DINING FEATURE
BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
THE CRAFT OF THE ‘CUE
The generous portions at Louie’s Craft BBQ are anything but light meals. Below are three popular, loaded dishes.
TEXAS TRINITY
The baked potato comes with 3/4 lb. of brisket,
pulled pork and coined sausage on a giant potato topped with butter, cheese, Mexican crema and barbecue sauce.
The Chopped Brisket Sando comes with a side of elote street corn from Louie’s Craft BBQ. (Photos by Zacharia Washington/Community Impact Newspaper)
Louie’s Craft BBQ owner, Matt Carver moved the business to Buda in 2019.
TEXAS TWO STEP
The Sando comes with 2/3 lb. of combined brisket and pulled pork on a toasted homemade sourdough bun piled high with Louie’s Craft BBQ slaw, pickles, onions and barbecue sauce.
Louie’s Craft BBQ Growing meat lover’s destination a mainstay in downtown Buda C oming from a background in software and tech, Matt Carver, owner of Louie’s
MACARONI AND CHEESE
A Louie’s Craft BBQ customer favorite, it comes with cavatappi noodles in creamy queso blanco cheese.
“I was looking for a town that was quaint, had a Main Street charm. I came across Buda and moved the business here,” Carver said. “Look what [the business] is sitting under—it’s like one of the biggest oak trees I’ve ever seen. That, to me, is barbecue. Picnic tables, under a big ol’ Texas oak tree. That’s the formula.” Louie’s Craft BBQ is best known for its large portions, giant baked potatoes, family-friendly feel and its brisket, Carver said. Louie’s Craft BBQ is also BYOB. Consistency is key at Louie’s Craft BBQ, Carver said. When Carver took over the business, the main focus was the use of premium products. It uses Hartley Ranch Angus beef
based in Austin and Berkshire pork, and the rubs are sourced from Arkansas, something not common in Texas, Carver said. The business has grown 10 times over in sales since Carver became the owner. The pandemic helped to double the growth in the past two years, because the unit is primarily outdoors. The biggest struggle cur- rently is the rising costs of food, but Carver said he strives to keep prices the same for customers. “A returning customer is way more important to me than just a single-time customer. I want peo- ple to come visit us every week,” Carver said. Two more locations are in Carver’s plans this year.
Louie’s Craft BBQ 122 Main St., Buda 512-649-2727 www.louiescraftbbq.com Hours: Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Mon.-Tue.
Craft BBQ, did not envision getting involved in the barbecue industry. After moving to Austin 15 years ago, he said he realized that Tex-Mex and Texas barbecue stood out the most about the city. Carver discov- ered a passion for visiting barbecue places across Texas and wanted to get involved in the business. Founder Luis Vasquez started Louie’s BBQ in Austin in 2017, but when he faced nancial di culties, Carver bought out the business after initially being an investor and partner. Carver then renamed Louie’s BBQ to Louie’s Craft BBQ and moved it to Buda in 2019.
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SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • MARCH 2022
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