If our latest Top 50 list is any indication, big-city barbecue has found its way into Texas small towns, such as Seguin (Burnt Bean Co.), Port Lavaca (LaVaca BBQ), and Port Neches (Redbird BBQ). In Marble Falls, a couple guys have opened a trailer to promote the barbecue style of another small town, albeit a pretty famous one. Bryan Garcia and Clayton Etzel were once neighbors in Lockhart, and with Smokehouse 44 (the last two digits of Lockhart’s zip code), they’re bringing a taste of the “Barbecue Capital of Texas” to the Hill Country.
This sort of evangelism is old hat for Garcia. While working the pits with his cousin Roy Perez, the legendary Kreuz Market pitmaster, in Lockhart, Garcia was called up to be part of the team at Schmidt Family Barbecue, in Bee Cave. When that restaurant opened, in 2013, it was billed as the manifestation of the reconciliation between the owners of Kreuz Market and Smitty’s Market, also in Lockhart. The two sides of the family had been involved in a longtime feud.
As part of the pit crew at Schmidt, Garcia brought his knowledge from Kreuz, but he was also hoping to update the recipes and processes based on his own backyard cooking. Unsurprisingly, in a joint with legendary roots, that didn’t fly. “I was young and emotional,” Garcia admitted, so he left and formed his own catering company, called Smoke Factor BBQ. After many years on his own, he asked Etzel to partner with him on Smokehouse 44. “He’s a wonderful butcher and sausage maker,” Garcia said, who was slicing orders for the steady stream of customers as he and I talked. Unfortunately, the sausage-making program—something vital to any joint trying to emulate Lockhart barbecue—isn’t yet off the ground. Smokehouse 44 is currently serving smoked sausages from Hudson Meat Market, with locations in Austin and Marble Falls, so you’ll have to wait to try Etzel’s links.
One bite of the massive pork sparerib transported me to the smoke-stained walls of Kreuz Market. The post oak smoke and simple salt-and-pepper seasoning accented the bold pork flavor. “I try not to hide the meat,” Garcia said. If you want to know what a savory rib tastes like at its peak—without a sweet rub, glaze, or sauce—come try this one.
The thing I appreciated about Schmidt Family Barbecue when I visited was that it bucked Kreuz’s tradition and smoked its briskets low and slow. Smokehouse 44 does the same, with a big offset smoker and seasoned post oak. Even the lean brisket was juicy and pleasantly salty. For a more decadent bite, go for the thick-sliced pork belly, which is meltingly tender. Also impressive were the moist and peppery slices of smoked turkey. The meat and smoke spoke loudest in the spread, which echoed Garcia’s guiding principle: “Keep it simple and cook everything properly.”
Simplicity goes out the window when it comes to the sides. Garcia said he likes to “take something that everyone else is doing, but put my own flair on it.” Ranch dressing is the base for the potato salad, which is garnished with cilantro and freshly diced red onion. Seeing cucumber salad on the menu, I expected something on the lighter side, but the cucumbers were mixed with bacon, shredded cheddar, green and red onions, and a dill sauce. I preferred the rich jalapeño creamed corn and the pinto beans, which were in a stock so delicious I tipped the bowl to drink it. Garcia grew up cooking barbecue with his father, who had a tried-and-true bean recipe involving ham hocks. Garcia uses chunks of smoked pork belly instead, which brings some extra fat and smoke flavor.
The dessert options seem simple enough: banana pudding or cobbler. I chose the peach-and-blueberry cobbler, which was more impressive than your average scoop-and-serve version of the dessert. Fresh peaches and blueberries were baked into the batter and also topped the serving. Luckily, they were cooked until just soft, rather than mushy. A sprinkling of grated nutmeg and cinnamon garnished it all for a stunning finish.
I’ve eaten plenty of barbecue in Marble Falls and Lockhart. This new trailer brings so much of what I love about Kreuz Market into a community that’s growing into a barbecue destination in its own right. Smokehouse 44 does a great job bringing modern and traditional—as well as big-city and small-town—together. Now the joint just needs to bring it home with some Lockhart-style sausage. In the meantime, the rest of the smoked meats should be plenty to keep customers happy.
Smokehouse 441610 U.S. 281, Marble FallsHours: Tuesday–Friday 11–7, Saturday 11–4Phone: 512-359-2326Pitmasters: Clayton Etzel and Bryan Garcia Method: Post oak in an offset smokerYear opened: 2025