Artz Rib House

Music was great, we went 6-19-11 but found the beef ribs leaner than they have ever been. The pork ribs,... more

Music was great, we went 6-19-11 but found the beef ribs leaner than they have ever been. The pork ribs, which usually fall off the bone, ere toug... more

Apparently, there is nothing to stop tards from posting and deceived the good folk of Austin, Tx. Yes, that sounds rude but when you accept the fact that some people think Mc Donalds is great it's not so far off the mark. I ate at Artz about seven years ago and haven't been back. I heard a little talk and tried it out. First impression was it looked rustic but when I zoomed in it looked dirty. Down home custom odors and filth in the bathrooms, too. Dirty this, dusty that. I guess when you think your food is the best you don't have to impress with anything else. The service was poor and made me feel like a bar code. The so called great music is just your average, every day Austin locals. Apparently, the same tards don't know music either. Oh, and they tried to give me the skimpy 'kids meal' but I told them I wanted more. I shouldn't have had to ask in the first place but on top of that they gave me the stink eye for asking. In all honesty though, the food wasn't bad. On a 1-10, I give the ribs a 7, beans a 7, and potato salad a 5. I would have given the ribs an 8 or 9 for flavor but they were old and dry. Maybe they were cooked the previous day. Last but not least, they were over priced. When I want good food and plenty of it along with good service, i just head on down to the 'Green Mesquite"". Lots of famous people and movie stars have frequented it. Kurt Russell is my favorite so far. Oh, and I don't know the owner or any of the people there so I'm not just saying good things for points. I mean what I say. more

Very very disappointed. After a long drive from NE Austin, my family and I visited Artz tonight. We had decided to go so far out of our way after selecting Artz to purchase a coupon from restaurant dot com; we were greeted at the door by a sign saying that they no longer accept these less than an hour after we purchased it. This is not a free coupon printed off... we paid for this discount and chose to come here because of it. We were so pissed off we left right after ordering drinks. (And by the way, how do they not have a sweet tea? Really?) Let me be clear. Artz has a contract with restaurant dot com. It is your duty to end that relationship before you stop honoring the coupons. Anything less is called FRAUD. Thank God for Uncle Billys! Pros: Didn't stay long enough to find out Cons: Fraud more

Pretty good BBQ, but we've never ever had such consistently bad service at a restaurant. We are really easygoing, not at all demanding, and never think of avoiding a restaurant because of bad service. Except when it comes to Artz. Pros: Outweighed by Cons Cons: Service! more

Once again we ventured out for ""World Famous"" Texas BBQ while visiting Austin. Personally, this style of food is not worthy of all the spiritual ranting it receives. It's fun picnic food for goodness sakes, nothing more nothing less. That all said, I thought the food at Artz was just fine. Had the 1/2 chicken and it was moist and pleasantly smoked. Others had the turkey breast and the baby back ribs. It was all pretty good. The sides of potato salad and beans were not that impressive, but the coleslaw was fresh and good. The place was clean, I liked the cloth napkins and table cloths, and the service was friendly. Pros: parking Cons: sides more

If you think Artz is too average, then go down to Barton Springs and eat the MacRib in air conditioning! You'd probably complain about the heat at the Shady Grove, too! Pros: a joint Cons: parking more

this place is okay. the food is decent, the place itself is darky, old and a little bit dirty. the waitress we had was not helpful at all, i dont blame the restaurant for that though. wouldnt go back there. Pros: food is ok Cons: service, value, ugly interior more

Food is average at best and service is poor. Don't go expecting to hear live music as you will end up sitting outside in the heat unable to see or hear the band. There are too many other good choices in Austin. more

In a town with Rudy's, Ironworks, and near enough to Salt Lick to speak of it, I can't imagine how good things have continued to be said about Artz. I got the signature country ribs which were just ""cooked,"" not falling-off-the-bone smoked ribs. They lacked any real flavor and to add insult to injury, the sauce is completely forgettable tangy mustard based and bland, completely devoid of any sweetness or bite. The slaw had nearly any dressing, and what was there didn't really add to the flavor in a positive way, and the potato salad was easily beaten by HEB. It was some of the most boring and uninspired barbecue I've had in Texas, so again I say ""I don't see point of all the fuss."" Pros: I got what I ordered. Cons: I got what I ordered. more

