The 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas
For a while it looked as if big-city barbecue would hog the spotlight forevermore. We should have known better.
Daniel Vaughn is the author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue, the coauthor of Whole Hog BBQ: The Gospel of Carolina Barbecue, and the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly. He has traveled the world sampling smoked meats at over 1,800 barbecue joints, most of which are in Texas.
For a while it looked as if big-city barbecue would hog the spotlight forevermore. We should have known better.
For decades, offset smokers were the tool of choice for pitmasters, but rotisseries are coming back in style.
The woman-owned joint has had a lot of effusive press—even before officially opening. Luckily it’s living up to its early reputation.
Shotgun Willie's BBQ started out as a mid-life crisis-inspired venture and went on to be named the best brisket in Tennessee's capital.
Blake Stoker's joint—Blake's at Southern Milling—in Martin, Tennessee, has converted many a customer to loving brisket.
The craft of whole-hog barbecue in the Lockhart of West Tennessee has been dwindling, but Zach Parker resurrected a historic joint in order to save it.
The XXL Ranch and Steak House might be hard to find, but once you get there and try the ribeye, baked potato, and sopapilla cheesecake, you're sure to be back again.
Hill Barbecue in Lubbock has had some issues with thievery and arson, but it perseveres because, to its owners, barbecue is “damn near religion.”
El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ, in Mission, innovates with ten different tacos filled with combos like brisket and chilaquiles and chicharrón and pork belly.
Wild weather in Slaton forced the owners of Pitforks and Smokerings BBQ to face the past—and move their restaurant into the future.
As the flood waters rose in typically dry Amarillo, folks raced to fill up sandbags to protect Tyler's Barbeque from destruction.
Hallelujah! BBQ, a part of Rescue Mission of El Paso, helps staff develop vocational skills to propel them to new lives while serving good barbecue along the way.
Along with opening la Barbecue, the first woman- and-lesbian-owned barbecue restaurant in Texas, she had a keen photographic eye and an irreverent sense of humor.
Kyle St. Clair went through an arduous inspection process to get his smokehouse USDA certified to sell packaged brisket and chicken.
Joe Martinez has finally found a hobby that pays off with his truck, Smokin’ Joe’s Pit BBQ, which features chile relleno sausage and chili with beans.
Protocol Farms near Bowie takes inspiration from Japanese methods of feeding Wagyu, which includes jazz playing through the speakers and cool pens.
“Big Sam” Palomarez has been assembling links for Dozier’s BBQ, in Fulshear, since 1965 and has some fascinating stories from his tenure.
Andiron in Houston isn't a typical steakhouse. With a wide-ranging menu and a healthy dose of smoke, it embraces a more modern approach.
Houston joint Guillory’s Bar-B-Que is just daring enough to pile meat on top of meat, in addition to serving Beaumont-style beef links.
Cousins BBQ is embracing a new era, with updated sides, full barbecue trays, and an All You Can Meat (yes, that’s exactly what is sounds like) daily special.
At M’Jays House of Smoke, in Arlington, each menu item is bigger than the next. And if you run out of barbecue tolerance, this space also offers fried catfish and wings.
Using beautiful fungi from Smallhold's mushroom farm in Buda, I tried to mimic meat in the smoker and on the grill to mixed results.
Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice, in Pilot Point, is serving a limited menu until its brick-and-mortar opens, but brisket lovers are in luck.
The Lindseys have nurtured a new pitmaster in the family to take over the original location of this chain in Longview after several closures.
Fortunately, Texas pitmasters already know how to get more from a pork butt.
While the behemoth chop from the Houston-bred steakhouse is a national favorite, 1845 Taste Texas, near Dallas, has a similar cut that proves superior.
I taste-tested smoked coffee recently produced by Austin-based Roasty Buds, but the flavor and aroma weren't quite what I expected.
Justin Pearson, whose grandfather once owned Chisholm Trail BBQ, serves similar yet improved sausages with no strings attached at San Marcos BBQ.
An early look at Uptown Sports Club shows gumbo stocked with Franklin Barbecue sausage, a raw bar, and four different po’ boys.
Joe Rodriguez and Melissa Garza have made Sisterdale's Black Board Bar-B-Q better than ever while still honoring what locals loved about it.
This Houston-area barbecue joint helmed by three family members serves brisket fried rice and nui xào bò from a gas station.
Garrett Rabel serves a “perfect” sausage sandwich in New Berlin, where eating and serving links is a big part of the local culture.
These Texas brands keep us looking comfortably stylish, whether we’re pitmasters or just guys reaching for another helping of ribs.
Montgomery’s Bar-A-BBQ incorporates fresh ingredients into old family recipes for items like cheesy potatoes and hot cornbread.
Hurtado Barbecue, an Arlington favorite, is now open at Globe Life Field, serving giant beef ribs and birria tacos just in time for opening day.
The business has been a grind for Jordan Rosemeyer of Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q in Spring, but his small trailer still puts out great brisket, sausage, and ribs.
Dallas-based Low and Slow specializes in corn, potato, and tortilla chips that are smoked before they're bagged, providing an unmistakable flavor and aroma.
Hill City Chop House might need to depend on people coming from outside of Tolar to keep it afloat, but the smashburger and smoked dump cake are well worth a trip.
To make these frozen grocery-store products more edible, I zhuzhed them up with sauce, slaw, and buttered buns, to mixed results.
While Burnet has had great smoked meat, none of the eateries stood the test of time. Here's hoping Warehouse BBQ and Meetery will be around a good long while.
What I once claimed was the best barbecue chain in Texas has recently yielded some disappointing results as locations expand.
JNL BBQ has leveled up with a new indoor location that features a stage for live music and more creative menu items.
Ranching has its own language, and specialty beef is no exception. Learn the difference between Kobe and Wagyu, and the grades, with this handy guide.
It's nowhere near as stringent as the Japanese system, leading some companies to come up with their own grading. R-C Ranch wants to see that change.
When wings get too expensive at the grocery store, use a cheaper cut of chicken to get an even more flavorful effect for your next party.
Two legendary Houston restaurants are up for the Texas Treasures Business Award this year, and they credit perseverance with getting them this far.
Trade wars with Japan, $250 vials of semen, and livestock-filled airplanes all contributed to the still-growing industry of Wagyu beef today.
Along with stellar smoked chicken and sausage, Denison’s Heritage Butchery & Barbecue offers raw meat from within 250 miles of its Texoma region.
The third episode of the Peacock series starring Natasha Lyonne heavily features Texas barbecue, and gets a surprising amount of detail right.
Long lines, packed parking, and sold-out meat are regular features of Kat’s Barbecue in Santa Fe, thanks to lauding loyal customers.