Gospel Brunch

Stubb's Bar-B-Q hosts its gospel brunch this Sunday, July 19, at 801 Red River St. in Downtown Austin. It's a weekly tradition that pairs Southern food with live gospel music, and you'll have a clear view of the band from your table.

The brunch is a long-standing part of the city's music scene, featuring local gospel acts in a setting that celebrates both culinary and musical heritage. It's one of those Austin staples that works as well for a slow morning with friends as it does for a family outing. The format is simple: you eat and listen, with the music running alongside the meal.

There's a bit of history behind the venue, too. Stubb's Bar-B-Q traces back to 1968, when Korean War veteran Christopher B. Stubblefield opened his original BBQ stop in Lubbock. Back then, touring country and blues acts would perform in exchange for supper. After closing in 1985, the venue reopened in Austin's Red River music district in 1996. Co-founders Eddy Patterson and John Scott started the gospel brunch after being inspired by one they'd seen in New York, and they kept the format authentic to that original gospel brunch feel. It's been a regular part of the Sunday routine here ever since.

If you're planning to go, it's $25. The brunch runs every Sunday at Stubb's, so if this weekend doesn't work, there's always next Sunday.