Kreuz's Market Review (Lockhart, TX)  

Kreuz's Market Webpage, Facebook, & Twitter  

Since a few of us are going to try and complete the TMBBQ Passport Challenge (we aren’t really trying for prizes so we aren’t rushing), we made a road trip. First stop was Kreuz’s Market.  

Kreuz’s has been around since the early 1900s, and is one-half of one of the biggest BBQ rivalries in Texas history (Smitty’s being the other half). People in Lockhart are very passionate about their respective favorite, and Food Wars even did an episode on the rivalry back in 2010.  

But how are they today? I went along with James, Mike, and some of Mike’s family (Denise, Hank, Suzanne, and Julie) to see how they rate. After meeting up, we ordered. As usual, not everyone tried everything, and we didn’t get as much as we normally would since we had other spots lined up.  

Brisket: We ordered moist, which turned out to be fortunate, as it was a little tough, It did have a solid flavor with some nice smoke, but was just a bit tough to call excellent. Quality seemed a bit uneven in the various servings, as some ratings varied substantially from others.  Tom, Hanks, James, and Denise: 7.0/10. Mike: 6.5/10. Suzanne: 5.5/10. Julie: 4.0/10. Average: 6.29 

Pork Rib: I was the only one who tried it. It was huge, with a nice meat to bone ratio. It was tender without being overdone, and there was a nice peppery smoke flavor. Tom: 8.5/10.  

Chicken: The chicken is tender and juicy. There’s a light smoke flavor, but not much else, and most of it is concentrated in the skin (it doesn’t carry through to the bone). Tom, Denise: 7.0/10. Mike: 5.0/10. Average: 6.33

Original Sausage: It has a coarse grind, and there’s definitely some spice to add a bit of heat. The underlying flavor is good and might have had a decent snap. Unfortunately, it is loaded in grease to the point of dripping out when the sausage is open. The grease overwhelms the flavor of the sausage. There’s a line between moist/juicy and greasy, and this has crossed it. Of course, opinions can vary. Hank: 6. Denise: 5. Tom: 4. Mike: 2. Average: 4.25.  

Kreuz’s certainly has some good BBQ. The ribs are excellent and the brisket and chicken are solid. The sausage is more hit/miss depending on how you feel about grease.  

Is it worth a visit? It seems like a solid place to go for lunch.  

Is it worth a trip? We’d have to say no at this time. With the exception of the rib (and only one of us scored that), nothing really stood out in the exceptional range. I’d call them good, but not great. 

-Tom