Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q

The pork chops alone are amazing and worth a visit!
Don’t LOVE their Mac and cheese, but the free pintos are better than any restaurant pinto beans I’ve eaten and paid for.
I go home and make cornbread to go with the pinto beans! Definitely will be back!

My husband and I really enjoy BBQ. Cooper’s didn’t disappoint us, but we were not wowed.
We didn’t see any «fresh» choices for sides and we didn’t really care for the thin, slightly vinegary sauce. We are more KC style sauce fans — thicker, smoky and sweet. I wish they had some green beans or a cucumber and tomato salad… something a little lighter to go w/​all the heavy meat.
Best things: Brisket (really flavorful and moist!) and the baked potato from the grill (wow)
OK things: Corn from the grill, sausage, prime rib and the pork ribs
Not for us: The jalapeño mac and cheese (too spicy)
We tried the potato salad and beans, too. They were standard BBQ place offerings.

We didn’t try any desserts, but our daughter raved about the peach cobbler.
Next time we won’t sample so many meats. We’ll just stick with the brisket!

Thought I’d give coopers another try after a marginal experience a few years ago. Got the special boneless pork chop to go, very dry and chewy, wondered if it was last nights leftover chop, over cooked, or just sitting too long. Brisket was okay, but not the lean I asked for, I should have asked for another cut, my bad. Beans aren’t as good as they used to be, but since they are free, I can’t complain. Not sure if I’ll ever go back.

It was my first experience at Coopers Old Time. I must say that Texas knows how to do Brisket! You walk in and immediately hit the BBQ Pit and laying in front of you is what seems to be every type of BBQ you would want to eat.
Along with the Brisket I picked up a large pork chop and a link. then moved on to the next part where you get your sides (baked beans, Corn on the cob, Jalepeno Mac-​n-​Cheese, cole slaw, etc.) I got it all and ended up taking half home with me.
Staff was nice when I was there and everything is served in a HUGE room with bench seating. In all I had a great time eating here and thank you Cooper’s for the great BBQ

Every time we’ve dined here, we always get the beef ribs. They are tender, fall off the bone, melt in your mouth ribs! Jalapeño cheese sausage an moist brisket are good too. They offer free beans and sides of pickles, onions, jalapenos and bread!

Updating my review… if I’m nearby, I’ll eat at Cooper’s, but I wouldn’t make a special trip.
The pork chop was a’ight…ginormous in size… my first impression was that it’s salty. And chewy. It was in between dry and moist. I had 5 – 6 bites til I was satiated then didn’t eat more.
Wasn’t impressed with the BBQ sauce, again.
The potato salad was good… best part of my meal!
The beans were ok… I love jalapeños but these are spicy so beware!
I like a bit more pepper and kick to my BBQ, but Cooper’s is ok.

I have eaten here many times but forgot to review. I had the lean brisket, jalapeño sausage and turkey. This is some of the best bar-​b-​q around for sure. The beef rib is one of the best I have ever had though you will pay for it as the ribs are expensive. Do yourself a favor and try this place!
Edit: I am amazed that this place gets two and three star reviews. Taking points off because the place is expensive makes no sense at all. The food is top-​notch.

This is one of the best bbq that I have been to. I had sausage, brisket, beef and pork ribs. Over all the food is not salty like many bbq places. I liked the pork ribs best – most flavorful. The beans is done just right, and it is not salty to too sweet. The coleslaw is one of the best.
I am a not a big eater, so I have to tell me to give me a very small cut of what I want from the grill. They would give you a big cut if you say nothing.

I have been to San Marcos twice now. The first time I was here I asked some locals for some good BBQ places and got coopers.
First time I tried a bit of everything. The person told me the sign of a real BBQ place is that they charge by the pound not by a platter. Coopers is by the pound FYI.
The brisket could be the best thing I have ever tasted so moist in juicy and it was falling apart. So rich and smokey full of flavor. It’s like a flavor explosion in your mouth! Must try it!
It turns out all the meats are excellent. But the char on the brisket will blow your mind! We also tried the Salt Lick and to me it’s not even close, coopers crushes it.
I will say the sides at coopers leave something to be desired but they almost don’t even matter.

