BBQ
March 29, 2024
Historic Barbecue Joints Are Rapidly Becoming History
There's been a spate of closures of old joints over the last few years due to tiny profit margins, costly repairs, and retiring owners.
Feature
Longer story
BBQ
February 28, 2024
How One Bite at Louie Mueller Barbecue Changed My Life
Many pitmasters, a gallerist, a boxer, and this writer describe the phenomenon of having a barbecue epiphany at the legendary Taylor joint.
BBQ
January 17, 2024
The Barbecue Community Honors John Brotherton With Stories of His Famed Generosity
The owner of Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue, in Pflugerville, died this week, leaving a legacy of supporting fellow pitmasters.
News & Politics
January 16, 2024
The Juror Who Found Herself Guilty
She was pressured into convicting a man she believed was innocent—and was haunted by remorse. Three decades later, she did something about it.
BBQ
December 5, 2023
As More Immigrant-Owned BBQ Joints Open, a Marriage—and Sometimes Clash—of Cultures Follows
As more Texan pitmasters come from immigrant or minority backgrounds, I wondered: Will the aunties and uncles patiently wait in those famously long lines?
Travel & Outdoors
November 9, 2023
Deep—Very, Very, Very Deep—in the Heart of Texas
Call them the astronauts of the underground. The state’s cavers are a literal subculture, daring to go where no one has gone before.
Travel & Outdoors
November 9, 2023
Go Underground: Seven Texas Caves to Explore
Where to immerse yourself in the subculture.
BBQ
November 3, 2023
The 12 Best Texas-Raised Wagyu Steaks (and More!)
At white-tablecloth restaurants, Wagyu beef is more expensive, but it’s also cooked excellently, with techniques from dry-aging to sous vide.
BBQ
October 27, 2023
What Is Premium Charcoal, and How Does It Fare on the Grill?
Home cooks haven’t had many options in the lump charcoal and briquet market. Now a few Texas companies, including Franklin Barbecue, are offering better-made, more sustainable versions.
BBQ
October 25, 2023
This Wagyu Ranch Is Producing the Most-Marbled Beef in Texas
G Five Cattle & Meats in Sulphur Springs is creating steaks that are the closest thing to Japanese Wagyu our barbecue editor has seen.
BBQ
October 20, 2023
13 Texas Barbecue Brunches to Try This Weekend
Pitmasters are getting creative with morning meals at their joints, resulting in some truly mouthwatering dishes, such as beef-fat cinnamon rolls and chicken-fried brisket.
BBQ
October 12, 2023
The 13 Best Texas-Raised Wagyu Burgers
The prices of Wagyu burgers range across the state, but they’re still the most accessible way to taste the well-marbled, often-expensive beef.
BBQ
October 6, 2023
You Can Still Get Your Barbecue Fix at the State Fair of Texas
We know the deep-fried options tend to hog the spotlight, but can we interest you in a Neapolitan-style smoked pork belly burnt end pizza?
BBQ
September 26, 2023
Is Texas’s Barbecue Bubble Ready to Burst?
Too much heat, too-expensive brisket, and too much competition are stressing barbecue joints, leading to a less profitable year for many.
BBQ
August 25, 2023
What’s in a Barbecue Name? A Lot, According to the Feuding Hutchins Family
Diners in North Texas likely did a double take when the Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque opened this summer. But the restaurant isn’t an offshoot of popular Hutchins Barbeque—as is made clear by some harsh words and a dropped lawsuit.
BBQ
August 23, 2023
A Saucy Lawsuit Pits Two Barbecue Companies Against Each Other
Wicker’s Food Products in Missouri and Big Wick’s in Weatherford battle over their similar names.
BBQ
August 3, 2023
Rotisserie Smokers Are Cool Again
For decades, offset smokers were the tool of choice for pitmasters, but rotisseries are coming back in style.
BBQ
June 15, 2023
To Sell His Barbecue at Grocery Stores, This Pitmaster Had to Have the Cleanest Smokers in the Biz
Kyle St. Clair went through an arduous inspection process to get his smokehouse USDA certified to sell packaged brisket and chicken.
BBQ
June 8, 2023
To Produce the Best Wagyu Possible, This Feedlot Is Downright Spa-Like
Protocol Farms near Bowie takes inspiration from Japanese methods of feeding Wagyu, which includes jazz playing through the speakers and cool pens.
BBQ
June 2, 2023
Meet the Man Responsible for Six Decades of Sausage at This Old-school Barbecue Joint
“Big Sam” Palomarez has been assembling links for Dozier’s BBQ, in Fulshear, since 1965 and has some fascinating stories from his tenure.
BBQ
May 12, 2023
How to Smoke Shrooms . . . for Barbecue
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.
BBQ
April 28, 2023
“Texas-Style” Pulled Pork Is Embarrassing
Fortunately, Texas pitmasters already know how to get more from a pork butt.
BBQ
March 30, 2023
Finally, Some Good Barbecue for Texas Rangers Fans
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.
BBQ
March 10, 2023
Vegan Brisket and Pulled Pork Can Be (Somewhat) Redeemed by Putting Them in Sandwiches
To make these frozen grocery-store products more edible, I zhuzhed them up with sauce, slaw, and buttered buns, to mixed results.
BBQ
March 3, 2023
H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ Restaurant Is Slipping
What I once claimed was the best barbecue chain in Texas has recently yielded some disappointing results as locations expand.
BBQ
February 24, 2023
One Texas Ranch Has Beef with How the USDA Grades Wagyu
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.
