Mann’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

Overall I liked that the g/​f and I both got bbq with two sides for about $ 15 (for both of us). They gave us free brownies, which were good. The staff was nice, but the mood was pretty somber and a bit dreary in there. I guess I wouldn’t be upbeat and cheerful if my store/​job was going to be gone NOV 25 (their last day), so I understand that. But, overall it was good, but my pulled pork didn’t come with much sauce. The décor was folksy and reminded me of a roadside BBQ place, which was good. Overall we liked our food, but will keep trying new places (I suppose out of necessity or just in general).

i went there to have Mann Up (sandwich with small portion of Brisket, Sausage, pulled pork and one pork rib with one side) which is little less than $ 10.
I think it’s a great deal!
Well, they were out of pork rib then the guy didn’t want to give any extra to compensate the pork rib… but still wanted to charge for full price.
Then a girl gave us extra side to compensate the pork rib which was right thing to do.
It’s only one pork rib, but just felt little pity that they were trying to charge the full price for incomplete meal.
I will still go to the place because the bbq is pretty good, but i don’t feel the same way about the place anymore.

I really wanted to like this place. The atmosphere was down-​to-​earth and the service was friendly; I almost gave two stars for this reason. In fact it pains me to give one star, but if I’m being honest, that accurately reflects my experience here. The food was extremely overpriced, it didn’t taste good, and something in the restaurant smelled very strongly of body odor. In fact, the whole experience was (what I would imagine it’d be) like eating out of someone’s sweaty armpit. This is a barbecue restaurant; it should’ve smell like a smoker, not a locker room.
The brisket plate — which was on special that day, meaning normally it’s more expensive — with an iced tea, totaled to nearly $ 13 after tax. Now I don’t mind splurging on barbecue once in a while, but the food just didn’t taste good — let alone «good enough» to justify the price (I would happily pay this for Salt Lick, Rudy’s, County Line, or Green Mesquite). But I will revisit the food later in this review. Just to give some perspective, this was the first time I’ve eaten barbecue in Austin and not finished my meal.
I ordered the lean brisket, with a side of mashed potatoes and beans. They threw in a piece corn bread and a free brownie, which was nice. The good news is that the brownie was delicious — soft and tasty. The brisket, however, was bone-​dry and way under-​seasoned. The mashed-​potatoes and beans were both extremely bland as well. The corn bread was cold, stiff, and flavorless. This food had absolutely no love in it. You might be thinking that the flavorlessness was because I was plugging my nose from the odor, but I thought of this and tried to give the food as best a chance as I could.
I’m still not sure what to think about the BO. It could’ve been the seat I was in, or the table, but I moved to a different seat and the smell remained. It could’ve also been the tray I was eating off of — which would’ve been even worse. Regardless, that’s the smell my brain now associates with this place, and that makes it a challenge for me to recommend or return here ever again.

A great option for lunch… Get the Man-​up sandwich, it has pretty much some of every thing from ribs to brisket and sausage. On Fridays free home made ice cream and during the week they often have free brownies. Granted, this is not a fancy place, nor gourmet, but dollar for dollar this place is hard to beat!

Mann’s Smokehouse Bar-​B-​Que catered my last party for 40! WONDERFUL! Supplied everything… From the EXCELLENT BBQ to the place settings. My guest were very pleased and could not thank me enough for the «best BBQ they ever had»!!! Spent a lot of time writing down the address to Mann’s Smokehouse Bar-​B-​Que. If you have not been here… ITS A MUST!!!

In a town full of bar-​b-​que Mann’s still manages to stand out. I had the pulled pork and my wife had the brisket. Both were fantastic. That’s not to mention the sides. She had mash potatoes and I had turnip greens, everything was delicious!
The service was quick and the food was still fresh. It may not be the best joint in town, but it’s still really good and has fast service without sacrificing quality

the bbq is really good here. The sides are very Southern style, swimming in butter. If that’s your thing then you’ll like them, I’m not a huge fan and mostly stick to the meats though the mac n cheese is pretty good.

Great food! The moist brisket is perfect! The fried okra is delicious!
The customer service is above and beyond. The staff went out of their way to help us and make people feel welcomed. They also have checkers which my kids loved! Thanks for the great lunch!

