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1 credit tk credit tk Texas has no peer on earth. If you’re reading this in Texas, you may wonder why we need to begin with such an obvious statement, but there are people who contend otherwise. In Kansas City they tout paltry slices of gray T covered in sweet ketchup; the whole thing resembles cold cuts more than barbecue, which is why their arguments generally center on sauce rather than . In Memphis they grill over charcoal and fret about whether to hide the product under Let’s back up. The American barbecue tradition is rooted in numerous ancient practices. Caddo Indians had a method a pool of sugary sauce or cover it with for venison, and in the West Indies, natives grilled flavored dust. In the Carolinas they lift on a frame of green sticks. When European colonists arrived in the , no doubt tired of all the salt cod their noses and say through pursed, vin- from the long Atlantic passage, they found a local populace egary lips that they invented barbecue. given to roasting all manner of game—iguanas, fish, birds, corn, pretty much anything at hand. The Europeans’ contri- They may have a claim there, but luck- bution to this scenario was to introduce a tasty new animal: ily we Texans came along to perfect it. the hog. Not only was this beast a marked improvement over

Tru e M a p of American Ba r b e The One c u e

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S 1 1 1 Map by Jon Contino the previous fare, but its own gastronomic habits proved well urban areas—Angelo’s in Fort Worth, Otto’s in Houston, suited to the slop-filled environs of the burgeoning Eastern Sonny Bryan’s in Dallas—but they were hardly citified. Our seaboard. In rural areas and colonial burgs, pigs would roam first fifty-best lists of the new century, compiled in 2003 freely, indiscriminately eating trash until someone decided and 2008, showed little change in that regard. to roast them, which was done in the local manner—a hole Then something happened. A tectonic shift occurred. in the ground, a fire, and a split hog laid directly above it on Over a few short years, beginning around 2009, an unprec- a wood frame. edented number of brand-new, very good joints opened Barbecue might never have advanced beyond this crude up. (Sixteen of this year’s top fifty—including two of the stage but for the fact that another type of animal had come top four—were not even in existence five years ago.) Even to these shores at the same time as the pig: the cow. Even- more unusual, most were in cities, operated by fanatical tually, bovines made their way up through to the young pitmasters like Houston’s Greg Gatlin of Gatlin’s vast grazing lands of Texas, and it didn’t take long for us to BBQ, Dallas’s Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge, San Antonio’s figure out what to do with them. We started out by placing Tim Rattray of the Granary, and the biggest sensation of the beef directly over the flames but eventually adopted them all, Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, in Austin. a more elegant approach by which the meat was smoked They were traditionalists, students of the canonical joints, to tenderness in a chamber with a fire pit at one end and disciples who would bring the old ways into a new age and a chimney at the other. Over time, barbecue proliferated a new place. And they found an enthusiastic reception throughout the state, eventually leading to the opening of among not just longtime barbecue hounds but also the commercial establishments like Elgin’s Southside Market, growing ranks of the food-obsessed, the type of people who in 1886, and Lockhart’s Kreuz Market, in 1900. We’ve been shop at farmers’ markets, stock their fridges with artisanal arguing about barbecue joints ever since. pickles, and tweet pictures of their meals. Suddenly, that Unlike our friends in the South, however, our arguments most traditional of foods—pit-—was reaching involve only the important stuff—not who has the better a much wider audience. sauce or rub but who has the best meat. And in Texas, this means beef. Sure, we smoke hogs, in the form of spareribs, chops, or M a p of A even (gasp) , but we e Tru e merican Ba r b e c The On u e specialize in the Mount Ever- est of barbecue: . In all of barbecuedom, there is no greater challenge and no greater reward. This year marks the fifth time that t e x a s m o n t h ly has sought to identify the state’s finest purvey- ors of smoked meat. In 1973—our first year of publication—we se- lected the top twenty joints in the state, singling out Kreuz Market and Taylor’s Louie Mueller Barbe- cue as the best of the best. In 1997 we expanded our list to include the left: Lockhart’s Kreuz Market in its early days. Founded in 1900, it’s still going strong fifty best joints, with Kreuz and (though in a new building as of 1999). right: Elgin’s Southside Market (which became photographs Louie Mueller still at the top. Both famous for its Elgin hot guts), in 1927. Then-owner Lee Wilson is on the right. were—and remain—exemplars of the German meat-market style, which has always been, in We are now in the golden age of Texas barbecue. A new c our this magazine’s opinion, the primary form of Texas barbe- generation has arisen to take its place beside the stalwarts, tesy of kreuz cue. It’s true that we can boast tremendous diversity in our and together they are producing more truly exceptional methods—from the glazed ribs of East Texas to the cowboy brisket, ribs, sausage, pork loin, pork chops, pork butt, style found farther west—but the Central Texas holy trinity hot guts, prime rib, chopped beef, and chicken than ever m

arket and of brisket, sausage, and ribs (beef and pork), smoked for before. The pitmasters featured on the following pages

many hours in an indirect-heat pit and served on butcher offer the closing argument in the long-standing case of t paper, remains this state’s finest contribution to the genre. Texas barbecue versus the world. That case may now be S m outhside

Until recently, that kind of meal was synonymous with considered closed. S small-town joints like Kreuz and Louie Mueller. For most of And now, we give you the fifty best barbecue joints in 1 m arket the twentieth century, Texas barbecue was an indisputably Texas—which is to say, the fifty best barbecue joints in the 1 rural phenomenon. Sure, there were a few iconic places in world. —Patricia Sharpe and Daniel Vaughn 1 with his brisket, a level of perfec- tion that is rare for any cook to attain with any food, let alone one so notori- ously difficult to master. The Franklin brisket—all-natural beef smoked for twelve to eighteen hours—comes out profoundly flavorful and moist with a rich, dark, salty-peppery crust and a rim of sublime, flawlessly rendered fat. This fat, in fact, is part of Franklin’s secret: his hormone- and antibiotic-free beef—uncommon for a barbecue joint— seems to behave a little differently on Franklin Barbecue the pit; the fat yields more readily to low heat than the denser fat found in austin the usual over-the-counter brisket. That may sound overly technical, but just put a piece in your mouth: it’s noth- Opened 2009 Pitmaster Aaron Franklin, age 35 Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit ing short of astounding how good this Pro Tip Waiting in the long line can be fun; even more fun is ordering ahead of time. The minimum meat is. The lean brisket is more tender is five pounds, but best of all is getting a whole brisket (around $100; try your luck at least two weeks than most joints’ fatty slices. As for the in advance). Pick it up at ten-thirty and waltz through the impatient masses with your bounty. , well, we are unashamed to say that we’d sell our soul for a pile of them. No brisket was ever less in need of assis- the best barbecue joint in Texas is only four years tance, but Franklin’s espresso old. This is an unusual development, but one that will sauce—deep and velvety, with surprise no one familiar with Franklin Barbecue, which, a subtle sweetness—is a re- since opening in 2009, in a trailer off Interstate 35, has markable complement to his built a cult following for its meats. Has any other restau- beef. Together, the two make rant in Texas history had a consistent two-hour wait, a knee-buckling marriage outside, in the elements, year-round, six days a week? of flavors. So after enjoying Franklin’s current location is a cozy old brick building several unadorned slices, go (it used to be Ben’s Long Branch Bar-B-Q) with cement ahead and dip one. It’s okay. floors, sixties-era decor, and a sound system that pumps out a steady diet of laid-back Part of what makes Frank-

t country tunes. In two years, this site has become an Austin lin so good is his unbelievable m landmark, as synonymous with the city as the Armadillo World above, left to right: consistency with brisket. But Headquarters once was. On a recent visit we met a guy from Aaron Franklin he’s no one-trick pony. The S checking his pit in 1 overseas who claimed to know nothing else about the state the early morning; meaty have a deli- capital except that it was home to this magnificent restaurant. Franklin taking an cious pepper-rimmed crust, 1 espresso break dur- 1 The root cause of the mania is simple: Franklin has achieved, ing the lunch rush. and the beef-and-pork sau- 1 1 t 1 S m - - - - e sharpe cu Brisket, in other words, words, other in Brisket, patricia — tender while the other half will will half other the while tender mother’s your as stringy as be the for now And roast. pot styles other while part: sadistic with mistakes hide barbecue of Texas Central proper a sauce, be placed is brisket smoked unadorned. customer the fore heart. of faint the for not is so it love we why is Which right done it’s When much. pic Barbecue, Franklin at (as ebony- an is result the tured), smoked, gloriously crusted, of piece fatty scandalously of enjoyment the heaven, from only not derives which meat the of deliciousness the understand an from also but forth. it bring to quired ing of the profound devotion devotion profound the of ing re knowledge hard-won and be - Bar of of But it gets worse. Within Within worse. gets it But comes challenge final The st two or three in the morning. morning. the in twothree or two com are brisket each The muscles. different pletely big, is cage, rib the near first, The marbled. well and thick, brisket “fatty” this calls public “the it call pitmasters and - thin is second The point.” scantily more and longer, ner, it know Customers marbled. butchers and brisket “lean” as Smoked flat.” “the as it to refer a cook, inexperienced an by while done be will flat brisket’s by but mooing, still is point its finished, is point the time the bed. dry creek as a is as flat the muscle the off, First end. the at run flat and point the in fibers you if so directions, different in same the at brisket whole a cut be will slices the half angle, e - r - - e

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credit tk sage, made locally to his specifications, has a great snap. (This is the only pos- sible gripe we can find with Franklin Barbecue—the sausage isn’t made in- house.) Drifting outside the Central Texas canon, Franklin offers pulled pork that’s tender and smoky, with a dash of vinegar sauce. The turkey is infused with smoke flavor and has a great crust; on a recent visit slices stayed moist for an impressive 45 minutes. Other signa- ture offerings include the Tipsy Texan sandwich (chopped beef and sausage piled very high with slaw) and a heady bourbon-banana pie. It is inevitable that there will be back- lash when any restaurant reaches the heights that Franklin Barbecue has

attained (as if declaring it the coun- try’s best joint wasn’t enough, earlier this year Bon Appétit named it one of America’s twenty most important res- taurants). But this meat is worth every bit of praise it has received—and every Dallas hour you spend waiting to eat it. Expe- riencing Franklin Barbecue right now Pecan is like watching Lance Armstrong at Lodge his performance-enhanced best, when he seemed to magically tower over ev- eryone else. Except Aaron Franklin is doing it clean (not counting the enor- Opened 2010 Pitmaster Justin Fourton, age 37 mous amount of espresso he consumes Method Mesquite; indirect-heat pit Pro Tip If you have a group, go for the Trough, every morning). At this point, he could a sampler of all the meats that will feed—and amaze—four or five people. probably go big-time, opening a three- hundred-seat Texas-style joint in Times Square and laughing all the way to the shed #2 at the Dallas Farmers Market is a bank. But at heart, he’s still a kid from vast, enclosed, and air-conditioned struc- Bryan who just wants to make good ture that serves as a city-owned food court

t ’cue (he has, however, started selling where up-and-coming restaurateurs crowd m his sauce at H-E-B). Let us give thanks in to show off their skills. The unquestioned