BBQ
February 10, 2023
Thirty Years Ago, the First Wagyu Cows Came to the U.S. Now, the Industry Is Bigger Than Anyone Predicted.
Trade wars with Japan, $250 vials of semen, and livestock-filled airplanes all contributed to the still-growing industry of Wagyu beef today.
BBQ
February 1, 2023
How ‘Poker Face’ Re-created an East Texas BBQ Joint for TV
The third episode of the Peacock series starring Natasha Lyonne heavily features Texas barbecue, and gets a surprising amount of detail right.
BBQ
January 27, 2023
Is the Fourth Slice the Barometer for a Well-Cooked Brisket?
Two pitmaster friends seem to think so. What started as a theory between them has spread into wider barbecue-nerd circles.
BBQ
January 10, 2023
This Boutique Ranch Focuses on Grass-Fed Wagyu, Tasty in Burgers or as Steaks
Peeler Farms in Floresville hones its niche in the rapidly expanding Wagyu market—and doesn’t compromise service in the process.
Style & Design
December 16, 2022
19 Barbecue-Themed Ornaments for Trimming Your Christmas Tree
Show off your obsession for smoked meat and its accoutrements during the holiday season with cute, curated decor.
BBQ
December 8, 2022
Where Have All the Savory Spareribs Gone?
Some of the most popular new barbecue joints only offer sweet-glazed ribs, which has left us nostalgic for the good ol’ days of salt-and-pepper pork.
Tacos
December 2, 2022
‘Taco Chronicles’ Highlights Texas’s Barbecue Tacos in Its Latest Season
The Netflix series honors the fusion food by featuring two joints in Dallas and San Antonio. We add two more that could’ve made the cut.
BBQ
November 23, 2022
10 Texas Rubs, Sauces, and Seasonings to Amp Up Your Barbecue
From a chimichurri to a halal rub, these smoked meat add-ons will seriously liven up everything from steak to sausage to eggs.
BBQ
November 10, 2022
Fire Destroyed This Welder’s Home, but That Didn’t Stop His Passion for Barbecue Pits
In the face of adversity, Michael Johnson Jr. continued to build Cen-Tex Smokers, a company that now has a year-long waiting list for its pits.
BBQ
November 2, 2022
Is the Foil-Boat Method the Best Way to Cook Brisket?
Butcher paper–wrapped briskets came into fashion about a decade ago, but more pitmasters and home cooks are opting for the full metal brisket jacket.
BBQ
October 27, 2022
How Barbecue Has Changed in the Last Decade
The Southern Foodways Symposium, held last weekend in Mississippi, made barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn reflect on the industry and his career.
BBQ
October 14, 2022
The Persistent Nationwide Turkey Shortage Is Changing Texas Barbecue Menus
Thanks to a bad outbreak of avian flu this year, turkey suppliers are raising prices and delivering fewer birds to restaurants before the holidays.
BBQ
October 3, 2022
Wagyu Skeptics May Finally Be Convinced by This Ranch’s Beef
At some restaurants, paying more for a Wagyu steak may lead to disappointment. Not so with the products from A Bar N Ranch in North Texas.
BBQ
September 30, 2022
Lockhart Has a New Barbecue Family Feud
As a new location of Terry Black’s Barbecue opened its doors in Lockhart this month, a battle raged on—in the form of quippy signs—with Black’s Barbecue.
BBQ
September 26, 2022
Is Elgin’s Southside Market the Oldest Barbecue Joint in Texas? The Saga Continues.
Six years ago, we set out to answer that question and got inconclusive results. And while we’ve found new info, the mystery endures.
Business
September 8, 2022
Wagyu Is King at Morris Stock Farm in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor goes all in on Wagyu beef—and the Texans who produce it.
BBQ
August 24, 2022
Community Barbecues Keep Old Cooking Traditions Alive
Small towns, like Bellville in Austin County, raise funds for various efforts through preparing meat using direct heat and old-school brick pits.
BBQ
July 28, 2022
Three Generations Have Kept Underwood’s Cafeteria Serving Barbecue for 76 Years
The rich history of the Brownwood restaurant includes expansions, bankruptcy, a catchy jingle, and a towering cowboy statue that still stands.
BBQ
July 20, 2022
Head All the Way North on I-35 for Texas-Style Barbecue in Minnesota
It may seem surprising, but this Midwestern state is excelling at brisket, ribs, and more, all inspired by Texas’s most famous joints.
Libations
July 1, 2022
Martin House Brewing Is At It Again With a Barbecue Sauce–Flavored Beer
The Fort Worth–based company has come out with another unusual, savory beer, this time in collaboration with Weatherford’s T&D Barbecue.
BBQ
June 17, 2022
How One Pitmaster’s Lebanese Heritage Influences His Barbecue
Stephen Joseph of Riverport Bar-B-Cue in Jefferson serves Lebanese potato salad and spiced spareribs, and he hopes to incorporate more of his family’s recipes.
BBQ
June 15, 2022
This Famous East Texas Barbecue Joint Tells Its History Through Sandwiches
From the Ex-Wife to the Mother Clucker, the sandwiches at Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue in Tyler hint at some legendary tales.
BBQ
June 10, 2022
How One Pit-Repair Company Saved a Historic Smoker
M&M BBQ Company brought a neglected wood-fired rotisserie from 1984 back to life, in addition to making its own custom builds.
BBQ
May 24, 2022
Juicy, Crispy Smoked Chicken Is Having a Moment
Winner, winner, chicken dinner—and that’s exactly what you should order at barbecue joints across the state that smoke theirs to perfection.