Riley’s Bar-B-Que

Food was just ok. Bathroom looks like it’s never been cleaned.

We ordered the brisket and pork ribs. The pork ribs are very lean I just wish they tune down the saltiness a little bit. The brisket is moist and they trim off the fat which is good because I do not like the fat. Great BBQ.

Riley’s has good brisket and ribs — and surprisingly good fried chicken! The sides are better than most BBQ places. The Q is consistently good and the staff has always been friendly on my visits. The décor is about what you’d expect from a BBQ place — lots of pic-​nik tables. It’s located on the north side of the courthouse square in Blanco.

I’ve been going here since 2006 when I stumbled upon it by fluke. And now 3 years later not a single thing has changed. Its a perfect place to eat BBQ if your on your way up north to Fredericksburg or Marble Falls and beyond. The turkey, brisket and chicken are all good but the sausage is homemade and is a bit gamey (has the taste of wild game). There are not a big choice in sides but the beans are all you can eat and are a bit spicy but very good. Try the fried okra and the corn bread is moist and very good. The deserts are homemade and top notch, tea is sweet as it should be. Basically theres not much thats bad about this restaurant. So if your on your way north on 281 stop here for some good BBQ

We stopped here on our way to the Frio river last weekend and had the best freakin fried okra I (and several others at our table) have ever had. I mean, it was absolutely awesome goodness.
The meat on the other hand was ehh. I would not eat the turkey again, but the brisket was not bad. I did also enjoy the potato salad, and they had some great fixins’, including these marinated, peppery onions.
I would stop here again, especially for that freakin okra– it was so good.

Honestly, I don’t know how hard or down right bizarre BBQ has to be.
Riley’s (the one in Blanco, TX) only saving grace is the storylines to spin after leaving.
Since Blanco has few places to eat, my folks (who live in Blanco) and I order takeout to get off the farm for sanity’s sake, and it’s the same process every time:
1. Walk in
2. Endure annoyed staff who are burdened by your interruption
3. Have them get Thought Police with their Children of the Corn stares
4. Have them get annoyed if you’re too old for their Children of the Corn cult, then watch them contemplate your demise
5. Have them try to eat your brain with their alien energy fields
6. Have them tolerate you while you pay them
7. Walk outside
8. Ask, «What the @#*(%&@#&)%(@&% just happened?!!»
The brisket is not bad at all, and when beggars can’t be choosers in towns with few dining options, it’s almost worth the out of body experience.