Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer ups the ante on familiar Southern fare
By Brock Radke
Photos by Beverly Poppe
Beef brisket
Only in Vegas would you find a rollicking roadhouse complete with a down-home pit barbecue inside a medieval castle.
Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer is one of the newest and wildest joints on the Strip, an 8,000-square-foot entertainment venue, bar and restaurant in Excalibur fashioned with the style and sounds of the legendary Southern rockers. Designed to re-create the feel of the “Hell House”—the backwoods building in Jacksonville, Fla. where the Skynyrd legend began some 35 years ago—this Southern-fried venue is awash in faded barnyard wood, concrete and brick, framed by a welcoming bar and central concert stage area. The music keeps the party going and the friendly, fired-up staff is part of the entertainment, but make no mistake: the barbecue is the star of this show.
Las Vegas may not be known as one of the barbecue capitals of the country, and it doesn’t have to be. Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer has imported the recipes and techniques of Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas—an iconic German-style meat market operating in the Lone Star State for more than a century. The Kreuz way is to serve it up “weigh and pay” style: juicy smoked meats sold by the pound and eaten off butcher paper with flavorful side dishes. Here in the Excalibur, choose from white oak-smoked chicken, pork ribs, ham, turkey and a variety of beef cuts. Brisket is a favorite, wonderfully tender and deeply imbued with smoky flavor, while meaty beef ribs are charred to satisfying perfection. Prime rib and beef shoulder also are available. The turkey and chicken seem to soak up the flavors of this cooking technique especially well, and both are delicious when dipped or drenched with any of three homemade barbecue sauces available on every table.
Braised collard greens
Another specialty of the house is the jalapeño cheese sausage, a bold and spicy take on the traditional hot link. This addictive delight matches up perfectly with several signature side dishes, from braised collard greens to pork chunk-laden baked beans. One of the unique twists is the restaurant’s version of french fries, tender fried wedges of cheesy grits. With such a wide selection of barbecued meats and vibrant accompaniments at family-friendly prices, Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ & Beer is sure to become one of the Strip’s most popular casual destinations for lunch, dinner and later noshing.
Even more fun than the dessert selection, which includes white chocolate bread pudding served with Jack Daniel’s caramel sauce, is the list of beer, cocktails and shots. The namesake Lynyrd Skynyrd Lager is brewed by Coors and poured into Mason jars. For a bit more Southern twang, consider the Free Bird cocktail, Red Stag bourbon with Citronge and lime sour and fresh blackberries. Of course, your bartender may recommend you do a simple Jack and Pickle Back, a shot of JD chased with the house pickle brine. After a filling meal of slow-smoked meats so delicious they’re impossible to stop eating, this salty-sweet treat is the perfect finale.
Excalibur
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; bar open late. 702.597.7818
