Best BBQ in Texas: Where to Feast on Smoked Meats (2024)

The best BBQ in Texas delivers melt-in-your-mouth fatty brisket, beef ribs big enough to feed a family of four, and creative scratch-made sides and desserts. Discovering Texas BBQ over the last seven years has been one of the great benefits of my move to the Lone Star State.

When I chose to live in Austin, I had no idea Central Texas-style BBQ joints offered some of the state's most delicious smoked meats. Franklin Barbecue had already attracted national acclaim and la Barbecue had long lines at its East Austin food truck. And yet, many of today's best places hadn't even opened their doors.

This list is organized by major metro areas and is based on my firsthand experience eating at the best barbecue joints in Texas. Outside of the Austin area, where my time is more limited, I've looked to Texas Monthly, a magazine with a barbecue editor on staff, for guidance. I recognize there's a lot of Texas I've yet to visit, and many excellent BBQ spots worth eating at won't be on this list. I'll add more as I try new places, though I intend to cap this curated list at roughly 15 of the state's best barbecue restaurants. Let's feast!

Austin

Franklin Barbecue

Franklin BBQ lives up to its reputation for producing excellent beef brisket, cooked low and slow over post oak wood. It's an extraordinary achievement, given pitmaster Aaron Franklin and his team only use salt and pepper for seasoning. I've come to appreciate that the best brisket doesn't require barbecue sauce. If I'm reaching for dressing, it's too dry or bland, and there's room for improvement.

In 2015, Franklin received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, further cementing his reputation on a national level. Don't let the long lines deter you from trying Austin's most famous barbecue joint. Even Anthony Bourdain had a long wait (President Obama got a pass). And if you're there on the weekend, get a beef rib; they're out of this world.

900 E 11th St, East Austin, TX,franklinbbq.com

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue

LeRoy and Lewis deliver "new-school barbecue with old-school service" out of a food trailer parked at the edge of Cosmic Coffee's patio in South Austin. They're known for serving Akaushi brisket from Heartbrand Beef on the weekends and beef cheeks from 44 Farms. Both are fit for a feast. Another standout option is their brisket burger, which tastes like a barbecue on a bun and earned a spot on my list of the best burgers in Austin.

121 Pickle Rd, South Austin, TX,leroyandlewisbbq.com

La Barbecue

La Barbecue was opened in 2012 by LeAnn Mueller, granddaughter of Louie Mueller (whose barbecue restaurant in Taylor, TX, has operated since 1949). She hired John Lewis, a pitmaster who previously worked at Franklin Barbecue, and together, they went on to create one of Austin's best BBQ restaurants. My introduction to tender brisket with a peppery crust came from la Barbecue, as the lines at their food truck (circa 2016-17) weren't as long as Franklin's. La Barbecue later opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant on East Cesar Chavez Street with a dining room and outdoor seating. Sadly, LeAnn Mueller passed away in June 2023. She is survived by her wife, Alison, who continues to run la Barbecue in LeAnn's honor.

2401 E Cesar Chavez St, East Austin, TX,labarbecue.com

Interstellar BBQ

You never know where Texas BBQ joints are going to spring up. That's my takeaway from seeing pitmaster John Batesopen InterStellar BBQ in the space of a former sandwich shop in a North Austin strip mall. His smokers are on a little median in the parking lot, which provides just enough space to produce some of the state's most delicious BBQ. A relative newcomer on the scene, Bates made a quick impression and was rewarded with the #2 ranking on Texas Monthly's 2021 edition of the "Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints." I love their peach tea glazed pork belly and Mexican chocolate rice pudding.

12233 Ranch Rd 620 N suite 105, North Austin, TX,theinterstellarbbq.com

Distant Relatives

Inspired by the African diaspora in the United States, pitmaster Damien Brockway opened Distant Relatives in August 2020. Operating out of the parking lot at Meanwhile Brewing in South Austin gave him instant visibility. He's been named a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas. I know I said earlier that great brisket doesn't require barbecue sauce; however, the sauces at Distant Relatives are tasty. The mustard butter complements the brisket, and the tamarind molasses does the same for the pulled pork.