Great food. Perfectly cooked and seasoned Brisket, ribs and pork loin. $ 35.00 for lunch for 2 people. Light eaters. Potato salad made on site with red potatoes. Charro beans are complimentary. You just help yourself, as is bread, onions, sauce, pickles and beverages. You clean up after yourself when you are done. There is even a station for wrapping up your left overs.
If you want fine dining this is not the place for you, it a BBQ joint! 5 stars for being what you say you are with excellent food.

I’ve been here a few times now and I love it!
The scent in the parking lot is amazing! I’m from California and we don’t have many places that even have BBQ as tasty as this.
Please, please, please for the love of all things holy, listen to the other reviews and try lean and marbled cuts. The flavor profiles are completely different and amazing.
We tried the Brisket, Chicken, Jalapeño Sausages, potato salad, Mac’n’Cheese, baked potatoes, and beans. It was all delicious.
The restaurant is family style — so if you like personal space find a quiet corner or get it to go. I love meeting new people and honestly this just adds to the appeal of all things Texas. Bread is handy as well as pickles. If you don’t finish, there are wrapping stations to prep your food to go.

My parents and I were going to come here before and my mom was not comfortable with the style. Warning: if you aren’t used to Texas barbecue joints, they do a lot of family style order and then sit down.
(For the record, we went to Rudy’s and everything we got was awful!)
Decided a few months later to finally give Cooper’s a try. So glad I did! Brisket was amazing! Mac and cheese was really good and I loved my roasted corn. Great prices and environment. Could have eaten here all day!
I would really recommend trying this!

We are new residents to New Braunfels, and newer residents to Texas, transplanted from northern California about a year ago. That being said, CA is obviously NOT known for BBQ and therefore we are nowhere close to BBQ experts. So after being only mildly impressed by a few other places, we were told we had to try Cooper’s.
All I can say is I’m SO irritated it took us this long to find this place. It’s the best food we’ve had since we moved to TX, by a landslide.
Your meats are cut for you at the pit in approximate weights, and then is weighed at the counter where you order your sides and pay. Our meats were all almost spot-​on with what we requested. Complimentary beans, white sandwich bread, pickled jalapenos, and more wait for you in the dining room.
We tried the sausage, brisket, and turkey, and they were all absolutely delicious. My husband can’t stand red meat– too much chewing, he says– but he ate more brisket than I did! The turkey was melt in your mouth tender and the sausage was had a good snap and was very flavorful. My husband also tried the mac and cheese, which was amazing, and he couldn’t get enough of the baked beans. The corn on the cob was soggy and blech.
The real pièce de résistance, however, has to be the cobbler. Dear sweet baby Jesus, this cobbler. We asked the girl working the counter which pie to try, and she said peach was her favorite. I’m not a peach fan, so my husband was going to gladly eat the whole thing. One bite, however, sent him into creepy, inappropriate moaning that made me want to just leave the table in disgust/​embarrassment. Luckily, he forced me to stay and try a bite– the best single bite of cobbler I’ve ever had! Sweet and rich, with sugary crunchies every few bites, and a creamy, delicious subtle peach flavor. I still dream about that cobble– in a less disturbing way than my husband, probably.
This review has gone on way too long but when it comes to this BBQ I really can’t stop talking/​dreaming about it. Maybe it’s just our lack of exposure to «better» BBQ places, but so far I can’t see much else getting better than Cooper’s!

