Austin, Texas story
Barbecue, Beats, and Christopher Stubblefield
The history of Stubb's Bar-B-Q, tracking its journey from Lubbock to Red River Street.
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The story of Austin barbecue is deeply intertwined with the rhythm of live music, and nowhere is that more obvious than at Stubb's Bar-B-Q at 801 Red River Street. Founded by Christopher Stubblefield in Lubbock back in 1968, the legendary joint moved its smoky magic to Austin in the early 1980s. Today, it is an Austin staple that can host everything from intimate gatherings of twenty-five to massive crowds of over two thousand people across spaces like the Waller Creek Amphitheater and the Downstairs Bar.
While people flock here for the legendary Sunday gospel brunch or a plate of fried green tomatoes, they also come for the history. As you walk through the Red River Cultural District, let the faint scent of hickory smoke remind you of Christopher Stubblefield's enduring recipe for legendary food and soulful music.
Updated June 2026