S that he keeps dragging himself out of anchor tenant of this gastro-carnival is Pecan 1 bed to cook for us. Rating: 5. 900 E. Lodge, a three-year-old barbecue joint pro- 1 11th, 512-653-1187. Open Tue–Sun 11 till ducing what is hands-down the best smoked 1 meat runs out. Beer. franklinbarbecue.com meat in North Texas. fresh jalapeño and cheese is our new favor- ite. The pork ribs are juicy but can some- times be a little heavy on the sweet glaze. Kansas City A heavily smoked crust and rendered fat are laced together in a pile of pulled pork, which even purists will be tempted to dunk Vs. in the sweet vinegar dipping sauce. You won’t need a drop of sauce, however, to Texas enjoy the beef. Gargantuan beef ribs are nearly always expertly smoked. The right A Friendly Chat level of tenderness is hard to achieve on Between Calvin Trillin this fatty cut, which requires real patience. and Gregory Curtis Fourton struggled one month when his beef supplier kept sending him ribs that weighed in at two pounds apiece and sim- c a lv i n t r i l l i n I’m pretty ply would not get tender. But things must : ecumenical: I do like Texas barbecue. But have worked themselves out. On our last I will say, and I don’t mean to boast, that two visits the beef ribs were exceptional, Kansas City barbecue people are generally with silky fistfuls of pepper-coated meat surlier than Texas barbecue people. that easily came away from the bone. g r e g o ry c u r t i s : I would yield that point. As for the brisket, the first bite reminds c t : I’m reminded of a story about the late us of the heights this cut can achieve in the Fats Goldberg, the pizza baron, when he right hands. Each slice has the aggressive moved back to Kansas City. A new barbecue smokiness we expect from mesquite, but place had opened called LC’s. Fats went out it doesn’t come along with any of the creo- there and said he’d like a brisket sandwich and could LC put the sauce on the side? And sote flavor that is often that wood’s down- LC said, “That’ll be fifty cents extra.” Fats fall. The fatty end is devilishly rich, but it’s was very impressed. He said, “That’s a real in the lean end that Fourton really shows barbecue guy.” his ability. The flat, as it’s known, is very g c : That is not the case in the Central Texas easy to dry out from overcooking, but his meat-market kind of joint, where the people are, in my experience, invariably nice. lean slices are impeccably moist and need c t : Acceptance of barbecue has come Suffice it to say, this is not your typi- only a slight tug to separate. If too much gradually in Kansas City. cal joint, and it does not have a typical dried-out barbecue has you questioning g c : Which may be why it’s Texas that’s in origin story. Not so long ago, co-owners the simple perfection of smoked brisket, ascendance. There’s a reason why, when (and husband and wife) Justin and Di- Pecan Lodge will restore your faith. people outside the state open barbecue joints, they open Texas barbecue joints. ane Fourton had busy corporate jobs as Confronted with such a selection of c t : There was a time when the distinction management consultants for Accenture. meats, you may despair at the thought of wasn’t made. Looking to slow down, they left the rat race sides, but do save room or you’ll be missing g c : Not anymore. and started a catering company, serving some of the best mac and cheese in Texas c t : It may be because Texas barbecue mostly Southern food. Justin, who is from (flecked with bacon and green chile) and has stuck more to what it is. It’s more traditionalist than Kansas City. Abilene, had learned to smoke excellent collard greens g c : And it tends toward an ideal. There’s meat from his grandparents, with just a hint of brown clockwise from far a Platonic brisket. It exists in the mind, and he turned out to have an un- left: A bachelor party sugar. Banana pudding and you can kind of sense how far away at Franklin Barbecue; whatever you’re eating is from that ideal. usual knack for it. His barbecue Justin Fourton’s pit fans will love this version, quickly attained local reknown, shed behind the Dal- made from Diane’s grand- c t : Yeah, Kansas City barbecue’s more las Farmers Market; diffuse than that. But again, I’ll brag about and once they added the farm- mother’s recipe, and the Fourton with his fuel the surliness. I recall meeting the person ers’ market booth in 2010, things of choice; the Pecan newest dessert addition, who cooks at Snow’s—Tootsie, I believe her Lodge brisket. pretty much blew up. So much peach cobbler with a sugary name is. She is a very pleasant woman. for slowing down. Pecan Lodge crumbled topping, is right- is open just four days a week, but an aver- fully gaining popularity. Getting a taste of Calvin Trillin, a native of Kansas City, is a staff writer at the New Yorker. age workday for Justin lasts sixteen hours, Pecan Lodge’s wondrous grub means a Gregory Curtis, a native of Texas and one of those off days is dedicated to bit of a wait (up to an hour on weekends), who was raised partly in Kansas t t e x a s stuffing two kinds of homemade sausage but any hardships will be forgotten when City, was the editor of m m o n t h ly from 1981 to 2000. by hand. you’re wiping that speck of beef rib off your S It still beats the rat race. Fourton’s pork chin. Rating: 4.75. 920 S. Harwood, 214- Read the full conversation at tmbbq.com. 1 links have a nice paprika kick and a strong 748-8900. Open Thur–Sun 11 till meat runs 1 mesquite flavor, and a beef sausage with out. pecanlodge.com 1 brisket Photograph by Kevin Marple below, clockwise: Tootsie Tomanetz on a typical Saturday morning; the brisket at Snow’s about halfway through the cook- ing process; the ramp where hungry trav- elers line up every weekend; the sausage, Lexington snow’s which is made in a local butcher shop.

BBQ with painted wooden signs; some old picnic tables beneath a galvanized metal roof, completely blackened with smoke; and an array of glori- Opened 2003 Pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz, age 78 ously sooty pits, including a three- Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit (brisket); direct-heat pit (everything else) level monster the size and shape of Pro Tip Arrive no later than nine in the morning if you want to order from the full menu. a submarine. Pay close attention if it’s your first time visiting Snow’s. That woman out back in the apron is

for some in the small town of Lexington Tootsie Tomanetz, quite possibly the (population roughly 1,200), Saturdays are greatest female pitmaster in Texas as holy as Sundays. It’s hard to miss these history. She begins her vigil at two devotees. They congregate at the end of Main in the morning every Saturday; with Street, a line of farmhands, ranchers, well-off the help of her son Hershe and Snow’s weekenders, and groggy young Austinites owner, Kerry Bexley, she tends the who woke up in their cutoff shorts. Gathered fire throughout the night to main- outside the small red building that houses tain a temperature of between 250 Snow’s BBQ, they await their turn to com- and 275 degrees. The result? Brisket mune with some of the state’s most perfect meat. ¶ Snow’s has an outsized with a velvety mahogany crust and reputation (thanks, in part, to this magazine’s naming it the state’s best deeply flavorful meat so tender it al- joint back in 2008), but it remains a no-frills operation: a homey kitchen most melts. We prefer the fatty bris- ket, though the lean is plenty moist. Either one is capable of achieving transcendence, but if you ask Tootsie, she’ll tell you her specialty is the pork steak, which is cooked in the direct- heat pit. The meat comes out like no pork you’ve ever tasted—as full and luscious as a great beef steak, shot through with pockets of delectable fat. Tootsie has this cut’s number. Other meats are excellent, but they have a hard time living up to the incredible standard set by the brisket and pork steak. The sausage, a beef-pork blend made by the butch- er down the street, is very good— succulent and smoky, with a granular texture—and the ribs are fine, though not as tender as they could be. The sauce, tangy and sweet, usually sits forlornly on the table unused (though it’s a nice addition to the ribs). The buttery pinto beans are so simple and silken that the fact that they are free seems like management over- sight. The pecan pie, from Fourth Street Bakery, holds its form and is deliciously balanced. Rating: 4.75. 516 Main, 979-542-8189 (weekdays), 979-773-4640 (Saturdays). Open Sat only, 8 till meat runs out. snowsbbq.com 1 t 1 1 S m wood is usually loaded into the is usually loaded into the wood it can also function as firebox, is either if the wood a gas oven burned left out or has already it tough to which makes away, the meat. Good actually smoke barbecue can be done in one of these “gassers” if the pitmaster enough with his is generous attention and pays to his wood smoker but the gas-fired fire, enabling the for is best known cooking set-it-and-forget-it yields a quality style that rarely it does On the plus side, product. some aging pitmasters allow who could to continue working not otherwise deal with the for grueling schedule required pits. Think of it wood-burning as the designated hitter of the barbecue world. erie erie ss n the n the ti o Ro lm, p. 147) 147) lm, p. o ired hknife F h - s s s a a vaughn hi H

spread evenly beneath metal beneath metal evenly spread directly Meat is cooked grates. for the coals, which makes over but when the taste, a less smoky the flames drips into the fire, fat and the meat gets those surge delicious crusty edges. G ( C Southern Pride like Companies taken have and Ole Hickory the basic elements (rotisserie, Oyler of a wood-fired firebox) and added gas and smoker electric lines and a mess of stainless steel. This type of many by is considered smoker to an all-wood to be inferior since it uses gas burners smoker the heat. While to regulate daniel

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ckhart ckhart Lo t h e wood coals inside and a grill made of wood or metal. Most people cooking with direct heat nowadays nowadays heat direct with cooking people Most metal. or wood of made grill a and inside coals wood fattymeat a for well works It unchanged. essentially is method the but fire, above-ground an use create and meat the singe that flare-ups causing fire, the into drip will fat cooking, During pork. like come can meat fatty less a fast; cooks it that is heat direct of downside The crusty edges. delicious, for best it’s since king, is smoker, offset an called sometimes pit, indirect-heat the Texas In tough. out by smoker, (A perfection. achieve to heat smoky low, of hours many requires which brisket, cooking smoker.) a called be never may reasons, obvious for pit, direct-heat a but pit, a called be may way, the hardware. of variety wide a comprises equipment our that however, meats, many so at excel Texans recognize. may you pits few a are Here e, p. 140) e, p. s u it ( o P

keh o A steel offset smoker A steel offset smoker Bewley A. N. by manufactured the in Dallas, Fabricators, feature signature Bewley’s damper that is an electronic automatically opens and closes and flow oxygen to regulate at an optimal the fire keep Inside the temperature. smoking chamber is a series that can be moved of shelves the chamber itself is made of the chamber itself is made of than steel, allowing brick rather heat. efficiently retain it to more brick smoker The most famous the one in the state is probably in Market, at historic Smitty’s sits on the fire where Lockhart, step!) your (Watch the floor. Bewley Sm r r ade M e es Where Where es Pit g

