City Market in Luling: How to Order at This 1958 Barbecue Joint and What Else to See in Town

Luling doesn’t try very hard to impress you. Pump jacks nod along the edges of town, the main drag is a stretch of old brick storefronts along the railroad tracks, and the most famous meal in town is served on butcher paper with no fork in sight. That meal comes from City Market, a Caldwell County barbecue joint that’s been smoking meat on East Davis Street since 1958.

How City Market got its start

Brothers Howard and Lanos Ellis opened City Market in 1958 after learning the trade at Kreuz Market up the road in Lockhart. They ran it together until 1969, then handed day-to-day operations to a trusted employee, Joe Capello, who became the longtime face of the pit. Descendants of the Ellis brothers still own the business, and in 2022 it was named a Texas Treasure Business, a state honor for companies that have operated for 50 years or more.

One quick note so you don’t get mixed up: there’s a separate restaurant in Houston called Luling City Market. It’s a different business. The original is in Luling, about an hour from Austin and San Antonio.

How ordering works

City Market runs the old-school Central Texas way, and first-timers do better knowing the drill ahead of time:

• Line up for the pit room. The meat is cut in a glassed-in room toward the back of the dining hall. You’ll wait your turn, then order brisket, pork ribs or sausage by the pound, sliced right onto butcher paper.
• Pay, then grab the rest. After the pit room, you’ll pay and pick up drinks and sides at a separate counter up front.
• Leave the silverware expectations at home. Forks aren’t the custom here. Bread, onions, pickles and peppers are there to round out the meal.
• Try the sauce. City Market’s thin, orange, mustard-tinged sauce comes in bottles at the table and is one of the most recognizable sauces in Texas barbecue.

The homemade beef sausage gets a lot of love, and many regulars build their order around a ring of it with a few slices of brisket and a rib or two.

Hours and timing

The Luling Area Chamber of Commerce lists City Market as open Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Sunday. That’s generous for a Central Texas pit, but like every barbecue joint, it can sell out of certain cuts, so earlier is better. The restaurant doesn’t keep a detailed website, so it’s smart to call ahead at (830) 875-9019 to confirm before you drive in.

Oil boom town with a sense of humor

Luling’s story runs on oil. A 1920s strike turned the farm town into a boomtown almost overnight, and pump jacks are still scattered all over the area. Instead of hiding them, Luling dressed them up. Many of the pump jacks around town have been painted and decorated into whimsical characters, and the Luling Area Chamber of Commerce on East Davis Street has a map so you can hunt them down.

Downtown, the Luling Oil Museum tells the story of the Central Texas oil boom in the old Walker Brothers building, with tools from the era and a model of the boomtown. It’s a short walk from City Market, which makes it a natural after-lunch stop. Check with the chamber for current museum hours.

More to see nearby

Give yourself an extra hour or two and you’ll find plenty around Luling:

• Zedler Mill: A restored mill on the San Marcos River with a park, swimming hole and paddling.
• Luling Bar-B-Q: City Market’s neighbor across the street has been open since 1986, if your group wants to compare notes.
• Palmetto State Park: A few miles south of town, with dwarf palmettos, swamp boardwalks and an oxbow lake.
• Lockhart: About 15 miles up U.S. 183, the self-proclaimed Barbecue Capital of Texas. See our Lockhart guide if you’re planning a two-town barbecue run.

Luling’s biggest annual party is the Watermelon Thump, held each year in late June, complete with a seed-spitting contest. It’s already come and gone for 2026, so keep it in mind for next summer.

Getting there

Luling sits right off Interstate 10 in Caldwell County, between San Antonio and Houston. Plan on about an hour from San Antonio, about an hour from Austin, and roughly two hours from Houston. It’s an easy stop on the way to the coast or the Hill Country, and a worthy destination on its own.

Hours, dates and prices can change. Check the Luling Area Chamber of Commerce before you head out.

City Market isn’t fancy, and it’s never needed to be. Good smoke, a no-fork tradition and a town full of painted pump jacks make Luling one of the most fun little detours on I-10. Come hungry and wear something you don’t mind getting a little sauce on.

Featured photo: Larry D. Moore via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.