Micklethwait Craft Meats {Best Barbecue in the East}

The Staple of Meats

Words by Jessi Devenyns

At Micklethwait’s, everything and nothing is new since the onset of the coronavirus. Tom Micklethwait shares that following the effective closure of the tourism industry and the halt of local festivals, business has reverted to a level that he hasn’t seen since he opened in 2012. “It’s like building from the ground up again,” he says.

Although creating a business from scratch is something that Tom has already accomplished, this time he shares that he is receiving input from his neighbors. As the majority of the barbecue trailer’s business has historically been from out of town guests, Tom explains that he has had to reconsider the operations of his restaurant and has been slowly adjusting to catering to a hyper-local crowd. Now, he remarks that half of his business is from the immediately surrounding neighborhoods of East Austin. As a result of the needs in the neighborhood, he says that the barbecue trailer began offering family meal packs that allow four to six people to indulge in a Texas favorite from the comfort of their own table.

For those who continue to patronize the establishment for to-go orders, Tom says that he has begun working on weekly specials just for locals. “We need to break up the doldrums of isolation,” he declares. But Tom hasn’t stopped with these small-scale adaptations. “There’s been some discussion of having a hyper-local neighborhood farmer’s market over there… it meets the demands of the community, which is, I guess, the responsibility of any business.”

Opening an open-air market next to the trailer would be a long term adaptation for the business, but it is one that would be a welcome weekend addition to the site in order to give back to a community that he says has become the lifeblood of his business.

Still, Micklethwait’s will continue to offer its staple meat menu—smoked lamb and turkey, beef and pork ribs, homemade sausage, pulled-pork, smoked chicken salad, and their legendary brisket—along with show-stopping sides. Jalapeño cheese grits, lemon poppy seed slaw, beet salad, and country potato salad are still standards on the restaurant’s takeout menu. These sides are representative of years of input from customers who allowed Tom to pare down offerings to the star favorites that keep patrons happy.

Much like the sides and meats that are made from scratch, Tom explains that he will continue to prepare food with extra effort to reciprocate the support that the community has put into his business during this tumultuous time.

It’s the Sides that Count

Micklethwait may be a top-rated destination for barbecue, but the other secret treasure at this trailer are the sides. Tom says that the selection has been honed to only feature fan favorites like refreshing lemon poppy seed slaw and unbeatable campfire chili beans. But no one should stop there. The jalapeño cheese grits are decadent with a little punch. Though a classic, the potato salad is house made with fresh herbs and not to be missed – even if it seems impossible to take another bite.