Editor’s note: Opinion ranking based on public guides, reviews, awards, and social posts.
You will not find a single definition for Texas barbecue these days.
There are places that compel you to put in the time: plan a detour, wait in line and have a good argument over the smoke rings as if it were a matter of family history.
27. Reese Bros Barbecue, San Antonio
Reese Bros is on this list for good reason; it puts San Antonio on a tray. The brisket is important, but then there is the queso fundido sausage, the poblano mac and the general taco energy that gives the meal an identity you do not get with any old meat plate.
For the traveler looking for some city story along with his barbecue, it is the right kind of stop. Make sure to come in hungry when you are putting together a food day in San Antonio and save room for the sides.
26. Pinkerton’s Barbecue, Houston and San Antonio
There is a polish to Pinkerton’s but nothing sterile about it. Purists will be content with the old-school smokehouse confidence of the ribs, brisket and pulled pork, and the dining rooms are accommodating enough for those who would rather not make a pilgrimage to a folding chair.
Some Texas barbecue is meant to be a trial by fire, but at Pinkerton’s one can have a serious tray without turning lunch into a survival sport.
25. Smoke’N Ash BBQ, Arlington
Smoke’N Ash does not put on a show with its fusion. The Tex-Ethiopian way of doing things brings a new rhythm to the smoked meats in the form of stews, sandwiches, spice and heat. You will not find anything here that has been lifted from the rest of the state’s pit rooms.
In a place like Arlington where the barbecue map is crowded, a chopped brisket sandwich with flavors a traveler might not have anticipated is far more memorable than the usual safe bet of beans and brisket.
24. Hurtado Barbecue, Arlington
Hurtado has a certain volume to it that is welcome. With the prime brisket, pork ribs, hatch chile mac and charro beans, the Tex-Mex angle means the tray is full before the fork even comes out. It is a fine spot for anyone who wants momentum with their barbecue.
But take the same care with the hype as you would anywhere else: verify the hours and the lines and whether they have sold out before you count on the best of what they have at 2 p.m.
23. Hutchins BBQ, McKinney and Frisco
The North Texas crowd goes for Hutchins and the joint still has respect for the meat. A Dallas-area run is not complete without a tray of brisket, ribs, jalapeno sausage and sides that is perhaps a bit much, though many visitors would have it no other way.
It lacks the romance of a tiny hidden place, but its consistency is hard to beat, particularly when feeding a group with varying appetites.
22. Terry Black’s BBQ, Austin
One can call it a compliment to say Terry Black’s is made for volume. The cases are well stocked and the line keeps moving so there is no need to gamble a whole day on a sellout for some brisket or turkey with a true Texas stamp on it.
An Austin visitor has to balance traffic and hotels and food stops; in that equation, dependable barbecue is a luxury in itself.
21. Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin
Micklethwait has the sort of neighborhood-trailer vibe that keeps Austin barbecue from feeling too corporate. While the brisket makes the headlines, the casual outdoor setting and the sausage and sides put together a better lunch than the low-key appearance would have you think.
A reminder that a great meal does not require a big production. Micklethwait has a way of feeling like the one with dirt still under its boots for those making their way through Austin’s well-trodden tourist trail.
20. Panther City BBQ, Fort Worth
There is a Fort Worth confidence to Panther City. With specials ranging from smoked lengua tacos and beef fajita plates to some well-made barbecue sides, it is more than just a brisket-only affair.
In a city this competitive that is the smart way to go. One can put in an order for the traditional cuts, but what puts Panther City on the rankings is the ease with which it makes barbecue part of a larger Southside meal.
19. Distant Relatives, Austin
At Distant Relatives, you get a sense of barbecue’s wider food history. The African-diaspora flavors in the brisket, pork belly, goat or sausage give every bite more context than smoke could on its own, not to mention the rice and greens.
It is among the most compelling places in Austin to stop. Should a road trip begin to wear on you and feel repetitive, this is where to go to reset your expectations.
18. KG BBQ, Austin
For the notion that Texas barbecue has nowhere left to go, there is KG BBQ in Austin. Pomegranate-glazed ribs, spiced sausages and sauces with an Egyptian or Middle Eastern bent put the smoke in an entirely different register.
Fusion can be a risk, the idea often outshining the dish, but at KG the flavors are in service of the meat rather than sitting on top of it for show.
17. Blood Bros. BBQ, Bellaire
Blood Bros. is Houston’s case for why barbecue ought to be fun. Smoked meats here do not have to be confined; they appear in sandwiches, nachos, fried rice or char siu-style pork.
It is an ad-click promise that is easy to make since one can picture the plate before even reading the list. If the type of barbecue you prefer will not be told to stay in its lane, then Blood Bros. is what keeps things interesting.
16. Barbs B Q, Lockhart
Barbs B Q offers Lockhart a fresh perspective while acknowledging the old barbecue capital is still there. The green spaghetti, bright sides and sliced meats have a personal touch, as if a small crew has put down another story in town.
That is enough to put it ahead of some of the bigger names. In a place with such history, being good is not sufficient; Barbs is a reason to go back to a spot you thought you had figured out.
15. 2M Smokehouse, San Antonio
Then there is 2M Smokehouse in San Antonio, with a brisket and sausage rep that leaves the city under-represented in any statewide debate. You may see a simple tray at first glance but the details of the bark, fat and balance soon become apparent.
