BBQ08
Our quintessential, quinquennial review of the fifty best barbecue joints in Texas, with special attention paid to the top five (one of which you’ve probably never heard of), the cherished components of the classic barbecue meal, and the pits in which our meats are smoked, seared, or (Lord help us!) gassed.
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25 comments
Monday, March 15th, 2010, 8:16 pm
Thomas says:
We took our daughter, husband and two grandsons to Kreuz in Lockhart today for lunch. We debated about going to Smitty’s or Black’s instead, but decided on Kruez. We ordered brisket, lean shoulder, sausage and chopped beef. The brisket was not good at all. Tough as leather, and loaded with fat. The "lean" shoulder was reasonably good, but still had too much fat. The sausage and chopped beef we really liked. After eating we began talking to an individual who was sitting at the table next to us. He had arrived shortly after they opened. Discussing our opinions regarding lunch, we asked how he liked the brisket. He said they did not even have any brisket available when his group arrived. What a disgrace for a reputable BBQ restaurant not having brisket ready when doors are opened for business. Of course the way our brisket tasted, he did not miss a thing. Would we go back? No!
There are too many other good places.
Saturday, February 20th, 2010, 8:32 am
Joe says:
Tried Hashknife on the Chisholm a few days ago. Wow, y’all have got to go. Juicy, tender brisket and ribs, wonderful slaw and Jim, the proprietor, makes this wonderful desert called Oil Field Pudding, which rocked my world. In fact, he gave me a small sample of his chilli to go, and I drove back the next day, just to eat that (plus more brisket, etc)
Friendly, wonderful, if it wasn’t so remote from the other Top 50, bet you this would have made the Top 5. They rock!
Friday, October 16th, 2009, 4:11 pm
Ismael Robert Diaz Jr. says:
I also was not impressed by City Market in Luling. The brisket had no more flavor than my local chain Bill Millers or Dickies. The ribs and sausage were good, but I’m not raving. And to J.M. Rice I feel the same way about Sonny Bryans. I did not go to their original location but the location I tried did not have any smoke flavor either. I wonder if sometimes you just get bad pieces of meat OR if the time of day you go makes a difference. Next time you all come to San Antonio try Augies on St. Marys and Garcia’s on Fredericksburg (brisket only, mainly a Mexican restaurant so you don’t expect to get such great brisket).
Friday, September 4th, 2009, 8:59 am
Newbomb Turk says:
Thank goodness you didn’t list the place here in Fort Worth with the best ribs in the state (well...the WORLD.)
The extra traffic would ruin them.
If you didn’t mention them, then I’m certainly not going to.
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009, 4:12 pm
Wesley says:
Riverport BarBQ in Jefferson, Tx is absolutely the best. I dont understand why it’s not ranked #1
Monday, August 17th, 2009, 9:30 pm
Cristina R says:
Still waiting for you all to try RIO GRANDE GRILL in HARLINGEN, TEXAS. There are other bbq hot spots that have popped up in our area. I hope yall will come by the Rio Grande Valley again for a taste test. Oh, and we hit Lockhart again but this time ate at Blacks. Yum!
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009, 9:59 pm
Don from VA says:
We flew all the way from Virginia for some good Texas barbacue and were foiled (at least we found some real delicious barbecued chicken at the Rodeo in Monahans. But Pappy’s Bar BQ
was CLOSED. The sign on I-20 and above the restaurant says open Mon-Sat, but they are now closed on weekends!!! Who doesn’t cook barbecue on Saturday? They should be pulled from the Texas Monthly top 50 menu just for aggravation. Since we flew into El Paso, they were the closest one on your list. And we drove an extra 2 hours just to get there. Pappy’s, if you are listening you need to overnight us some just for the southern hospitality. Can’t you (TM) drive further west for next year’s contest? There must be some worthwhile barbecue in El Paso. But boy is Texas BIG...
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009, 10:59 am
Tom C says:
Harold’s in Fanning needs to be moved up on the list! That place is right up there with the top 5. Awesome beans. Great combo of Texas and Southern BBQ influences, plus the friendliest service this side of my grandmother’s table.
