– A real barbecue feud is brewing in Austin. An outpost of Black’s BBQ, operated by Kent Black, will open near the UT campus just as Kent’s brother Terry plans to open Terry Black’s BBQ on the south side of town.

– Thrillist provides several mostly helpful tips on how to spot a fake BBQ joint.

– The date for the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival has been announced, and tickets are available for purchase on 7/29.

– Mac’s BBQ in Brady now has a BBQ trailer:

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Post by Mac’s BBQ.

 

– This past week’s episode of BBQ Pitmasters featured Texas competitors. Junior Urias from Midland beat out Waxahachie’s Matt Pittman and JD Davidsmeyer from San Antonio.

– Here are the top ten really expensive smokers according to About.com.

– There’s a new online magazine called The Perfect BBQ, and Darth Vader is on the cover.

– Franklin Barbecue in Austin is expanding with an enclosed it room: Here’s what it’ll look like:

 

– The Feedstore BBQ in Southlake will also expand after getting the go-ahead from the Southlake city council. 

– Babb Bros. BBQ in West Dallas will relocate to make way for new apartments in the Trinity Groves development. 

– The Dallas Morning News profiles a number of D/FW area barbecue joints. A fat-free BBQ joint in Waxahachie was the worst of the quartet. 

– Maximum Salad goes looking for vegan barbecue in Austin:

 

– In Coburg, Germany they cook their sausages directly over a pine cone fire. 

– A little Arkansas BBQ history from the Southern Foodways Alliance. 

– An Alabama state legislator is using a smoker shaped like a revolver as the centerpiece of his campaign parade float. 

– Not to be outdone, this Georgia candidate for the U.S. senate turned this tank into a smoker:

 

– NPR’s weekend edition discusses the trend of smoked foods of all types including smoked ice cream and brisket flavored yogurt. 

– John Hodgman goes on Alton Brown’s podcast and reminisces about their southern barbecue trip from a decade ago. 

– Rick Perry still loves Hill Country BBQ in New York:

 

– DFW.com visits Lockhart Smokehouse and finds that “the food is nearly perfect.”

– The Big D BBQ Battle begins today at 5:00pm in Dallas.

– The Houston International Festival will feature Australian barbecue.

– Reason #432 to love Texas BBQ:

 

– Smokey’s BBQ in Gastonia, North Carolina may have been named for the owner’s second career as a pot dealer.

– A Texas-style BBQ trailer in Pennsylvania may be shut down because it’s producing too much smoke.

– Here’s how they do barbecue, or braai, in South Africa.

– Attention wood chopping festishists and any pitmasters out there who still chop their own wood, I bring you the revolutionary Finnish Vipukirves axe which splits wood in record time thanks to a unique design that allows it to act as a splitting lever: