Home > The M.O. > Archives > 2007 > July > 17 > Entry
Kreuz Market: Go for the jalapeno cheese sausage, not the ambience
When the dust settled from the Schmidt family feud in the late 1990s, daughter Nina Schmidt Sells kept the original Kreuz building, while her brother Rick got to take the hallowed name up the road to open a new restaurant. In my humble opinion, it seems as though the daughter may have gotten the best of that deal.
Though Kreuz has lost little of the flavor that has helped make it a Texas legend for almost a century, the relatively new barnlike building in which it has resided for the past eight years lacks the authentic feel of the original location. In the entryway of the massive building, the proud barbecue restaurant greets patrons with automated games of luck and vending machines commonly seen at national chains, a touch that immediately differentiates the location from the traditional feel of Smitty’s.
The massive pit room where orders are placed features a dozen or so pits that still serve up some amazing barbecue smoked over post oak. As they have always done, staff serves the food on butcher paper that is used as a tray. Customers are then directed into the monstrous dining room to order sides and drinks.
Even during a busy Friday lunch hour, the large wood-paneled room was only about half-full, giving an eerie rotary club banquet feel to our lunch. But, all nitpicking of aesthetics aside, the smoked meat, from a menu almost identical to Smitty’s, was as flavorful as ever. The juicy beef shoulder maintained a rich, smoky taste and was one of the more tender cuts of barbecued beef I have had in years. The ribs were very reminiscent of those at Smitty’s but unfortunately featured a bit more fat, as did the brisket. In sticking with the no-forks tradition, you can still expect to get messy in the process.
Although the regular hot sausage links seemed more coarse and less flavorful than those at Smitty’s, the surprise of the afternoon came when we tried the jalapeño cheese sausage. Piled on crackers with onion and pickle, and just a bit of fresh avocado to temper the heat, the sausage was spicy, cheesy heaven.
After our lunch, we walked around the facility (which really seems a better word than restaurant in this case) looking at old pictures and taking note of the gigantic screened-in patio that was empty, although I could easily imagine a packed house following little league games and family reunions.
The hearty meal made it abundantly clear that Kreuz can still smoke meat with the best of them, but given the choice, I’ll take the superior meat and ambience of Smitty’s any day.
Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St.
Lockhart, TX [map]
Hours
Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Food
Comments
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By native austinite
July 18, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this
Wow. You went to Kreuz Market and did not try what they are famous for (bbq pork chops)?
How can you claim this to be a review? At all?
/shame
By Matthew
July 18, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this
The M.O.: I did have a bite of my friend’s chop. It was pretty good, but not as good as the pork chop from Smitty’s the week before. Apologies for not mentioning it. And, for the record, this is simply a blog post about my experience, not a “restaurant review” per se. We have professional critics for that.
By Kyle
July 18, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
I strongly suggest trying the pit ham. My friends and I make regular road trips to the bbq hot spots around Central Texas, and Kreuz’s has an elevated status due to the ham.
Notable mentions: City Market in Luling - excellent consistency across 3 fronts (ribs, brisket, sausage) as well as a great mustard sauce. Smitty’s - you cannot beat the atmosphere! Cooper’s Llano - Mesquite flavoring and awesome ribs. The ability to stand at the pit and point at what you want always means you’re bringing extra home.
By tg
July 18, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this
Kreuz is the best bbq in the world. Nothing’s even close. I’m glad they have a new facility and believe you over-romaticized the old one.
By Mike Nassour
July 18, 2007 2:38 PM | Link to this
Kyle……..SHHHHHHHHHHH! Stop talking about Luling, you’ll give it all away!
And I’ve got to disagree with TG. When they moved the coals from the old location to the new Kruez’s location, they may have doused the flame but they couldn’t take the heart. That WAS left behind….
By colorado kool aid
July 18, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this
Kreuz is NOT the best BBQ in Texas — very good, but not as good as Louis Mueller in Taylor.
By Garage Sale Queen
July 18, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this
Sorry, Colorado Kool Aid, but I MUST disagree. I’ve lived in Taylor (Class of ‘83) and I’ve lived in Lockhart - and Nothing, I mean Nothing beats Lockhart BBQ! However, while I have to give the other three Lockhart BBQ restaurants their due, my family and I prefer Chisholm Trail BBQ. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
By Marcus
July 18, 2007 7:45 PM | Link to this
Yeps. Well there you go. It seems the folks that know smoked meat, know. All those Pits and Cooper’s and Iron Works and Mueller’s and whatever else got nothin on the Caldwell county pit bosses. That string of bbq joints along US183 rule. I might add, don’t forget Luling BBQ on Sunday when City Market is closed.
By FBA
July 19, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this
note to grasshopper: slippery slope to pick one que god over another in land of que heaven. You could start a family feud. When blaming keep it anonymous so says my realtor.