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009, 9:02 pm
joe bloggs says:
the mcrib at mcdonalds rocks get some!!!
Saturday, April 4th, 2009, 9:15 pm
DDavis says:
We had two New Yorkers in town in November and they HAD to have Tx BBQ so we went to Luling City Market- it was nirvana! Best ribs I have ever had and the Yankees were impressed. Today (April) we made the trek to Kruez in Lockhart, deciding against Saltlick and Lamberts in Austin. First of all, anyone who EVER writes another article needs to post that Kruez does NOT serve/have barbecue sauce; they say it masks the wonderful flavor. Maybe so, but considering all the salt and pepper on the meat, a little sweet or tangy sauce would have been a good balance on the taste buds. Anyway, none of us, especially the Yankees, liked it, period!!! Damn over-rated piece of stuff. Am beginning to wonder just how accurate this Tx Monthly article is.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009, 1:03 am
William Atherton-Powell says:
Smokey Joe’s Bar-B-Que and Grill was wonderful. We had gone to a chain bbq the day before and this was at least seven million times better.
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009, 2:20 pm
Culinary Crusaders says:
Well this edition of the meat-xploitation tour had its ups and downs. Departing from Grand Prairie at 7:30, my traveling buddy and I made it to Luling by 1:15. The City Market was crowded, but they were able to handle to traffic without too much discomfort. The faire was simple; ribs, sausage, and brisket. Stained by the follies of the past, we made the decision not to order up a ton of meat before sampling the City Market’s wares this time... a wise choice. The sausage was transcendent; crisp on the outside, course on the inside, and rather juicy throughout. The brisket was hit or miss (and more miss). Some pieces were rather tasty, but most were tough and lifeless. The ribs were much the same, but offered up a particular disappointment. Now the discerning meats-men would know not to pawn off meat that customers with iron teeth would have trouble consuming. They would spot the troubled portion, shave it off, and it ship rightly to the trash. This was not so in the City Market...One of the ribs that they pawned off on me was nothing short of rib jerky. Oh the shame of it all... With what meat we were able to salvage, solace and consumption assistance was found in the small bottles of organgish sauce that the City Market offers up to its guests. This thin, mustardy sauce was a right good addition to the meat.
Having filled our bellies with an assortment of smoked meats and picking up some of the sausage for my family, a sudden moment of clairvoyance washed over us. We came to the realization that we were but 15 miles from the BBQ Holy of Holies, Kreuz Market in Lockhart. So we made north out of Luling and arrived in Lockhart well after the lunch crowd had waddled back to their vehicles and returned from whence they came. We breezed through the brick BBQ temple and made our way to the smoke room. The usual pit attendants were in place preparing for the early dinner crowd. We ordered up enough meat (brisket and ribs) for a small army (nearly $100 dollars worth between us) and had them package it up to go. Before mine was bundled I made for a small piece of charred flesh of the brisket variety. Nirvana! As it had the first time, Kreuz offered up a brisket that it simply to marvelous for words. Stunned in the amazement of the seductive nibble, I pleaded with the octogenarian woman packing up my haul "Don’t tell my wife..." Man o’ me, that is surely the finest meat that has ever come betwixed this mans lips.
After some more driving and a fine prime rib dinner in Salado at the Stage Coach Inn, we made for the metroplex. We landed safely back in Grand Prairie at 9 P.M. Reentering my house, I set out the fruits of my travels on the kitchen counter. I was joined by my lovely bride and my young son. We stood in stunned amazement as we grazed on the mound of meaty love. Oh the joy!!!
All in a good days work for the Culinary Crusaders
Monday, March 23rd, 2009, 7:02 pm
Ryan Thompson says:
No C & J’s in College Station? Disappointing!
Friday, March 20th, 2009, 4:37 pm
Patricia Sprout says:
Just a quick correction you should make. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q uses only oak wood fire for it’s Bar-B-Q NO GAS SMOKERS! It says right on their website "100% Texas Hill Country Live Oak in a brick pit". If you have ever been in downtown San Antonio you can smell the meat smokin’.
