Where to Eat Barbecue in Fort Worth

This story was originally published in December 2021 and has been updated.

For years, Texas Monthly published a single guide to cover all the barbecue in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Then Fort Worth (and the Mid-Cities) went off and became the most exciting place in Texas for new barbecue joints, so the Panther City gets its own directory. Last year Texas Monthly released a list of the best new barbecue joints in Texas. In 2021 we published our top fifty barbecue joints list, along with fifty more worthy of honorable mentions, but our barbecue recommendations don’t stop there. You can get a great meal of smoked meats at any one of these Fort Worth–area joints.

In the city of Fort Worth

Angelo’s BBQ
This Fort Worth staple goes back to 1958. The brisket and ribs are plenty popular, but don’t miss unique menu items like smoked salami and pork loin. Angelo’s is about the only place in Texas where you can get your barbecue sandwich on rye bread, and mustard is a standard condiment along with pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce. 2533 White Settlement Rd, 817-332-0357

Brix Barbecue
Brix opened a new brick-and-mortar space in 2023 with a full bar and a Sunday brunch menu. Barbecue staples like sliced brisket and spareribs are impressive, and the smoked sausages are some of the best in the state. For something a little different, try the smoked porchetta made from an herb-rubbed pork belly. 1012 S. Main, 219-363-6210

Cousins BBQ
Open since 1983, Cousins now mixes the old-school with the new. If you don’t want the $25 all-you-can-(m)eat deal, try the New School Tray of smoky sliced brisket, big spareribs, and house-made jalapeño-cheese sausage along with smoked wings and beef fat–fried balls of gooey mac and cheese and spicy chorizo. Don’t miss the hand-cut french fries. 910 S. Crowley Rd, Suite 1, 817-297-0557; 5125 Bryant Irvin Rd, 817-346-3999; 6262 McCart Ave, 817-346-2511

F1 Smokehouse
The fanciest barbecue restaurant in town can’t really be called a joint. There’s a full bar, table service, and cloth napkins. Smoked prime rib and a glazed and grilled chicken breast are great options. The best entrée is the double-cut smoked pork chop glazed in a Korean barbecue sauce and coated with sesame seeds. Don’t skip the banana pudding with brûléed bananas. 517 University Dr, 817-720-0227

Goldee’s Barbecue (Number 1)
This is the best barbecue joint in Texas. What more do you need to know? Well, maybe you do need to know that the owners opened a new spot called Ribbee’s with a focus on smoked pork ribs. 4645 Dick Price Rd, 817-480-4131

Heim Barbecue (Honorable Mention)
With two locations in Fort Worth, one in Dallas, and another in Burleson, the Heims have come a long way from their barbecue trailer days. The family ushered Fort Worth into the modern barbecue movement with their tender brisket, massive beef ribs, and famous bacon burnt ends. 1109 W. Magnolia Ave, 817-882-6970; 5333 White Settlement Rd, 682-707-5772

Panther City BBQ (Top 10)
Between the brisket birria tacos, brisket-topped elote, and the pork belly poppers, you could fill up here without eating any barbecue standards—but then you’d miss some of the best sliced brisket, turkey, and spareribs in the state. The owners purchased the historic Bailey’s Bar-B-Que downtown and renamed it Fort Worth Barbecue Co. Its menu will be released soon. 201 E. Hattie, 682-499-5618

Railhead Smokehouse
“Life’s too short to live in Dallas” is the motto of this barbecue joint that started in a (long gone) beer barn. It’s no surprise the joint is still known for cold ones, and the beer is just as popular as the barbecue. Both go well with the fresh-cut french fries and hand-battered onion rings. 2900 Montgomery, 817-738-9808

Sabar BBQ
Zain Shafi combines his Pakistani roots with the Texas barbecue he prepared while working at Goldee’s Barbecue. The Saturdays-only trailer does great work on smoked brisket and turkey, but specialties like seekh kebab sausage and Szechuan-glazed lamb ribs also shine. All plates come with naan instead of white bread, and sides like fruit chaat and kachumber (a cucumber salad) are vibrant in flavor and color. 194 Bryan Ave, 817-521-9441

