, one of the many swimming holes Austin is famous for and possibly the most beautiful of the bunch. Fed by a waterfall and surrounded by sloping granite, it looks like a postcard from a tropical vacation.

The land is owned by the Krause family, who have set up a kiosk at the entrance, asking visitors to pay a few dollars and sign a waiver. While we were checking in, someone from an adjacent building called out to one of the very large Texans manning the kiosk: “Hey Tiny, want to get some barbecue?”

“Tiny” drawled in return that he’d been eating barbecue for days: “…and last night Mama got barbecue from the firehouse, so I’m barbecued out!”

I wasn’t in Texas long enough to reach the saturation point; in fact, I had only a few meals to spend on barbecue, what with the Tex-Mex, hippie joints, and trailer food I needed to try while in Austin. So I had to choose the right barbecue joint, and that was House Park Bar•B•Que. House Park has been operating since 1943, and the shack where the smoking and ordering takes place looks at least that old. The joint is open only for lunch on weekdays, so we had to scramble a little to fit it in.

Inside the restaurant, the air is thick with smoke, the photos and signs hanging on the walls yellowed beyond reason. We ordered mixed meat sandwiches, with two sides, from the guys behind the counter, one of whom was so edgy I feared he’d pull a shotgun if I didn’t make up my mind quickly.

Fortunately, there’s seating outside, so we were able to enjoy our meat, potato salad and coleslaw in relative safety. If you find yourself in Austin, I recommend the brisket platter with potato salad and whatever other side suits your tastes.