I wanted to try a good BBQ place so I Did a Google search and saw this place on the Austin Statesman’s top 10 list.
I was torn between giving this place 3 or 4 stars. You will not come here and find THE best BBQ around but you really could do a lot worse.
I got the 2 meat plate with two sides. I got the lean brisket so I expected it to be a bit drier, but it had a good smoke flavor to it. You could do worse elsewhere.
I was pleasantly surprised with the pork ribs. Even though it didn’t taste as smoky as the brisket, it was full of meat, juicy, and fall off the bone. I forgot to ask for sauce on the side, so it was smothered all over the meat but it was a rich and flavorful sauce.
The mashed potatoes were seasoned well. The macaroni and cheese was good. Once again, you could do worse.
The employees were friendly and attentive. A good representation for the business.
It’s hard to knock the old and mismatched décor as it is a typical small bbq joint in Texas. This is not a place to go if you want nice décor. You come here to fill up on some good BBQ and that is what it is… good. You could do a lot worse. In the end I gave this place 4 stars instead of three because it is evident that this place is owned by people who are trying to put out the best possible BBQ in a very competitive market. Stop by and give it a taste and write up your own review.

Service, great. Potatoes, great. Mac n cheese, good. Brisket, great. BBQ sauce, great. Cornbread, meh.
This has the hole in the wall feel. Food is good. Staff was nice. I’ll be back.

I used to come here when I was younger with my dad and now, I go there during school lunch! Reasonably priced for such good food! I will definitely be coming here for the rest of my life. I always get a brisket sandwich with THE BEST mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. I especially love going on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for free brownies (which are cut into large sizes) and also on Friday’s for some free homemade ice cream! I love the local restaurants, this is by far one of my favorites in Austin.

Mann’s BBQ really does remind me of a bbq joint in a small town where the emphasis is placed more on making one feel welcome over mass produced food being served in a trough. It’s rustic, and they offer specials for just about anyone, even those on a Paleo diet. I found the trivia and the bingo game to be worthwhile as the winner gets a free meal. I lost but it was worth a shot. Okay, now the food. Price wise seems to be a good bargain for bbq but the moist brisket was dry but it did have flavor. The ribs too were dry but it also has a good flavor. No sides for me as I’m strictly about the meat. The place always has a crowd the few times I’ve been there so they do have a steady clientele.

Service was fast and friendly. Inside was somewhat cluttered and could have been a little cleaner. The brisket was good but the macaroni and cheese was hanging around and the fried okra was horrible, full of oil, cold and hard. I came late in the day so i somewhat expected this no matter where I ate. Service and friendliness 4 stars

My favorite BBQ place. The lines are never too long so you don’t have to spend your whole lunch standing in line. The brisket is always packed with flavor and the sauce is fingering licking good. The free brownies on Tuesdays and Thursdays are so delicious. Don’t forget to ring the bell on the way out!

Ridiculous prices: $ 19.25 two meat plate
Mediocre quality: Brisket was decent. Sausage tasted like anything you could have gotten at HEB.
Only went here because most places are closed on Mondays. Decent basic BBQ, not sure how it made Texas Monthly – but that probably explains the prices.

$ 19.25
That sums up my trip to Mann’s BBQ.
Are you ok with paying that for a 2 meat plate, 2 sides, and a sweet tea? If so then you might like Mann’s.
The BBQ is decent, is it Top 10 in Austin probably not. The brisket was really tender and fell apart but as is my issue with other briskets I do not want my brisket to cook down to a roast consistency. The pork ribs were on point and very delicious. Matt C. ordered the sausage and it was really greasy and I wasn’t a big fan of it. The potato salad was forgettable and tasted like it came from a tub.
If this 2 meat plate had been $ 12.50 I would probably come back but I just cannot justify the price with the food that comes out.

