Your Filthy Barbecue Pit Is Not “Seasoned”
Pitmasters should stop using the term to justify cooking in dirty smokers.
How Pioneering Pitmaster Etta Randall Conquered a Lawless Boomtown With Barbecue
In 1926 Etta Randall, a young black woman from deep East Texas, set off for a lawless boomtown in the Panhandle, where she found unexpected success not in the oil fields but in an old concrete pit.
Has Texas Brisket Peaked?
The state’s favorite smoked meat is so reliably excellent these days that it no longer feels like an achievement.
An Arlington Family Has Created a New Must-Try Cuisine, Tex-Ethiopian Barbecue
Smoke’N Ash BBQ pays homage to its dual traditions while wholly, joyfully embracing something new.
How to Order Gristles, Links, and a Bag of Breaks
Here’s a primer to the language of African American barbecue joints in Texas.
The Search for Pitmaster Ramone, the Man Behind Subway’s Smoked Brisket
The fast-food chain is using a longtime employee of Sadler’s Smokehouse in Henderson to help sell sandwiches.
Fire & Smoke: The Resurgence of Bodacious Bar-B-Q
The East Texas chain of Bodacious Bar-B-Q joints lost its founder, Roland Lindsey, in September. His son-in-law Jordan Jackson looks to not only carry on the brand’s barbecue legacy, but improve it one location at a time.
Scharbauer Cattle Company Creates a Model for Ranch-to-Retail Beef
The multigenerational ranch’s Midland Meat Company sells its famous Wagyu-Angus-Hereford crossbred beef directly to consumers.
Shoemaker’s Barbecue Is Long Gone, But Its Legacy Carries On
When you find school desks, sawdust, and pickle bars in a Texas joint, they owe a debt to what was once a Dallas lunchtime mainstay.
Kansas City Needs a BBQ Renaissance
Texas has it beat when it comes to beef-based barbecue. But a few upstart pitmasters are hoping to change KC's reputation.
1725 Articles
BBQ
December 8, 2023
I Didn’t Expect Much From Barbecue in Connecticut, but These Two Joints Impressed Me
New England may have just recently come around to brisket, but Hoodoo Brown Barbeque and Hindsight Barbecue are pushing boundaries even further with dishes like Cracklin’ Pork Belly and blueberry gouda sausage.
BBQ
December 7, 2023
Fires, Expansions, and TV Segments Made November a Huge Month in Texas Barbecue
Even as the year winds down, barbecue news seemingly doesn’t.
BBQ Joint Reviews
December 1, 2023
Earnest B’s BBQ Brings Mississippi Flavor to Frisco
After selling barbecue out of a car dealership, Earnest Morgan has moved on to a new brick-and-mortar location where he can cook a Mississippi favorite: whole fried catfish.
BBQ
November 30, 2023
Louisiana Is Embracing Barbecue Beyond Boudin
At these six stellar Texas-style barbecue joints in the Bayou State, you can get excellent brisket as well as local favorites like fresh pork cracklins.
BBQ Joint Reviews
November 24, 2023
Chef Kent Rathbun Brings Barbecue to Dallas’s Popular Katy Trail
Stroll right off the hike-and-bike path into Katy Trail Station, where you can taste the famous chef’s pork and beef ribs, and saucy mac and cheese.
BBQ
November 10, 2023
Two Texas-Style Joints Near D.C. Are Practicing Barbecue Diplomacy
Bark Barbecue Café and 2Fifty Texas BBQ mix Texas tradition and hospitality with touches from their Armenian and Salvadoran cultures, respectively.
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 13, 2023
Italy Meets Texas in This Must-Try Pork Dish
Fort Worth is the center of pork belly innovation, and Brix Barbecue’s herby porchetta is just the latest example.
