| The Salt Lick | |
|---|---|
  The open barbecue pit at The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas. | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1967 |
| Food type | Texas barbecue |
| City | Driftwood |
| State | Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 30°07′54″N98°00′48″W / 30.1317°N 98.0132°W |
| Website | saltlickbbq.com |
The Salt Lick Bar-B-Que is a U.S. barbecue restaurant chain based in Driftwood, Texas.
The Salt Lick was opened in Driftwood in 1967 by Thurman Roberts, Sr. and his wife Hisako T. Roberts. [1] It quickly grew in popularity and went from being open just a few times a year to seven days a week. Roberts and Hisako built the Salt Lick restaurant on the ranch where he was born, using locally quarried limestone. Hisako's Hawaiian heritage inspired the sweet barbecue sauce used in the restaurant.[ citation needed ] Thurman died in 1981, leaving Hisako in charge of The Salt Lick until 1985, when she passed control of the restaurant to its current owners, Scott Roberts (son of Thurman and Hisako) and Scott's wife Susan. [1] [2]
The Salt Lick's primary cuisine is beef (brisket), sausage, and pork ribs. Chicken, beef ribs, turkey, pulled pork and prime rib are also served. [3] Merchandise available from the restaurant or by mail order includes t-shirts, koozies and hats, as well as the restaurant's trademark meats, sauces and dry rub.
Salt Lick branch restaurants also operate in the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, [4] [5] Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport and in Round Rock, Texas. [6] In 2017, the restaurant began operating two concession stands at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, the home of Texas Longhorns football in Austin, Texas. [7]
In May 2017, the city of Grapevine, Texas announced that Salt Lick would open a 10,000 square foot branch in the city in 2018. A Grapevine city councilwoman described the announcement as "a big night for us" and "something to celebrate", while the head of Grapevine's visitor's bureau described it as "a massive opportunity for Grapevine." [2]
In the fall of 1986, The Salt Lick, with chef Tim Adler and owner Hisako Roberts, was featured in the Great Chefs of the West television series, seen first on PBS nationally, then the Discovery Channel and later in 2007, on the Travel Channel. In late 2008 The Salt Lick was featured during an Austin episode in the first season of the Travel Channel's show Man v. Food (hosted by Adam Richman), [8] and the restaurant was positively reviewed by Food Network chefs Bobby Flay and Duff Goldman. [9] Then in 2012 it was featured on another Travel Channel show, Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America , for its spicy brisket jalapeño sandwich topped with habanero sauce (which was recommended to Richman by Flay). The Salt Lick also appeared as the host of the elimination challenge in season 9, episode 9 of Top Chef.
Smoked meat is the result of a method of preparing red meat, white meat, and seafood which originated in the Paleolithic Era. Smoking adds flavor, improves the appearance of meat through the Maillard reaction, and when combined with curing it preserves the meat. When meat is cured then cold-smoked, the smoke adds phenols and other chemicals that have an antimicrobial effect on the meat. Hot smoking has less impact on preservation and is primarily used for taste and to slow-cook the meat. Interest in barbecue and smoking is on the rise worldwide.
Barbecue is a tradition often considered a quintessential part of American culture, especially the Southern United States.
Korean barbecue is a popular method in Korean cuisine of grilling meat, typically beef, pork or chicken. Such dishes are often prepared on gas or charcoal grills built into the dining table itself, though some restaurants provide customers with portable stoves for diners to use at their tables. Alternatively, a chef uses a centrally displayed grill to prepare dishes that are made to order.
Barbecue chicken consists of chicken parts or entire chickens that are barbecued, grilled or smoked. There are many global and regional preparation techniques and cooking styles. Barbecue chicken is often seasoned or coated in a spice rub, barbecue sauce, or both. Marinades are also used to tenderize the meat and add flavor. Rotisserie chicken has gained prominence and popularity in U.S. grocery markets. Barbecued chicken is one of the world's most popular barbecue dishes.
