Milt's Pit BBQ

Thurlkill said he had always cooked as a hobby, but when he got burned out working in construction, he decided to make his hobby a full-time endeavor.

"I didn't know a lot when I got here," he admitted, "but the kid who was working here, he'd lived here all his life. He showed me some tricks on trimming brisket and we came up with the rub together."

The eight (or so) ingredients that make up that rub are one of the secrets at Milt's, along with a cooking technique that Thurlkill said leads to brisket so tender, "it falls apart when you eat it."

Thurlkill and Keegan Gross created two rubs, one for ribs and chicken and another for brisket. The restaurant's sauce also brings in plenty of customers, Walling said.

"People love our sauce. I don't have it bottled to sell, but if you want to buy a container of sauce, I will sell it," she said. "It's not like any other sauce around here."

Milt's also offers three types of sausage—jalapeo, a more traditional Polish version and rings from Kreuz Market in Lockhart.

Milt's will go through about 1,500 pounds of meat per week, as well as 75–100 loaves of bread and countless pots of homemade sides that include beans, coleslaw, potato salad, green beans made from a recipe from Thurlkill's mother and more.

Walling said the customers are one of her favorite parts of the job.

"It's kind of like we're inviting people into our home and we're feeding them," she said. "And, you get to eat barbecue every day!"

Milt's Pit BBQ, 905 N. Old Hwy. 81, Kyle, 268-4734 (restaurant), 757-7406 (catering), www.miltspitbbq.com