A food-truck success story on Hwy 290, with a shady patio and a playground for the kids
Pig Pen BBQ is the barbecue joint on Highway 290 just west of Ranch Road 12 in Dripping Springs — the one with the patio, the swing set, and a smoker that's been going since well before lunch. It opens at 7 a.m. most days, which makes it one of the few places in town where brisket and breakfast tacos share a menu.
Why it's this week's craving. October in Dripping Springs is barbecue weather, plain and simple. Pig Pen is the low-fuss version: order at the counter, grab a table outside under the shade trees, and let the kids burn off energy on the playground while you work through a three-meat plate. Dogs are welcome on the patio, and they'll even bring water.
The story. Pig Pen started with Bill Warren, an Austin police sergeant who learned to barbecue from his mother and kept smoking for friends and family after she passed. With his partner Michelle Matthews — the self-described cheerleader who gave him the confidence to go pro — he started a catering business, I Do BBQ, in July 2016, and by early 2017 they had a Pig Pen food truck parked on a trailer lot in Dripping Springs, with family in the business too. The truck eventually became the brick-and-mortar restaurant on 290, with rustic metal-and-wood walls and a lot more room.
What to order.
- Brisket — sliced or chopped, $32 a pound, or as a sandwich ($9.50).
- Pork ribs — $28 a pound; on Fridays there's also a Texas-sized beef rib ($34).
- PiggyTails — the house candied bacon ($3), and the thing to add to any order.
- Breakfast tacos — the brisket taco and the migas taco are $4.99 each, served Tuesday–Friday until 11, Saturday until noon and Sunday 8 to noon.
- Sides — the baked potato salad and Ena's Street Corn ($4.99 each) are the ones to get.
If you can't choose, the 3 Meats/2 Sides plate ($30.99) is the move. There's also a full "Mexi-Que" menu — fajita plates, carne guisada and pastor tacos — plus brisket enchiladas on Thursdays and birria and barbacoa tacos on weekends. Save room for Yaya's banana pudding ($4).
Good to know. Pig Pen is closed Mondays. Sunday hours are short (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.), so don't plan a late Sunday lunch. They handle catering and private parties, and you can order ahead online or get delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Visit Pig Pen BBQ
📍 301 W Hwy 290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
📞 512-858-0060
🌐 Website: https://ds.pigpenbbq.com
🍴 Menu: Food · Drinks
📷 Instagram: @pigpenbbq
👍 Facebook: Pig Pen BBQ
🕒 Hours: Tue–Wed 7 a.m.–7 p.m. · Thu–Sat 7 a.m.–8 p.m. · Sun 8 a.m.–3 p.m. · Closed Monday
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