Salt Lick BBQ’s All-You-Can-Eat Feast Lands in the Hill Country: Why This Texas Icon Is Scoop Approved

DRIFTWOOD, Texas — Few places define Texas barbecue like Salt Lick, and now the Hill Country institution is doubling down on its family-style roots with a year-round, all-you-can-eat dinner that brings heaping platters of classic meats and sides to the table for a single set price. Available at the original Driftwood pit and the Round Rock restaurant, this expanded format underscores what the brand has always done best: big hospitality, bigger plates, and a come-hungry invitation for families and groups.

Why This Place Deserves the Spotlight

Salt Lick isn’t just famous; it’s foundational. The family-run smokehouse has been a Hill Country favorite since 1967, known for its mellow, pecan-smoke perfume, legendary open pit, and the kind of communal, pass-the-platter energy that turned countless birthdays, graduations, and reunions into lifelong memories. The move to a permanent all-you-can-eat option simply formalizes a vibe regulars have felt for decades: pull up a chair, pass the ribs, and stay awhile.

Even as Texas barbecue evolves, Salt Lick keeps bridging tradition with accessibility. The brand now spans Driftwood, Round Rock, and an outpost at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (yes, one of the best airport food stops in the world), with more on the horizon, including Roxie’s in Buda, a Southern-comfort concept named for the owner’s grandmother. That deep bench of options shows a storied pitmaster lineage that’s still finding new ways to welcome more Texans to the table.

Inside the Menu and Experience

Here’s the headline: $33.95 per person gets you bottomless platters of Salt Lick’s beef brisket, sausage, and pork ribs, plus potato salad, coleslaw, and beans—served family-style so everyone can go back for the cut that stole their heart. It’s the budget-friendly way to do Texas barbecue the way it’s meant to be eaten: generously, leisurely, and with a little sauce on your knuckles. A spokesperson called it “the ultimate BBQ experience” and a return to “sharing hearty plates in a way that feels both timeless and celebratory.” We couldn’t agree more.

What to expect at the table: brisket that rides the line between supple slices and bark-blackened edges; links with snap and smoke; ribs that tug cleanly from the bone without crossing into mushy. The sides are throwback classics—cool, creamy coleslaw, mustard-tinted potato salad, and beans that soak up every smoky drip on your plate. If you’re strategizing the AYCE game plan, start with a meat-only plate to calibrate your favorites, then build your second round around your winners.

Author’s perspective, plate-side: I’m partial to running a “pit trio” on repeat—brisket point for richness, links for texture, ribs for that primal, peppery pull—then sweeping through the potato salad as a cooling reset. At Driftwood, the aroma rolling off the pit is almost a side dish of its own; it sets the tone before the first bite lands. This is exactly the kind of table where you look up and realize you’ve been talking, laughing, and grazing for an hour without glancing at your phone. That’s Salt Lick doing what it does best.

Community Buzz and My Take

Locals know Salt Lick as a rite of passage—the place you bring out-of-towners to prove what Central Texas smoke can do, and the spot you choose when you need barbecue that never misses. The all-you-can-eat option looks tailor-made for team dinners, family celebrations, and big-group outings, especially as prices at many smokehouses creep north for à la carte feasts. At $33.95 with refills across the board, it’s a strong value play that also preserves what’s special about the brand: lingering, sharing, and celebrating.

Zooming out, Salt Lick’s broader footprint matters too. With the airport location converting red-eye travelers into overnight fans and the forthcoming Roxie’s in Buda signaling a comfort-food spinoff, the family keeps finding new ways to thread Salt Lick’s hospitality into everyday Texas life. It’s a reminder that “iconic” isn’t about standing still—it’s about staying essential.

Planning your visit:

• All-You-Can-Eat Family-Style Dinner: $33.95 per person, available year-round at Driftwood and Round Rock.
• Addresses: 18300 Ranch to Market Rd 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619; 3350 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock, TX 78665.
• Pro tip: Go with a group. The format shines when platters circulate and everybody gets to chase their favorite cut.

Have you tackled the all-you-can-eat spread at Salt Lick yet? Tell us your go-to meat lineup (and your sauce stance) in the comments—and keep up with more handpicked Texas eats at CityScoopNow.com.