Watching a line form outside a strip mall suite before 11 a.m. in a parking lot on Ranch Road 620 in northwest Austin is almost surreal. Not a valet. No large signs. This Wednesday morning, it was just a simple door, a cloud of post oak smoke rising from somewhere behind the building, and perhaps seventy people who shared the same thought. This is InterStellar BBQ, a four-day-a-week restaurant with a Michelin star that runs out of food before most patrons have finished their lunch.
There’s a feeling that Pitmaster John Bates, who has been in the hospitality industry in Texas for more than thirty years, has discovered something that most restaurateurs have not. At InterStellar, a pound of brisket costs about $36. A pound of pork ribs costs about $30. One piece of beef short rib costs $38. If you include Austin’s 8.25% sales tax and an 18% service charge, you can easily spend more than $100 for two people without placing an especially large order. Brisket and peach tea-glazed pork belly were included in a documented group bill that totaled $321.10 after taxes. And people continue to return.
The obvious place to start is the brisket, which is simply rubbed with salt, pepper, and garlic before being cooked slowly over low heat until the bark takes on that distinct dark crust that indicates real pit time rather than oven shortcuts. It’s excellent. To be honest, though, the story of the peach tea-glazed pork belly may be more intriguing. It embodies a type of cooking that Bates is most likely best known for: taking a well-known Texas tradition and subtly elevating it with technique that wouldn’t feel out of place in a serious restaurant kitchen. It is meltingly tender and has a sweetness that doesn’t go into cloying territory. Which InterStellar formally is as of 2024.
InterStellar became just the second barbecue restaurant in Austin to receive the Michelin star, which was awarded in 2024 and kept in 2025. It was also listed as one of Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints for 2025. It’s still a little strange to see those honors associated with a restaurant that closes at 4 p.m. and doesn’t offer dinner service, but that’s part of what makes InterStellar feel truly unique rather than just pricey.
In addition to the brisket and pork belly, the menu offers three sausage options, including a 1963-style Polish kielbasa made with only pork, marjoram, garlic, and black pepper, as well as a beer-brined turkey that retains its moisture much better than you’d expect from smoked poultry. The sides should be given more consideration than they typically receive. The poblano creamed corn straddles the line between comfort food and something more thoughtful, while the smoked scalloped potatoes develop a golden-brown crust that has no right to be as satisfying as it is. It’s difficult to deny that the Frito pie exists for purists.
Banana pudding and a Mexican hot chocolate rice pudding, which sounds like a menu-planning experiment but actually works perfectly, round out the desserts. The breadth of Bates’ experience in formal hospitality—he also owns Yellow Bell Tacos, Deft Pies, and The Noble Pig—is evident in the design of the InterStellar menu. Nothing seems haphazard.
To be honest, the pricing discussion is genuine and worthwhile. $321 for lunch is not an option that many families in Austin take lightly. It might seem more reasonable to guests traveling for a special occasion. There is a persistent conflict in InterStellar-related Reddit threads between those who think the quality justifies the price and those who find the math genuinely hard to reconcile. Both viewpoints make sense. The surrounding economics of eating well in a city that has changed more quickly than most people’s budgets appear to be the target of criticism rather than the food itself.
The team appears to be considering ways to expand the InterStellar experience beyond the weekly walk-in line, as evidenced by the availability of catering and private events for groups of fifty or more, as well as a Thanksgiving pre-order option for pickup. It remains to be seen if Bates keeps the core business intentionally small or if that expansion continues. It seems reasonable to assume that he has given it careful thought, since he has developed five different restaurant concepts over his career.
The allure of that smoke and that line on a Wednesday morning is more difficult to quantify; it seems more like a commitment than a meal. The majority of Michelin-starred restaurants make you feel special. You have to earn it first with InterStellar.
FAQs
1. What are the prices at InterStellar BBQ in Austin, TX?
Brisket runs ~$36/lb, ribs ~$30/lb, and one beef rib is $38.
2. Does InterStellar BBQ have a Michelin star?
Yes — earned in 2024 and retained in 2025.
3. What days is InterStellar BBQ open?
Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., or until sold out.
4. Who is the pitmaster at InterStellar BBQ?
John Bates, a 30-year hospitality veteran from Corpus Christi, Texas.
5. What is the must-order item on the InterStellar BBQ menu?
The peach tea glazed pork belly is widely considered the standout dish.
