TEXAS MONTHLY BBQ TOP 50

Every 4 yrs. TEXAS MONTHLY puts out the TOP 50 BBQ list in Texas. KIRBY'S in Mexia has made it again. They really have a good assortment of BBQ and very good desserts.
The list just came out today.

I'm about 15 miles south of Kirby's, and we are fans of their BBQ. That said, I still miss Swick's BBQ that was in Groesbeck.

I agree about Swicks. I eat there from the early 70's until the end.

Austin has 5 of the top 10 spots

http://www.texasmonthly.com/list/the-50-best-bbq-joints-in-the-world/


1. Franklin Barbecue - Austin
2. Pecan Lodge - Dallas
3. Snow's BBQ - Lexington
4. Louie Mueller Barbecue - Taylor
5. The Original Willie's Bar-B-Q ?
6. Tyler's Barbeque - Amarillo
7. John Mueller Meat Co. - Austin
8. La Barbecue - Austin
9. Lamberts Downtown Barbecue - Austin
10. Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew - Austin
11. Miller's Smokehouse - Belton
12. Fargo's Pit BBQ - Bryan
13. Brooks' Place - Cypress
14. Lockhart Smokehouse - Dallas
15. Austin's BBQ and Catering - Eagle Lake
16. McMillan’s Bar-B-Q - Fannin
17. Cousin's Bar-B-Q - Fort Worth
18. Longoria's BBQ - Fort Worth
19. Cranky Frank's Barbeque Company - Fredericksburg
20. Leon's World's Finest In & Out Bar-B-Que - Galveston
21. Meshack's Bar-B-Que - Garland
22. City Meat Market - Giddings
23. Bartley's Bar-B-Q - Grapevine
24. Bob's Bar-B-Que - Henderson
25. Gatlin's BBQ & Gatlin’s BBQ & Catering - Houston
26. Virgie's Bar-B-Que - Houston
27. Billy's Old Fashion BBQ - Jasper
28. Joseph's Riverport Barbecue - Jefferson
29. Buzzie's Bar-B-Q - Kerrville
30. Hitch-N-Post BBQ - Livingston
31. Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que - Llano
32. Black's Barbecue - Lockhart
33. Kreuz Market - Lockhart
34. City Market - Luling
35. Whup's Boomerang Bar-B-Que - Marlin
36. Hutchins BBQ - McKinney
37. Kirby's Barbeque - Mexia
38. Hashknife on the Chisholm - Peadenville
39. Cowpoke's - Pearsall
40. Pody's BBQ - Pecos
41. Hatfields BBQ & Blackjacks Beer Garden - Rockport
42. The Granary 'Cue and Brew - San Antonio
43. Two Bros. BBQ Market - San Antonio
44. Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering - San Marcos
45. Zimmerhanzel's BBQ - Smithville
46. Opie's Barbecue - Spicewood
47. Corkscrew BBQ - Spring
48. Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue - Tyler
49. Mumphord's Place BBQ - Victoria
50. Big Boy's Bar-B-Que - Sweetwater

Cleary these guys don't know what they are talking about....407 BBQ isn't on the list.....fake news.....



"Local boys" seemed to be up this list don't it......

I think they only list 1 thru 4 or 5 and the rest is list alphabet order by name of city.

The top 5 are in alphabetical order as well.
And they had to pick an extra that doesn't belong to finish the list.

Good observation

I think the above list is from 2013....here is the 2017 top ten.....Pecan Lodge slipped out of the top ten.

Here are Texas Monthly's top 10 of the 50 Best BBQ Joints:
Snow's BBQ, Lexington
Franklin Barbecue, Austin
Cattleack Barbeque, Dallas
Bodacious Bar-B-Q, Longview
Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor
Tejas Chocolate Craftory, Tomball
CorkScrew BBQ, Spring
Micklethwait Craft Meats, Austin
Evie Mae's Pit Barbeque, Wolfforth
Truth Barbeque, Brenham

I haven't tried any of those but I will try Hitchin Post next time I'm there. I will say, folks down there ask me to bring them 407 stuff. They like it better.

Snow's in Lexington is nowhere near the best in Texas. Their brisket is greasy and waaaay too salty. It's barely edible IMO. City Meat Mkt. in Giddings is pitiful as well. I live halfway between Lexington and Giddings and you won't catch any of the locals eating there.

Sorry about that. I read the wrong list. They did not make it this time.

Should be on the list:

Hard 8 in Stephenville

Goode Co. on Kirby Dr. in Houston.

This is the list from 2013. Here is the updated list. #1-10 have their rank beside them
http://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-list-the-top-50-barbecue-joints-in-texas/

Eaten at 6 of the 10. Looks like I need to make trips to Spring, Tomball, Brenham, and Longview this summer.

