On Thursday nights, Black Board Bar B Q in Sisterdale, just outside Boerne, may appear closed for business — at least according to its posted hours. But the popular Hill Country barbecue joint is anything but quiet.
It’s a lively, (sort of) secret community gathering where the menu swaps Black Board’s signature Central Texas barbecue for a limited lineup of burgers.
The whole thing started as a way to manage expectations. No one wants to drive an hour north of San Antonio expecting brisket and ribs only to discover it’s burgers-only night — no matter how exceptional those burgers are. So online, the restaurant simply appears “closed.”
In reality, it’s a true if-you-know-you-know affair, drawing locals for smoked-and-seared burgers made from fresh-ground prime brisket, stacked between garlic-tallow-toasted buns.
The husband-and-wife team of Joe Rodriguez and Melissa Garza started the barbecue restaurant in 2022.
Rodriguez, the barbecue joint’s pitmaster, brings an impressive culinary résumé. After studying at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, he worked his way through several notable San Antonio kitchens, including Jason Dady’s Bin 555, before eventually landing at Cypress Grille in Boerne. Prior to moving to the Hill Country, Rodriguez and Garza also spent time in West Texas at the iconic Gage Hotel, where Rodriguez led the kitchen at the hotel’s acclaimed 12 Gage Restaurant.
The couple quickly infused Black Board Bar B Q with both their culinary expertise and their resourcefulness. During a visit last year, Garza explained that the Thursday night Burger Night tradition began partly as a way to maximize the restaurant’s premium beef supply. Black Board sources its meat from MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan’s Goodstock Company, and the high-quality brisket trimmings that don’t make it onto the weekend barbecue menu are instead transformed into the restaurant’s burgers.
On Thursday nights, that means crowds gather for smoked poblano brisket burgers, Smokestack and Classic brisket burgers, bacon brisket burgers and other rotating favorites. The restaurant’s intentionally “closed” online status only adds to the intimate, locals-only atmosphere.
If you plan to go, it’s best to call ahead — the burgers often sell out before the night is over. During my visit, I ordered a spicy brisket burger topped with a fried egg and bacon, alongside a basket of truffle fries. Altogether, the meal came out to $17.75.
Black Board Bar B Q’s Burger Nights typically run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, though it’s worth checking the restaurant’s social media pages before making the drive out to Sisterdale.
Find it: 1123 Sisterdale Rd, Sisterdale, TX 78006