the digital bird: BBQ Review - Live Oak Barbecue & Beer

So, I'm not a BBQ head or anything, nor am I a regular food reviewer, but lately, and by lately I mean like this past year I really like BBQ. Perhaps, it's that I was a vegetarian (and not a real smart one by any means) from the time I was 14-21. When I 'came back' as my dad used to like to say ("She came back to us!' He was also in the cattle feeding business...so you get the gist) I was living in California at the time. I lived in LA up until four years ago. Although, LA can be a foodie paradise, BBQ is just not one of the things that I remember running into too much.
Living in Central Texas....completely different story. Proponents of the True Barbecue experience will argue that you have to leave Austin proper and head over to Lockhart, Luling etc...(more on that later) and they are probably correct, but the capital has some joints that are definitely worth the visit. So, if you want some tasty barbecue in town, I suggest you visit Live Oak Barbecue & Beer. I've been three times and so far...not tired of it. The atmosphere is kind of dark and dank (I guess the place used to be an Eastside Bar that seems like it was a pretty good time in its own right, if you peruse the left over photo album that floats around the joint) and luckily for me, Social Distortion seems to be on general rotation as far as tunes go, which suits the place. It's a little punk rock if you will. The guys are pretty laid back, have tattoos and seem like the types that you may run into at a show somewhere on Red River. They also know their stuff. The proprietor, Tom, seems to have spent his time honing his recipes prior to opening up the brick and mortar. He's super friendly and will always find time to sit down with you for a chat. Everything is by the pound, my favorite by far is the brisket. The chicken is second runner up, it is so smoky delicious and it is JUICY! Oh MAH GAWD! As for sides, they change periodically, but they keep the staples like potato salad etc. And the sauce is PHENOM. It's like an au jus, so mellow and light but filled with flavor. Honestly, you can't go wrong with anything here.
Live Oak BBQ & Beer is located on the Eastside at 2nd & Pleasant Valley and open from 11AM - Midnight daily. Just go....