Is there such a thing as too much good barbecue? That’s the question Texas Monthly asks in its much-agonized list of 50 Best Barbecue Joints in Texas that dropped Monday morning into the grease-stained hands of barbecue aficionados.
The magazine already knows the answer – and so does a hungry barbecue nation – but, the list lays out sprawling testimony that you can never have too much truly exceptional barbecue. And the best place to find it is in Texas.
Led by barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly’s team of barbecue experts canvased the state in its smoky entirety. They traveled thousands of miles in 2024, visiting 319 barbecue joints, narrowed to a list of 120 “solid contenders” and further whittled down to Top 50. While it had its moments of tedium and exhaustion, Vaughn writes, the exercise (which the magazine conducts every four years) is also thrilling. The Texas barbecue landscape is so much more than brisket and ribs, the reviewers found. Multicultural influences, superlative smoked sausages, inventive side dishes, and the resurgence of lamb are just some of the trends that have come on strong since the 2021 roundup.
While Austin continues to dominate the list, Houston turns in a solid performance with seven Houston-area smokehouses that cracked the prestigious Top 50. Led by No. 9 powerhouse Truth Barbecue, the Houston pack includes Brisket & Rice, Pinkerton’s Barbecue, CorkScrew BBQ in Spring, Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q in Spring, and two Montgomery joints Bar-A-BBQ and Jennings & Co. BBQ.
Texas Monthly also compiled a separate list of Honorable Mentions that included 10 area joints: Blood Bros. BBQ, Brett’s BBQ, Feges BBQ, Gatlin’s BBQ, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, J-Bar-M Barbecue, Killen’s Barbecue, Roegels Barbecue Co., Space City B-B-Q, and Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue.
Earning Michelin Guide recognition for barbecue apparently doesn’t hurt. Last year’s inaugural Texas guide included a slate of favorite smokehouses – Michelin’s first recognition of American barbecue. Spring’s CorkScrew BBQ, with its prestigious one-star ranking, found its way onto the Texas Monthly Top 50. Pinkerton’s BBQ and Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q, both with Michelin Bib Gourmand status, also made it onto the Texas Monthly list.
The Texas Monthly Top 10:
- Burnt Bean Co., Seguin
- LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, Austin
- Goldee’s Barbecue, Fort Worth
- Redbird BBQ, Port Neches
- GW’s BBQ, San Juan
- InterStellar BBQ, Austin
- Dayne’s Craft Barbecue, Aledo
- LaVaca BBQ, Port Lavaca
- Truth Barbecue, Houston
- Evie Mae’s Pit Barbecue, Wolfforth
For the full list, visit texasmonthly.com.
