The County Line on the Lake: Austin BBQ with a View

The County Line on the Lake is a long-running Austin barbecue restaurant at 5204 Ranch to Market Road 2222. The restaurant says it has been serving Texas Bar-B-Q since 1975, and its setting is a big part of the experience: the dining room looks out toward Lake Austin and the surrounding green hills, while the roadhouse-style décor keeps things casual and distinctly Texas. It is the kind of place that works well for a relaxed lunch, an unhurried dinner, or a meal with visitors who want scenery along with smoked meat. The current listed phone number is 512-346-3664, and the restaurant’s website offers online ordering, catering, and shipping for its barbecue. No current opening hours were available in the information reviewed, so it is worth checking before heading over.

The menu centers on slow-smoked brisket, beef ribs, and spicy German sausage, with barbecue platters and combination meals built around those staples. Recent customer feedback is generally strong: the restaurant is rated 4.4 out of 5 from more than 5,000 reviews, and several recent diners specifically praised the beef ribs, professional service, atmosphere, and overall quality. One customer described it as “old school Austin BBQ,” while another said the beef ribs were their favorite. The feedback is not completely uniform, though. A recent two-star review found the pork ribs lacking meat, the beef ribs dry, and the brisket short on flavor, while the sausage was still considered good. That range suggests that the experience can depend on the particular order and visit.

An older 2007 review gives a more detailed look at individual dishes, although its prices and impressions should not be treated as current. At that time, the spicy German sausage stood out for its crisp casing and tangy-sweet sauce, and the brisket was received more favorably than the beef ribs, which were described as difficult to eat because they had little meat. The sides—beans, potato salad, and coleslaw—were criticized as bland, while the Peach Cobbler à la Mode was judged more successful for its ice cream than for its canned peach filling. The same review listed combination plates from $10.99, a pork rib combo at $14.99, and whole-wheat bread at $2.49, but those figures are from 2007. Current customer information places the restaurant around $20–30 per person, or roughly a $$ price range. Overall, County Line on the Lake offers a casual barbecue meal with a memorable lakeside setting, a menu focused on classic Texas smoked meats, and enough recent positive feedback to make it a reasonable option—while leaving room to choose carefully if ribs or sides are the main reason for the visit.