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 Joint Reviews
September 22, 2023
Drive Out to Newark—No, Not That One—for Stellar Barbecue Sandwiches
LocalCraft BBQ, north of Fort Worth, has improved its barbecue offerings over the last year, and its burger and queso-topped brisket-and-sausage sandwich really impress.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 20, 2023
This Revamped Joint Finally Makes Paris a Barbecue Contender
Previous visits to the East Texas town for barbecue were disappointing, but Scholl Brothers Bar-B-Que’s new owners have changed that.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 15, 2023
After a Back-Breaking Injury, This Pitmaster Knows He’s Lucky to Be Alive
Chuck Terrell had a horrible accident two years ago. After surgery and therapy, he’s easing his way back into serving his customers at Chuck’s Country Smokehouse, in Carthage.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 13, 2023
This BBQ Trailer Aims to Serve Good Food to Truck Drivers
Mr. D’s BBQ in Texarkana is located across the street from a truck stop, and offers up chicken and ribs to those who don’t have many options on the road.
BBQ Joint Reviews
September 1, 2023
Attending a Fall Wedding? You’ll Likely Be Eating Brisket From the Patriotic Pig.
Catering brings in half of this North Richmond Hills joint's business, but you can also stop by the restaurant to try bacon-ranch potato salad and jerk-seasoned turkey.
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 17, 2023
Brisket Is Booming in Georgia and South Carolina
The two states have three new Texas-style joints that range from faithful to fusion, implementing traditional Carolina barbecue elements.
BBQ
August 11, 2023
Get All Your Favorite Barbecue-Joint Rubs and Sauces at This One-stop Shop
Zavala’s Barbecue Distribution is an online shop that helps smoked meat diehards cook like their favorite pitmasters.
BBQ Joint Reviews
August 7, 2023
Nearly Everything Has Improved at This Fort Worth Barbecue Joint, Making It the Best New Spot in Town
While Brix Barbecue isn’t exactly “new,” its myriad upgrades—including a brick-and-mortar—have made it worth revisiting.
BBQ Joint Reviews
August 7, 2023
The 25 Best New and Improved BBQ Joints in Texas
For a while it looked as if big-city barbecue would hog the spotlight forevermore. We should have known better.
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 Joint Reviews
July 21, 2023
Barbs-B-Q Provides the Twenty-First-Century Energy Lockhart Needs
The woman-owned joint has had a lot of effusive press—even before officially opening. Luckily it’s living up to its early reputation.
BBQ
July 19, 2023
Named After a Willie Nelson Album, This Texas-Style Barbecue Joint Is Perfectly at Home in Nashville
Shotgun Willie's BBQ started out as a mid-life crisis-inspired venture and went on to be named the best brisket in Tennessee's capital.
BBQ
July 13, 2023
After Seventeen Trips to Texas, This Pitmaster Proves a Worthy Ambassador in Tennessee
Blake Stoker's joint—Blake's at Southern Milling—in Martin, Tennessee, has converted many a customer to loving brisket.
BBQ
July 12, 2023
This Pitmaster Is Preserving West Tennessee’s Whole-Hog Tradition
The craft of whole-hog barbecue in the Lockhart of West Tennessee has been dwindling, but Zach Parker resurrected a historic joint in order to save it.
BBQ
July 7, 2023
For $40, You Can Get an Excellent Steak Dinner Off a Dirt Road in the Panhandle
The XXL Ranch and Steak House might be hard to find, but once you get there and try the ribeye, baked potato, and sopapilla cheesecake, you're sure to be back again.
BBQ Joint Reviews
July 6, 2023
Despite Being the Victim of a Brisket Bandit, This West Texas Joint Is Still Serving Juicy Slices
Hill Barbecue in Lubbock has had some issues with thievery and arson, but it perseveres because, to its owners, barbecue is “damn near religion.”
BBQ Joint Reviews
June 30, 2023
These Tacos Make the Valley a Must-Stop on Your Barbecue Tour
El Sancho Tex Mex BBQ, in Mission, innovates with ten different tacos filled with combos like brisket and chilaquiles and chicharrón and pork belly.
