Smell Our Pits
Local barbecue favorite named the most iconic restaurant in Texas
When it comes to Texas fare, nothing is quite as iconic as barbecue — and it seems that Thrillist agrees. The website just released its list of the most iconic restaurant in each state, giving top Lone Star honors to a local barbecue favorite.
The Salt Lick has been deemed the most iconic restaurant in Texas. Simply put: "There are no pits that smell quite as much like Texas as the Salt Lick." While Thrillist notes that "other smokers' stars have risen higher in recent years," the Driftwood barbecue joint (open since 1967), nabs the honor because, well, "it's just so damn Texan."
"The whole experience is like the slow unfurling of a Lone Star flag," writes Thrillist.
"The whole experience is like the slow unfurling of a Lone Star flag, from the 30-minute journey from Austin down farm-to-ranch roads to the sprawling wide-open ranch estate to the same circular smoking pit that's been turning out spectacular meat since 1967," writes Thrillist.
"There's a reason they go through over a million pounds of brisket a year, and that reason is Texas."
To qualify for the list, restaurants had to be around for 30-plus years and still considered a crowd favorite. The Salt Lick joins such famous joints as Katz's Delicatessen in New York City, Commander's Palace in New Orleans and The Old Clam House in San Francisco.
To view all of the winners, visit Thrillist.