More Than a Lick

Central Texas BBQ favorite entices summertime diners with rare deal

Diners can enjoy an all-you-can-eat family style option for a lower price this summer at Salt Lick.

Photo courtesy of Salt Lick

Salt Lick BBQ has long been an Austin favorite, but now things are really heating up: In these days of rising food prices, the restaurant has reduced the price of its all-you-can-eat, family style dinner for the summer.

The buffet includes as much beef brisket, sausage, pork ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, and beans as a family or friend group can stomach; in fact, diners are even invited to take their leftovers home. The AYCE meal, normally offered at $32.95 per person, has been lowered $30.95 for a limited time. (A publicist for the restaurant did not know how long the promotion would last.)

A $2 savings might not seem like much individually, but it adds up for families and groups treating themselves to a night out at Salt Lick for a stick-to-your-ribs dinner.

It's also the rare restaurant that is reducing the price of a meaty meal right now.

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price for ground beef hit $5.98 per pound in May — a 16.2 percent increase year-over-year," says a spokesman for Ranchbot, a ranching resources and supply company. "Sirloin, chuck, and other popular cuts are also at historic highs, driven by shrinking herds, prolonged drought, and supply chain pressures that continue to ripple across the industry."

The original Salt Lick, in Driftwood, is known for its scenic outdoor seating, live music, breezy rules on bringing your own booze — and dogs — and some of the best barbecue in Central Texas. It's practically a summer rite of passage in Austin to drive out to Salt Lick, fill up on barbecue, and then head to a nearby swimming hole. There's a secondary location in Round Rock.

Salt Lick is a perfect candidate for sharable sampling, since it's well-known with tourists, especially those looking for eats at the airport (which has a different menu). In February, Salt Lick's restaurant at the Austin Bergstrom Airport was named one of the best airport restaurants in the world by Bloomberg. Only two other restaurants in the U.S. were given such high praise.

This isn't Salt Lick's only announcement this year. It also shared plans in January to create a new restaurant concept called Roxie's in Buda. Although it's not a barbecue joint, the new restaurant will certainly have Southern flair, with a menu including classics like deviled eggs, fried chicken, and pies for dessert.

The original Salt Lick is located at 18300 FM 1826 in Driftwood. It is open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 am to 9 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 10 pm. The Round Rock restaurant is located at 3350 East Palm Valley Blvd., open from 11 am to 9 pm daily. There are additional outposts at the Austin-Bergstrom and Dallas Fort Worth International Airports.

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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized how long the all-you-can-eat buffet has been available.

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Sowing More Wheat

Co-op grocery store Wheatsville announces 2 new North Austin locations

Wheatsville Food Co-op/Facebook

Wheatsville Food Co-op is moving on from its Guadalupe store.

One of Austin's favorite grocery stores, consumer-owned Wheatsville Food Co-op, has announced an expansion — which will mean more locals getting on board as owners. The store announced July 10 it would be opening two new locations in Hyde Park and Allandale, provided it raises enough funds.

The Hyde Park location will be at 408 E. 43rd St., and the Allandale location will be at 2917 W. Anderson Ln. These two locations currently occupied by Fresh Plus Grocery, a local chain. The post by Wheatsville thanks Fresh Plus for its coordination.

This news fulfills a promise from Wheatsville just over a year ago in 2024, when it announced it might have to close its then-43-year-old location at 3101 Guadalupe St. The problems largely came from challenges with Light Rail construction that would make the store difficult to access for both customers and suppliers, according to a company bulletin. Sales for the location had also halved over the last decade, and the building needed major repairs.

The Guadalupe store's lease expires in 2026, so it set out looking for solutions to replace it. At the end of the same month that the bulletin went out — although a new location hadn't been chosen yet — the store's Instagram account posted that it was time to "get serious," seeking investors in North Central Austin.

It set a goal of $6.5 million in investments. In a comment, a store representative explained owners can invest a minimum of $2,000, which gets them a 3.5 percent return, or $10,000 for a 4 percent return. Funds would go toward the logistical needs of moving and opening, plus staff training and expanding.

That goal means 3,250 investors will have to join as owners. They'll then have a democratic say in how the company runs, plus perks like daily extra savings, coupons, profit sharing during "sufficiently profitable years," and eligibility to join Austin's University Federal Credit Union (UFCU).

This June's call for investors encourages potential owners to email invest@wheatsville.com for more information on the process.

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