We’re now a year into the pandemic. Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin reflects on the challenge of running a barbecue joint during a global health crisis.

Eleven months after the Independent Restaurant Coalition began advocating for a federal restaurant bailout, some relief is finally coming:

Sadly, Mitch Davis of Mitch’s Corner Stop, a fixture in his Waco community, has died. “I’d just go in there to talk because Mr. Mitch is such a wisdom person. Everyone in the neighborhood loves Mr. Mitch,” said longtime neighbor and customer Carole Daniels. After a brief closure, Davis’s family has reopened the joint.

The Corsicana Daily Sun shares the story of Kamar and Kisha Chambers, who opened K&K Bar-B-Que last year.

Barbacoa and stroganoff isn’t a pairing you see every day, but it’s the specialty at the Hayden, a Texan-Jewish diner in San Antonio.

If you recognize these folks, Heim BBQ would like to know:

Our taco editor recommends the smoked brisket and turkey mole tamales at Henderson & Kane in Houston.

Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin visited Live With Kelly and Ryan and shared his recipe for steak tacos.

Matthew Odam calls Austin’s Moreno Barbecue a takeout treasure, at least temporarily. Soon, owners will open a brick-and-mortar location right behind their current barbecue trailer.

The legendary Pizzitola’s in Houston is changing for the better:

When you barbecue at home there’s already meat, seasoning, and a smoker to consider, but J.C. Reid says don’t forget about the quality of your wood.

If you don’t know how to flatten the mohawk on your brisket, let Evan LeRoy walk you through the important steps of properly trimming the fat.

Is white or pink butcher paper better for wrapping barbecue? Adrian Davila of Davila’s BBQ in Seguin explains the difference.

Southern Living says these are the best barbecue joints in the South:

The magazine also offered up a list of the most iconic barbecue dishes in each Southern state, and in Texas … it’s not brisket.

Kerry Bexley of Snow’s BBQ talked with Bloomberg about his plan for serving customers after the mask mandate has been listed.

Julian’s BBQ in Corpus Christi, which uses a mix of post oak and live oak wood for cooking, has had a hard time finding a consistent wood supply after the winter storm.

When I heard about a joint named Terlingua’s, I didn’t expect it to be in Maine:

The Toot’n Totum Travel Center has opened in Amarillo, and it includes Mitch’s Texas Style BBQ.

The Shack BBQ in Lubbock closed eight months ago, but is now back open under a new owner.

Plateau Brewing Company will open soon in San Angelo, and is partnering with Southern Smoke BBQ in Marathon to serve barbecue at the brewery.

In Denver, whole animal barbacoa the old-fashioned way:

The big meat packing plants have not been forthcoming with the facts about COVID outbreaks in their facilities, but thanks to Congress, that’s likely to change soon.

“This is the future: not a meatless one—not anytime soon—but one with less meat,” writes Frank Bruni of the New York Times.

Pringles in Japan is offering a series of international flavors, and a Texas barbecue flavor is out next week.

I love bacon made out of bacon, but this vegan version has me intrigued: