Like father, like son
If you’ve done Cele Store’s dance floor justice, chances are you’ll still be dizzy the following morning. Not to worry. Your next stop is straight up I-35, 51 miles north of Austin. Take Exit 284, and cross back over the interstate. Just off the West frontage road sits Johnny’s Steaks & Bar-Be-Que in charming Salado, home to great antiquing. Owner Johnny Bratton, who has been in the restaurant business since 1980, opened a barbecue place in nearby Killeen in 1992. His son Josh joined him in opening the Salado location in 2002 after graduating from Texas A&M University. Mesquite-grilled steaks are cut in the kitchen, where everything is made in-house from scratch. Barbecue is smoked with oak and mesquite. I recommend the brisket and the chopped-beef sandwich. Johnny and Josh also run a thriving barbecue-catering business around the state. (They even catered Jenna Bush Hager’s wedding luncheon.) Throw in rustic atmosphere and some down-home hospitality and you’ve got yourself a winner.
johnnyssteaksandbbq.com