It is a reminder the city is not all tourist plazas and tacos. On a Texas road trip 2M is a solid, meat-driven anchor to have before you go after the latest fusion.
14. la Barbecue, Austin
The celebrity-pit aura is still there at la Barbecue in Austin, but the meat warrants it. There is a soft pull to a fine piece of brisket, a peppery edge and glistening middle that erases any memory of the wait.
It might not be the most unassuming choice on the list, but the obvious name is so for a reason: it delivers, provided you can get in line before the better cuts are gone.
13. CorkScrew BBQ, Spring
For those in the Houston area who will put in the miles to get beyond the inner loop, CorkScrew is a detour well worth making. With its selection of pulled pork, brisket, ribs, turkey and sausage tacos, it is an easy call for a party that can never decide on a single order.
Then there is slow scenic drives where the stops matter, which is driven by the same logic: you do not find the best food stops by sticking to a tidy city plan.
12. Cattleack Barbeque, Dallas
Cattleack is Dallas barbecue for the know-it-alls. The burnt ends, wagyu bologna, brisket and the like are heavy in the way any self-respecting fan would want them to be.
There is a certain tension to the place’s limited-hours standing; one could be annoyed by it or see it as part of the lore. But before you make a special trip of it, look at the service windows so your pilgrimage does not end with a locked door.
11. Franklin Barbecue, Austin
Visitors may have other names to put forward these days, but Franklin is still the benchmark. The line for brisket has become something of a ritual for the food tourist, having shown a whole generation what Central Texas can put on a plate.
Put it outside the top ten and some will take offence. We can live with that. Franklin is where it should be, though with the number of elite smokehouses in Texas now, fame is no longer enough to keep the crown indefinitely.
10. Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque, Wolfforth
You will not think of Evie Mae’s as some kind of regional consolation prize when you are far from the big three of Austin, Dallas and Houston. The cleanly made sides and the bark on the brisket give West Texas a heavyweight contender.
It is the sort of stop that justifies the long drive. For anyone mapping out West Texas roads, we suggest pairing it with overlooked American West stops worth building a trip around.
9. Truth Barbeque, Houston
Truth Barbeque puts down one of Houston’s more formidable classic plates. Brisket, ribs, bread, pickles and a tray of sides that is a proper commitment. It has a familiar look to it until you start eating.
Whether the hype is justified is a personal matter, but for the wary, tourist-trap restaurant signs travelers notice too late is worth considering and then let the plate at Truth speak for itself.
8. LaVaca BBQ, Port Lavaca
LaVaca is our Gulf Coast choice to add some range to the list. Between the chicken, the brisket beans, the coleslaw and potato salad, the tray is generous but never strays from being barbecue first.
There is also the satisfaction of a place unspoilt by the national tourism machine. If coastal excursions are your thing, file this in with small towns worth the drive.
7. Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Aledo
Dayne’s has the polished appeal of modern craft barbecue but does not lose its local character. The care put into the brisket and ribs makes Aledo seem like more than a convenient footnote to Fort Worth.
Ranking is a pain sometimes; in Texas the margin between third and seventh can come down to a sellout or the one bite you cannot forget.
6. InterStellar BBQ, Austin
There is a pit discipline to InterStellar that wins you over. You remember the peach tea pork belly and the brisket months later. It is Austin barbecue with a sci-fi sheen to it.
The wait will try your patience, but a place with such signature dishes has earned its position near the head of the statewide pack.
5. GW’s BBQ, San Juan
GW’s makes the case for a top-five spot in the Rio Grande Valley. The sausage is made with an eye to Lockhart roots but has the identity of the region and its own gravity.
Any Texas list confined to a handful of cities is missing the point, much as old American dining traditions are not the same from one town to the next.
4. Redbird BBQ, Port Neches
Redbird is putting Southeast Texas in the conversation with trays of turkey, koobideh and spicy garlic cheddar sausage. It is tradition with a bit of a twist.
You do not get the sense they are after trends; more like a pit crew has put together a style strong enough for the rest of us to take note of.
3. Goldee’s Barbecue, Fort Worth
At Goldee’s you have the aura of a place people measure up to. The brisket and pork belly might appear deceptively simple, but that is the hardest act to pull off.
It is one of the few famous haunts that still feels young enough to be debated. Plan a trip around a meal here and it fits right in with an public-access golf stops people plan whole weekends around.
2. LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, Austin
We rank LeRoy and Lewis high because it is modern Texas barbecue in the truest sense, not just the old formula with some upgrades. The beef cheeks and whole-animal approach have a restaurant polish to them.
Purists may want a rougher room, but if you want to know where the state is heading, this is as clear an answer as you will find.
1. Burnt Bean Co., Seguin
Burnt Bean is number one for good reason. It has the consistency to make Seguin a destination, along with the small-town personality and breakfast energy. What you get is serious meat and a playful range without any of the artifice.
Brisket is only part of the story in the best Texas barbecue today; you want the hospitality and the sides and a reason to recall the experience. Burnt Bean has all of that and more, and does not seem to be trying.
Comments
The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of HumbleTrail. HumbleTrail does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.
By posting a comment you agree to receive related emails from HumbleTrail in accordance with our Terms and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