Sunday, March 8th, 2009, 7:51 pm
Pat Sharpe, TM Food Editor says:
Cristina R. has just described the quintessential rite of passage for Texas barbecuedom. Snow’s, in Lexington, would have made it complete, but their hours are so limited it’s hard to make it there too. Congratulations! I admire your stamina.
Saturday, March 7th, 2009, 7:07 pm
Cristina R says:
Okay, so I posted before my trip to Lockhart, Luling, and Taylor. Wow!!! Living in the Rio Grande Valley where everyone has a grill, you would think we have the best barbecue. I was blown away by the bbq in Lockhart. Smitty’s and Kreuz were freakin awesome. We ate at one, walked around the block, then ate at the other. Yes, everyone needs to try this sometime! I still can’t get over the moist brisket, the flavorful sausage, and the tender ribs. We also hit Louie Muellers in Taylor, who by the way had the friendliest staff of the six joints we hit this week. Their food was delicious and worth the visit. Our fourth pick was City Market in Luling. They were also worth the drive and had great brisket that I also brought home with me. Overall, my husband picked Smitty’s as his number one spot. I picked Kreuz. What a week!
Saturday, February 21st, 2009, 10:08 pm
Cristina R says:
I am very surprised that Smokey Joe’s in Harlingen is listed in the top 50. I think the restuarant is okay but the best BBQ in Harlingen is at Rio Grande Grill on Van Buren Street (next to La Placita). They have the best brisket in town, hands down! You guys need to visit next time you’re in town.
Friday, February 13th, 2009, 8:42 pm
Rick says:
My family has based our entire Spring Break vacations every year since 2005 on traveling around the state and sampling BBQ. We have created BBQ rating sheets and compiled the results. Best ribs: Kreuz Market in Lockhart. Best brisket: Louie Mueller’s in Taylor. Best sausage: Smitty’s in Lockhart Best Overall BBQ: Southside Market in Elgin. Until you have tried these four establishments, you haven’t had great BBQ. My family is gearing up for BV09 (Barbecue Vacation 2009) this coming March. Stay tuned.......
Saturday, January 24th, 2009, 11:36 am
Mel Young says:
The best barbecue I have ever eaten was at Bunkhouse BBQ in Clifton (now with a second location in nearby Meridian). Proprietor Rick Countryman knows his barbecue! Check it out in 2009.
Friday, January 23rd, 2009, 11:24 am
A.T. says:
The next time you go through Waco, you need to check out Uncle Dan’s.
A.T.
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009, 6:56 pm
Nancy says:
Got a tip from a local on our vacation and tried Lee’s in Haslett. Mmmmmmmm.
Thursday, December 18th, 2008, 3:34 am
joule says:
MY GOD! i no longer live in Texas but i am now SOOOO homesick i can barely stand it !
i'm gettin on the next plane!
GREAT JOB you guys!
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008, 8:50 am
Brooke Collins says:
My husband is a big "smoker" and we all love BBQ. So - on our trip across Texas this summer...we took your magazine and our camera and tried to hit as many joints on the way as we could. 10 pounds later...we all (my husband, myself, my 5 year old son and 7 year old daughter) all agreed that Kreuz was hands-down the best BBQ in Texas.
We visited about 3 in one day and that was a bit much for me...but my husband was on a mission. I think we hit around 15 all together in a 3 week tour from San Antonio to Lubbock and it was great. He was inspired and we (the kids and I) ate well!
Thank you for a great Summer vacation!
Thursday, November 20th, 2008, 1:02 am
J. M. Rice says:
Any list that doesn't include Sonny Bryan's, the long-acknowledged benchmark of Texas barbecue, is spurious. And the fact that you name Kreuzer's, a well-publicized mediocrity, as Number Two, attests to the bogus nature of your so-called review. Either you have taken bribes or your taste is so effete and insipid, that you wouldn't know good barbecue if it bit you on the butt.
This isn't a matter of taste. You are so far off the mark, that it's obbvious you have an agenda other than quality.
Saturday, October 4th, 2008, 1:07 pm
Jeff Hennigan says:
I have recently found Randy White's BBQ in Frisco, Texas that is phenomenal!
Try and come check it out in 2009!
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