It’s All Good Bar-B-Q

22112 W. Hwy. 71 W. Spicewood, TX 78669 (512) 264-1744

Wed: Noon-8pm Thu-Sun: 11am-9pm

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A couple of years ago, I was driving down Highway 71 on my way to Barton Creek Lakeside Golf Course. I noticed a new placed had opened just south of Poodie’s Hilltop. It was called It’s All Good Bar-B-Q. So on the way back, I stopped in. I can’t deny that I found the name to be a bit presumptuous: I mean, “It’s All Good?”

Well, it didn’t take long for me to change my opinion. I tried their beef short ribs, and then some moist brisket along with their pork ribs. I was hungry, so I tried some of the smoked chicken as well. And damned if it wasn’t all good. The Beef Short Ribs completely blew me away with a melange of tenderness and deep-rooted Hill Country flavors. I consumed a 1-lb rib and literally didn’t come up for air. Same with the brisket: nicely marbled and beautifully cooked to ensure maximum taste rushes. The sauces are original, and go perfectly with the meat and foul. When I walked out, I felt so full that I could have rolled down the sidewalk.

I learned that four avid BBQ cook-off competitors had joined together to start the restaurant, Frankie Hoch was and is the grillmaster and he’s a BBQ maniac (watch out John Mueller). During the day he fixes police cars for the city of Austin. Another partner Dale is an electrical contractor who met Frankie at a competition. And so it went with all of them. You know the old adage: do what you enjoy doing. And it’s obvious from a visit there that they don’t just like it, they love it.

And so it went. Today, It’s All Good has fans throughout the region because of their authenticity and their grilling creativity. They make the much ballyhooed Opie’s near Marble Falls pale by comparison, and IAG’s price points are much more reasonable.

I recently picked up some of their cue to take to my daughter’s 35th birthday party. You know how girls can get around BBQ. “Just give me a thin slice please.” Yeah, right. These women devoured the IAG cue, from the short ribs to the brisket to the chicken. There wasn’t even a scrap left for the dogs to clean up. I rest my case.

We’ll attach my original YouTube piece to this review so you can get a feel for the place and for my personal hero Frankie. You can also see how the smoked meats they serve are trimmed out for maximum taste and presentation value. This is one of the fewer new places that’s come along in the past few years that still exudes the Keep Austin Weird vibe. I love that. It just feels right the minute you walk in the door.

And my only regret is that I live 35 miles from the place. And yet I still manage to get there a few times a month.

Do yourself a favor this weekend and pay a visit to It’s All Good. These are BBQ artisans at their best, and even though most still have other jobs, this in no way detracts from the sweet to savory flavors of their smoked meats.