Cooper’s definitely has more meat selection to choose from and more sides than Rudy’s. I do like the way it’s set up to go thru and pick your meat and sides. The coleslaw is really good not drowned in mayonnaise. I would recommend the jalapeño bacon mac n cheese. The blackberry cobbler comes pretty close to my granddad’s blackberry cobbler.
Now to review the meat, we got brisket and the pork ribs. They were good but to salty for my taste I don’t know if it’s the sauce they dipped it in or the seasoning. They were good but I’ve had better.
They also serve StrongBow Hard Cider Beer which is great since I’m not a beer drinker.
I would definitely come back and try the other meats. Especially the steak that they have they offer sirloin and prime rib.
All in all it was good, yes it is pricey and I was forewarned about this. But for what we got it would probably be about the same if we went to another barbecue place that is similar to Cooper’s.
I’m giving Cooper’s 4 stars for their cobbler and variety of meats and sides.
Happy Eating

Cooper’s BBQ is one of my mom’s favorite places to go. Because of that, I’ve been here quite a few times. The brisket is quite good. It’s tender, but I’m not a huge fan of the barbecue sauce that’s served (It’s a bit too vinegar-​y for my tastes). The sausage was okay, nothing really to write home about, and I didn’t like the pork chop as it was too dry for me.
The beans are self serve, and pretty good.
But the thing that’s really good here? The cobblers. The peach cobbler is really good, especially if you eat it with some cinnamon ice cream. The pecan cobbler is probably the best they have though, as it’s ooey gooey delicious, and even better with ice cream. The cobblers are what make me come back each time.

Pretty good stuff. Dropped by here on ⁶⁄₁₂ with friends for the first time. The sirloin was really tasty. The pork chop was very good. The jalapeño mac and cheese was good, though the cheese seemed processed.
All in all I enjoyed the visit and the food. It wasn’t the absolute best BBQ in the world, but certainly not awful, as reviewed by others here.

We came here after tubing today. I have to say this is better than Rudy’s. Their meat/​sides and prices are spot on. I wish they had a location in Austin. My friends ordered their chicken and by the look of it, the only thing I have to say was that it was pretty dry. However, their service was excellent and place was super CLEAN. I would come back here again!!!

I am a big fan of the original Cooper’s in Llano. Part of that is because of the location, and part is due to the fantastic food.
The «old time» atmosphere is missing here due to it being recently built. However, you still get to walk by the «pit» and pick out what you want. Also, they always ask if you want your meat dipped in their sauce.
The 5 star pick here is the pork chop. They are as big as a T-​bone steak and are so delicious. They are worth going back for, and they are currently part of a «special» on Friday nights that includes a baked potatoe.
The sausage was a 1 this time — no flavor. However, the brisket was worth honorable mention.
If you need a ‘cue fix when in NB, you should give this place a try. Definitely get the pork chop.

great bbq! unique flavor!
I’m a born and raised Texan so I’ve had plenty of bbq. cooper’s has a taste all its own. I always order a chopped bbq sandwich when trying out a new BBQ joint — it’s my personal litmus test. and let’s just say that coopers chopped exceeded expectations! big, fresh, fluffy bun, plenty of meat, nice chunks and shreds — not a lot of fat or «trash» pieces and the meat was tender. great flavor, sauce enhanced not covered up — and sauce is added on top if u want it — not premixed in — a nice touch.
all u want free pintos were great, lots of pepper — both black and jalapeños. hot but not too hot.
don’t like coleslaw or tater salad so I opted for corn — nothing special there, just mom’s boiled variety.
have a blackberry cobbler to take home — it looks good! they have peach and a pecan. pecan looks like deconstructed pecan pie — yum!
very friendly place too.
if you order meats, they are by the pound — you can put together your own plate. but be careful, it can quickly add up!
daily specials were offered when I stopped by. it was $ 7.99 for my chopped a side and a drink. I am taking half the chopped home. I am STUFFED!
I’ll be back! the pork chops looked amazing! you can see everything on the big huge open pit as you walk in.

Cole slaw was horrible
Potato salad was ok
Pork loin was good but a little dry
Brisket was moist. Pretty good. But poorly cut
Ribs were dry