Yesterday, I got a sneak peak at the new Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ and Beer, opening Thursday at the Excalibur. The restaurant has already gotten terrific advance publicity with a notice in the New York Times, perhaps because pit master Keith Schmidt, who owns Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX, also has a barbecue joint in the Apple.

Partners Michael Frey and Craig Gilbert traveled to barbecue places around the country to taste. In the end, it was about Schmidt. His ‘cue has a simple salt, pepper and cayenne rub, and is cooked low and slow over post oak, a hardwood with smoky flavors that impart a distinctive aroma impossible to describe. Don’t bother looking for the sauce. They don’t use any. The meats are spectacular.

Perhaps my favorite is a sausage that Schmidt makes from a recipe he inherited, grainy, juicy and delicious. There’s a second sausage with jalapeno and cheese in the recipe, with a subtle but firm kick to the finish. Have one of the house beers on tap, and you’ve got yourself a real meal, boy. Don’t stop there.

For more on Max Jacobson's preview of Lynyrd Skynyrd BBQ and Beer, follow him on UnicaWorld.com.