Louie's Craft BBQ - Buda, Texas - 6th Small Town Texas BBQ Review

My Black Soul travels miles and then, 

it transfers back again, 

finding sustenance where one may dare, 

in twisted forests beyond compare, 

through smoke and fire, heat and time, 

sesenta minutos and then. . . sublime.

I've been meaning to go and see Harvey out at Louie's Craft BBQ since he made the move a few months ago from his previous digs.  Harvey and I (a lot of you Q heads and I) have a lot in common: we don't mind staying up all night to get a beautiful bark or that deep smoke ring on a brisket.  We love tending a fire and watching it do its work over the hours it takes to get meats perfectly done. We enjoy smoker design and what makes them function best. We're BBQ bros. I met him months back in San Marcos and immediately I could tell that he had a passion for this kind of work and so it has been my goal to get back out and see him again to get a feel for how things are going here at Louie's. He didn't miss a beat.  When I greeted him today he was genuinely glad to see me and we talked about the BBQ scene and how things were working there. He was excited for the opportunity to be at Louie's and what it means for him and his family and he works closely with the owner Luis Vasquez to put out some of the best BBQ in the area. 

The word FUSION as it pertains to food is an adjective that means two diverse cuisines being melded together. Louie's has put together an interesting and flavorful palette of diverse foods to make his brand of Texas BBQ stand out like no other.  For example: pulled pork made into a taco with a cilantro-lime slaw, sour cream, jalapeno salsa, and bbq sauce.  The meat is smoked perfectly and it is placed in a homemade corn tortilla in a generous fashion with all the other ingredients almost overflowing. The deep purple cabbage with the field green cilantro set off the meat's smoke ring and bark while the sour cream and salsa create a balance of flavors in your mouth as you taste each morsel.  You eat first with the eyes and then with the nose, and finally with the mouth. This taco fulfilled my deepest longings for a fusing of cuisines that once again took me back to my childhood and grandma's table. 

When I first got to the trailers and I started talking to Harvey he gave me a small sample of rub to taste and I picked up some sweetness in it. As we stood under the towering oaks in Buda he let me in on some of the future plans and ideas of where they are going and all I can say is that they are lucky to have them in town or maybe blessed is a better word. Harvey introduced me to Luis or Louie the owner and it was interesting to find some commonality. To rewind a little bit while we were waiting for our food Luis' dad and I were talking about the good ole days when you'd dig a hole in the ground and cook whole animals overnight if need be. Old-timers (before the health department enforced codes) cooked over open fire outside or just buried them with coals and they cooked barbacoa style. We talked about homemade tortillas and salsa and it was interesting to see that I'd found another kindred spirit in Luis Sr. Eventually Luis Sr.'s wife joined us and we all spoke together. I felt a strong bond with them - they were our kind of people: kind, upbeat, conversational and one of the things that really inspirred me was to see just how happy they were for their son. They smiled when they talked about him being there at the location and that he made a smart move to go to Buda with his trailer. Luis Sr. and his wife had smiles not just on their faces but in their eyes. I'm one of these folks that can talk about BBQ all day and all night. It was great to be able to talk about it to quite a few people all having differing perspectives.  I truly believe that God has a purpose for us in the people we meet and the places we go to. Divine appointments happen all the time and today was one of those days not only for great BBQ but for great people.  The Vasquez family is very generous and took care of us so well no matter what we were served. 

In addition to the amazing taco that we had, there was even more great food including some excellent fatty brisket, sweet and smoky pork ribs, and some other fusion sides that were very tasty.   BBQ brings people from all walks of life together and every time I visit a new place I find out how diverse the BBQ family is.  Today was another one of those days that I was inspired by Harvey and Louie and his parents to find that common ground that brings us all together. Sharing a conversation about what inspires us or finding things in common is always great and it inpires me to be a better person.  I highly recommend Louie's Craft BBQ not only for the food but also for the people.  I mentioned generosity earlier and we were blessed with great food and they shared great conversation and even some excellent dessert that we got to taste later in the evening as we were so stuffed.  For me Louie's is a place that you've got to go to when you are in the area.  I know not everyone drives 3, 4, 5, or 6 hours for BBQ but I can tell you that it is worth the trip no matter what part of the state you are coming from.

Louies Craft BBQ - From Left to Right: Chicken Thigh, Ancho Sausage, Fatty Brisket, and Pork RIbs

Fatty Brisket with beautiful bark and smoke ring. 

BBQ Beans - a tasty creation with beautiful peppers and if I'm not mistaken Pinto, Kidney, and possibly Black Beans. 

Helote with Lime and Chile

Macaroni and Queso - great side dish just the right balance of peppers and cheese.

Here are a few more pics:

Be on the lookout for my YouTube video featuring Louie's Craft BBQ coming up in the next few days: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7xOlyBBYl13aeB5rGp1WAQ?view_as=subscriber 

credits: 

Original poem Black Soul - Mac Sedino

Pictures Mac and Elizabeth Sedino

BBQ: Louie's Craft BBQ