BBQ
June 28, 2023
Devastating Storms Ended Up Blessings in Disguise for This Barbecue Joint
Wild weather in Slaton forced the owners of Pitforks and Smokerings BBQ to face the past—and move their restaurant into the future.
BBQ
June 23, 2023
This Barbecue Joint Made It Through Historic Rainfall with Sandbags and Prayers
As the flood waters rose in typically dry Amarillo, folks raced to fill up sandbags to protect Tyler's Barbeque from destruction.
BBQ Joint Reviews
June 20, 2023
This Barbecue Joint Has a Unique Mission to Rehabilitate the Homeless Population
Hallelujah! BBQ, a part of Rescue Mission of El Paso, helps staff develop vocational skills to propel them to new lives while serving good barbecue along the way.
BBQ
June 15, 2023
LeAnn Mueller, Barbecue Groundbreaker, Dies at 51
Along with opening la Barbecue, the first woman- and-lesbian-owned barbecue restaurant in Texas, she had a keen photographic eye and an irreverent sense of humor.
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 Joint Reviews
June 9, 2023
This Pitmaster Wants to Make El Paso a Barbecue Destination
Joe Martinez has finally found a hobby that pays off with his truck, Smokin’ Joe’s Pit BBQ, which features chile relleno sausage and chili with beans.
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 25, 2023
This Smoke-Centric Steakhouse Serves a Fancy Beef Rib That Melds French Cooking With Texas Barbecue
Andiron in Houston isn't a typical steakhouse. With a wide-ranging menu and a healthy dose of smoke, it embraces a more modern approach.
BBQ Joint Reviews
May 24, 2023
This Houston Joint Broke Our Brains by Loading Boudin Like a Barbecue Baked Potato
Houston joint Guillory’s Bar-B-Que is just daring enough to pile meat on top of meat, in addition to serving Beaumont-style beef links.
BBQ Joint Reviews
May 19, 2023
After 40 Years, This Old-school Fort Worth Barbecue Joint Is Going New School
Cousins BBQ is embracing a new era, with updated sides, full barbecue trays, and an All You Can Meat (yes, that’s exactly what is sounds like) daily special.
BBQ Joint Reviews
May 17, 2023
From Crawfish-Loaded Cornbread to Brisket-Stuffed Potatoes, This North Texas Joint Is a Paragon of Indulgence
At M’Jays House of Smoke, in Arlington, each menu item is bigger than the next. And if you run out of barbecue tolerance, this space also offers fried catfish and wings.
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 Joint Reviews
May 11, 2023
Beef Is the Star at This Fully Halal Barbecue Joint in North Texas
Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice, in Pilot Point, is serving a limited menu until its brick-and-mortar opens, but brisket lovers are in luck.
BBQ Joint Reviews
May 4, 2023
The Original Bodacious Bar-B-Q Is a Gem Once Again
The Lindseys have nurtured a new pitmaster in the family to take over the original location of this chain in Longview after several closures.
BBQ
April 28, 2023
“Texas-Style” Pulled Pork Is Embarrassing
Fortunately, Texas pitmasters already know how to get more from a pork butt.
BBQ
April 27, 2023
Step Aside, Perry’s: This 30-Ounce Smoked Pork Chop Is Ready to Take the Crown
While the behemoth chop from the Houston-bred steakhouse is a national favorite, 1845 Taste Texas, near Dallas, has a similar cut that proves superior.
BBQ
April 26, 2023
These Smoked Coffee Beans Have Plenty of Flavor, Just Not the Barbecue Kind
I taste-tested smoked coffee recently produced by Austin-based Roasty Buds, but the flavor and aroma weren't quite what I expected.
BBQ Joint Reviews
April 21, 2023
Lockhart Barbecue Royalty Sets Up His Own Legacy in San Marcos
Justin Pearson, whose grandfather once owned Chisholm Trail BBQ, serves similar yet improved sausages with no strings attached at San Marcos BBQ.