A New Barbecue Joint With Hill Country Ties Opens on Greenville Avenue

A new restaurant serving elevated takes on Hill Country-style barbecue has landed on Greenville Avenue.

Oak’d BBQ, at 5500 Greenville Avenue, focuses on Central Texas-style barbecue, where the meat is dry-rubbed with simple spices before being cooked over woods like mesquite, pecan and, as the restaurant’s name indicates, oak. The restaurant opened November 6 for lunch and will begin serving dinner this Friday, November 13.

The meats at Oak’d include locally-sourced waygu and prime brisket and Duroc pork, all smoked on one of three giant smokers which the restaurant has named “El Presidente,” “Ironman,” and “The Pit Killer.” While barbecue is the focus, the menu also includes items like daily soups, smoked tamales, quinoa with golden raisins, cucumbers and smoked almonds, and a desert menu made by in-house pastry chef Cessy Mendoza, who previously worked at Nobu. Mendoza also bakes cornbread and biscuits on a daily bases. Oak’d founder Clint Norton has some family experience in the barbecue business. His brother, Ed Norton, co-owns County Line BBQ, the Austin institution originally founded in 1975.

Photo courtesy Oak’d

Photo courtesy Oak’d

Adding to the Hill Country vibe, the restaurant’s patio includes two 50-year-old Live Oak trees. The restaurant will eventually host live music on the deck.

When dinner service begins on November 13, the restaurant’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.