Smoke-A-Holics BBQ (Top 50)
Derrick and Kesha Walker are helping to revitalize their old neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth with their Tex-Soul version of barbecue. That means rib tips, dirty rice, and loaded cornbread. Stop by on Tuesday for turkey leg day, when they serve a variety of smoked and smothered turkey legs. 1417 Evans Ave, 817-386-5658

Farther afield

225° BBQ, in Arlington (Honorable Mention)
The Ramirez family is back serving from a food truck after a brief stint in a restaurant. Impressive sliced brisket is only the beginning. The barbecue-stuffed baked potatoes are massive, and look for the bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños. If you see a Baseball on the menu, it’s a brisket-stuffed chicken thigh wrapped in bacon and smoked. Check Facebook page for location, 214-433-0685

BBQ on the Brazos, in Cresson (Honorable Mention)
This joint left the friendly confines of its Texaco gas station for a while, but it’s back home and serving up the same great barbecue. The brisket tacos are popular for a reason, but don’t miss standout sandwiches such as the smoked turkey with melted mozzarella and crispy onions or the massive brisket torta (Thursdays only). 9001 E. US Hwy 377, 817-396-0379

Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, in Aledo (Top 50)
The Weavers recently decamped to Aledo, west of Fort Worth, and opened a new restaurant. The barbecue classics are still great, as is the famous smoked pork belly they call bacon brisket. Their double smash burger has a loyal fan base of its own, and no one should underestimate the Frito pie beans. 100 S. Front St, 817-913-0986

Hurtado Barbecue, in Arlington, Fort Worth, and Mansfield (Top 50)
Brandon Hurtado first opened this joint in 2020 in Arlington, and more locations followed, including one inside Globe Life Field, home of the World Series Champion Texas Rangers. The standards are done incredibly well, and even the pulled pork is impressive, but I’m continually drawn back for specialties such as the Big Red barbacoa tostada, bacon-wrapped jalapeños, and house-made sausages. 205 E. Front, Arlington, 682-323-5141; 1116 8th Ave, Fort Worth, 682-499-5913; 226 N. Walnut Creek Dr, Mansfield, 817-225-2428

Meat U Anywhere BBQ, in Grapevine and Trophy Club
Turn to Meat U for the earliest bite of barbecue you can get in the Metroplex (breakfast is served starting at 6 a.m.), or wait until lunch for tender brisket and juicy smoked turkey. Visit on Friday or Saturday for the smoked beef tenderloin and smoked prime rib. 919 W. Northwest Hwy, Grapevine, 817-251-1227; 91 Trophy Club Dr, Trophy Club, 682-237-7854

M’Jays House of Smoke, in Arlington
This barbecue shop, run by Marcus Campbell, operates out of TJ’s Catfish & Wings. Campbell specializes in oversized barbecue-stuffed potatoes and cornbread loaded with beans, barbecue, and cheese. Both are piled high with toppings and would be a challenge for one person to finish. Try the excellent pork ribs as well. 4261 Green Oaks Blvd, Suite 506, 817-572-1600

The Patriotic Pig, in North Richland Hills
Marc and Gina Smith started a barbecue catering company that later became a restaurant in 2019. They still cater a staggering number of weddings, but you can get the full menu inside the joint. Start with the ultracheesy jalapeño-cheddar smash burger. The smoked brisket and turkey are exemplary, as is anything that includes bacon. 3900 Rufe Snow Dr, 817-601-5256

Shaneboy’s Craft Hawaiian Grindz, in Lillian
It might not be the Texas barbecue you’re used to, but you’ll enjoy the Aloha twist on smoked and grilled meats at Shaneboy’s. What once was a tiny food truck in Rendon (now temporarily closed) has grown into a new brick-and-mortar in Lillian. Try the smoked pulled pork, and look for the kalbi beef short ribs and pulehu brisket specials. 11324 George Renfro Dr, 682-266-1767

