I've thought about becoming a vegetarian. On principle, and because I love animals so much.
But then there are places like the Saltlick BBQ, and carnivores like the man I happen to live with/be married to, and the prospect of vegetarianism working out in my life seems slim to virtually none. Plus, I love meat too much. There, I said it.
We visited the Saltlick a few days ago--Austinites, you know of what I speak. I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but this was my first time there, and I must say, I was impressed. Not only was the food amazingly delicious, but the employees were so, so nice! Our server saw me clicking some pictures and insisted I follow him back into the kitchen where he would show me "the best shot in the house" of the fire pit and grill piled high with sausage and ribs. It was so fun, and I thought it was a friendly, Texan touch to invite me back behind the scenes, so to speak.
If you're in Austin, you've got to make it out here! The grounds themselves are beautiful and surrounded by vineyards (I wish I was able to take more pictures outside, but it was pouring rain!). People come from miles in every direction to experience this place. Here's a few shots I managed in between chowing down on the best BBQ of my life. :)



















If I didn't miss America a minute ago, I certainly do now! #hungry
ReplyDelete*drooooooling* over here. Yeah, I'm with ya - love animals and all that. But gosh, I love meat. Especially BBQ meat. I think if I tried to go completely vegetarian (we do eat a lot of vegetarian meals), I'd be severely grumpy.
ReplyDeleteNow please excuse me while I mop up my keyboard (suddenly pb&j doesn't sound very appealing for lunch...)
How neat!!! I can't wait to go try it. Ryan and I keep wanting to go there. Its hard when you travel with a dog though. :( Dog dead in a car from heat stroke is not worth the best barbeque...
ReplyDeleteI'm headed there this Saturday night for (of all things...) a bachelorette party, lol. I'm looking forward to it a little bit more! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd now, I am oddly craving delicious BBQ at 8:20am.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics! :)
This is definitely on my list of "places to go" in Austin!
ReplyDeletei'm not big into tradional bbq, but boy does all that meat look AMAZING. oh i want.
ReplyDeleteMy cousins go there ALL the time. They swear by this place. Looks so good! And I'm the same, I could never go vegan... Meat tastes waaaay too good!
ReplyDeleteThe owner of my husbands company orders a huge shipment of Salt Lick every Christmas for everyone. Their ribs and sauce are so yummy.
ReplyDeleteHoly yum!!! Ok maybe I should never live in Texas because the BBQ alone would make me the size of a blimp. But oh my gosh what a great server! I love slightly overly friendly people that really are just the right amount of friendly : )
ReplyDeleteI want that in my belly. Noowwwww.
ReplyDeleteI was vegetarian when I was younger for about two years. It's hard. You really, really have to think about everything you're consuming. (And I didn't)
Instead, what I did was cut out meat, and still eat everything I was normally eating... there was no substitutes and it resulted in me not being healthy. I'm talking lack of energy, ridiculously pale skin (more so than I am normally), and I just looked sick and not healthy. Not to mention that I actually DID get sick more often because I wasn't getting the nutrients my body needed.
I've thought about becoming vegetarian again, and aside from the fact that my fiance would hate it, I'm just too lazy. And that's the hard truth. Ha!
i don't eat meat very much-but when I do it has to be AMAZING...this place looks great! There is an argentinian place here that is like a 'real' restaurant-my favourite place here actually.
ReplyDeleteI love Salt Lick! There is a taco stand in the Austin airport that I hit up for a pulled pork taco every time I'm there! :)
ReplyDelete~Tiffany
http://tiffanyd22.blogspot.com
I was a veg for years but I love meat too much, so I came back to the dark side. Now I just try to be as responsible as possible in choosing which meat to buy/where to eat. This place looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteOMG this was the wrong post to read an HOUR before my lunch break! I love BBQ...I'm sure what we have here in New Jersey doesn't compare to that place. I'll be in Austin in March so I'll be sure to find this place! And how nice that the server let you get a behind the scenes shot. Not many places would do that...at least not around here. I always get self-conscious when I bust out my camera in a public restaurant. I end up taking most of my photos with my phone. :( haha
ReplyDeleteThis is my very favorite food! Comfort food covered in BBQ sauce.
ReplyDeleteI love that that guy made sure you got to take pictures of the behind the scenes stuff! I have never actually been to Texas outside of airports....Would that be a bit of Texas hospitality?
can you believe i read this post?
ReplyDeleteeven when i saw that title?
i guess i really like ya, or something... (;
You're making me miss Austin..as if I didn't already ;) I was just telling another blogger about how amazing this place was! My fave! And now I'm hungry...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how people can be vegetarians. This looks great!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! You captured the feel of the place perfectly. We were just there a few weeks back and it was amazing as always!
ReplyDeleteThere is not any part of me that would like to be vegetarian! I just know I could not do without meat. I get having principles, but for me food comes before all! Maybe not something to be proud of, haha.