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T aylor Barbecue

ness for 64 years (54 at the pres- Opened 1949 Pitmaster Wayne Mueller, age 47 (since 2008) ent location, which was formerly Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit a gymnasium), but it also consis- Pro Tip The legendary beef rib weighs as much as a Volkswagen, but don’t be deterred. You must try one. tently delivers some of the best barbecue the state has to offer. On our last visit, the brisket, ringed louie mueller barbecue has been described as a “ca- with a finger-width coarse-pepper thedral of smoke,” and indeed, many of the trappings crust, was the epitome of the Cen- of organized religion are present here: the sacramental tral Texas meat-market style—the

t offerings, the priesthood in their ecclesiastical red apron- fat was rendered to perfection, and m robes, even the disciples (Aaron Franklin credits a bite the smoke-infused meat was so

S of brisket on a trip to Louie Mueller in 2002 with his tender that even the idea of a fork 1 own conversion to the fatty faith). At most other joints and knife seemed preposterous. 1 this level of veneration might feel off-putting, but Louie Louie Mueller is justly famous for 1 Mueller earns every bit of it. Not only has it been in busi- its massive beef rib, a sampling of clockwise from left: Wayne Mueller, who took over the pits after his father, the legendary Bobby Mueller, died, in 2008; a tray of meat featuring the massive beef rib, as well as brisket, sausage, the rest and pork ribs; the woodpile behind the restaurant, which is located Alphabetical by city in a former gymnasium.

native Tyler Frazer opened this joint in fatty deliciousness so rich that ★ ★ Alamo May 2010, and in just three years, he’s one bite has been known to in- single-handedly upgraded the reputation duce dizziness and swooning. of Panhandle barbecue. Follow him on Eating one—bone in hand, sur- Twitter @tylersbarbeque to know when rounded by the soot-stained walls The Original items run out, and you’ll avoid the failure Willie’s Bar-B-Q of our first visit.Rating: 4. 2014 Para- and blackened wood ceilings that mount, 806-331-2271. Open Tue–Sat 11–8. have resulted from a half century Opened 1992 tylersbarbeque.com of smoking—is probably the most Pitmaster Arturo Lanteros, age 61 (since 2003) primal experience Texas barbecue Method Pecan; indirect-heat pit pro tip Get a few slices of the smoked fajita meat. in ★ has to offer. Other meats shine as ★ Aust well. The pork ribs are solid; the his joint has a large menu that caters all-beef sausage, which is made T to local tastes (brisket tacos, fajita in-house, has a nice peppery flavor plates), and it was packed during the John Mueller Meat Co. and a great snap, but if you really weekday lunch rush. Meats are all avail- Opened want a kick, don’t miss the excel- able by the pound, with the tender pork 2013 ribs (smoked with pecan wood, a rarity Pitmaster John Mueller, age 44 lent jalapeño variety, as brilliant in South Texas, where mesquite tends to Method Oak; indirect-heat pit a use of this ubiquitous be the norm) being the standout protein. pro tip John may yell at you. Don’t take it personally. chile pepper as we’ve Willie’s thin, sweet sauce serves as a nice seen. Sides are stan- complement. While beef ribs are some- I f there’s a dark prince of Texas barbe- dard and barely merit a times more visually appealing than they cue, it’s probably John Mueller, the fa- are delicious, the ones on offer here do mously irascible, hugely talented, at times mention, but only a fool not disappoint, featuring a hearty smoke erratic master of meat who left his family’s would waste space on flavor and fully rendered fat. Skip the legendary joint—Louie Mueller Barbecue, them anyway. Even the bland sausage. Rating: 4. 320 S. Alamo in Taylor—and set out on his own in 2001 sauce seems designed Rd., 956-702-1370. Open Mon–Sat 11–9, with John Mueller’s B-B-Q, on Austin’s to get out of the way— Sun 11–5. originalwilliesbbq.com East Side. By 2003, that joint had acquired both a fanatical following and a spot on it’s an unusually thin, our top fifty list.T he briskets were the best tomato-based broth ★ in town, and John was famous for handing ★ Amarillo best used on the bread. out a gratis nibble just as you neared the Just after our last top counter (a famous Louie Mueller touch). fifty list was published, But in 2006, a rough patch led to John’s Tyler’s Barbeque losing his restaurant. He disappeared for in 2008, Louie Mueller’s a while, only to pop back up at JMueller son Bobby, who had op- Opened 2010 BBQ, a trailer eatery in South Austin, in erated the joint for 34 Pitmaster Tyler Frazer, age 45 2011. The joint was a partnership with his years, died. The torch has now Method Mesquite; indirect-heat pit sister, LeAnn (who, full disclosure, is a pro tip passed to Bobby’s son Wayne, and The green-chile-and-grilled-onion mac t e x a s m o n t h ly contributing pho- and cheese is served only on Thursdays. tographer). It was excellent, and John’s after an adjustment period, the funny, profane Twitter presence (he’s restaurant is as good as it’s ever ur first visit to Tyler’s Barbeque was @ShoelessJoeJaxn) gave the place an ap- been. If we have one complaint, O a failure. The staff was friendly and pealingly renegade quality. Unfortunately, it’s that Wayne has been introduc- the food was great, particularly the tender, just as it was beginning to build a solid ing noncanonical dishes, such as peppery brisket, but we arrived too late to reputation, a major spat between the sib- try the pork ribs, whose praises were being lings caused John to decamp once again. pulled pork and sweet-and-spicy sung all over the High Plains. So after LeAnn changed the name to La Barbecue baby back ribs. Both are excellent, consoling ourselves with the sausage and and didn’t miss a beat (see below for our but it’s sort of like showing up for some tasty homemade beans, we resolved review). Her brother kept quiet for a spell, t to come back early the next day. This only to resurface this spring with his new Sunday services at the Catholic m church and getting a Baptist re- turned out to be a wise decision. The ribs joint. Meanwhile, LeAnn’s other brother, had a firm crust with a smoky flavor. They Wayne, continues to man the pits in Taylor, S vival. Rating: 4.75. 206 W. 2nd, were fine without sauce, but a dab of the as he has since 2008 (see our review 1 512-352-6206. Open Mon–Fri 11–6, sweet, black-pepper-dotted concoction above). This means that the three children 1 Sat 10–6. louiemuellerbarbecue.com helped give them a little kick. Amarillo of Bobby Mueller, perhaps the greatest 1 La Barbecue

Opened 2012 Pitmaster John Lewis, age 34 Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit pro tip There’s free beer Friday through Sunday.

n this case, “La” is not a definite article I referring to the “Cuisine Texicana” this joint says it serves; it’s an abbreviation referring to the first name of co-owner LeAnn Mueller. Housed in a little trailer with a few picnic tables under old pecan and live oak trees, this trailer eatery opened in 2011 as JMueller BBQ, the ballyhooed comeback of LeAnn’s brother John, only to shut down a year later, a casualty of sibling discord. LeAnn hired pitmaster John Lewis (previously of Franklin Barbecue) and reopened under the current name. Set aside the complexity of this laby- rinthine family drama, however, and what you’ll find at La Barbecue is the beautiful simplicity of expertly smoked meat. Lewis has made three changes since taking the helm—he built a new pit, began ordering USDA Prime brisket, and started making

left to right: John Mueller, the reigning curmudgeon of Texas barbecue, in front of his woodpile; his own sausage. On a recent visit, the a sampling of Mueller’s meats; briskets on the pit at La Barbecue; pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick brisket, which he cooks for twelve to fifteen at Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew. hours at about 275 degrees, had a dark-red and fell apart on our butcher pitmaster in Texas history, now all have although it still looks like it was dredged paper. The salt-and-pepper rub on the their own joints, all within a one-hour drive. in black pepper. The lean brisket and the fatty bark hit just the right mix with the Sibling rivalry never tasted so good. pork ribs were great as well, and we were smoke. (Lewis told us that he’s been getting John’s joint, which debuted in February blown away by the pork shoulder. It has more smoke absorbed into the meat by us- on a lot in East Austin, is the newest of a gorgeous, chestnut-colored exterior, ing a wet rub of hot dog mustard and pickle the three. It consists of a large pit on a red lightly brushed with a sweet glaze that juice and finishing it off with salt, coarse flatbed trailer, a food truck to one side, subtly hints at a Southern allegiance. The pepper, and garlic powder.) A massive beef and some picnic tables under a blue-and- rosy meat contains a world of complex rib had that classic Louie Mueller exterior, white tent. As always, customers line up tastes. As for the sauce, a thin and nearly and we twisted off a one-inch hunk for a

t like eager schoolchildren, and as always, translucent brew, with hints of tomato and taste. It was flawless: juicy and smoky, with the meat is outstanding. On our last visit, a ton of black pepper and sweet onion, it’s the richness you’d expect. The sausage m the beef ribs and fatty brisket tied for best out of this world. Order an extra portion had an unusual but welcome kick, and the S in show. The oak smoke had penetrated and eat it like soup. Rating: 4.5. 2500 E. succulent pulled pork had been moistened 1 deeply, giving each bite fathoms of flavor. 6th, entrance on Pedernales. Open Tue–Sun with a tangy vinegar-based sauce. Chipotle 1 Mueller gets a crust on his meat that’s 10:30 till meat runs out (usually early after- coleslaw (which is sometimes a little too 1 a little more delicate than some others, noon). johnmuellermeatco.com spicy) and classic potato salad rounded out for nine years. Following that, he briefly succumbed to the lure of a fine-dining kitchen, but last year Austin entrepreneur Shane Stiles beckoned Kirkpatrick to the pits once again. We’re grateful he did. On our last visit, the fatty brisket and beef ribs were the best items, but the pork ribs and sausage weren’t far behind. (The key is not to bother with the lean brisket, which came out dry and uninspiring.) All the sausages—Thorndale (beef), Switch Original (beef and pork), and jalapeño- cheddar (also beef and pork)—were well spiced with a snappy casing. Rating: 4. 6610 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-380-9199. Open Sun & Tue–Thur 11–9, Fri & Sat 11–10. Beer and wine. stilesswitchbbq.com

