Khari Parker

Sam’s BBQ is pure Art. To properly review this spot you’ll need to appreciate the beauty that comes from a long standing business that has remained true to history, not only in decor but also in service. In a world where artificial “customer service” is the norm, Sam’s has managed to maintain the true and genuine love that typically only comes from family and friends. I felt as if I were visiting my cousins house. Music playing and a nice chill atmosphere. No frills and down home. I encourage anyone in the Austin area to stop by and appreciate the beauty of this historical location. There’s a parking lot, an attached daiquiri spot, I ordered BBQ & Brisket, with sides of baked beans and yams and it was all very delicious. All in all if you’re in town and want an authentic experience, put Sam’s on your list. Happy I came.

Nicole Perry

Where the smoke never sleeps and the flavor is unforgettable—Sam’s BBQ is more than a meal, it's an Austin institution. Whether you’re craving melt-in-your-mouth brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs, or juicy sausage links—they’ve got all the slow-smoked classics. Dine inside, grab it to go, or just post up at one of the picnic tables outside and let the smoky magic work its way into your soul. Serving the east side since 1957, this spot is old-school Austin—no gimmicks, just greatness. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or a midnight meat run. And yes… you can smell it from the street.

Ge Ge F

Good Southern BBQ in Texas State Capital! 10/10 RECOMMEND!! Great food and service. 2 meats 2 sides w/ bread option. Good portions. Daiquiri store adjoin to it w/seating. I enjoyed the Sausage, chicken w/ Mac & cheese & baked beans. My spouse enjoyed the brisket and ribs : yams & Mac. Street parking; Black Owned; Community staple.

+8

Kevin Wise

Had a great time. David and I talked for quite a long time, and enjoyed each other's stories. Friendly place, great food. They have Brisket, mutton, chicken, sausages, pork and many sides. Brisket was great and the mutton was a nice new item I haven't had in a while. I will be back and recommend it. Wish I had more time to try the sausage and pork, but another time. Yams and potato salad were good too. Don't let the outside change your mind it is worth the price and they are great people!!

+1

Ali Saremi

you literally need no teeth to eat their meat. Sam’s is definitely one of the most authentic, and oldest, BBQ restaurants in the town. Totally worth every cent you pay for their food. This place has a lot of character and history, and nice vibe. Free parking available. Try it once and you’ll be regular here.

+1

Wrangler Wells

I wanted to try this place out because I had seen a video about it on social media. I can’t remember the amount of years but the restaurant has been around for a long time, I believe about 50 years. They sell meat by the pound and sides a la carte; but they also do a plate called the “Sam’s Special”, which is what we got, plus some extra sides. We got brisket and sausage, and tried almost every side lol, potato salad, Mac and cheese, green beans, and baked beans. The meats were excellent, the brisket is so soft and moist, I definitely recommend. The sausage was good as well. The sides were pretty basic, nothing to write home about, but they get the job done. The service here was impeccable though,the workers were so welcoming and just good vibes in general. There is also a daiquiri spot connected to the bbq restaurant, I believe the video said it’s owned by the daughter of the owner of Sam’s. They also gave me these great stickers

Darryl Laake

BBQ was great but the prices. A lot of BBQ places are going under. Going under because people can no longer afford to eat it. Raw brisket is 4.96$ a pound you have half shrinkage costs about 11$ a pound to make 22.50$ a pound would be more than sufficient. You make money in a restaurant by doing VOLUME. Shame everything in this country has to be unaffordable to the common people

Very dark place, I almost did not order because it was so old and dark inside. I did get a plate to try 2 meats and 2 sides for $25, the price was good. I got brisket, potato salad and yams. I was not impressed by any of it. Brisket was not that tender, alot of fat on it and the color looked off to me, yams tasted like they came from the can and potatoe salad tasted like too much vinegar. I heard good things about this place I really was hoping for better

I like the run down vibes of the building, and appreciate the black history everywhere and old decor - I love that it's a legacy austin black owned business. But the brisket was 70% fat, dried out and tasted old with no flavor. I don't think they used any seasoning on that meat. The sides were definitely straight from the can. Not a soul in sight and the owner was a bit rude - unfortunately I won't be back.

Jabea Akale

We had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The meat was spoiled, and the BBQ sauce was unappetizing. Unfortunately, this was our first and last visit. We spent over $100 on dried sausage and two racks of ribs that were far from fresh. While we genuinely wanted to support a local black-owned business, this experience fell short of our expectations and led us to reconsider our decision.

Jai C

I drove almost 3hrs to support them because of a TikTok I seen. I should’ve known once I didn’t see a soul in sight. I went against my better judgement and still ordered. I bought the rib plate. All of my food was cold, ribs not only dry but had HAIR in it. I mean long pieces. I haven’t touched any bbq since this experience. I hate I even have to write this review but driving 3hrs for this was very disappointing.

A24Hour Roadside

I really don’t like leaving bad reviews but this place messed us up bad💩 . We order 3 plates for 4 people. The food was nasty and old . The 4 of us are still running to the restroom and it’s been over 15 hours. The restaurant was dirty and has roaches . The health department needs to look more into this place . This is not good at all I think we will be heading to the ER . I’ve never had food do me like this . 💩💩💩 Tic Tok lied 🤥 dont eat here .

Faith Darnell

I came cause of all the good reviews I seen on TikTok but was highly disappointed when I started to eat the food. Me and my husband came at 10:18am (opened at 10:00AM), however, the meat tasted very old & and was not fresh at all. It was the driest , nastiest meat I’ve ever tasted in my life. It was so much lighter fluid on the sausage that it gave my husband a headache. The green beans were canned, yams had too much cinnamon & the bbq sauce tasted like tomato sauce with sugar. Beans tasted canned as well but they were good. Spent close to $80 on 2 plates & a pound of brisket & I’m HIGHLY disappointed and sad. They literally gave us yesterday’s bbq.

+1