ReplyDeletehonestly, becoming a vegetarian was pretty hard for one reason: Korean BBQ. Honestly, the greatest food on earth, but I just can't bring myself to eating it anymore
ReplyDeletemmmmmmm I've been on the crazy meat thing lately where I want A LOT of it!!! and now this is making me want it even more. Sausage links..burgers...bacon...aah!! I NEEEEEED them!!
ReplyDeleteEmily at Amazing Grapes
haha I am the same way. Whenever I spend time on a farm I promise myself never to eat meat again. But I can't resist when my husband is a MAJOR carnivore. Looks like a cool spot
ReplyDeleteI can almost get the feel of the whole experience we also had there. And yes, I can literally taste the food too through your pictures!
ReplyDeleteMy fav BBQ spot in Austin! Their sauce is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat was very cool!! Great shots of stuff cooking! I think I smell brisket coming from my computer screen too. Yum.
ReplyDeleteYour photography just gets better and better each time I see it, amazing!! I really need to come down to Texas for some good eats! :)
ReplyDeleteMmm I loooove me some Salt Lick! I saw at the grocery store (Tom Thumb) that they now sell Salt Lick Sauce and Dry rub!
ReplyDeleteMy family looooooooooooves this place.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are traveling to Texas in October. I've never been and I'm beyond excited!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your photography is amazing!
Yummy photos <3
ReplyDeleteSo neat he invited you back there! Looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI looooooove Salt Lick! So jealous.
ReplyDelete*Enter my giveaway!!*
sincerelysk.blogspot.com
SaltLick is on our list for Austin. It's a MUST according to my cousins!
ReplyDeleteDon't go vegetarian. I did it for 12 years. Loved it. But oh my God.... I can never go back. I forgot how AMAZING red meat is! And so, for our 1 year anniversary in October, Alex is taking me to get a steak. But he warned me.... "Are you sure you'll like Ruth's Chris after eating meat in Texas for a week?" and this seems to be a theme.... meat and Austin.
I can't wait! You just made me so excited for our visit next week!!!
LOVE ME SOME MEAT!
ReplyDeleteOne of my all time favorite spots in Austin!
ReplyDeleteI am also a fond of food. Specially sweets. I once thought to avoid them. is-dis-love.blogspot.in
ReplyDelete:) :)
I've been a vegetarian for a little over a month now and it is SO hard. Posts like this make me want to chow down on some meat!
ReplyDeleteI'm a vegetarian, but those really are great photos! I can admit that! My husband is a Wisconsin boy and admitted that he could never be vegetarian. However, the things we've researched together and what I've learned from the doctors I work for... turned him vegetarian! Haha!
ReplyDeleteI could never be a vegetarian either. Sometimes I think about it, but then I picture not eating a turkey sandwich again and that's the end of the thought for me!
ReplyDeleteBut that place seems like a good place to eat. That's pretty awesome that you got to go 'behind the scenes' to seem them cook the meat. You could start your own food show. Your camera, you, with blog post narration, and going to different food places around Austin! hehe. Hey, I would watch it!
But I do love how in Austin there are a lot of local resteraunts. That's something I wish I had more of around where I live.
Oh Lord. These are the kind of pictures that make me look down at my Captain Crunch in disgust at eight in the morning. And nothing comes between me and the Captain. I want meat. Specifically, I want meat at a cool bbq joint where nice Texans invite me into the kitchen where the magic is made. Lucky girl.
ReplyDeleteOh Lord. These are the kind of pictures that make me look down at my Captain Crunch in disgust at eight in the morning. And nothing comes between me and the Captain. I want meat. Specifically, I want meat at a cool bbq joint where nice Texans invite me into the kitchen where the magic is made. Lucky girl.
ReplyDeleteI know this was more tangential that actually what the post is about, but I never thought I would be able to become a vegetarian either. I watched Earthlings and from that point on could no longer feel good about engaging with that industry. It has been six months and I can honestly say I don't really miss meat. Sometimes I miss the simplicity that meat brings to meals, but I have found well-planned vegetarian meals have improved my mood, energy levels, as well as just being tastier. Though those pictures make what you were eating look pretty yummy. Anyway, just my two cents. I completely acknowledge why some people do eat meat and why eating vegetarian isn't necessarily universally more ethical.
ReplyDeleteSalt Lick is the absolute best BBQ in Texas! I live in Houston but spend lots of time in Austin and lots of time at Salt Lick! I was there last weekend for one of my best friend's rehearsal dinners...and yes she is Vegan! That didn't stop her from indulging her many NYC guests! Love this post!
ReplyDeletewww.bstylewise.blogspot.com
Oh WOW! This is my sort of place. I am so incredible jealous right now!
ReplyDeleteOh my god! All of that looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteNice! The experience of seeing what’s inside the kitchen must have been really mouth watering. There is just so much meat all over the place and if I had the chance to go inside, I’d feel really cheerful and hungry at the same time. Lol! Imagine if the decent guy offered you a delicious meal for free. It could have been more exciting and memorable. =)
ReplyDeleteLiz Peters