Brisket, mac and cheese, borracho beans, Korean cucumber salad, jalapeno-cheddar sausage and gochujang pork rib at Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg

Lance and Boo Eaker at Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg

The dining room at Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg

Co-owner and pitmaster Lance Eaker at Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg

Lance Eaker with pit hands Moe Font, left, and Joel Plaza, right, at Eaker Barbecue in Fredericksburg

Opening a barbecue joint in a small Texas town is always a gamble — especially if you’re not considered a local.

Nearly every small town in the state has at least one decades-old barbecue institution. These old-school spots serve equal parts comfort food and nostalgia, all rolled into a two-meat plate. And that’s exactly what the locals want.

Introducing contemporary craft barbecue into that landscape can invite accusations of gentrification. Change, in all its forms, comes slowly to rural Texas.

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