Smoke’N Ash BBQ, in Arlington
This Texan-Ethiopian smokehouse brings together the flavors of woodsmoke and East Africa. Try a Tex-Ethiopian platter with smoked doro wat (chicken), pork ribs, and sliced brisket dipped in awaze, a sauce that combines berbere spice and clarified butter. Everything’s served atop house-made injera, a spongy flatbread that’s a staple of Ethiopian cuisine. 5904 S. Cooper, Suite 110, 817-385-9975

Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q, in Grapevine
Peppery brisket, massive spareribs, and house-made sausage are just the start at this joint at Hop & Sting Brewery. Owner Trey Sanchez was the first to bring brisket birria tacos to the Metroplex. The tacos are spectacular, as is the rich consommé they’re served with. A brick-and-mortar location in Allen is in the works. 906 Jean, 214-532-4244

Zavala’s Barbecue, in Grand Prairie (Top 50)
The sliced brisket always impresses here on the corner of Main and Brisket Lane (owner Joe Zavala initiated the street name change), as do the tortillas. Fill them with any of the smoked meats and a little green sauce and you’ll leave happy. Its sister business, Mas Coffee Co., moved down the street, and a new Zavala’s Barbecue counter recently debuted in the American Airlines Center. 421 W. Main, 817-330-9061

Open Mondays

Monday is a popular day for pitmasters to take off. Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington is the only top fifty Monday option, and the only honorable mention in the area that’s open is Heim Barbecue‘s Magnolia location. It’s joined by Angelo’s BBQ, Bailey’s Bar-B-Que, Cousins Bar-B-Q, FI Smokehouse, Meat U Anywhere BBQ (both locations), and Railhead Smokehouse.

Pork belly burnt ends

Heim Barbecue was the originator of this delicacy, and its bacon burnt ends are alone worth a visit. Panther City BBQ serves pork belly burnt ends straight up or wrapped in bacon and stuffed into jalapeños. Just up the road, Dayne’s Craft Barbecue does a limited run of pork belly burnt ends, but you may be left with only bacon brisket as your pork belly option if the meat sells out. You can also find great versions at both Hurtado Barbecue and 225° BBQ in Arlington. Brix Barbecue is on board with the concept, but it chooses to smoke beef belly burnt ends rather than the pork variety.

Taco time

Smoked brisket birria tacos are all the rage in Texas, and you can find them at Panther City BBQ, 225° BBQ, Hurtado Barbecue, and Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q. Zavala’s Barbecue will turn any of its smoked meats (except pork ribs) into a taco, but is best known for the saucy combination of chopped brisket and pork named the Sloppy Juan. BBQ on the Brazos serves chopped brisket tacos with pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and green sauce for lunch, and the barbacoa tacos at Brix Barbecue are a must-try.

Breakfast

If you’re up at 6 a.m. you can swing into either location of Meat U Anywhere BBQ for a variety of breakfast tacos. Hurtado Barbecue serves breakfast with a few brunch items daily in Fort Worth. F1 Smokehouse has a daily breakfast menu, and brunch items on the weekend. Sunday brunch at Brix Barbecue includes pancakes topped with beef belly burnt ends. Get down to BBQ on the Brazos in Cresson for barbecue breakfast tacos and burritos.

Open late

All Heim Barbecue locations are open until 9 every day, and the River, Dallas, and Burleson locations are open until 10 on Friday and Saturday evenings. Brix Barbecue‘s “after dark” menu is served from 5:30 to 9 on Sunday evenings. Vaqueros Texas Bar-B-Q serves late on Thursday and Friday night from 4 to 8. Meat U Anywhere BBQ is open until 8:30 Monday through Saturday. Both Cousins Bar-B-Q and Railhead Smokehouse are open until 9, and Angelo’s BBQ stays open until 9 Wednesday through Saturday. F1 Smokehouse is open until 9 Sunday and Monday, a half hour later Tuesday through Thursday, and until 10 Friday and Saturday evenings.