black gold

Whenever I hear the words “black gold,” the needle in my head drops on the theme song to Beverley Hillbillies: “Black gold. Texas tea.” As it turns out, black gold is also pit slang for the perfect, dark sheen on the exterior of an expertly rubbed and smoked brisket. This is the black gold Mems Davila’s new restaurant refers to in its name.

Davila earned his BBQ chops as the owner-operator of the trailer Wunder Pig for the past 10 years, but he had a new concept in mind for going brick and mortar: craft meats and cocktails, teaming up with his childhood friend from the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Wally Sanchez. Black Gold is all about the pits. The dark steel of his two approachable Cen-Tex smokers named after Stevie Ray and Jimmie provides the meats and the moody gestalt of the architecture, decor, and tablescapes.

We hit the joint one Saturday afternoon for an early dinner. Happy hour prices (and the un-webbed lunch menu) hold until 4 pm. We started with the Street Cornbread (roasted street corn honey cornbread garnished with cotija cheese, mild crema, and micro cilantro; $14), which is a good introduction to the Black Gold way. The dish arrives gorgeously, ready for Instagram, four one-inch square blocks of cornbread rained with garnishes. A quality dish elevated with fresh ingredients and a chef’s attention to detail but not bro-chef’d beyond the traditional. Coming in at three-and-a-half bucks a bite, it’s not only the food that’s elevated.

For mains, The Bride ordered the Grilled Ahi Tuna Sandwich (with chipotle aioli, spicy arugula, avocado, sauteed peppers, and goat cheese on sourdough + fries; $15) and I tried the Brisket Cheeseburger (half pound in-house ground brisket burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on a Brioche bun with dijonnaise + fries; $14 [$19 in the evening]). We were both ecstatic with our choices. The tuna was seared sushi style and memorably delicious, The Bride still raving over it. My burger was stunningly good, perhaps the second best (or the best?) I’ve had in town with the smoky brisket confidently stepping onto the main stage. The fries were also perfect: thin and crispy.

Sadly, the crispy duck tacos came off the menu before we visited, but we returned to partake of the Crispy Duck + Garlic Parm Fries (smoked and seared duck breast, poblano crema, and mango habanero sauce with matchstick garlic Parmesan fries; $38). We started with a couple of adult beverages, the namesake Black Gold (Dulce Vida 100 Proof Blanco, lime juice, prickly pear cordial, and black coconut ash; $16) while The Bride ordered an off-menu Old Fashioned (with Old Forester; $10). The Black Gold serves as the joint’s signature margarita, and it was dang decent with its Darth Vadorish hue. To soak up the alcohol, we enjoyed the Jalapeno Popper Dip appetizer (creamy blend of spinach, garlic, bacon, cheese, and jalapeno dip, served with a side of tostadas; $17).

For mains, The Bride ordered the duck, and I went with the New Norteno Brisket Taco (smoked brisket on a housemade flour tortilla and guacamole mousse topped with crema, jalapeno, and pickled red onion and served with pico de gallo and salsa roja on the side; $9). I needed to try the brisket for this review, right? I added a side of mac and cheese for an additional $7 (although the menu listed $8).

The duck–Oh my–the duck! Rubbed, loved, and smoked like brisket, each piece was a luxurious drape of savory across the tongue. This is the best duck we’ve had in the Western Hemisphere. Even though you need to live on Greenlawn to afford the dish, we’d eat it every day if we could. While not quite as good as Valentina’s Real Deal Holyfield (RIP), the Norteno taco is a worthy second, and at nine bucks, it’s a real steal. The slab of brisket splayed across the tortilla was moist and tender. The mac and cheese was elevated and delicious but with only a tiny ramekin for the $8.

You can order BBQ by the pound like a traditional pit stop, and there are steaks and vegetarian options. Besides ample indoor seating and a long bar, there are three outdoor patios and a stage. The press, appearance, and prices make Black Gold seem uppercrust (we even changed into fancier clothes when we went), but shorts and t-shirts are fine.

All in all, rub us in salt and pepper and smoke us as impressed. There are a lot of BBQ joints in Austin, but nothing quite as special as Black Gold. I suspect Davila will adjust the menu going forward as he dials his joint into smoky perfection. Here’s to hoping that the prices or proportions on the sides are reviewed, the lunch menu is posted on the web site, and the benches get cushions. Check out the happy hour for an affordable wade-in. We think this place will rub you the right way!

Black Gold; 1521 W Anderson Ln., Austin, TX 78757