Bowie Street BBQ at Whole Foods Market (7)

525 N. Lamar, 476-1206

Daily, 10am-10pm

Located in the back of the store, right next to the meat counter, Bowie Street BBQ serves only USDA “Natural” meats. Not only the beef brisket, but the chicken, sausage, pulled pork, and baby-back ribs are hormone- and antibiotic-free. The meats are all rubbed with garlic-pepper spice and smoked right in the store, and the barbecue is so good that you can’t reliably get a seat at the counter anymore.

The chicken and the sausage are the standouts of the array; the sausage at Bowie’s is house-made beef andouille, and it is spicy, lean, and flavorful. The chicken is delicious and completely lacks the grainy texture some chicken gets after long smoking.

The prices are surprisingly reasonable considering the high-quality ingredients. The sandwiches are $4.99-$5.99 and feature a large serving of the meat of your choice, drenched in Austin’s Own B-B-Q Sauce, on a large bun, with all the pickles, onions, and jalapeños you desire. The jalapeños are beautiful, bright-green, and fresh and really add a gourmet touch.

Barbecue plates run $6.99 for the chicken plate, up to $8.99 for the three-meat combo. With the plate, you get a big pile of barbecue, pickles, onions, bread, and two sides: beans, coleslaw, potato salad, or macaroni salad.

Beer is available on tap ($3), as is organic root beer ($2). Both are served in frosty mugs, so cold that little ice particles form in your beer, and the root beer is unbelievably creamy, cold, and delicious: a genuine treat.

This article appears in March 2 • 2007.

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Kate Thornberry worked in renowned Austin restaurants for 30 years while pursuing a reasonably successful career in music. She began contributing to the Chronicle in 1988 and became a regular contributor to the food section in 2006.