The team behind beloved Austin BBQ joint Stiles Switch recently opened a new restaurant in fast-growing Dripping Springs. Appropriately named The Switch, this restaurant blends classic Texas BBQ with elevated Cajun favorites.
All photography by Michael Tomko
The Switch greets visitors into its welcoming front doors with custom neon sign and official mascot.This isn’t your typical side-of-the-highway BBQ joint (though there are few things we love more). The Switch’s menu includes reinvented Cajun favorites like this Brisket & Sausage Gumbo served over potato salad with Dunkers Crackers.If you’ve visited Stiles Switch BBQ, then you know they take their beef ribs seriously. For those of us who are just a little too intimidated to take on the mammoth-sized rib, there’s this: Bayou Beef Rib and Grits. The smoked rib is cut into two-bite-sized pieces and fried to perfection. Then it’s served over jalapeno Cheddar cheese grits. The whole thing is topped with signature grillade sauce.Ready for any Sunday dinner, this Sausage & Crawfish Pot Pie is a new take on the Southern classic. The trick is trying to get a forkful of flaky crust, spicy sausage and Louisiana crawfish for the perfect bite.BBQ purists do not fret. The Switch serves up Texas BBQ standbys like pork ribs, brisket and jalapeno Cheddar sausage. It’s amazing what magic salt, pepper and several hours of smoking over Post Oak can create.Pitmaster Bill Dumas churns out Texas ‘cue every day of the week except Monday.The Switch’s cocktail program is perfectly suited to accompany its Cajun and BBQ specialties. This cocktail, ATX Ranch Water, is sure to be an instant favorite. Here’s what to expect: Espolón Blanco, smoked honey, lime and Waterloo sparkling water. What’s more is that this and several other cocktails feature local Barbecue Wife handcrafted mixers.Certainly one of the most beautiful cocktails on the menu, Pineapple Smash is a vacation in a glass. Rum, coconut rum, smoked pineapple and lime come together in this tropical medley.
Austin-based Natalie Gould Tomko will always accept an invitation to eat, drink and talk about local agriculture. Find her and her husband wine tasting in the Hill Country, searching for Austin’s best tiramisu, or talking to the tomatoes in their garden (she promises it works). Follow Natalie on Instagram to see mostly in-focus photos of her favorite spots around town and beyond.