It had been a while since I had eaten at Artz, but I have been twice in the last month or so and the ribs were wonderful. Tender, moist & very tasty. On my second recent visit, I had to order a full raack, so I had guaranteed leftovers to take home. Unlike some other reviewers, I like the BBQ sauce a lot. Even tho' the ribs taste fine without sauce, I gotta have it. It has kind of ruined me for other barbecue joints. It's a tangy tomato/vinegar style sauce and to say it is a mix of ketchup and mustard is just dumb. more

I enjoy the food, the meat is really good. Yesterday enjoyed with a friend, chicken, baby back ribs and sausage. We were seated very quickley and our food came super quick. I was disappointed that there were flies buzzing around and the cole slaw, is rather icky. Also, I swear there bar-b-que sauce is just ketchup and mustard mixed together. I enjoyed the food, but think next time I will get it to go, to eat in the comfort of my fly free home! Oh ya, the live music was a nice little treat too. Pros: Great service and yummy ribs Cons: Flies buzzing around, and cole slow gross...also sauce is kind of gross! more

Hope you're not looking for atmosphere, great service, or a clean place... you won't find it here. It was filthy in there! Cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, sticky floor in the bathroom (UGH!), dirty all around. I tried to have an open mind becuase of the great reviews, but the sides (and the uncleanliness) ruined it for me. The potato salad tasted like vinager & potatoes with no other seasonings. Slaw was ok. Beans ok. I tried 2 kinds of ribs. The Country Ribs I have to admit were tasty. The baby back were complete fat. Maybe one small bite of meat on each. Pros: Ribs Cons: Filthy place! more

Worst Barbeque ever! Pros: old look and feel Cons: Dirty, bathroom with no soap(bad sign, where do employees wash?oh,oh), BAD BARBEQUE, CAUSE OF ALL NIGHT NAUSEA more

I've been eating at Artz Ribs at least once a week for years and they literally have the best ribs in town. Whether you're wanting a rack of baby backs ribs, briskets plate, veggie skewers or just a juicy hamburger you won't find any BBQ better than Artz. I recently hired them to cater a wedding rehearsal dinner (out of town) and everyone LOVED the food and the owners - Art and Z- they're the BEST!!! Their attention to details made the rehearsal dinner come off without a hitch! Whenever I leave town, the first thing I want when I get back is Artz!!! Note: Ask Art or Z to wrap up a couple of racks of ribs to take with you when you're travelling and staying with friends. My friends love it when I show up with a little taste of Austin!!! Pros: Reasonably priced, Fast Service, Delicious food more

food is good, ambience is nice. watch out for the owner, she sucks. Pros: food, bbq, food Cons: owner, owner, owner more

I'm from Dallas and really loved the food here. I had the Country Style Pork Ribs and they were huge like beef ribs and the sides that came with it were really good to---the potato salad was smooth like mashed potatoes. It came with 3 ribs, but I could only eat 2 of them (I'm 260 pounds)---I filled up on a lot of soda. Which brings me to my second part of the review. The servers I had were hard to get a hold of and my girlfriend thought they were very rude. The ambiance is funny and the chairs are dirty. The music is down home folk music if you're into that. I recommend for the food, but not the service. Pros: Giant Pork Ribs, White trash ambiance, Food Cons: Long Wait, Parking, Poor Servers more

I eat at Artz Rib House often. Where will you find another barbecue restaurant that makes their own soups, desserts & salad dressings from scratch? And to top it off they have the best smoked pork baby back ribs! more

The first time I wen to Art's Rib House it was great. Then I went a second time and it was terrible. It was like they dumped a pound of salt on my meat loaf. Then I tried a third and the Ribs were the worst ribs I have ever had. Don't waste your time with this place. more

Absolutely the best ribs anywhere. The burgers are great and the music is some of the best in town. Highly recommended. more