FOR LOVE & BBQ

For Love and Barbecue

by Cassidie Cox • photos courtesy Brandon Reinoehl

If Texans know anything, its good barbecue and knowing how to make people feel like family instantly, perhaps with delicious food or a fun atmosphere. Here in Liberty Hill, one place that combines all of these quintessential Lone Star concepts in a place that feels truly like home.

Brandon Reinoehl, Jeremy Archer, and Lonnie Wendling opened Agape BBQ in 2020 with a shared passion for barbecue and the knowhow to create a place where everyone was welcome. Today, their little house, tucked away in town, is a local favorite and quickly becoming a destination for many in and around Williamson County.

WHAT THEY'RE ABOUT

The term agape is Biblical, co-owner Brandon Reinoehl says. It is one of five Greek words for ‘love’, specific to the unconditional and never-ending love of God. “We named it that to further that mission and spread that love,” Brandon says, “and to be a place for people to enjoy and relax.” Locals come at all hours of the day—to order coffee before their day starts, and then back to enjoy lunch and dinner. Workers and cooks behind the counter call out the names of the regulars and engage them about their days while the food is prepared. The restaurant’s popularity is growing primarily due to the delicious food. Their barbecue is traditional Texan style, per-

fected by grill masters and served by friends. Other prepared items on the menu—potato salad, beans, and more—keep customers coming back for every meal they can. But the food is not the only thing that makes folks come back time and again—it’s the total commitment to loving and accepting everyone who walks through the door. Owners and staff agree they are excited to interact with everyone who walks in, and they enjoy playing a part in new connections and friendships being made inside the restaurant and in their large backyard.

The backyard is the dining area behind the restaurant surrounded by three-hundred-year-old oak trees, with cornhole games and plenty of room for the whole family. Brandon says, “[Customers] come for the backyard, down-home feel. Parents can let their kids run around and do whatever…it’s a backyard after all.”

For those are already fans of the food and the atmosphere, there is still more to make folks want to come back and bring friends. As spring and summer approach, Agape adds live music in the backyard every weekend. Many of the musicians are friends with Agape’s owners and report their gigs feel more like a family getting together for good food and fun.

If you want to plan ahead, save the date for Mother’s Day Ladies Night, or check their website for movie nights, singalongs, and Name-That-Tune bingo.

The bottom line at Agape BBQ is their mission to make everyone feel welcome, whether just looking to hang out with friends and family or grab a bite to eat. “Just have fun,” Brandon says, “that’s the only rule.”

Come for the food, stay for the family, and return for it all again.