Texas Barbecue refers to methods of preparation for barbecue unique to Texan cuisine. Beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage are among the most commonly known dishes. The term can also include side dishes that are traditionally served alongside the smoked meats.
Texan cuisine is the food associated with the Southern U.S. state of Texas, including its native Southwestern cuisine–influenced Tex-Mex foods. Texas is a large state, and its cuisine has been influenced by a wide range of cultures, including Tejano/Mexican, Native American, Creole/Cajun, African-American, German, Czech, Southern and other European American groups. The cuisine of neighboring states also influences Texan cuisine, such as New Mexican cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine. This can be seen in the widespread usage of New Mexico chiles, Cayenne peppers, and Tabasco sauce in Texan cooking.
Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America is an American food reality television series that premiered on June 6, 2012 on the Travel Channel. The program is hosted by actor and food enthusiast Adam Richman. In each episode, Richman samples what he considers to be the best sandwiches across the country, chooses a regional favorite, and then pits the winners against each other to find the nation's No. 1 sandwich.
Memphis-style barbecue is one of the four predominant regional styles of barbecue in the United States, the other three being Carolina, Kansas City, and Texas. Like many southern varieties of barbecue, Memphis-style barbecue is mostly made using pork, usually ribs and shoulders, though many restaurants will still serve beef and chicken.
Slows Bar BQ is a barbecue restaurant chain with location in Detroit, Michigan. The chef is Brian Perrone, and the restaurant is owned by the Cooley family. The restaurant appeared on Adam Richman's Man vs. Food, and the "Yardbird", a pulled chicken sandwich from the restaurant, competed in the first season of Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America.
A barbecue sandwich is a sandwich that is typically prepared with barbecued meats. Several types of meats are used to prepare barbecue sandwiches. Some varieties use cooked meats that are not barbecued, but include barbecue sauce. Many variations, including regional variations, exist, along with diverse types of cooking styles, preparations and ingredients.
The cuisine of St. Louis is largely influenced by the city’s German, Irish, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Vietnamese immigrant population and African Americans who migrated from the Southern United States.
Tony Luke's is an American-based cheesesteak restaurant that was founded in 1992 by Tony Lucidonio and his sons, Tony Luke Jr. and Nicky Lucidonio at its original location at 39 East Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia. The franchise has since expanded, with 16 locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, one location each in Washington, DC, Maryland & Texas as well as one in Bahrain.
Franklin Barbecue is a barbecue restaurant located in Austin, Texas, founded in 2009 by Aaron Franklin. The restaurant has attracted a national following.
A barbecue restaurant is a restaurant that specializes in barbecue-style cuisine and dishes. Barbecue restaurants may open relatively early compared to other restaurants, in part to optimize sales while barbecued foods being slow-cooked by the process of smoking are being tended to by restaurant personnel on premises. In some instances, this can enable the sales of barbecued meats that began being smoked the night before the next business day. Per these logistics, a significant portion of their sales may occur during lunchtime. Additionally, high lunch turnover at barbecue restaurants may occur per the foods being cooked and sold in large batches. Popular food items may sell out earlier compared to others, which may encourage customers to arrive earlier. In January 2015, the U.S. National Restaurant Association forecast "barbecue, Italian food and fried chicken" to be "top perennial menu favorites in 2015".
Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is a barbecue restaurant chain based in Llano, Texas. Cooper's is best known for its two-inch-thick pork chop known as the "Big Chop", and for being President George W. Bush's favorite barbecue restaurant.
Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. Specializing in pulled pork barbecue and owned by Rodney Scott and Nick Pihakis, it opened in February 2017.
Southside Market & Barbeque is a historic barbecue restaurant and meat market in Elgin, Texas. It has since expanded into a chain restaurant.
Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company is an American restaurant chain based in Washington, D.C., primarily serving barbecued dishes. As of 2024, it has four locations in two states. The company also operates food trucks and provides catering. It is one of the most prominent barbecue chains on the East Coast.
