Biographical information courtesy of the Austin Chronicle.
See below for Austin Chronicle BBQ Links.

Inman's Ranch House Bar-B-Que

Highway 281 & Sixth, Marble Falls, 830/693-2711

Tuesday-Friday, 9am-5pm; Saturday, 9am-2pm; Sunday, 9am-1pm

The famous Inman turkey sausage began as a hobby and an additional income source for Lester Inman's Exxon gas station in Llano in 1960. He set up a small pit to smoke sausage for the hordes of deer hunters that flocked to the area every fall and winter, and it turned out to be so popular that the hunters demanded it year-round when they came up there for summer vacations with their families. In 1964, Lester persuaded his brother Francis to open a satellite operation down the road in Marble Falls, spawning the birth of Inman's Ranch House Barbecue.

The recipe came from Lester's wife Doris' Gillespie County grandmother, and was of German origin. It was initially meant for pork and beef (or venison), but Lester played around with it, producing a variation using the less costly turkey meat. Today, the sausage is made in-house by son Billy Ray, who grew up learning the operation at his daddy's side, creating a thick continuous ring of very coarse ground turkey that is moist and piquant with black pepper, garlic, and a dab of cayenne. It's slow-smoked over oak in the brick pit for hours and is in our opinion one of the finest smoked sausages of any kind made in the state.

Inman's, as the locals call the old wood-framed house in downtown Marble Falls, makes two superlative items: rub-seasoned beef brisket and turkey sausage, with the regular sides and a fantastic sauce that even no-sauce folks slather on their meats. Prices are kept low so that the working man can afford to eat there, and they come in droves daily. If you call ahead, Billy will prepare bulk orders of sausage, either hot or chilled. Regardless of the price of gas, this sausage more than makes up for the time and fuel cost.