Kerlin BBQ

Though Bill Kerlin and wife Amelis are technically still newbs on the Austin BBQ scene—they relocated here about three years ago from Arizona—their meats are among the most enticing in town. They employ the standard Central Texas methods, and those certainly succeed: post oak makes for less smoke penetration in the brisket and pork, which better preserves the meats’ natural flavors; pork spare ribs feature a pepper-heavy rub and formidable bone-to-meat ratio; and sausage delivered daily from Smokey Denmark’s down the street is spicy-sweet and juicy throughout, without ever crossing into way-too-rich territory. The sauce, however, needs work: it’s a bit too heavy on the apple cider vinegar. And the sides aren’t for everyone; bleu cheese coleslaw will appeal only to the funk-inclined, and the jalapeño-dill potato salad leans a bit too heavily on pickled-zest.