We arrived at Kreuz Market with some preconceptions, none of which were good. We heard along the BBQ trail that Kreuz was "overrated," they were the Wal-Mart of BBQ due to their huge restaurant that resembled a honky tonk not unlike Billy Bob's in Ft. Worth.

As we walked through the swinging screen door with a cow and a pig on them, I gathered the Texas BBQ Posse team and pleaded with them to keep an open mind. "Let the meat speak for itself, it doesn't matter what we heard earlier today."

We walked back to the smokers and it was Smitty's on steroids, the same fires on the floor and at least twice as many brick-sided pits. Meat on wax paper and go to the dining room if you want sides and a drink, Big Red of course.

Long story short, everything at Kreuz was amazing. We ranked it second on our BBQ tour, after Snow's in Lexington. As we exited, I told our crew that I had been eating BBQ for 49 years and considered myself an "expert. "I didn't realize until today that I knew nothing at all about great barbeque." Everything I ate that day was better than anything I had eaten before.

Kreuz Market, 619 North Colorado St., Lockhart, Texas. Open Monday-Saturday 10:30am-8pm.

(Photos by David Guzman & Mike Gibson)