on ★ ★ Bel t a top-notch meal. Rating: 4.5. 1502 S. 1st, the ribs suggests commercial charcoal, but 512-605-9696. Open Wed–Sun 11 till meat Caldwell refuses to confirm or deny either runs out. labarbecue.com one. No matter the method, the meats that Miller’s Smokehouse come out of his mystery pit are spec- Lamberts Downtown tacular. The spareribs are hefty, and the Barbecue Opened 2008 well-seasoned pork and layers of expertly Pitmaster Dirk Miller, age 48, and Robert Reid, age 40 rendered fat come away from the bone Opened 2006 Method Post and live oak; indirect-heat pit easily. As for the brisket, well, rarely will you Pitmaster Zach Davis, age 34 (since 2012) pro tip Take home sausage from the butcher case. find a deeper flavor or a thicker smoke ring. Method Oak; gas-fired smoker Beneath a bark that almost crackles is juicy pro tip Malbec pairs well with brisket. f Miller’s were in Austin, it might have meat with just enough salt. The brisket I started in a food truck. Instead, Dirk from the flat can be spotty (sometimes cut ome people may be turned off by the Miller began cooking in the front room too thick, sometimes a bit dry) when com- S rhetorical question at the bottom of of his meat-processing and taxidermy pared with the consistently high quality of the Lamberts menu: “Fancy Barbecue?” business, which opened in 2006. Five years the fatty slices. The chicken is unusually But do not prejudge. The brisket, rubbed after that, in 2011, he converted the build- good, with that hard-to-attain combination with brown sugar and coffee, has a good ing into a full-time restaurant. Good move. of moist, smoky meat and crispy skin. If you crust, and while the lean was a little dry, the Miller’s now serves up around five hundred need a sweet counterpoint, look no further fat on the moist slice was nicely rendered. pounds of its own pork-and-beef sausage than the peach cobbler. Rating: 4.5. 720 It doesn’t have the powerful smoky flavor each week: regular, jalapeño-cheese, and N. Texas Ave., 979-778-3662. Open Tue–Sat a wood pit produces, but Zach Davis does a pre-smoked hot link. All of them are 11–7. Cash only. very well with his gasser. The pork ribs, excellent: a crumbly yet firm well-seasoned crusted with a fennel and coriander rub filling in a tight, nicely smoked casing. The and maple glaze, were a little overcooked brisket, meanwhile, has great flavor, nice ★ ★ Cypress but still yummy. Three sauces were equally bark, and juicy, melty, beautifully rendered tasty, especially the yellow mustard with a fatty slices. Rating: 4.25. 208 N. Penelope, nice sweet-and-sour profile. Side dishes 254-939-5500. Open Tue–Thur 10:30–6:30, were phenomenal—get the homemade Fri & Sat 10:30–9. Beer and margaritas. Brooks’ Place mac and three cheeses, which comes wildmillers.com fresh-baked from the oven, and the Opened 2009 cilantro-flecked slaw.Rating: 4.25. 401 Pitmaster Trent Brooks, age 43 W. 2nd, 512-494-1500. Lunch Mon–Fri Method Red oak, pecan, hickory, and mesquite; ★ Bryan ★ 11–2:30; dinner Sun–Wed 5:30–10, Thur–Sat indirect-heat pit 5:30–10:30; brunch Sat & Sun 11–2. Full bar. pro tip Look for the Ace Hardware sign; you’ll never lambertsaustin.com see the trailer. F argo’s Pit BBQ rent Brooks was working as a materials Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew Opened 2000 T specialist for a gas-compression Pitmaster Alan Caldwell, age 49 company when a supervisor, who knew of Opened 2011 Method Unknown Brooks’s talent as a part-time pitmaster, Pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick, age 43 pro tip Always choose ribs over rib tips. referred him to an ad on Craigslist for a Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit $12,000 mobile smoker. Brooks negotiated t pro tip Ask for your Thorndale sausage “dry,” itmaster Alan Caldwell prefers to the price down to $4,500, and the rest, meaning smoked longer. P keep his exact smoking method a as they say, is Houston barbecue history. m closely guarded trade secret. Even the Brooks’s style borrows from the Southern S his place comes with solid creden- woodpile is hidden behind a cinder-block tradition of pork-centric barbecue, but 1 T tials. The pitmaster, Lance Kirk- wall and a tarp-covered gate. We’ve spot- he combines it with a mastery of smoked 1 patrick, worked under Bobby Mueller ted some oak back there, and the flavor of beef. His brisket is minimally trimmed—an 1 left to right: Wild Bill Winslow, Will Fleischman, lean, and be sure they leave the crust on and Eric “Big E” Perry at Lockhart Smokehouse, when cutting your order. We didn’t know in Dallas; the Big Chop at Cooper’s in Llano. to say anything on our first visit, and our brisket came out looking scalped. When the bark is on, it’s commendable stuff. The smoke ring is dark and well defined, and the pecan wood gives the meat a nice flavor kick—not as strong as mesquite but less mild than hickory or post oak. As long as you’re getting a three-meat plate, your second choice should be pork ribs, firm in texture with a better-than-average crust and porky flavor enhanced by a salt-and- pepper rub. Your third meat (actually, your first) should be the excellent and richly flavorful beef-and-pork sausage, firm to the tooth, flecked with ample bits of fat, and possessing a coarse texture that you never get with the commercial stuff. Rating: 4.25. 507 E. Main, 979-234-5250. Open Wed 9–4, Thur–Sat 9–6, Sun 9–4. anomaly in Houston barbecue, where “fat” piled onto butcher paper along with bread is a four-letter word—resulting in moist, or saltines. Forks and sauce weren’t avail- perfectly rendered meat with a crusty, jig- able when they opened, but the Berguses ★ ★ Fannin gly fat cap still attached. Ribs and sausage have since acquiesced. The fatty brisket are top-notch too. Kicked-up baked is the surefire order. The thick black crust beans redolent of oregano and simple, is a robust mix of smoke and the joint’s fresh-made garlic potatoes round out the caramelized rub. The beef pulls apart easily McMillan’s Bar-B-Q menu. Rating: 4.25. 18020 FM 529, 832- and retains its moisture well. The lean 893-1682. Open Wed–Sat 11–7, Sun 11–5. brisket slices tend to dry out, so opt for the Opened 1974 brooksplacebbq.com shoulder clod if it’s a leaner slice of beef Pitmaster Louis McMillan, age 67 you’re craving. Pork spareribs have steadily Method Oak, mesquite, and pecan; indirect-heat pit improved since the joint opened and are pro tip The owner likes to talk. ★ now some of the most consistent menu ★ Dallas items. The seasoning mix is complex and a uring the Texas Revolution, the tiny bit sweet, which works well with the smoky D town of Fannin was the site of the pork. Rating: 4.5. 400 W. Davis, 214-944- Battle of Coleto Creek, where Texians un- Lockhart Smokehouse 5521. Open daily 11 till meat runs out (9ish). der Colonel James W. Fannin surrendered Full bar. lockhartsmokehouse.com to the Mexican army, only to be marched Opened 2011 to Goliad and executed en masse several Pitmaster Tim McLaughlin, age 33, days later. A second (and happier) source ★ and Will Fleisch­man, age 41 Lake of local notoriety is that, since 1974, Fannin ★ EAgle Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit has been home to a tidy red building with a pro tip Check the cooler case for smoked-brisket corrugated roof from which issues forth the deviled eggs. best smoked meat in Goliad County. The A ustin’s BBQ and star of McMillan’s menu is the brisket, as he similarity to Kreuz Market, in Catering you might expect. McMillan smokes it for T Lockhart, isn’t an accident. Co-owner fifteen hours using an unusual combination Jill Bergus is part of the Schmidt family, Opened 1982 of oak, mesquite, and pecan. Our sampling who run Kreuz, and she and her partner Pitmaster Ron Janow, age 55 featured a camera-ready crust that tasted (and husband), Jeff, wanted to strive for Method Pecan; indirect-heat pit as good as it looked. The sausage was firm, that Central Texas vibe. Customers place pro tip The buttermilk pie is worth your time. with a nice snap to it. The sides—beans, their orders in the back in full view of the potato salad, and slaw—were solidly tasty, cutting board. Meats (including Kreuz- f you’re in the market for brisket, be and the sauce, medium-thick and with an made sausages shipped from Lockhart) are I sure to get the fatty rather than the eye-opening vinegar zip, was outstanding.

Every five years or so (since 1997), this magazine dispatches a team of trained eaters to travel around Texas incognito, ingesting huge amounts of t How We Do It barbecue. Their goal is to visit as many of the state’s approximately two thousand barbecue joints as possible in order to come up with a list of the fifty m best. At each joint, the eaters sample at least three meats, a couple of sides, and a dessert. In areas of high barbecue density, they may visit as many as S nine places in a day. Immediately after each visit, our eaters fill out a detailed score sheet. The final score considers intangibles like setting, service, and history, but mainly it is based on 1 the meat. The brisket score counts the most. This time, eighteen places from the 2008 top fifty made it onto the list. ➤ The team consisted of fifteen staff members and one carefully 1 vetted freelancer (see p. 149). The group was led by food editor Patricia Sharpe and barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn. Their eating took place over the past eight months. In all, they 1 logged 33,168 miles and visited 658 places, the most ever in the history of our top fifty list. In case you can’t tell, we take this pretty seriously. The only disappointment was our order of the St. Louis ribs, which were a bit on the fatty side—not terrible, but nowhere near as good as that brisket. Rating: 4. 9913 North Carolina U.S. 59 N., 361-645-2326. Open Sun–Thur 10–6, Fri & Sat 10–7:30. Vs.

