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Jay and Kailee Johnson didn’t move from Austin to Smithville to open a barbecue joint. In 2022, when they left the city for the nearby town, they “expected to live out on some land and raise our boys in the country,” Jay said. With all of the extra space around their new home, they decided to build a barbecue pit with concrete blocks and a sheet of plywood for a lid. They shared some brisket and pork shoulder from the pit’s first batch with a grateful neighbor, who enjoyed it so much he implored Jay to smoke more and sell it. A few months later, at their Smithville Farmers Market debut, the Johnsons sold out of pulled pork sandwiches in two hours. By December 2024, Jay had quit his job as an electrical foreman and the couple had opened Bubby’s BBQ—a tribute to their oldest son’s nickname—in downtown Smithville.
They outgrew their first location pretty quickly. Zimmerhanzel’s, a beloved local barbecue joint, had closed in 2022, and the town really supported Bubby’s. “We needed a lot more back-of-the-house space,” Kailee said, and six months in, they were already looking for something bigger. Jay had been eyeing a converted service station known locally as Billy Davis Station, because the late Davis, who owned it, and his buddies would gather under the awning to swap stories. It was also where Jay and Kailee had their first pop-up. The only problem was that they would have to kick out their potential landlord, whose office was in the building.
The Johnsons and the landlord worked out a deal, and they got to work adding a restroom and expanding a room to fit the pit. The couple had found a stoplight in a local antique shop and thought it would be perfect for letting customers know how much barbecue they had left throughout the day. They placed it in the pit room in such a way that it would be visible from the street. A green light means they have a full load of meats and sides; yellow means the pickings are slim; and red means they’re sold out for the day. They’ve only had a few mishaps, like the time Jay forgot to turn the light from red to green and wondered why nobody was stopping in.
Before they recently hired some help, the Johnsons were running the place on their own. Jay still does all the smoking, and Kailee makes all of the sides. She said there are three cheeses in her creamy mac and cheese but wouldn’t divulge them. Her mother offered up a recipe for well-seasoned potato salad with both mayo and mustard in the dressing. Beans aren’t offered as a side because the Johnsons only add to the menu if they feel like they have a unique recipe, and they haven’t developed one yet for beans. The jalapeño creamed corn, which has been on the menu since day one, has some spice but isn’t all that creamy.
The side of slaw is a heavily dressed mix of cabbage and shredded carrots with a bit of barbecue sauce mixed in—it’s a great topper for the pulled pork sandwich. “The pulled pork is the first thing that he nailed,” Kailee said, referencing her husband’s nascent barbecue career. The tender, juicy pork is one of the best meats, and it’s loaded up heavily on the bread. Add a dash of the orange, vinegary Sweet Heat barbecue sauce. Even the tomato-based sauce has plenty of vinegar, making it more acidic than sweet. “With vinegar you can taste the meat,” Jay said, explaining his dislike for thick, sweet barbecue sauce.
A juicy slice of turkey breast was smoky and peppery. I also enjoyed the sausage, which comes from V&V Sausage, in Cistern, although it’s not like the stuff you would find in the grocery store. The Johnsons order their sausages—beef and jalapeño-cheddar—raw and do all the smoking themselves to give them that good snap.
From the parking lot, you can see into the pit room, where you’ll notice a smoker made from the same concrete blocks Jay had in his backyard pit. This is where he cooks half chickens and spareribs over direct heat from wood coals, giving them a distinctive flavor he enjoys. He glazes his ribs with a habanero-honey sauce made with honey from a friend in Wimberley. I loved the flavor of the ribs, but they were softer than I would have preferred.
That same habanero honey is brushed onto the Texas Twinkies as well. Depending on the day, the jalapeños are stuffed with brisket and cheese, buffalo chicken, or pulled pork and corn, the last of which was available on the Friday I stopped in. I loved the crisp bacon, and the filling held together well. The jalapeños were spicier than I expected, so the cream cheese and the sweetness from the sauce were welcome.
A thick slice of smoked brisket was the only real downside of the meal. The bark was tough, and the meat was dry. The couple of burnt ends—presumably from the same brisket—that came alongside it were quite nice, so it was a head-scratcher. Jay chalked it up to inexperience. Barbecue is his life now, and even though it’s only been that way for two years, he can reflect on how far he has come. The first brisket he smoked was on a flimsy offset Kailee bought him for his birthday. She found one at a big-box store that was small enough to fit in the tiny side yard at their apartment, but it wasn’t a great tool to learn on. “It was the worst brisket I ever smoked in my life,” Jay said. After five more, Kailee “begged him to stop,” she said, so he’s still getting the hang of it.
These days, he’s smoking the best barbecue he can for a town with no other joint. I was less than hopeful after a poor visit a couple of years back at the first location, but I’m glad I came back and was able to see how much better Bubby’s has gotten. The community’s response to Bubby’s has been great, and the dining room fills up quickly. There’s free beer in an icy cooler for anyone waiting in line, and everyone seemed happy to be there during my meal. “Our whole concept is that this is a backyard barbecue,” Kailee said, which makes sense given how this whole endeavor began. The folks in Smithville are giving the couple the green light to keep improving.
Bubby’s BBQ
320 NW Loop 230, Smithville
Phone: 512-658-8794
Hours: Thursday–Friday 11–5, Saturday–Sunday 11–4
Pitmaster: Jay Johnson
Method: Post oak in an offset smoker and direct heat on a concrete pit
Year opened: 2024
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