Not that Michelin-starred Austin hotspot La Barbecue was hurting for publicity, but a recent visit from a celebrity has thrust it back into the limelight again. Aughts singer and former Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff stopped by the East Cesar Chavez barbecue joint and snapped a picture with pitmaster Ali Clem; the restaurant shared the photo on its Instagram story August 8.

"What a sweetheart," a photo caption says, plus a two-heart emoji. That's all the post offers, and Duff hasn't yet commented on her visit. (Unfortunately we can at least surmise from the sign in the background that Duff didn't get to try the ribs, which were sold out.)

Hilary Duff and pitmaster Ali Clem at La Barbecue.La Barbecue/Instagram

Duff is no stranger to Texas barbecue, having been born in Houston, and raised between there and San Antonio. Her sister, Haylie Duff, also lived in Austin for a few years starting in the pandemic, but she put her house back on the market in early 2024.

In the past, Duff has praised the brisket at Terry Black's Barbecue, calling it "unhinged."

Although Duff hasn't entirely disappeared from the public eye, she has receded into family life and is now seen largely through a nostalgic lens. Her most recent album was 2015's Breathe In. Breathe Out., and she had a short TV comeback starring on How I Met Your Father for two seasons starting in 2022. She has also been involved in several businesses in recent years including children's apparel and home fragrances.

However, it looks like a comeback may be on the horizon. Duff's husband, Matthew Koma of pop band Winnetka Bowling League, made a Mother's Day post for her this year, featuring the caption, "Happy Mother’s Day ba. Now please go save millennial pop music, it needs you now more than ever." Duff also posted photos she took with her Mother's Day gift, a new camera, and replied to a comment asking for more music — all she typed, suggestively, was the eyes emoji.

La Barbecue also made headlines this year thanks to another, very different type of celebrity visit. Popular TikTok food reviewer Keith Lee stopped by Austin to talk at South by Southwest (SXSW) and devoted some of his limited time in the city to trying the popular barbecue spot.

Of what Lee ordered, the ribs were his favorite, earning a 9.5 out of his scale of 10. He spoke at length about his opinions in the video, emphasizing that it was his first Austin barbecue experience. "Again, I genuinely don't know if this is because it's a Michelin-starred spot or because it's in Austin, Texas," he said, and overall rated La Barbecue among the best he's tried.