3901 Promontory Point Dr, South Austin, TX,distatantrelativesatx.com

Valentina's Tex-Mex BBQ

At Valentina's, hungry BBQ fans line up early for breakfast tacos like the Real Deal Holyfield, made of egg, potatoes, refried beans, bacon, and a choice of brisket, pulled pork, or cerveza beef fajita. Pitmaster Miguel Vidal and his family have made a name for themselves by mixing Tex-Mex with Central Texas barbecue. You can still buy meats like their slow-cooked brisket, pork ribs, and pulled chicken by the pound, but their unique offering is lots of tacos! In addition to the breakfast tacos, which they stop selling at 11 a.m. sharp, there are brisket tacos with sea salt lime guacamole, smoked chicken fajitas tacos, and carnitas tacos with caramelized onions.

In 2023, Valentina's moved from their food truck in South Austin to a much larger restaurant in the Buda Mill & Grain Co., just south of Austin city limits.

Pro tip: add the brisket and guacamole to your order of queso and chips.

308 S Main St, Buda, TX,valentinastexmexbbq.com

Note: Stiles Switch BBQ is another great place in a strip mall (the one used in Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused").

Dallas-Fort Worth

Goldee's Barbecue

In 2021, Goldee's Barbecue was ranked number one in the state by Texas Monthly magazine, launching the already popular new spot into superstardom. Goldee's owners (Jalen Heard, Nupohn Inthanousay, Lane Milne, Dylan Taylor, and Jonny White) have known each other since childhood and all worked at other top-tier BBQ spots before joining forces on their own. I gave Goldee's three hours of my life waiting in line for their brisket, beef ribs, and homemade sides. They even go so far as to bake their white bread. The investment was worthwhile, with the brisket and beef ribs on par with what you can expect at Franklin's in Austin.

4645 Dick Price Rd, Fort Worth, TX,goldeesbbq.com

Panther City BBQ

Brisket-topped elote was all I needed to hear to head over to Panther City BBQ during my first time in Fort Worth. The generous mixture of smoked brisket and street corn (made with cream cheese, Mexican cheese, and cream) was divine. Panther City's brisket and pork belly burnt ends were also delicious and undoubtedly helped them earn a spot in the top ten of Texas Monthly's best barbecue joints for 2021.

201 E Hattie St, Fort Worth, TX,panthercitybbq.com

Houston

Truth Barbeque

Self-taught pitmaster Leonard Botello IV got his start smoking three briskets a day out of a shack in Brenham, TX, west of Houston. Seven years later, Texas Monthly awarded his second location of Truth Barbeque in Houston, the #3 rank in the state, behind Goldee's and InterStellar. There's a line every day when they open. However, it's still a far shorter wait to eat Truth barbecue than Franklin's or Goldee's (Botello's brisket is on par with both).

110 S Heights Blvd, Houston, TX,truthbbq.com

Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue

At Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue, what began as a bean-to-bar craft chocolate business developed into one of the best BBQ restaurants in Texas. Tejas was at the top of my list of Houston BBQ joints to try in 2023, and it lived up to its reputation. Kel and I shared an enormous beef rib, fatty brisket, beef burnt ends, and sides of cornbread casserole and carrot souffle. There were plenty of tasty BBQ leftovers to take home for lunch the next day. And that was all before we picked out four giant chocolate truffles, each affording 3-4 delicious bites.

200 N Elm St, Tomball, TX,tejaschocolate.com

Blood Bros. BBQ

Another South Texas favorite is Blood Bros. BBQ in the Bellaire neighborhood of Houston. Here, you'll find menu items with Asian influences, such as Gochujang glazed pork ribs and pork belly fried bao buns. The innovative menu contributed to pitmaster Quy Hoang being named a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef —Texas. So far, the best thing I have eaten here has been the Pig Moe sandwich with pulled pork, melted provolone-mozzarella cheese, and blueberry habanero sauce on grilled Hawaiian bread. It's comfort food full of flavor and a pure pleasure to eat.

