Lil’ Barbecue channels Austin straight into Woodlawn, bringing La Barbecue’s rightly hyped slow-smoked meats to the industrial-meets-honky-tonk bar Tough Luck. Order at the bar and go straight for the brisket—or commit fully to the Holy Matrimony, a $75 spread of every meat and side, like mac and cheese, and pickles and Texas toast like it should. The sleeper hit is the tater tots, which aren’t even on the Texas menu and show up here as mashed-potato squares that are more like creamy croquettes. There’s also a Portland wink in the form of “beet ends,” a surprisingly legit vegan option. Cocktails are fine, but this is a Shiner Bock situation, and if you have your heart set on a particular cut of meat, go early because they do sell out.
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