h ★ Wort ★ For t Texas

T he Barbecue Editor Disputes a Tar Heel Cousin’s Bar-B-Q

Opened 1983 Pitmaster Cliff Payne, age 58 da n i e l , epitome of the pitmaster’s art.) There are only Method Hickory; indirect-heat pit Congrats on your appointment as t e x a s two points to debate: one, our consensus versus pro tip They serve ultra-lean brisket unless you m o n t h ly ’s barbecue editor. Let me begin by your indecision about what meat to cook, and two, specify otherwise. saluting a worthy opponent and saying that I our commitment to an appropriate use of sauce admire your state’s loyalty to tradition, however versus your laissez-faire attitude. Let’s start with ith six locations—two of which are in misguided the loyalty and recent the tradition. the meat question. Tar Heels are porcivorous W the Dallas–Fort Worth International Here’s what we disagree about. Although North because pork is so delicious, sure, but also because Airport—this family-run operation could Carolina barbecue comes in two varieties, eastern of cultural and historical reasons. Even here the be considered a chain now. We still like the and Piedmont, both are made of pork (whole verb “barbecue” refers to a way to cook many original Cousin’s. It doesn’t have much curb hog in the east, shoulder in the Piedmont), meats (like brisket in Lexington), but it was once appeal, but a convincing smell of smoke cooked for a long time at a low temperature understood everywhere that the noun “barbecue” greets you at the door. When this joint is with heat and smoke from burning coals, and denotes hog meat. In 1755, for example, Samuel on its game, there’s no better brisket in served with a sauce of vinegar, salt, cayenne Johnson’s famous Dictionary defined it as “a hog Fort Worth. The smokiness pervades the pepper, perhaps some sugar, and just a touch drest whole in the West Indian manner.” meat, and the thin strip of well-rendered of ketchup in the Piedmont. This, and nothing Our barbeculture is like the dogma of the fat clinging to each slice adds a nice punch else, can be considered real barbecue. We do not Orthodox Church—settled, secure, threatened of saltiness. Other meats are good but not actually believe that beef, mutton, or sausage only by modernity, not by rival faiths—while y’all flawless. Smallish and thin pork ribs were can be barbecue and wish y’all would call them have strayed into the barbecue equivalent of perfectly tender, but the rub was too liber- something else. And we stand behind our sauce. speaking in tongues and taking up serpents. In ally applied. The pulled pork was juicy but b e st , fact, for all I know, you may barbecue serpents. could have used less sauce, a complex brew j o h n s h e lto n r e e d Wouldn’t surprise me. of sixteen ingredients, including molasses Y’all’s restless pursuit of unnecessary and tamarind. Rating: 4.25. 6262 McCart j o h n , innovation is equally evident when it comes to Ave., 817-346-2511. Open Mon–Sat 11–9. Your definition of barbecue, limited to a single sauce. Before Columbus, Indians in the Caribbean Beer and wine. cousinsbbq.com protein, seems to exist only because your state had been cooking fish and birds and reptiles has failed to master the art of applying smoke to with wood, low and slow, from time immemorial. any other animal. I know this firsthand, since I’ve When Europeans showed up with hogs (note: L ongoria’s BBQ witnessed meager attempts at smoked brisket hogs), the locals realized that pork was what the in Lexington, North Carolina, revered as a sort of Lord intended to be barbecued—and that didn’t Opened 1995 barbecue capital in your parts, I believe. In the real mean just cooking it. A Dominican missionary Pitmaster David Longoria, age 50 (since 2002) capital of barbecue, Lockhart, Texas (so named described a 1698 feast where the meat was Method Post oak and a little pecan; indirect-heat pit by the state House in 1999), knowledge of beef mopped with a mixture of lemon juice, salt, and pro tip The beef jerky—made with brisket and is a given, but you would do well to examine the chile peppers and served with a similar table cured in the pit—is an excellent gift, if you porcine artistry of those pitmasters too. Instead of sauce in two strengths, hot or mild. don’t eat it all on your way home. using that most forgiving of barbecue meats, the In time, this sauce came to the Carolinas self-basting pork shoulder that my four-year-old (where the lemon juice was replaced by the more n 1975 Fidencio “Fred” Longoria began daughter could overcook to the point that a North easily obtained vinegar); spread to everywhere I making his own sausage, hoping to cre- Carolinian would eat it, they smoke large racks of else in the , even Texas; and became ate links as good as those he ate in Gonzales pork ribs and whole racks of bone-in loin. These the ur-sauce, the perfection from which others as a child. In 1990, after years of tinkering, cuts, seasoned only with salt, pepper, and smoke, have devolved. Heretics have gone to thick, he finally solidified his recipe and opened are served without sauce. Trying to weasel sauce sweet, sticky sauces like those found in Kansas Longoria’s. It’s no wonder Fred’s son David, into the definition of barbecue is a disservice to City and on grocery store shelves, doctored who now runs the restaurant, refused the those who don’t require it to make their meat ketchup that lies on the surface of the meat and chance to be on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive- palatable and, furthermore, is an insult to the hog. can disguise poor cooking. Yours is the more Ins, and Dives when he learned he’d have to yo u r s , forgivable error of making sauce optional, or divulge his father’s prized formula. We know da n i e l vau g h n even doing without it altogether. At least you it involves a filling of 100 percent ground showcase the meat, but you miss the opportunity t brisket, plus spices. We found the brisket to da n i e l , to season it with a sparing application of a classic, m be a tad on the dry side but infused with a Since when does degree of difficulty matter? This time-honored concoction—penetrating, salty, and S pleasing smokiness. The massive pork ribs, ain’t gymnastics. Hell, if it’s difficulty you want, on the other hand, were juicy and flavorful . (And anyway, whole hog is the Continued ➸ 1 and had just the right amount of char. If 1 we’d been able to eat a bite more, we’d also 1 have ordered the homemade tamales and Continued chorizo. 100 Christopher Dr., d ★ ➸ Rating: 4. ★ Garlan peppery—that survives in North Carolina 817-568-9494. Open Mon–Fri 10:30–6, Sat with only trivial alterations, if any. 10:30–4. longoriasbbq.com To close: The history of our barbecue Meshack’s Bar-B-Que is the history of barbecue itself. It’s ★ ksburg interwoven with political campaigns, church ★ Frederic Opened homecomings, drive-in restaurants, harvest 2009 Pitmaster celebrations, and the Fourth of July. Our Travis Mayes, age 64 Method barbecue is what America is all about. Pecan; indirect-heat pit pro tip Return to the fold, Daniel. It is not too Cranky Frank’s Do not fear the sandwich known as Da Jasper. late to repent. Barbeque Company eshack’s doesn’t look like much. Just j o h n Opened 2003 M a cinder-block shack and a couple of Pitmaster Daniel Martin, age 40, and Glenn Wilke, age 60 stumps to sit on while you’re waiting, on a j o h n , Method That’s some fine history, but I don’t see Mesquite; indirect-heat pit street lined with second-hand auto dealers pro tip anyone clamoring for a whole-hog joint Frank, who was an infant when his parents and storage facilities. The rich smell of in Austin, which shouldn’t be much of a opened the restaurant, is really not all that pecan smoke improves the atmosphere surprise given the fine quality of dentistry cranky anymore. somewhat, but basically this is a 100 in Central Texas. We don’t require our percent carryout operation (your food will food to be partially chewed before A s popular as Fredericksburg is emerge from the window wrapped up to serving. Whole hog showcases the skill among the day-tripping set, it’s go). We can’t fault them, however, for put- of cleaver-wielding meat choppers more always suffered from a dearth of top-rate ting the emphasis on the meat, not when than pitmasters. Is there really any need barbecue. No more. Just a mile and a the brisket has a perfect smoke ring and for a pitmaster, whose job is to provide half south of Main Street stands Cranky expertly rendered fat. The smoke flavor is meat with moisture, tenderness, and Frank’s Barbeque Company. We like the bold—a little more so than at the oak- and smoke, when the cleaver provides all the juicy “marbled” brisket, the perfectly hickory-fueled joints that predominate in tenderness and the moisture comes from crusted pork ribs, and the snappy and the Dallas–Fort Worth area. They keep a vat of vinegar? Your argument in favor black-peppery sausage. There’s tender the menu simple at Meshack’s: besides the of chopped pork doesn’t have any teeth and moist pork shoulder too, and the pinto brisket, there are pork ribs, sausage, baked because you don’t need any. beans, potato salad, coleslaw, green beans, beans, potato salad, and turkey legs. Don’t Here’s how I suspect this will go: Sooner whole-kernel corn, and chocolate pudding be deterred by the humble setting—this is or later, you’ll swing through Texas, and are help-yourself and all-you-can-eat. great barbecue done right. Rating: 4.25. we’ll hit all the best joints. Each bite will test Rating: 4.25. 1679 U.S. 87 S. (Washing- 240 E. Avenue B, 214-227-4748. Open Tue your faith. You will return to North Carolina ton), 830-997-2353. Open Tue–Sun 11–3 or 10:30–5, Wed–Sat 10:30–7. and attempt to resume consumption of till meat runs out. Closed the first Sun of the the hog with gusto, yet each mouthful will month. Beer. crankyfranksbbq.com ★ ings be an act of futile protest against your ★ Gidd

growing lust for beef. You will load your ★ ton backyard smoker with brisket upon brisket. ★ Galves You will eat it alone, having emerged from the wilderness, just as Jesus did: a man City Meat Market who withstood a prolonged fast and was Opened rewarded (in your case with a belly of beef). Leon’s World’s Finest 1941 Pitmaster Hog was before; beef is now. Embrace it. In & Out Bar-B-Que Gerald Birkelbach, age 57 (since 1982) Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit da n i e l Opened 1987 pro tip For a living history lesson, just sit quietly Pitmaster Leon O’Neal, age 72 and watch the old-timers. Method Post oak; gas-fired smoker pro tip Get ready for stories; Leon is a talker. John Shelton Reed lives in Chapel he red painted sign reads “Bar-B-Q T and Sausage”—sausage being one of Hill, North Carolina, and is the co- uring most of his more than 25 years the specialties here. Walk through the main author, with his wife, Dale Volberg D Reed, of Holy Smoke: The Big in the business, Brazoria County dining area and into the sooty back room, Book of North Carolina Barbecue. native Leon O’Neal cooked on a traditional where you can order the famous links (80 Daniel Vaughn is the barbecue smoker, but after Hurricane Ike he switched percent beef, 20 percent pork) straight off to an Ole Hickory gas pit. He gets a decent the pit. The filling is coarse, and the casing editor of t e x a s m o n t h ly and the author of Prophets of Smoked smoke flavor, but sometimes the brisket is has a good snap. We were less enthusiastic Meat: A Journey Through Texas a little dried out around the edges. When about the brisket, which is rubbed with Barbecue, which was published in it comes to sausage, it’s hard to choose salt, pepper, and cayenne and cooked at May by Ecco. between the boudin, with its fantastic pork a high heat on an indirect pit for five and a flavor, or the coarsely ground, garlicky beef half hours. While the result was flavorful,

t links (the latter uses O’Neal’s own recipe). the meat was a little tough. The ribs, on the As for the pork ribs, they hit the ball out of other hand, came out beautifully: tender, m Their unexpurgated the park, with pink, tender, close-textured delectably sweet, and infused with smoke, S correspondence may be read meat that clings lightly to the bone. much like the absolutely succulent chicken. 1 at tmbbq.com. Rating: 4. 5427 Broadway, 409-744-0070. Rating: 4.25. 101 W. Austin, 979-542- 1 Open Mon–Thur 9:30–7:30, Fri & Sat 2740. Open Mon–Fri 7:30–5:30, Sat 7:30–4. 1 9:30–8:30, Sun 11–7:30. Beer. leonsbbq.com citymeatmarket.biz Virgie’s Bar-B-Que

Opened 2005 Pitmaster Adrian Handsborough, age 48 Method Oak; indirect-heat pit pro tip Virgie’s is named for Handsborough’s mom, who taught him the art of smoking.