5425 Bellaire Blvd, Bellaire, TX,bloodbrosbbq.com

Lockhart

Barbs-B-Q

In May 2023, the all-female team at Barbs-B-Q opened their restaurant smack-dab-in-the-middle of Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas. Despite their recent arrival in a city that helped put Texas BBQ on the map decades ago, these young women are no novices.

The Owners

The Food

Now that I've introduced you to these three extraordinary ladies let's turn to the food. After waiting in line for an hour on a cool Saturday morning, Kel and I ordered a 1.25-pound beef rib, ¼ pound of brisket, green spaghetti, cole slaw, fresh spelt swirl bread, concha pudding, and choco pudding. The rib was massive, and I'm still eating leftovers several days later (it's just as good reheated!). It wasn't quite as fatty and fall-off-the-bone as we've had at Franklin's and Goldee's, but it was still awesome. The fatty brisket was fantastic.

The signature green spaghetti ("green spagett" on the menu) is a pasta covered in mildly spicy roasted poblano sauce. The recipe was handed down from Charnichart's mother (the dish was often served at parties in Brownsville). Lastly, we tried both the puddings. While I had no trouble finishing the concha pudding, Kel and I agreed that the chocolate pudding with salty cookie crumble was the best.

102 E Market St, Lockhart, TX, barbsbq.com

San Antonio

Curry Boys BBQ

The Brisket Smoke Show at Curry Boys BBQ is one of the best barbecue meals I've experienced since moving to Texas. The small pink restaurant on the Strip, a nightlife district in Midtown San Antonio, serves this killer combo of smoked brisket with green curry and rice. Pay the 75 cents extra for the crispy chili oil on the side to kick up the spiciness.

Menu items I look forward to trying on return visits include The Tony Porker (pulled pork with Penang curry), Good Luck Cluck (smoked chicken with yellow curry), and the Curry queso and chips. The culinary creativity of co-owners Andrew Ho, Andrew Samia, and Sean Wen was recognized in 2023 when they were named James Beard Award Semifinalists for Best Chef, Texas.

536 E Courtland Pl, San Antonio, TX, curryboysbbq.com

Seguin

Burnt Bean Co.

The day after attending WurstFest in New Braunfels for the first time, Kel and I motored over to nearby Seguin to get lunch at Burnt Bean Co. Despite rain and chilly weather, there was a line out the door at 11 a.m. After about an hour-long wait, it was our turn to order, and we got a massive beef rib, brisket, pork ribs, pepper jack sausage, and a Sunday barbacoa taco. Sides included street corn pudding, sweet potatoes with toasted marshmallows, and green beans. Every item we tried managed to one-up what we've grown used to at other Texas BBQ joints.

These days, a tender beef rib is often my favorite. But at Burn Bean Co., the barbacoa taco, a quarter-pound of juicy meat on a homemade flour tortilla, impressed me the most—simply excellent barbecue. Desserts are ordered separately at the back of the restaurant, housed in a historic building on the town square. Kel enjoyed the peach cobbler taco, and we were both impressed with the banana pudding and chocolate cake. The leftovers provided four more meals at home (eight servings total). Having dined at Franklin's and Goldee's, I can confidently say Burnt Bean Co. belongs in that rarified company.

108 S Austin St, Seguin, TX, burntbeanco.com

Wrapping Up

We've reached the end, and if you live in Texas or watch Chef's Table on Netflix, you might wonder how this list could be published without the legendary pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz at Snow's BBQ. The answer is that I haven't been there yet. But getting up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday and driving one hour east of Austin to stand in line for many more hours is on the agenda. It's perhaps one of the most authentic BBQ experiences in the Lone Star State. As I continue to try more places in these cities and wherever else I may roam in search of the best BBQ in Texas, I'll keep you posted.