Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
There’s a certain stereotype that comes to mind when thinking about small towns in Texas – we’re guilty of it too even though we’ve called this great state home our entire lives. We think about elderly couples sitting out on their porch with a class of sweet tea in hand, locals gathering at their favorite restaurant in the town square on Sunday morning to catch up after church, and Southern hospitality that oozes out of every pore of everyone who lives there.
Lockhart, a historic Central Texas town, fits this description perfectly – along with being home to two of the most acclaimed, iconic, and delicious barbecue restaurants in the country. So, if you haven’t taken the time to visit yet, what are you waiting for?
Lockhart is about as Southern as it gets in every sense of the word. With a population of 13,000, it's small enough to maintain a homey feel yet big enough that the Southern hospitality is prevalent everywhere you go.
It's the county seat of Caldwell County, so this gorgeous courthouse is located right in the middle of downtown. It's open to the public for tours, and I'd highly recommend taking one.
Not to mention the main thing Lockhart is known for...finger lickin' good barbecue. In fact, it's known as the BBQ capital of the WORLD. Black's is the oldest joint in Texas, having been around and under the ownership of the same family since 1932.
Kreuz Market is the other iconic barbecue restaurant in Lockhart. It opened as a grocery store in 1900, and the family business still smokes the meat the same way to this day - German style, in brick pits over post oak.
Perusing some of the older parts of town will have you thinking you've taken a time machine back to the Old West, especially if you pass by this abandoned saloon. Is there anything more stereotypically Southern than that?
The heart of every Southern town is its town square, and Lockhart is no exception. Locals gather on Sundays to talk, and tourists explore the shops while reveling in the charming atmosphere that the antiquated buildings and friendly residents create.