I have had barbecue from Mann’s Smokehouse Bar-​B-​Que a few times over the years. The company I for work also orders catering from here quite frequently. The pits are (wo)manned by Kathleen Mann. She is the daughter of the owners and one of very few female pitmasters out there. They used to be a Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ restaurant in 2008, but the BBQ market has gotten very competitive since then. I never thought I would be able to stop in again because I do not work in the area, and they are not open on the weekends. I had some business to attend to in North Austin on this day and was able to drop in for lunch. Sometime things just work out.
I ordered the Texas Sampler which comes with brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, and jalapeño sausage. It also came with two sides so I ordered coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. The brisket was decent. It was missing that dark bark I love. Mann’s uses an Old Hickory smoker which is fueled by natural gas instead of solely wood. You can taste the smoke, but you will not get the deep smoke that some of us cherish. The moist cut was tender and fatty. The pork ribs were solid and meaty. It had a nice flavor, and not much effort was required to pull the meat off. The beef ribs were a baby back variety. Compared to short ribs elsewhere, they do not have as much meat on the bone. Although there was not a whole lot of meat, the smoker did do a good number on it. It was smoky and flavorful. The jalapeño sausage was a commercial sausage, but it was not bad at all. The spice from the jalapeño gave it a nice finish. The macaroni and cheese was different. It was not as creamy and had spaghetti noodles in it. The coleslaw was crisp and fresh.
Kathleen gave me a sample plate of her BBQ sauce, Brunswick stew and pulled pork. The sauce was a Georgia-​style one that was mustard and vinegar based. In case you did not know, I hate mustard. I was surprised by the Brunswick stew. I have never had it before, but I liked it. It was a tomatoey concoction with bits of leftover smoked meats. It was good. The pulled pork was probably my favorite meat here. The smoke, rub, and moisture of the pork worked well together.
No frills. No fuss. Blue collar. That is how I would describe Mann’s. They put out consistent barbecue for the everyday working man. Not everyone has time to stand in a long line to get their barbecue. Ain’t nobody got time for that! They do have daily specials that work with everyone’s budget. Not pictured is the brownie I got for free. They have free brownies a couple of days during the week, and on Fridays, they serve up homemade ice cream. The combination of the pulled pork and Brunswick stew is enough for me to go back.

I like this place. I like it b/​c it’s right around the corner from work and I just went back yesterday and was pleased with what I got.
I ordered the ‘best buy sandwich’ (I think that’s what it’s called), chopped beef, two sides and of course the brownie for less than $ 7! Helllooooo. I have always liked their macaroni and cheese, it makes me laugh that there are spagetti noodles in it.
The chopped beef was pretty good, I regretted not getting pickles — but that’s my problem. The pinto beans were alright, too salty for me.
I like that it’s small and not a chain. Don’t expect to be blown away by the ambiance, it’s just a little old bbq joint.

Love this local family owned BBQ joint. I have lived in south Austin all my life, about a year ago I found my self north of the river looking for BBQ and came across this gem. Walking in to Mann’s you just feel at home, and are usually welcomed by the pit-​master herself. What I love most about Mann’s is the variety, there really is something for every one. Sure they have the standards that one would expect from a central tx BBQ joint, brisket, sausage and ribs. When you eat as much BBQ as I do for lunch during the work week, sometimes you need to change it up and Mann’s has you covered. I absolutely love the pulled pork with Kat’s Georgia BBQ Sauce, yes vinegar based and oh so good.
Then you get to the sides, I love all the options. Never knew Lima beans could be so tasty or that mustard greens pairs awesomely with pork ribs. It just works, I eat a paleo diet and Mann’s is a great way to stay on diet with variety, hard to find at many other central Texas BBQ joints.
On top of all this, I just love the idea of supporting a local family owned business. My company caters a lot of lunches, Mann’s Smokehouse BBQ delivers hot BBQ that all can enjoy, even vegetarians and for that I am grateful to have found this gem in North Austin, an area that is lacking in good BBQ options. Don’t tell my ’04 friends, sometimes I even travel north of the river to get my fix.

I like Mann’s, but with so much other fantastic barbecue in Austin it’s hard to give them 4 or 5 stars. Nothing they do is bad, but unless you get the daily special, it usually ends up being a bit more expensive than other barbecue joints, i.e., $ 15 for lunch. Also the brisket is hit and miss.
They do have great sides with good variety and the desert is very good. I think Fridays are free brownie days which helps a lot. That being said, I come to a barbecue place for the meat.
They have daily specials that are interesting including my favorite, the Mann up sandwich. It’s brisket, and sausage on bun with two pork ribs on the side. If the special is good, things get better.
Overall though, I’d still rather go to Rudy’s or Stile’s.