Is Elgin’s Southside Market the Oldest Barbecue Joint in Texas? The Saga Continues.
Six years ago, we set out to answer that question and got inconclusive results. And while we’ve found new info, the mystery endures.
Daniel Vaughn is the author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat: A Journey Through Texas Barbecue, the coauthor of Whole Hog BBQ: The Gospel of Carolina Barbecue, and the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly. He has traveled the world sampling smoked meats at over 1,800 barbecue joints, most of which are in Texas.
Six years ago, we set out to answer that question and got inconclusive results. And while we’ve found new info, the mystery endures.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The ribs and sausage are great, but it was the mint chocolate chip cake at Beault's Backyard BBQ that made our barbecue editor giggle in delight.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
For now, Derek Degenhardt of Decatur’s North Texas Smoke is pursuing his passion by serving brisket, sausage, and a great loaded baked potato salad.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
With a goal of fostering intergenerational connection, the Alief Neighborhood Center is a new model for what a community center can be.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Texas Monthly’s barbecue editor goes all in on Wagyu beef—and the Texans who produce it.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
When Jordy Jordan opened the second location of Big D BBQ in the old Midlothian Mirror office, he wanted to pay homage to its controversial leader Penn Jones Jr.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Paul Cruz was battling some personal demons before finding faith and founding Cruz BBQ Company in Maypearl.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
From sweet chipotle to dirty rice, the options at this family-run Bellville sausage emporium run the gamut from tame to adventurous.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Using direct-heat methods, Nathan's BBQ shines when it comes to pork ribs and chicken, and it stands out from the local competition too.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Small towns, like Bellville in Austin County, raise funds for various efforts through preparing meat using direct heat and old-school brick pits.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Three joints in Tulsa and Oklahoma City have embraced brisket, beef sausage, and spareribs—but will bologna-loving Oklahomans follow suit?
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Her 1996 photo essay captured the joy and vitality of Andrew, Luke, and Owen Wilson's charmed youth in Dallas.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The Canadian city has its own barbecue culture, and it centers on beef that's smoked—sometimes without wood—and served in old-school delis.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Southern Smoke and Plateau Brewing are part of a revitalization effort of the downtown area and add more interest to this West Texas town.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Barbecue has come a long way from being cooked in a hole in the ground. But how did steel offsets, less than 40 years old, come to define the state’s style?
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Most pitmasters cook brisket on offset smokers, but Big Boy’s Bar-B-Que in Sweetwater practices the dwindling art of cooking over coals.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Texas Monthly writer Jan Jarboe Russell on profiling the larger-than-life Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
At one location, you'll find Desert Oak Barbecue's classic menu. At the other, it's breakfast, coffee, burritos, and burgers using trimmings.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The rich history of the Brownwood restaurant includes expansions, bankruptcy, a catchy jingle, and a towering cowboy statue that still stands.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
It may seem surprising, but this Midwestern state is excelling at brisket, ribs, and more, all inspired by Texas’s most famous joints.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Up in Smoke BBQ closed its Midland location after the 2020 bust, but it has resurfaced three hours east, in Early, with a new meat market.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
With more space and help, the Stearnses have developed a new brisket recipe and house-made sausages to take Jay’s BBQ Shack to the next level.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
B. Cooper Barbecue is still relatively unknown after two-plus years in business, but it’s serving dishes worth discovering, including Mangalitsa pork ribs.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The Fort Worth–based company has come out with another unusual, savory beer, this time in collaboration with Weatherford’s T&D Barbecue.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
A road trip from the Midwest to Austin culminated in Matt McKinney on bended knee in the pit room of the most famous joint in Texas.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Bud’s House of Meat in Houston took on the tradition of combining meat counter and restaurant, and it’s one of the few in the area still doing it.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Wade and Becky Brewer provide their small town of Buffalo, located between two major hubs, with delicious smoked meat at W. B. Custom Cooking.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Stephen Joseph of Riverport Bar-B-Cue in Jefferson serves Lebanese potato salad and spiced spareribs, and he hopes to incorporate more of his family’s recipes.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
From the Ex-Wife to the Mother Clucker, the sandwiches at Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue in Tyler hint at some legendary tales.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
M&M BBQ Company brought a neglected wood-fired rotisserie from 1984 back to life, in addition to making its own custom builds.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The Texas-style ribs, crispy onion rings, and lemon squares at Earnest B’s BBQ will win over even the most skeptical ’cue fans.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Remnants of the Smoke Pit can be found at Sammie’s Bar-B-Q, which boasts a massive smoked pork chop and the coldest, cheapest beer in town.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
These seven books cover the basics of smoking and grilling while livening things up with recipes for smoked duck lasagna and key lime cake.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Smoked jerk chicken, Trini pepper sauce, and fry bread sandwiches shine alongside Willie Meshack's classic Texas-style meats in Plano.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner—and that’s exactly what you should order at barbecue joints across the state that smoke theirs to perfection.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Even though Pizzitola's—formerly known as Shepherd Drive Bar-B-Q—embraces tradition, the Houston establishment isn't afraid of modernity.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The multigenerational ranch’s Midland Meat Company sells its famous Wagyu-Angus-Hereford crossbred beef directly to consumers.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Whether used in a sauce or served alongside a tray of meat, strong brews are finding their way back to Texas joints.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Hurry to the Fort Worth barbecue joint May 2 and 3 for Japanese sandwiches filled with egg salad, orange and cream, or smoked Wagyu tartare.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The new San Antonio joint reflects the flavors of the city with menu items like Mexican-influenced mac and cheese and queso fundido sausage.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The 139-year old Scharbauer Ranch now boasts a meat market and barbecue joint, setting up a symbiotic—and delicious—relationship.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The West Texas food truck serves road trip–worthy brisket and ribs.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
The Odessa staple was started by a musician tired of the night life. Now, his son and grandson carry on the tradition by staying "open and hoping."
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
While most joints proclaim there's just salt and pepper in their rubs, there is a key ingredient that even Aaron Franklin himself fesses up to using.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
House-made sausages and oak-smoked brisket help this joint—which recently debuted its brick-and-mortar—stand out from the local crowd.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
What started as a way to raise funds for medical bills became a purposeful endeavor for Ramiro Vargas and his family in Edinburg.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
And that’s just the beginning of the fun menu items at this Mission joint. Next up: choriqueso smoked burgers and made-to-order Micheladas.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Tortillas are just as common as white bread at these Alamo City joints, which excel at all manner of smoked meats, including chicken and lamb.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
After moving to the burbs, this barbecue joint is getting more adventurous with menu items like brisket enchiladas and fideo.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
An upstart couple in the kitchen teams up with a nonagenarian owner for a restaurant that doesn't miss a beat, from sides to meats to desserts.
Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.