he brawny pork ribs that emerge from T the big metal smoker are top-notch— pink and delicious, the meat lightly clinging to the bone. There is no way to be genteel with these monsters, so pile up some nap- Pitmaster Bennie Washington (left), of Whup’s Boomerang Bar-B-Que, in Marlin, kins and dig in. A sweet sauce, with a hint of with his son Charles and granddaughter Tyneisha. heat and a fruity undertone, provides a wor- thy complement. The brisket has a jet-black L ouis–cut ribs were thin on the meat, and outer crust and a half-inch-deep smoke ★ evine the seasoning was almost nonexistent, but ring, but it dries out pretty fast. The build- ★ Grap the flavor of the smoke was deep. The spicy ing itself is a humble affair, but the folks boudin was outstanding. You’d have to go to inside are Texas friendly and make you feel Louisiana to find better, but you could go a right at home. Rating: 4. 5535 N. Gessner, Bartley’s Bar-B-Q whole lot farther and still not turn up a better 713-466-6525. Open Tue 11–2, Wed–Fri cobbler. We alternated between bites of the 11–6:30, Sat 11–5:30. virgiesbbq.com Opened 1968 pecan and peach, but a winner couldn’t be Pitmaster Shane Wilkinson, age 35 (since 2012) declared. Rating: 4. 1205 Pope, 903-657- Method Hickory; indirect-heat pit 8301. Open Tue–Sat 10–7. er ★ ★ Jas p pro tip The pecan cobbler comes from the bakery next door. ★ ton ★ Hous e walked through the doors of this Billy’s Old Fashion BBQ W nondescript suburban strip center spot and were greeted by the incense of Opened Early eighties smoked meat. A fellow patron nodded to Gatlin’s BBQ & Catering Pitmaster George Ralph Mahathay, age 67 us, rubbing his hands in anticipation. “Best Method Hickory; indirect-heat around!” he blurted out. He didn’t Opened 2010 pro tip Ask for your sauce on the side. lie. The brisket was ringed in deep maroon Pitmaster Greg Gatlin, age 33 and walloped with smoke flavor; juicy pork Method Hickory; indirect-heat pit ou could lose a lot of tire tread looking ribs hid their fatty goodness under a slightly pro tip The Cajun dirty rice has a fan base. Y for good brisket in East Texas. But if sweet and crackly bark; and the sausage was you should find yourself in Jasper, just stop spicy and flavorful.Rating: 4. 413 E. North- reg Gatlin smokes two kinds of ribs. Side by and see George Ralph Mahathay, better west Hwy., 817-481-3212. Open Tue–Thur G by side, you’ll see that the baby backs known as Billy. His thick, fatty slices of bris- 10:30–8, Fri & Sat 10:30–9. bartleysbbq.com are shorter and more curved, with a rounder ket were tender, nicely marbled, and redo- bone and more of the meat on the top. Now lent of hickory smoke (a blanket of sauce compare the St. Louis ribs. They’re bigger, notwithstanding). That same commitment ★ erson and the bone is flatter and straighter, with to quality is just as evident in the hefty pork ★ Hend more highly marbled meat. We thought they ribs lacquered in a slightly sweet glaze, the were both excellent and exceptionally moist. juicy links of peppery sausage, and even Our lean brisket was also impressive, though the mustardy potato salad festooned with Bob’s Bar-B-Que it did need more salt. But it was the three kinds a cheerful cherry pepper. Rating: 4. 1601 of sausage that got our attention, especially N. Main, 409-384-8384. Open Mon–Sat Opened 1980 the venison, with robust flavor and a shiny, 11–6ish. Cash and check only. Pitmaster Bob Allen, age 73 snappy natural casing. The small dining room Method Hickory; indirect-heat pit is adorned with a painting of a white-robed pro tip ★ Ask them to leave the fat on the brisket. Jesus holding a miniature model of Gatlin’s in erson ★ Je ff his hands. Amen. Rating: 4.25. 1221 W. 19th, nless otherwise advised, pitmaster Bob 713-869-4227. Open Tue–Sat 11–7 or till meat U Allen trims off his brisket’s crusty edges, runs out. gatlinsbbq.com because his East Texas regulars expect it to Joseph’s Riverport come out in monochromatic gray rectangles Barbecue (shed a tear for these regulars). But with SAVE ROOM! Opened the bark left on, the intensity of the smoke 1993 t collides deliciously with the moist and tender Pitmaster Stephen Joseph, age 45 at TMBBQ.com, you’ll find m meat beneath. If you’re lucky, you might 25 more joints we really Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit even get a condensed nugget of salty, crusty pro tip The Swamp Fries best all other cheese fries. S fat clinging to the edge of a slice. All you like, interviews with 1 have to do is ask nicely. The rest of the menu pitmasters, and more. fire in 2012 destroyed all but the 1 at Bob’s includes a few items of note. The St. A facade of this joint, which faces Polk 1 Street in Jefferson. But owner and pit- chicken. All of these are very fine, but on ★ master Stephen Joseph rebuilt, and seven our last visit the spareribs were heaven on hart ★ Lock months later he was christening the new a bone. Rating: 4.25. 213 Schreiner, 830- Bewley smoker. Joseph’s offers a respite 257-4540. Open Tue–Sat 11–8, Sun 11–3. from the regional practice of trimming Beer. buzziesbbq.com brisket—all the goodness is left on here. A Black’s Barbecue stout black crust holds the right amount of ★ seasoning, and a layer of buttery fat adds ton Opened 1932 ★ Livings to the already moist slices. Pork ribs have Pitmaster Kent Black, age 60 a vinegar-and-mustard-based finishing Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit glaze that gets its sweetness from brown pro tip When Black’s is busy, it staffs the cutting sugar. This is barbecue on another level Hitch-N-Post BBQ block on the left with the B team. Go to from most of what you find in this part of the one on the right. the state. Rating: 4.5. 201 N. Polk, 903- Opened 2009 665-2341. Open Tue–Sat 11–7, Sun 11–2. Pitmaster Billy Ray Nelson, age 62 lack’s has little in common with the Method Red and white oak, pecan, and hickory; B more iconic Kreuz or Smitty’s other indirect-heat pit than the fact that they’re all in Lockhart. ★ pro tip Some of the Texas tchotchkes are for sale. Instead of a mesmerizing encounter with a ★ Kerrville picturesque brick pit, at Black’s you’re fun- illy Ray Nelson is the former sheriff neled down a cafeteria line. But when you B in these parts. Four years ago, he reach the meat counter, you’ll find the big- B uzzie’s Bar-B-Q retired and opened this cozy joint, situated gest difference—good brisket. Kent Black in a field on FM 350. The juicy brisket swears by his methodology (developed Opened 1997 comes in big, thick, addictive pieces. The by his parents, Edgar and Norma Jean): Pitmaster Harold “Buzzie” Hughes, age 54 hunky pork ribs are crowd-pleasers— briskets are cooked for eight hours in a Method Live oak; indirect-heat pit lightly glazed, tender, and meaty. The Southern Pride rotisserie using only wood, pro tip Get Buzzie to tell you about how he sauce is a little dense and the baked beans stored for a couple days in a cooler, then got started. are standard, but the potato salad gets smoked for four hours in the old brick pits. two thumbs up. Be sure to leave room for It’s among the weirdest smoking routines in rdering brisket is a reflexive action some of Nana Nelson’s buttermilk pecan Texas, but you can’t argue with the results. O for most eaters of Texas barbecue. pie. Rating: 4. 1880 FM 350 S., 936-967- A thick black crust covers the tender beef, And at a joint like Buzzie’s, with a reputa- 0161. Open Tue–Wed 10:30–3, Thur–Sat and there’s plenty of well-cooked fat with a tion for expertly smoked beef, it’s truly 10:30–6:30. deep and powerful smokiness. a no-brainer. If you’re ordering just one The rest of the menu isn’t bad either. more meat, get the spareribs. This means Enormous beef can be great— ★ forgoing the sausage, pork loin, turkey, and ★ Llano rich, moist hunks of beef that come apart effortlessly (though on some visits they’ve been a little chewy). The signature beef sausage is rustic and flavorful, if sometimes Cooper’s Old Time Pit a little greasy. On our last visit, pork chops Bar-B-Que were a new, and welcome, addition to the A Brief and Decisive menu. Rating: 4.25. 215 N. Main, 512- Conversation Between Opened 1963 398-2712. Open Sun–Thur 10–8, Fri & Sat the Barbecue Editor Pitmaster Multiple 10–8:30. Beer. blacksbbq.com Method Mesquite; direct-heat pit and Anthony Bourdain pro tip Offset the price of the meats with a bowl About Smoked Meat of free beans. Kreuz Market

here are a number of establishments Opened 1900 (current location since 1999) T across the state, affiliated and not, Pitmaster Roy Perez, age 51 da n i e l vau g h n : You have traveled that carry the Cooper’s name, but we Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit the world and sampled nearly every cuisine like the one in Llano (though we have pro tip For a great souvenir, get a photo with Perez. imaginable, much of which is the result of also become devotees of the one in New the communion between meat and fire. At Braunfels, which opened in 2008). First, e wanted to keep this renowned spot this point in your travels, where have you you eyeball the huge array of meats in the W at the top of our list, where it’s been tasted the finest bite of smoked meat? immense serving pit. The must-have is since our very first barbecue story, in 1973. a n t h o n y b o u r da i n : You know the pork chop, a two-inch-thick juicy But after repeated visits by various staffers, the answer, it’s the same as yours: Franklin slab, but get some of the smoky brisket we just couldn’t. The brisket was consis- Barbecue, in Austin, Texas. I never thought too and at least one of the beef ribs, tently disappointing. The scanty fat on the I’d cheerfully wait hours for twenty minutes coated in a thick black crust. The chicken “fatty” cuts was sinewy, the meat looked of eating. But I knew it would be worth it is moist and peppery, and the pork loin like shredded wheat, and the smoke was from ten yards away. The brisket there is t is super lean. Grab a cup of sauce from the noticeably lacking. The shoulder clod was beyond perfection. It’s supernatural. condiments table and take a seat at one tender, but it’s no stand-in for good brisket. m of the long picnic tables. This is old-time Still, the remaining items were as heavenly S Anthony Bourdain is the host of pit barbecue at its best. Rating: 4.5. 604 as they’ve ever been. The thick pork chop 1 CNN’s Parts Unknown. W. Young (Texas Hwy. 29), 325-247-5713. was smoky on every visit, and the snappy 1 Open Sun–Thur 10:30–8, Fri & Sat 10:30–9. beef-and-pork sausage, heavy on the pep- 1 Beer. coopersbbq.com per, is truly one of the state’s best. The pork spareribs tasted fresh, with plenty of juicy, delicious meat on them. There’s no doubt this is still a barbecue institution, and we’ll keep coming, not only for the meats they do well but also to walk into the smoky cut- ting room where Roy Perez stands sentry at the chopping block. Rating: 4.25. 619 N. Colorado (U.S. 183), 512-398-2361. Open Mon–Sat 10:30–8. Beer. kreuzmarket.com

★ ★ Luling

City Market

Opened 1958 Pitmaster Joe Capello Sr., age 66 (since 1970) Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit; gas-fired smoker pro tip Take home some sauce.

here are few places we love as much Pitmaster Adrian Handsborough, of Virgie’s Bar-B-Que, in Houston, perched on his pile of oak; T as the smoke-filled pit room at City Virgie’s brawny pork ribs (above left), for which you’ll need a pile of napkins. Market—as sacred a space as there is in the world of Texas barbecue. But while this joint was a mainstay of our top tier for snappy, heavy-cased, tasty pork-and-beef years, the tough, tasteless brisket from ★ sausage from Eckermann’s, as well as a ★ Marlin repeated visits has moved it down a notch. decent hot link. Rating: 4. 1203 Bennett, Maybe the layer of unrendered fat and lack 254-883-5770. Open Thur–Sat 10–8. Cash of smoke is the result of the short cooking and checks only. time—six to eight hours—or maybe it’s Whup’s Boomerang the gas. Yes, it seems that this venerable Bar-B-Que ★ old partisan of wood-smoking has, of late, inney ★ Mck been using a Southern Pride smoker on the Opened 2000 weekends. This shocking fact unsettled us Pitmaster Bennie Washington, age 62 as deeply as it would to find out that Willie Method Mesquite, post oak, and a little pecan; Nelson lip-synchs. Thankfully, the other indirect-heat pit Hutchins BBQ meats still stand out. The pork ribs were the pro tip Whup was the owner’s father. best thing on the menu: semisweet, meaty, Opened 1978 (current location since 1991) and flavorful, with a perfect salty exterior. ennie Washington started smoking Pitmaster Tim Hutchins, age 32 (since 1999) And when we bit into the homemade beef B meat in his backyard in the mid- Method Pecan, hickory, and mesquite; indirect-heat pit sausage ring, the snap was audible. Inside, seventies and had a short-lived joint in the pro tip The meat comes from the Local Yocal the meat was coarse and juicy, with good nineties. He built this humble place in 1999, butcher down the street. t seasoning. Though anything would be next door to his sister’s house, and ever great dipped in City Market’s mustard since has been putting out better smoked ast June, after a fire torched their m sauce, we were disappointed that we had meat than anyone in nearby Waco. Ribs are L joint, the father-son team of Roy and S to use it on the brisket. Rating: 4. 633 E. the star—the meat came off the bone too Tim Hutchins documented the rebuilding 1 Davis, 830-875-9019. Open Mon–Sat 7–6. easily, but the outer crust still had integrity process on Facebook. Their November 15 1 Beer. Cash and local checks only. and the flavor was spectacular. There’s also post announcing the reopening was “liked” 1 as most ineluctably Texan—beef brisket smoked for long hours, uncorrupted by sauce, served on butcher paper—is the product of a region that did not conclusively think of itself as geographi- cally or ideologically bound to the South. If Central Texas was an Texas vs. tuhe So th independent republic of unsettled antebellum thought, barbecue was its national dish. Or What We Talk About When We Talk About Beef It could be argued—and I’m happy to argue it as long as I don’t have to prove it—that our state’s barbecue heritage and its challenge to monolithic secessionist fervor arose from the same source: a little thing called the Verein zum Schutze deutscher Einwanderer T exas barbecue is not Southern barbecue in Texas. because Texas is not the South. Okay, it is the The Society for the Protection of German Emigrants in Texas was South, but it’s the extraterritorial South, the a colonization enterprise begun in the 1840’s to establish the newly afterthought South, that inelegant cartographic independent republic as a prime destination for German citizens T appendage you see on the map of the old Con- wanting to start over in a new land. Some seven thousand people federacy. It’s an unavoidable fact that Texas, came, and during the same time period another two thousand or against the ardent wishes of Governor Sam Houston—“My God, so German-speaking natives of Alsace embarked for Texas with a is it possible that all the people have gone mad?”—voted to secede French entrepreneur named Henri Castro. from the Union. But let’s do a little quantitative history. Out of 122 The Germans took up residence in a broad settlement belt that ran Texas counties, 18 voted against secession in 1861. Some of these from the Gulf Coast to the Hill Country. A sizable population settled were North Texas counties bordering the Red River, but the largest west of cotton country, where the land was cheaper, the soil thinner, cluster of Unionist sentiment was in the center of the state, in those the landscape more rugged, and where the sight of grazing very counties through which today’s pilgrims are most likely to pass across sweeping grasslands eventually generated more cultural as they make their stops along barbecue’s Sacred Way. romance than the spectacle of pigs rooting in a dark forest. They In Williamson County, today the home of Louie Mueller Barbe- brought beer and singing societies and sauerkraut and sausages and cue, secession was defeated by 480 to 349 votes. In Travis County, the Old World science of patiently smoking meat over hardwood from whose soil would one day spring Aaron Franklin’s original coals until it acquired the then-unnamed attributes—the bark, the smoke ring, the meat caramel—that give modern-day barbecue fussbudgets so much to talk about. They also brought cultural and political attitudes that were forged far away from the slaveholding South, the place from whence the state’s first wave of Anglo settlers had mostly come, some twenty years earlier. Later, when the Civil War came, many of the German immigrants were happy to go along with the pro-slavery, pro-secession majority, but there were enough subscribers to abolitionist newspapers like the San Antonio-Zeitung and enough delegates will- ing to stand up in conventions and declare slavery to be evil that many Texans began to regard Germans as a fifth column. One of the many little Hill Country towns where these Germans settled was Comfort, the birthplace, a century or so later, of Buzzie’s Bar-B-Q (which later moved to nearby Kerrville). Comfort is also the site of one of the most poignant monuments in Texas, a simple limestone obelisk with the words “Treue der Union” carved on its front. “Treue der Union” means “Loyalty to the Union,” and the monument honors the 36 men, most of them Germans, who were killed by local Confederate troops in 1862 as they attempted to flee to Mexico rather than fight for the South in theC ivil War. food trailer, the vote was 704 to 450 against. Snow’s BBQ, which The war is long over, and though certain barbecue matters— this magazine crowned as the state’s number one barbecue joint mop sauce versus dry rub, oak versus hickory, white bread versus in 2008, is in Lexington, which before the Civil War was part of crackers—seem like they will defy adjudication forever, it’s a safe Burleson County. Yes, Burleson voted overwhelmingly to leave bet that the descendants of those dead German Unionists and the the Union, but Lexington was in the western part of the county, Confederates who killed them would unite in agreeing that vinegary making it tantalizingly close, for the purposes of my thesis, to pulled pork with a scoop of coleslaw on top is not something they Bastrop County, which narrowly defeated secession by 17 votes. would care to eat. This leaves us with the problem of Lockhart, where Kreuz Market Their meat, and ours, is beef, the meat of wide-open spaces, and Black’s Barbecue are located and which awkwardly resides in the thing that Southerners don’t talk about when they talk about historically secessionist Caldwell County. But like Llano County to barbecue. Texans may have made a few ill-considered choices here the northwest—home of Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que—Caldwell and there in our history, but brisket is not one of them. If our right to is so squeezed in among Union-friendly counties that who knows define it as the cornerstone of proper barbecue is ever threatened, what a little redistricting might have accomplished? we will not hesitate to secede again—but this time from the South. The point is that the style of barbecue that has come to be regarded —stephen harrigan by nearly three hundred people. Count us peppery hot links, Big Ol’ Burgers (the ★ among them. The brisket was fatty nirvana, half-pounders are made from 100 percent ort ★ Rockp melt-in-your-mouth tender and haloed by ground brisket), and griddle-fried chicken- a rosy smoke ring and a golden mantle of fried steak. Rating: 4. 8131 N. U.S. 281, that blessed f-word. The St. Louis–cut ribs 940-325-5150. Open Wed & Thur 11–8, Fri sported a sweet-but-not-too-sweet char & Sat 11–9. Beer. Hatfields BBQ & and pulled nicely from the bone, and the Blackjacks Beer Garden sausage packed good flavor and a hint of unexpected heat. Sides were above par, and ★ Opened 2012 ★ Pearsall the deep-auburn sauce earned our respect Pitmaster Kenny Hatfield, age 53 for its high pepper quotient. Rating: 4.25. Method Oak and mesquite; indirect-heat pit 1301 N. Tennessee, 972-548-2629. Open Sun– pro tip Hatfield will barbecue pretty much Thur 11–9, Fri & Sat 11–9:30. hutchinsbbq.net Cowpoke’s any game you bring him.

Opened 1993 his tidy cedar cabin opened only in ★ Pitmaster Multiple T November, but pitmaster and owner ★ Mexia Method Mesquite; gas-fired smoker Kenny Hatfield has been perfecting his pro tip If you see a guy in coveralls, run to get in craft for years, barbecuing brisket each line ahead of him; he’s probably ordering Friday for friends and employees at his Kirby’s Barbeque for fifteen. flooring store across the street. Hatfield smokes his brisket for eighteen hours Opened 1991 (current location since 2008) ven if the meat at Cowpoke’s were over a mix of oak and mesquite in his Pitmaster Kirby Hyden, age 58 (since 1991) E terrible, the joint would be jam-packed custom-built pit, which he has affection- Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit at all hours, since it’s located on the edge of ately dubbed the Big Nasty (it’s so large it pro tip It’s about two miles south of the city limits. the booming Eagle Ford Shale formation. protrudes from the rear of the building). But the barbecue here is among the best The resulting brisket is flavorful and ten- oth Kirby Hyden’s parents and his in South Texas. The fatty brisket was a der and boasts a thick crust. The pork ribs B grandfather used to have joints of particular standout, with its thick crust and are coated with a not-too-sugary glaze, their own. Hyden continued the tradition, perfectly rendered fat. The lean was also and the meat is succulent. Rating: 4. 209 taking over a joint in 1991, renaming it Kir- moist and delectable, even in the late af- E. Cornwall, 361-729-2337. Open Tue–Sat by’s, and eventually moving it to this newish ternoon. We found the mesquite-smoked 11–midnight, Sun noon–midnight. Beer. metal building. He uses two large steel ribs to be a little tough, but they had a nice blackjacksbeer.com barrel smokers, which produce a remark- crust and a rich flavor.Rating: 4.25. 1855 able brisket: the mix of oak and hickory W. Comal, 830-334-8000. Open Sun–Thur ★ flavors the meat deeply, and each slice 8:30–8:30, Fri & Sat 8:30–9. Beer. ntonio San A comes out moist and perfectly cooked. ★ The rub provides a punch of saltiness and a ★ hit of cayenne. Spareribs, also coated with ★ Pecos an impressive bark, are incredibly tender The Granary ’Cue despite their heft. The sausage comes from and Brew Slovacek’s, in Snook, and is smoky with a nice snap. Rating: 4.5. 4592 Texas Hwy. Po dy’s BBQ Opened 2012 14 N., 254-562-5076. Open Wed–Fri 10–6, Pitmaster Tim Rattray, age 30 Sat 10–3. Opened 2011 Method Oak; indirect-heat pit Pitmaster Israel Campos, age 38 pro tip The beer is brewed in-house. Method Mesquite; indirect-heat pit So are the pickles. ★ pro tip denville Have a glass of iced tea—or a fire extin- ★ Pea guisher—handy if you plan to try the sauce. ot a typical joint by any means, the N Granary is a converted old house in n 2011 Israel “Pody” Campos moved the flashy new Pearl development with a Hashknife on the I back home to Pecos and took a job as hipster vibe: modern music and barbe- Chisholm the chief deputy of Reeves County. He cue folk art. Carolina-style pulled pork also bought a laundromat and converted is chewy, smoky, and almost sweet, but Opened 2006 it into a barbecue joint. Out back, he has don’t worry, they also do excellent Texas Pitmaster Jim McLennan, age 51 an unconventional smoker he calls his Lazy fare, such as a lean, smoky brisket with a Method Pecan and oak; gas-fired smoker Susan. It’s a black vertical cylinder with two red-black crust. Our slices were a little pro tip Gargantuan loaves of yeast bread (just rotating middle racks. Campos feeds it with dry, but the flavor had permeated deep $5) are made using the proprietor’s mesquite but adds cherry, pecan, and oak into the meat. Sausage, turkey breast, and grandmother’s recipe. “like they’re herbs.” The cherry sweetens his St. Louis ribs are all strong choices here. ribs, which had a thick crust and great flavor, Barbecue is served from eleven until it taunch traditionalists who refuse to though they were a tad dry. The brisket, with runs out (at twelve-thirty, three of the five S eat meat smoked in a gas pit should a nice red smoke ring, could have also been meats were gone). The dinner menu is t drive right on past this joint. That way, a bit more moist, but a judicious squirt of the more elaborate—featuring dishes such as there’ll be more of the smoky brisket for the sauce helps out. We say judicious because Szechuan duck leg and Moroccan lamb m rest of us. And more ribs, which devotees this is a spicy brew, with visible chunks of shoulder. Like we said, not your typical S would likely rather we not mention, lest ghost and habanero peppers. Ten cuidado. joint. Rating: 4. 602 Avenue A, 210-228- 1 there be a run. Pitmaster Jim McLen- Rating: 4. 1330 S. Cedar, 432-448-4635. 0124. Open Tue–Sat 11–2. Beer and wine. 1 nan takes equal pride (rightfully) in his Open Tue–Sat 11–9. thegranarysa.com 1 Two Bros. BBQ Market

Opened 2009 Pitmaster Emilio Soliz, age 29 (since 2011) Method Oak; indirect-heat pit pro tip The “Two Bros.” are well-known local chefs Jason and Jake Dady.

he brisket has a deep, rich taste; the T crust is thick and crumbly; and the meat falls apart with a slight tug, just like we like it. The pork ribs are huge and moist with a lovely black crust, but the most popular ribs are the cherry-glazed baby backs. The sauces—one sweet, one tangy, and one made from molasses, coffee, and Shiner beer—are worth a try. Eat it all out back in the shady patio area. Rating: 4.25. 12656 West Ave., 210-496-0222. Open Mon–Sat 10:30–8:30, Sun 11–7. Beer and wine. two- brosbbqmarket.com

★ arcos ★ San M

Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering

Opened 2007 Pitmaster Michael Hernandez, age 39; Aaron Hernandez, age 19 (since 2009); and Omar Serna, age 40 (since 2012) Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit pro tip The mustard sauce is as good as City Market’s.

hile we waited in line, a friendly W customer recommended the pork chop, so we started there. It was stunning, pro tip Thursday, Friday, and Saturday they offer ★ with a peppery bark and the right amount pork butt, which is tender and yielding. wood ★ Spice of smoke. The brisket—Certified Angus cooked for eighteen to twenty hours— he massive pits outside and the piles of boasted a half-inch smoke ring, and the T post oak led us to believe a good meal pork ribs were fine and meaty. Two kinds of was ahead. Correcto. The fat on the brisket Opie’s Barbecue homemade sausage appear on the menu— wasn’t as rendered as it could have been, jalapeño-cheese and regular (beef and Bos- but the thick tender cuts had a quarter-inch Opened 1999 ton pork butt go into the filling). Both come smoke ring and a rich flavor. Sadly, the Pitmaster Marco Oglesby, age 31 (since 2007) tied in a ring and have a perfect snap. The same couldn’t be said for the lean cuts, but Method Mesquite; indirect- and direct-heat pits turkey was outstanding, with a pepper-rich we didn’t mourn for long, as the beautiful pro tip Most of the desserts can feed a crowd. exterior, smoky flavor, and a juiciness that pork ribs were next. Thick, meaty, pink, and made the slice glisten. Sides are decent, and rubbed with pepper, there wasn’t a bad bite pie’s, like Cooper’s, is a pick-your- the sweet, thick red sauce has a nice burn. on the entire bone. We dipped a piece in O meat-from-the-show-pit kind of joint, Rating: 4. 2601 Hunter Rd., 512-392-6000. the thin sauce, which offered a light tang. so brace yourself for a visual bonanza. We Open Mon–Sat 11–8. hayscobbq.com The sausage was also a winner: homemade recommend getting the brisket, a little bit all-beef links with chunks of pepper and of both the regular and jalapeño sausage, no filler. Zimmerhanzel’s is co-owned by a half rack of sweet-and-spicy baby back ★ hville husband and wife Bert and Dee Dee Bunte. ribs, and one of Opie’s enormous pork ★ Smit Bert smokes the meat. Oddly, he told us chops (there are also pork spareribs, pork

t he quit putting bacon in his beans because loin, pulled pork, beef ribs, and chicken). the vegetarians complained. Which raises Proceed to the counter for slicing, weigh- m Zimmerhanzel’s BBQ the question: What’s a vegetarian doing in ing, and paying, and get some sides while S a place like this? Rating: 4. 307 Royston, you’re at it. The spicy corn is great, as is the 1 Opened 1980 512-237-4244. Open Mon–Fri 8:30–5, Sat tater tot casserole (and beans are gratis). 1 Pitmaster Bert Bunte, age 54 (since 1984) 8:30 till meat runs out. Cash or check only. Find a table in the large dining room 1 Method Post oak; indirect-heat pit zimmerhanzelsbarbeque.com and ready yourself for moist and tender pro tip Try a “breakfast bowl.” Then go back to bed.

or years owner Nick Pencis felt F compelled by regional tastes to serve briskets without a speck of fat. But when he renovated his restaurant in 2012, the menu got a makeover as well. The brisket now receives a more aggressive dusting of salt and coarse black pepper, and the servers don’t automatically trim it. He’s also re- placed a boring commercial sausage with a special-recipe pork sausage from a local butcher. Both changes constitute major improvements for a joint that was already great, largely on the basis of the pork ribs. These baby backs, rubbed with an eleven- spice mixture, are saucy, messy, sweet, and delicious. Another standout at Stanley’s left to right: Pitmaster Roy Perez, of Kreuz Market, in Lockhart, whose sideburns are is the smoked turkey—peppery and moist themselves a local landmark; a family chowing down at Kreuz; Kreuz’s sausage. and surely among the state’s best. Rating: 4.5. 525 S. Beckham Ave., 903-593-0311. brisket with a perfectly seasoned black Breakfast Mon–Fri 7–10; lunch and dinner ★ ater bark, lovely baby backs, hearty sausage, eetw Mon–Sat 11–9. Full bar. stanleysfamous.com and the absolutely stunning chop. All are ★ Sw sublimely smoky, just the way the good ★ Lord intended. 9504 E. Texas oria Rating: 4.5. ★ Vict Hwy. 71, 830-693-8660. Open Mon & Tue Big Boy’s Bar-B-Que 11–4, Wed & Thur 11–7, Fri & Sat 11–8, Sun 11–7. opiesbarbecue.com Opened 2000 Pitmaster Gaylan Marth, age 57 Mumphord’s Place BBQ Method Mesquite; direct-heat pit ★ pro tip Save room for Mrs. Marth’s key lime pie. Opened 2000 ★ Spring Pitmaster Ricky Mumphord, age 55; Keith Mumphord, ravel west or northwest from Sweet- age 48; Bubba Barnes, age 61; and T water, in an area roughly the size of Ernest Rucker, age 50 Corkscrew BBQ Pennsylvania, and you won’t find anything Method Mesquite and oak; direct-heat pit that touches the plates served here. Pitmas- pro tip The chocolate cake with cream cheese icing Opened 2011 ter Gaylan Marth cooks all his meat over is made by a local church lady. And it’s divine. Pitmaster Will Buckman, age 34 mesquite-fueled pits. The brisket, cooked Method Red oak; indirect-heat pit for between seven and nine hours, comes his is “cowboy-style” barbecue, where pro tip The green-chile ranch dressing is home- out with a salty-peppery, saliva-inducing T the wood is burned to coals, then made. Get some, even to dip your pinky in. kick and will melt in your mouth. Be sure to transferred to pits in which the meat is get the lean side, though. Direct heat often placed on grates about four feet above the orkscrew BBQ represents a new cooks brisket too fast to properly render heat. It’s a tricky method. The meat cooks C generation of Houston barbecue. the fatty end, and that’s definitely the case fast—eight hours for brisket, two for the Pitmaster Will Buckman smokes his brisket at Big Boy’s (as Marth himself will tell you). ribs—so you’re unlikely to find the tender- with a clear Central Texas influence—for Pork ribs (two varieties) are served with ness and smokiness you get from indirect up to twelve hours using only red oak, a light candied glaze that Marth makes heat. But the flavor is good, and in a part resulting in heavy smoke penetration himself and that doesn’t overpower the of the state where quality ’cue is scarce, and crusty, char-y salt-and-pepper bark. flavor from the salt-and-pepper rub or the Mumphord’s does a better than decent job. It’s that essence of smoke and perfectly delightful smokiness in each bite. Rating: With a mesquite bite mellowed out by oak rendered fat that might cause a traveler to 4. 2117 Lamar, 325-235-2700. Open Wed– smoke, the brisket comes off reasonably think he’s in one of the barbecue temples Sat 11–8. Beer and wine. moist, and the mild, coarsely grained pork- of Central Texas. But an East Texas and-beef sausage has a nice snap. Rating: influence makes an appearance in the 4. 1202 E. Juan Linn, 361-485-1112. Open ★ T exemplary spareribs: big slabs of porky ★ Tyler Tue–Thur 11–7, Fri 11–8, Sat 11–6. goodness with knuckles and tips all intact and painted with a not-too-wet, not- too-sweet mop flecked with bits of chile Research and writing by pepper. And if you want to branch out, try S tanley’s Famous Pit Courtney Bond, Jordan Breal, the superb pulled pork and smoked turkey. Barbecue t But make sure you get to this trailer eatery Jason Cohen, David Courtney, S.C. Gwynne, Michael Hall, m early—menu items start getting crossed Opened 1959 Stacy Hollister, Paul Knight, Pitmaster S off around noon, and they might be all Nick Pencis, age 36 (since 2006), and Francesca Mari, J.C. Reid, gone by one. Rating: 4.25. 24930 Budde Jonathan Shaw, age 34 (since 2009) Patricia Sharpe, Sonia Smith, 1 Rd., 832-592-1184. Open Tue–Sat 11 till Method Pecan; gas-fired smoker (ribs); indirect- Shannon Stahl, Brian D. Sweany, 1 meat runs out. corkscrewbbq.com heat pit (everything else) Daniel Vaughn, and Katy Vine 1