We were fortunate enough to take a trip down to Austin a few months back, and finally had a moment to provide NeuFutur with our impressions about this ATX institution. Uncle Billy’s has something for everyone, whether it be live music, a comfortable place to hang out, tremendous variation in their menu, or a collection of alcoholic beverages that mix up standard beer styles and do the classics well.
The Beer
During our visit to Uncle Billy’s, we had a few minute to talk to Stephen, the restaurant’s head brewer. Bringing us a pair of fully-stocked tasting paddles, Stephen broke down their main-line and seasonal offerings.
Uncle Billy’s also offers a pair of spirits – a Bourbon and a Vodka – that are utilized in the restaurant’s craft cocktails.
The Berdoll Brown (7.3%) is a wonderful take on the traditional brown ale, amping up the alcohol content to stave off some of the weakly sweet elements that often present themselves in the style. In a similar vein, Uncle Billy’s KCCO is an easy-drinking lager that is bursting with hints of malt and grain. Pegged at about 4.0%, the ABV of this brew ensures that one can have a fantastic session over the course of the night.
Crazy Day Lager (8%) is a maibock, a bold lager-type of brew that has a crispness and strength to its body that is able to match pound for pound the intense flavors present in the brewery’s cuisine. We’re moving a bit away from the winter seasonals at this point, but UB’s Shokolad was one of the best brews we’ve experienced so far in 2019. Bold and with assertive notes of chocolate and coffee, this Russian Imperial Stout went down as easily as the KCCo.
The Food
The side plates at Uncle Billy’s were a high-water mark for our experience. The macaroni and cheese married the succulent and rich cheese flavors with a bit of crunch and toasted element added considerably to the plate. The potato salad was another hit, with additional care taken to keep the potatoes from breaking down. The presence of a bit of green onion on the top of things make the dish pop. For our money, we were most impressed by the smokehouse’s cole slaw. Snap and a refreshing bite to the dish acted as a palette cleanser during both our beer and barbecue experiences.
The Smoked Brisket Hash ensured that one never had the same bite twice. Expertly-cooked potatoes are blended together with fried eggs and green onions, along with a goodly amount of cheddar and green chile-heavy salsa. Another strong selection would have to be their Redneck Road Kill, which layers the restaurant’s homemade kettle potato chips along with ample amounts of beef, avocado, sour cream. Pico de gallo and jalapenos ramp up the heat a bit.
Uncle Billy’s is top tier when it comes to their smoked meats. Brisket has supreme juiciness, while there is an intense flavor profile to the turkey breast and smoked chicken that many BBQs struggle with creating.
Verdict
Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse has a friendly staff, ample food offerings, and enough in the way of libations to ensure that one can keep having something new each time they make the trek out to Austin.
Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse / 1530 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704 / / Domain / Facebook