The Salt Lick barbecue opened for business in Driftwood (near Austin) in 1969; it quickly became famous and now has other locations. One slogan on The Salt Lick’s website is: “Bar-B-Que…Like No Other!”
   
T-shirt slogans include “You Can Smell Our Pits From Miles Away” (trademarked from 2001) and “I Got Sauced at the Lick.”
   
 
The Salt Lick: Our History
Thirty years ago, Thurman Roberts, Sr. and his wife Hisako T. Roberts started the Salt Lick Restaurant on the ranch where he was born. The stones of the building were quarried from that same ranch.
 
Everything was done by them with their own hands; building and cooking with care and love, a pride in quality, and a job done right.
 
Family reunions provided them the opportunity to gather and share family BBQ recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation since the Civil War. Their meals were such a success, friends encouraged them to start their own restaurant. Opened for business in 1969, the Salt Lick has become world-renowned.
 
Since then, the Salt Lick has grown in size and scope. The restaurant facilities have been expanded. Rooms have been added to accomodate various functions. The Pavilion has been added just down the road so that many couples have started their married lives together with us. When the City of Austin built it’s new Austin Bergstrom International Airport, The Salt Lick was one of the few restaurants picked to represent what Austin dining is to the rest of the world. We began our mailorder catalog to share the joy of Texas barbecue with the rest of the country. 
 
Wikipedia: Salt lick
A salt lick is a salt deposit that animals regularly lick. In an ecosystem, salt/mineral licks sometimes occur naturally, providing the sodium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc required in the springtime for bone, muscle and other growth in deer and other wildlife, such as moose, elephants, cattle, woodchucks, domestic sheep, fox squirrels, mountain goats and porcupines. Harsh weather exposes salty mineral deposits that draw animals from miles away for a taste of needed nutrients.
 
Google Groups: austin.food
Newsgroups: austin.food
From: catalina

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 22:22:12 -0500
Local: Mon, Jul 28 2003 10:22 pm
Subject: Re: Salt Lick
> Anyone tried the new Salt Lick in Davenport Village yet?  My husband
> was distressed to hear their radio ad hawking something like quail egg
> salad.
 
I made the mistake of going there this weekend. What a sell-out. Grilled Quail salad and Trout? WTF? Gimme my wood benches and take your cloth napkins and shove them up your yuppie asses. What a bunch of stuck-up people were there. UGH. And you know those shirts that say “You can smell our pits from miles away”? They don’t dare display those at the Salt Lick 360 (Salt Lick: Yuppie). I was really disgusted. A friend told me she was speaking to the people at the Driftwood place and there was a move to make that one more upscale too. What are they thinking?? If I want California, I
will go to one of the other 500 yuppie resturants. What a sad day. 
 
Ben Holloway Eats
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Happy Birthday to Me
(...)
Despite its small-town roots, the Salt Lick is too well-known to be a local hangout or limited to farm trucks. A steady stream of BMWs, Volvos and Tahoes line up at the gate. The restaurant sells t-shirts, caps, and bumper stickers with slogans like “You can smell our pits from a mile away.”
 
just laura
14th Jul 2007
Austin highlights
(...)
Father’s Day at the Salt Lick Bar-b-que
Fave t-shirt slogans: “I got sauced at the Lick” or “You can smell our pits from miles away”
   
Steve’s Everything Las Vegas
Steve
09-30-2007, 07:20 AM
Salt Lick BBQ at Red Rock Resort.
Getting Licked: Don’t mess with Texas barbecue
By:Jason Jimenez/Las Vegas Magazine
 
“You have to earn this,” our waitress Amy said, dangling a wet napkin above our table. “I expect a lot out of you two.” Motivation wasn’t the problem, though; it was the size of our eyes not syncing up with the physical space of our stomachs at a recent visit to Salt Lick BBQ at Red Rock Resort.
 
Upon entering, we spotted a T-shirt in the gift shop reading, “You can smell our pits from a mile away.” That would be the sweet smell of success. The aroma of the kitchen is enough to make a vegetarian crave pulled pork, as the only dishes smoked for less than eight hours are the sides. The kitchen is usually running 24 hours a day, the brisket slow cooking over the burning oak wood for up to 18 hours.
 
TravBuddy
The Salt Lick Travel Reviews
Four Stars
Jan 26, 2008
 
Wow! if you like BBQ, this is the place to go 😊 Their slogan says: BBQ like no other and they don’t lie! I eat meat, but I’m not a big fan of it, but this is an exception.
 
The Salt Lick is located in Driftwood TX, which is close to Austin. You have to drive almost 1 hour, but it’s worth. Also you have to take your own beer. It’s not allowed to sell alcohol in that county.
   
(Trademark)
Word Mark YOU CAN SMELL OUR PITS FROM MILES AWAY
Goods and Services IC 043. US 100 101. G & S: Restaurant, catering and take-away food services. FIRST USE: 20010500. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010500
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 77233267
Filing Date July 19, 2007
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition January 8, 2008
Owner (APPLICANT) Roberts, M. Scott INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES P.O. Box 311 Driftwood TEXAS 78619
Attorney of Record William D. Raman
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark THE SALT LICK
Goods and Services IC 043. US 100 101. G & S: Restaurant and catering services. FIRST USE: 19680531. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19680531
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 78962517
Filing Date August 29, 2006
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition April 17, 2007
Registration Number 3258631
Registration Date July 3, 2007
Owner (REGISTRANT) ROBERTS, M. SCOTT INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES P.O. Box 311 Driftwood TEXAS 78619
Attorney of Record William D. Raman
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark THE SALT LICK
Goods and Services IC 030. US 046. G & S: Sauces, spices, salsas, and barbeque dry rubs. FIRST USE: 19680531. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19730630
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 78962522
Filing Date August 29, 2006
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition April 17, 2007
Registration Number 3258633
Registration Date July 3, 2007
Owner (REGISTRANT) ROBERTS, M. SCOTT INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES P.O. Box 311 Driftwood TEXAS 78619
Attorney of Record William D. Raman
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE