Opened: 2012Pitmasters: Francisco Saucedo, 30, and Brendan Lamb, 28Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pitPro tip: Skip the line by ordering at least five days out on their website. Your first choice should be sausage. Rating: 4.25. Thur–Sun 11–4 or till meat runs out. That’s where the magic happens. The ample pork spareribs had a barely sweet crust and ideal tenderness. For dessert? 2M Smokehouse opened last year and quickly gained traction. Owners LeAnn Mueller (yes, of the Louie Mueller clan) and Ali Clem have hunkered down at the Aztec Food Park in their fancy new food trailer. Opened: 2011Pitmasters: Israel “Pody” Campos, 42; Veronica Campos, 35; and Margaret Franco, 61Method: Pecan, oak, and mesquite; offset smokers and a wood-fired rotisseriePro tip: Pody will show you his sheriff’s badge if you ask nicely. Opened: 2013Pitmaster: Matt Proctor, 33Method: Oak; all-wood rotisserie smokerPro tip: Snag one of their “Make BBQ Great Again” hats. Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–4. Tue–Sat 11–6, Sun 11–3 or till meat runs out. We didn’t see pitmaster Roy Perez and his famous muttonchop sideburns on our last visit to the Lockhart institution, but the rest was reassuringly familiar. Rating: 4.25. 1109 W. Magnolia Ave, 817-882-6970. Riverport is a quintessential small-town barbecue joint, sitting on a corner in a charming East Texas town. Strip centers are seldom homey, but the first thing you’ll notice at Top 5 is a sense of community. The barbecue initially suffered through some growing pains and inconsistency, but now it’s back to normal, and their excellent beef rib has thankfully made its way onto the daily menu. 516 Main, 979-542-8189. In a world of barbecue lists, the Texas Monthly Top 50 is one of the most celebrated, discussed, and argued. That location opened in late 2016 with a new fleet of smokers, a much larger staff, and a well-appointed bar designed to bring in a hip crowd. Opened: 2017. Ditto the velvety shreds of pulled pork with bits of crunchy, caramel-hued crust. Year after year, all across the Lone Star State, where beef is king and there’s a brisket smoking somewhere down every major thoroughfare, we all want to know. In 2012, his daughter married Jackson, making the original Bodacious a true family business. Opened: 2015 Pitmaster: Arnis Robbins, 33Method: Oak; offset smokerPro tip: Grab a free Shiner from the beer tub while you stand in line. The super-friendly counter folks might hand you a bit of sausage or brisket to nibble. But Hall, Proctor’s twenty-year-old apprentice, handled the pit with aplomb. 1612 S. I-35, 512-392-6000. Barbecue from a ramen restaurant? Pork loin and pepper-crusted turkey breast are eminently juicy, while the homemade beef and pork sausage links are fantastic, serving as a proper homage to the region’s sausage-making traditions. The bread, pickles, onions, and mustard-based barbecue sauce are free. Rating: 4.25. Wed–Sat 11–2 or till meat runs out. It’s not crazy to order a couple of extra ribs to tide you over during your drive back to town. Get our weekly newsletter, filled with good reads, news analysis—and updates on special events. But along the way, the barbecue evolution happened, and now it’s tough to find a hotter ’cue operation anywhere north of Dallas. The brisket possesses an intense meaty flavor, subtle but deep smoke penetration, and a fine black-pepper crust. The city made the announcement that the festival wouldn’t be happening just a … —Daniel Vaughn. Hit the condiments bar for pickled veggies, salsa, and barbecue sauces. TEXAS MONTHLY puts out the TOP 50 BBQ list in Texas. Mon–Sat 10:30–8. Don’t skip dessert; you want some homemade pecan cobbler. If you order actual brisket, you may find the best bites come from around its beautifully crusted edges. But two steps inside the door, you’re hit by a flood of rich meaty aromas and realize you’re one lucky son of a gun. The sweet and salty spareribs were supremely tender, as was the combination of simple pinto beans and hot-water cornbread on the side. Until, that is, they try the meat. The sliced brisket is excellent too, even from the lean side, but it’s the beef rib, lusciously fatty, that’ll have you coming back. Mon–Sat 7–6. https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/best-texas-bbq-bites-of-2020 Just off Interstate 37, Smolik’s second location (the 1989 original is downtown) is worth a detour. Caldwell said only, “You can ask . They Accused a Man of Sexual Assault in a Small West Texas Town. Every ounce of your being recoils at the idea of eating barbecue in an industrial-area strip center in north Dallas. Feb 12, 2021 — By Daniel Vaughn. It was a gift to LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin from Double 8 Cattle Company, and the whole brisket would have normally cost $1,700. Opened: 1958Pitmaster: Joe Capello Sr., 70Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pitPro tip: There are two separate lines for meats and sides; bring a friend. The fatty brisket actually had us giddy. Rating: 4.75. Joining the line, you turn to gaze at the big open-air shed out back. Nearly a half-pound of sliced smoked brisket goes inside a fresh baked biscuit with a thick slather of house-made chimichurri. Rare is the roadhouse without a “Bikers Welcome!” banner flying as proudly as Old Glory herself. Pitmasters: Aaron Franklin, 39; Braun Hughes, 40. With the exception of the chicken, which was slightly lacking in flavor, all the meats were top-notch. Given all that, we wouldn’t have been surprised if the barbecue at his restaurant had started to slip. When you see a red, white, and blue “BBQ” flag, you know you’ve arrived. Sat-Sun 11–2 or till meat runs out. The last Texas Monthly list in 2008 had three places in DFW: Baker’s Ribs in Dallas, Cousin’s Barbecue in Ft. Worth and Big Daddy’s Roadhouse BBQ in Lavon. Plus, the roomy place, with beer signs and communal tables, is fun for families and groups. Pitmaster Greg Gatlin used to be a defensive back at Rice, which was no doubt good mental training for running a barbecue business. I'd like to ive Snow's a try some day. (Don’t worry, it won’t.). It’s a trick to give the brisket the grilled flavor of direct-heat cooking, but in an indirect heat smoker. Rating: 4.25. How could it have any soul! We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Standout desserts, handled by Momma Miller, a.k.a. The bark on the brisket and beef rib is a thing of black and spicy beauty, the meat beneath tender and moist. The beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon but holds together until the first luscious mouthful. Gatlin’s BBQ. Research assistance by interns Lauren Beccue, Cat Cardenas, Marisa Charpentier, Megan Hix, Lauren L’Amie, Courtney Runn, Virginia Scherer, Emily Varnell, and Katie Walsh. And the chicken, the downfall of many a joint, had juicy drumsticks with deep flavor all the way to the bone. 261 Hwy 67, 972-291-5031. Part-beef, part-pork, and all-around flavorful, it boasts a snap that is particularly satisfying. On occasion, they’re in a hurry to get a brisket out and the fat doesn’t render enough, but that’s a very rare flub. Top 50 winners still proudly display framed copies of the magazine article with their listing even if it was from the 2008 issue or earlier. Brisket tacos with pickled nopales at 2M Smokehouse. Rating: 4.5. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. They now serve, alongside house-roasted-cacao truffles, superlative smoked meats. No, really, he lives upstairs. Equally as good were the tasty pork ribs, and while they weren’t the meatiest we’ve ever had, their distinct mesquite flavor held on right down to the bone. The juicy stories you crave, delivered to your inbox. The barbecue issue is a highly anticipated issue that only comes out every few years. On a lean cut of Franklin brisket, a line of soft, yielding fat gilds the edge, carrying with it the vanilla-tinged flavor of oak smoke and a black-pepper bite. Other standouts are jalapeño-cheese grits; a creamy, mustard-rich potato salad; and chef-quality lemon poppy-seed slaw. The incredibly juicy chopped barbacoa is available by the pound, but I suggest the taco version topped with chimichurri and pickled red onion. 619 N. Colorado (U.S. 183), 512-398-2361. The USDA Prime brisket is rich, juicy, and encased in a well-balanced pepper-and-salt bark. The next newsletter will be sent out in March of 2021. It shouldn’t take long to know whether that call is indeed bold or just plain boneheaded. Rating: 4. A thick slice of fatty brisket from Interstellar BBQ doesn’t need sauce, but it sure tastes great with avocado salsa, cotija cheese, and some onion and cilantro on a flour tortilla. The homemade sides and condiments include a tomato-based barbecue sauce with caramelized onions and even a tangy chimichurri. The biggest challenge in the Fort Worth the Wait platter at Dayne’s Craft Barbecue is finding its weak spot. At one end is an anatomical image of a pig, its parts labeled in French. Tucked inconspicuously in the back right-hand corner of the building, its dark windows don’t let on about the meat magic happening behind them, but, boy, is it. Do Thousands of Bat Deaths Mean Texans Will Face a Mosquito-Ridden Summer? Our suggestion? Opened: 2010Pitmaster: Tyler Frazer, 49Method: Mesquite and oak blend; indirect-heat pitPro tip: Go on Thursday for green-chile mac and cheese. Opened: 1900 (current location since 1999)Pitmaster: Roy Perez, 55Method: Post oak; indirect-heat brick pitPro tip: BYOF. Their selections exhibit a subtler post oak–smoke flavor than is typical of the area, and the variety is ample. Pitmaster: Brad Doan. Texas Monthly Top 50 Barbecue – over forty years of lists analyzed. One of the secrets of the joint’s exceptional quality is that co-pitmasters Michael Sambrooks and Bramwell Tripp use USDA Prime beef and Berkshire-Duroc pork. There were not many BBQ events on the calendar, and our travels have been limited. The well-barked brisket, though a touch dry, is incredibly flavorful. Tue–Sat 10–5. 2731 S. WW White Rd, 210-885-9352. Often the meats are out on display, making it hard to resist a peppery pork rib or a link of the plump, homemade beef sausage. Rating: 4.75. The menu too has grown with time. Wed–Mon 11–10 or till meat runs out. 2223 S. Voss Rd, 713-977-8725. When your feast is over, sit a spell in the restaurant’s Texas-size backyard, full of vintage delights. Enter your email below to send a password reset email. A sweet glaze distinguishes the juicy pork ribs, and even the pulled pork—which elsewhere is often indistinguishable from wet felt—has bits of crust and ample smoke flavor. JNL BBQ in Austin builds a beautiful barbecue platter. The beef ribs (offered daily) were long gone, but the pork spareribs we ordered were just the right amount of sweet. Opened: 2000Pitmaster: Alan Caldwell, 53Method: Oak (and another unspecified wood); indirect-heat pitPro tip: Go Wednesday for beef ribs. … The address makes you think that the place is in the city of Hearne, but it’s actually a 23-mile jaunt into the middle of nowhere. Or go for the pork chop, a pink, pepper-crusted behemoth that could feed four. Our best recipes and favorite places to eat. Moderator: ... so I left a little early and on the way stopped in at Roegel's BBQ on Houston's West Side (Texas Monthly Top 50). And if you’re running late, check social media to see what’s sold out. Order just one at your own peril. Their fanatical attention results in buttery meat with a thick, peppery black crust that glistens like a city at night. Dirk’s wife, Lisa, range from red velvet cake to fluffernutter cookies. The tender, fatty brisket is certainly familiar, but at 2M Smokehouse you can get it folded into locally made flour tortillas (top them with pico de gallo or spring for the house-made pickled nopales). Spare ribs are always on the menu at Meshack’s, but call a day or two ahead and you can have a full rack of baby back ribs made with Travis Mayes’s special recipe. A mere eight years later, after making our Top 50 list, they moved into bigger and better digs. Freedmen’s is no stranger to the pages of Texas Monthly. Rating: 4.25. A Houston native, Pinkerton started grilling for his family when he was 12, but never envisioned his cooking techniques would eventually land a business of his on Texas Monthly’s coveted “Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas,” which was last released in 2017.. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in the late 2000s, Pinkerton returned to Houston and started working at a gym. In 2009 Nick Pencis—a rock and roll drummer, two-time business-school dropout, and owner of Stanley’s—had an epiphany. The Bewley pit in back turns out a great brisket even though this is one of the few spots on our list that doesn’t use premium beef. There are sides of potato salad, coleslaw, and Southern-style vegetables to round out your repast, as well as gratis beans. Oh, one final thing: Thursday’s lunch special, a smoked pastrami Reuben, is deliriously good. They really have a good assortment of BBQ and very good desserts.The list just came out today. The sausage was aromatic with garlic and pepper, and the plump halves of smoked chicken were remarkably moist. 26608 Keith, 832-592-1184. A few pleases and thank-yous are worth it. Michael and Asenette Hernandez’s place sits on the frontage road alongside other restaurants you’ve probably never heard of. The seasoning isn’t overdone, and there’s no heavy glaze to take away from the clean flavor of fatty smoked pork. The quesitacos from 225 BBQ are just one reason to visit this inventive barbecue truck. Texas Monthly Ultimate Guide to BBQ 3. There are antique signs galore on the walls, and tall ceilings with exposed rafters. Mon–Fri 11–6, Sat 10–6. Both joints cook them over wood until the exterior is crisp, then chop them to fill locally made tortillas. And to our delight, the pork ribs were just as we’d remembered, with meat that let go of the bone when we bit into its sweet and salty crust. They opened Baker Boys BBQ in a metal building on the east side of Gonzales two years ago. A Pecan Lodge alum has opened up a barbecue joint named Melt in Paris, France, so the joint’s influence doesn’t end in Dallas. Opened: 1955Pitmaster: Mando Vera, 56Method: Mesquite coals; subterranean pit.Pro tip: Get there early and ask to check out the pits where the barbacoa is cooked. In 2008 the quartet of brisket, pork ribs, sausage, and chicken ruled our list, and we lamented aberrations such as deli turkey. Smoke Shack hasn’t always made its own sausage, but now it’s making multiple flavors of links, and even house-made hot dogs. Opened: 1968 (reopened in 2015) Pitmasters: Jordan Jackson, 34, and Scott Turner, 30Method: Mesquite, post oak; four different pits: vertical flow, offset, indirect heat, direct heatPro tip: The brisket is marathon-smoked for 24 to 26 hours. Rating: 4.75. Once the term “Texas barbecue belt” meant the center of the state. KIRBY'S in Mexia has made it again. Tue–Sat 11–7. By Texas Monthly. Rating: 4.25. Periodically, trays of aromatic meats are toted inside to be sliced by the efficient crew overseen by Kim, Bexley’s wife, in the small dining room. Rating: 4.75. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. Oh, and leave room for buttermilk pie. He enjoyed having his mama’s cooking once again, but he also found himself intrigued by Central Texas barbecue. Once safely inside, you’ll take comfort in the wood-paneled walls, shiny picnic tables, dainty window coverings, and hospitality of Robert and Penny Payne, retirees turned pitmasters who work out of what looks like a home kitchen. Kolaches, of course. The smoking technique is a bit unusual, because Pinkerton starts his meats over strong mesquite and finishes them with mild post oak. The man’s a purist. Greene calls it his universal rub—“because I put it on everything”—and you’ll taste it most clearly on the tender pork ribs. Wed–Thur 11–2:30, Fri 11–6, Sat 11–2:30. Not only is its building a former basketball court/gymnasium, its place in the history of Texas barbecue is unquestionably regal. 1701 S. Texas Ave (new location), 979-778-3662. And will make a point of trying out CattleAck in the near future. Layered banana pudding, made from the excellent recipe of Phil’s late mother, Virgie. It bestows upon them lavishly peppered brisket, beef ribs of monumental heft, and snappy house-made jalapeño sausage oozing with beefy deliciousness. I guess pizza shops are too, so let’s give an honorable mention to the smoked brisket lasagna from Zoli’s in Addison and Fort Worth. Looking back, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of incredible barbecue this year provided, and paring down this list to the best barbecue dishes of 2020 was difficult. Opened: 2016Pitmasters: Michael Sambrooks, 31, and Bramwell Tripp, 33Method: Post oak; offset smokerPro tip: Order the house-made chicharrones and drizzle them with hot sauce. Stuffing a tamale with smoked meat is nothing new in Texas, but what about smoking the whole thing? In 2015, he took over the location of the original Bodacious mini-chain from founder Roland Lindsey. Opened: 2013Pitmaster: Miguel Vidal, 37Method: Mesquite; wood-fired offset smokerPro tip: You definitely want the smoked corn with Mexican crema. Rating: 4.25. The pork ribs, hefty and high quality, beat the sausage, which is nice and coarse but awfully salty. Rating: 4.75. By 11 a.m., customers are queueing up for thick-cut brisket, monster spareribs, and signature green-chile hominy. The cancellation of SXSW 2020 was a watershed moment in the coronavirus pandemic. 1301 19th, 830-426-4445. Get some. First, quality. Evie Mae’s shiny new strip-center spot has been open a little more than a year, but visitors from nearby Lubbock don’t seem to miss the food truck (conveniently, the new place is about a quarter mile from the old location). Of the top 25 new barbecue joints in Texas, two are located within North Texas: Panther City BBQ and Smoke Sessions Barbecue. They consist of the dean of Texas pitmasters, Tootsie Tomanetz; her boss and the owner of Snow’s, Kerry Bexley; and the new kid on the block, pit hand Clay Cowgill. Service here is meat-market style: customers line up for sides and desserts before being ushered by a meat cutter over to the chopping block. Texan Adoptees Are Fighting for the Right to Access Their Own Birth Certificates, Meanwhile, in Texas: A Policeman and His K-9 Officer Stopped a Carjacker in San Marcos, No, Really, Matthew McConaughey Might Run for Governor, Believe It or Not, It’s Still College Football Season in Texas, smoked mollejas in Duval and Jim Hogg counties. It sits amid picnic tables on a tree-shaded lot in East Austin and offers superlative victuals, including brisket (embraced by a super-peppery, midnight-dark bark), rosy pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and a spectacular, fat-slicked beef rib that will feed four (and set you back a very-much-worth-it $20 a pound). All packages ship 2-3 day flat rate Priority USPS. If you aren’t familiar with birria tacos, take a look at our taco editor’s recent Texas Tacopedia for an explanation, then make plans to visit Vaquero’s Texas Bar-B-Q at Hop & Sting Brewing. Update: Top 5 closed in the spring of 2019. Opened: 2016Pitmaster: Michael Wyont, 28Method: Post oak; offset and reverse-flow smokersPro tip: Order extra of the homemade pickles. 205 W. Broad, 972-552-3363. The Best Barbecue in Texas This barbecue thing has been the subject of much debate and the topic of many a tourist’s questions. True texas bbq houston area barbecue spots on texas texas monthly reveals 50 best bbq Pork ribs being glazed at Killen’s Barbecue. The smoked tamale is stuffed with barbecue at LaVaca BBQ in Port Lavaca. Opened: 1959Pitmasters: Nick Pencis, 41, Jonathan Shaw, 38Method: Pecan; gas-fired smoker (ribs), indirect-heat pit (everything else)Pro tip: Have a Breakfast Brother-in-Law in the morning and a Pork Brother-in-Law in the afternoon. Kendon Greene greets every customer with “It’s a smoking good day!” and the staff is equally friendly and chatty. In tribute, we raised a glass of the bourbon-based cocktail they call the Ol’ Schmokey. There is creamy mac and cheese with sizzling bacon crumbled on top; slow-cooked collard greens; rapturously buttery corn pudding; and bright, crisp slaw. It’s just wrong! But the star of the show may be the girthy pork-and-beef sausage from Pollok’s in Falls City. ), and interior (ancient stone walls, tufted leather upholstery). From the June 2020 Issue Subscribe Now 1775 Texas Pit BBQ. 206 W. 2nd, 512-352-6206. The pride and honor in having been included doesn’t expire over time. 6610 N. Lamar Blvd, 512-380-9199. Tue–Sat 11–6 or till meat runs out. By contrast, Houston has four entries, Austin seven. Franklin Barbecue. This is the only blog post I will write and the only BBQ event I attended this year. The jalapeño-cheese sausage will have you nodding your head as if to say, “Oh, yeah, that’s good.” The sizeable pork ribs may not quite measure up to the other two, but they are still convincing. On a stormy morning, we were grateful to be handed a sample of tender, well-seasoned brisket as we huddled under the overhang. After driving down Old San Antonio Road for long enough to decide you’ve surely gotten lost, you’ll finally arrive at the tiny wooden building—and we do mean tiny—that belongs to Blue Moon BBQ. Unassuming at first glance, it’s welcoming on the inside, with Texana kitsch and corrugated metal walls. Pitmaster Miguel Vidal’s fifteen-hour mesquite-smoked brisket, lush and moist, is at its best when tucked into one of their heavenly homemade flour tortillas, lightly crisped on the griddle, making the air smell of campfires and cookouts.