Evan LeRoy (James Beard Nominee) Launched A Special Menu, And It’s Insane
There are only two Austin nominees in the James Beard Award - Best Chef Texas category, and Evan LeRoy is one of them.
And if you haven't been to the new LeRoy and Lewis brick-and-mortar restaurant in South Austin, seriously, what's wrong with you? 🙂
I've been geeking out about LeRoy and Lewis being one of the best bbq restaurants in Austin since it opened as a food truck in 2017, and like many Austinites, I was so excited to see them get awarded that impressive Michelin star just a few months ago.
LeRoy and Lewis is a new school BBQ restaurant, which means they don't do the traditional brisket/ribs/sausage by the half pound + typical barbecue sides. Instead, they have specialty smoked items like beef cheeks, cauliflower "burnt ends," and more chef-y sides like beef fat potato chips and kale caesar slaw.
And now that there's a full restaurant, rather than a tiny food truck, LeRoy and Lewis has been hosting all sorts of special events, like their wine pairing dinners and their coveted reservation-only steak nights. And, of course, those special menu items.
The picture above hardly looks like a Texas barbecue restaurant table, and that's what I love so much about this place: it's entirely different from any other BBQ restaurant in central Texas.
My husband and I stopped by for a late, last-minute date night on a Friday night. Most of the regular menu items that we love were sold out (beef cheeks, pork hop sausage, and Flat Iron are all my favorites) so we decided to go ahead and try some of the enticing special menu items.
The Steak Frites...well, this beautiful plate officially ruined steak frites for me because nothing can live up to this. I saw another table receive their order and thought, "is that going to be enough meat?" but in true LeRoy and Lewis fashion, it's only the highest-quality, sustainable cuts of meat that are served, resulting in the best taste that somehow is more satisfying than lower-quality meat. (Shocker, I know.)
This Baby Bok Choy tasted just as delicious as it looks in the photo above. It was smoky and crunchy, and topped with pretty much every crispy/sweet/spicy/sticky topping you can imagine. (I don't have the menu in front of me so I can't list all of them, but it was an impressive array of toppings.)
And the Smoked Pork Shank on a bed of polenta was stewed in a yummy tomato sauce. The whole thing just fell off the bone and I kept eating long after I was full because it was so dang delicious.
Ok, LeRoy and Lewis. I might officially have a new favorite menu item.
LeRoy and Lewis BBQ
WEBSITE | 5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745
About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I spend my own time and money exploring this state to help millions of readers find the best food, things to do, places to stay in Austin and beyond. Check out my other sites: TheSanAntonioThings.com and TheWacoThings.com!
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