Restaurant Review: Micklethwait Craft Meats’ Freshly Opened Brick-and-Mortar
Food truck’s long-awaited Springdale shop keeps up the standard of excellence
Reviewed by Taylor Tobin, Fri., April 25, 2025
Even though certain cranks may whine about how Austin barbecue isn’t as good as Lockhart or Houston or North Carolina or Memphis (or, God help us, Kansas City), most carnivores will gladly admit that our city is home to some of the finest smoked meats in the entire nation. Ambitious pit chefs home in on Austin as the ultimate place to showcase their skills, and those of us who love the flavor of well-sourced beef, pork, and poultry and gentle post oak smoke get to reap the benefits. Many of these barbecue maestros get their start by serving brisket, sausage, and ribs out of the most-Austin of kitchen spaces: a food truck. And even in spite of its spatial restrictions and volume limits, they manage to make magic happen.
But it stands to reason that a cramped truck might wear out its welcome at some point, leaving the chef eager to spread out and highlight their talents at a brick-and-mortar. Plenty of Austin’s favorite BBQ spots grew from trucks into full-fledged smokehouses: Franklin, la Barbecue, and, more recently, LeRoy & Lewis. Now we can add another acclaimed name to the list: Micklethwait Craft Meats.
As a longtime fan of Micklethwait’s quaint setup on East 11th, I’ll admit to feeling an even mix of excitement and concern when I learned of their plan to shut down the truck and launch a restaurant a mile or so farther east. As silly as it sounds, considering that Micklethwait regularly earned rankings among the top BBQ establishments in Austin, I liked to think of the truck and its adorable on-site icehouse, Saddle Up, as my little barbecue “secret.” I’d never run into Franklin-esque lines at Micklethwait, but the quality was always right on par with its more famous down-the-street neighbor, and the ability to grab a cold draft beer, a bottle of natural wine, and a fresh-baked pastry made this shady grove my go-to destination for proving Austin’s barbecue cred to skeptical out-of-towners. Could a full restaurant really replicate the Micklethwait truck and Saddle Up’s charm?
For the most part, Micklethwait’s new location on Tanney does exactly that. Tom Micklethwait and his team selected a quiet space on a Springdale side street for its headquarters, and the building that holds the interior dining room, the kitchen, and the ordering counter is a renovated neighborhood church. The pastoral “little white church” vibe feels consistent with Micklethwait 2.0’s unpretentious energy, and the dining room itself has an appropriately homey look: comfortable booths, spindle chairs, and vintage framed art on the walls. The line to order food can generally fit in the air-conditioned space between the counter and the door, a definite improvement over the truck’s al fresco queues. The line also moves efficiently, which is something of a surprise when you reach the counter and engage with the friendly and chatty service staff. They know how to keep things moving without seeming brusque or abrupt – a challenging feat indeed.
The menu at Micklethwait 2.0 is largely similar to its predecessor. You can order smoked meats like brisket, pork ribs, sausage, turkey, and lamb – and the Saturday-only beef rib – by the pound, in meat-and-sides platters, or on a sandwich. The beverage selections are tightly curated: a handful of local craft beers, house-made frozen lemonade, sweet and unsweetened tea, and canned soda. While I was glad to see the barbecue-perfect Zilker Icy Boys light lager on the beer list, I definitely found myself missing the eclectic wine selections and the full coffee and espresso repertoire provided at Saddle Up. Hopefully, with time, Micklethwait will be able to expand their bar selections.
The ordering process moves along swiftly, but once you move into the expediting area to receive your food, you may encounter something of a wait. At the truck, Micklethwait eased this experience by handing out buzzers and allowing guests to find a table and settle in until their meals were fully prepared. Bringing those buzzers back into the fold would be a welcome adjustment.
After taking a seat at an umbrella table in the restaurant’s well-landscaped outdoor lawn (which is eerily reminiscent of the Saddle Up outdoor space), I dug into my tray with a comparative mission on my mind. Does the new Micklethwait measure up to the old Micklethwait? Has the change of scenery resulted in a change of quality?
I can happily tell you that the dishes I tried were nearly identical to the versions I loved at the truck. Micklethwait continues to make some of Austin’s most impeccable brisket, and every slice was juicy, capped with the right amount of rich fat, and tender enough to cut with the side of my fork. The Tex-Czech sausages remain snappy and spicy, and Micklethwait’s seasonal sausage specials are as engaging as ever – the current Thai chili version showcases that distinct pepper flavor without going overboard with the heat. Smoked lamb proves savory and just gamey enough, smoked turkey retains remarkable moisture, and both the pork ribs and the beef ribs deliver an addictive, incisor-scraping bark.
Micklethwait’s legacy of top-notch barbecue sides also shows no intention of fading away. Their beloved potato salad boasts balanced notes of vinegar, dill pickle, and mustard, the green chile grits are silky and smooth, and the lemon poppy slaw matches up well with any of their smoked meats. The green bean salad is a must-try for those who like a heavy dose of allium and sesame, and the mac & cheese, with its tongue-coating richness, strikes a nostalgic chord that’s hard to shake. Micklethwait’s brisket-loaded Frito pie is still among Austin’s very best versions, and their new addition of pimento cheese with seasoned saltines seems designed for takeout picnic orders.
The new Micklethwait doesn’t read quite as “new” as some other truck-to-restaurant evolutions – while LeRoy & Lewis’ journey from the crowded Cosmic Coffee lawn to its spacious and modern South Austin brick-and-mortar seemed like a real change of pace, Micklethwait 2.0 is more like the same idea in a slightly different location. But when that idea involves unfussy barbecue and classic Southern sides made with precision, served with genuine warmth, and enjoyed in a comfortable and welcoming space, the lack of novelty feels like a feature rather than a bug.
Micklethwait Barbecue
4602 Tanney