I've yet to eat Tejas, Corkscrew and Truth. I just don't like going to Houston, but this is about to change I guess. I really don't know how Micklethwait made it in the Top 10, I guess I went on a really bad day. Out of the joints in the Top 10 I have tried this would have been my order.

Evie Mae's
Franklin
Snow's
Cattleack
Louie Mueller
Bodacious
Micklethwait (which wouldn't normally even make my top 25)

I just read through the list and there is some marginal BBQ making the top 50. Texas Monthly needs to slip out to 407BBQ in Argyle. I'd rank if above Pecan Lodge these days,and every bit as good as Heims. I'd like to ive Snow's a try some day. And will make a point of trying out CattleAck in the near future. I think it's sort of strange a place like Cattleack BBQ get's the #1 ranking in Dallas and #3 in the state, and they are only open 2 days a week, and only for lunch on those days. I'd like to try it but that's a VERY limited window of opportunity. Anybody been there?

I eat at Cattleack all the time, as I am just down the street.

The brisket is great, as are his sausages. Occasionally, Todd does a smoke pastrami that is killer. Nice burnt ends and really good sides.

The first Saturday of the month he does a whole pig as well as the regular menu. Also, no liquor license, so there is always a cooler of free beer.

The go to sandwich is the Toddfather....brisket, sausage and pulled pork stacked high on a bun.

By 11 there is usually a long line....I'll run by at 1:30...may be out of some things, but there is always something good left!

Sadly I'm not old enough to be considered. Minimum age for consideration is 1 yr in business.

October is coming Bro.

i'd really like to know who the judges are....

Along with that and what else is taken into consideration.

Judges include Daniel Vaughn the bbq editor of Texas Monthly, some of their staff and BBQ bloggers. Back in October the state was broken up into regions and each person went out to narrow down the list. If a joint was in consideration 3 more visits were made to ensure consistency which is probably one of the most important criteria in making the list. I know at least 400 joints were tried to make the list of 50. My friend Jimmy was asked to help out this year and he posted a little bit of his search on his blog. My hat is off to him, because as much as I love BBQ I couldn't eat as much as he did covering the Houston area.

http://thesmokingho.blogspot.com/2017/05/2017-texas-monthly-top-50.html

gunsup, thanks for sharing! I would love to give it a try as much as I love BBQ, especially brisket. I could do 49 places in a month's time I think.

Louie Mueller in Taylor is where a large majority of the Austin area pitmasters, possibly others, learned their craft and is usually on the top 50 list at varying spots ... almost like a place holder to compare others too in my book.

Cattleack is a very limited window, which is why I have only eaten there twice. I have always thought it was really good barbecue. The brisket, ribs, and sausage were very good, but the beef rib was the best beef rib I have had not cooked by somebody named Mueller. The Toddfather sandwich is great as well. I wish Cattleack was open more that one Saturday a month, because my work schedule doesn't allow me to eat there except for rare days when I have a Friday off.

I plan on hitting up your place sometime very soon. Do you give a THF discount?

Having had some of these places makes me wonder what it is they really rate by.

I have a standing 10% discount for all THF /TFF members. Just tell my cashier when placing your order.

I wrote my thoughts on the top ten in my blog for those interested.

http://gunsupbbq.blogspot.com/2017/05/texas-monthly-top-50.html

I plan on trying Truth BBQ on Friday while I am in Brenham for the day.

pecan lodge is overrated

They have lost a step with consistency after the expansion and dropping out of the Top 5 proves that. They still have good days though and one of the best meals I've ever had came from an event they held.

http://gunsupbbq.blogspot.com/2016/01/pecan-lodge-behind-pit.html

Good info

nice blog and write ups GunsUp18! thanks for sharing

Go early unless you don't mind standing in a long line. I go by there at least twice a week and theres always a line. Haven't tried them yet but I hear it's good.

I plan to get there at 11 am, followed by a nap.

There are some good BBQ joints not on this list, I have eaten at 3 of the top 50 and had better BBQ several times. Hard to break down this great State into an objectionable 50. I know I would rather drive across a county to try something new before I stand in a line to eat overrated meat.

Very generous offer there! Looking forward to trying out 407.

That is food in general, someone swears by it, you try it only to never return.

My wife and I had a late lunch at the 407 BBQ for the first time on Saturday. She had the chopped brisket sandwich and I had the the Boss Hog. The Boss Hog was great! She loved the Brisket as well. Great quality, flavor and generous portions of meat on both sandwiches. Can't wait to try the platters on our next visit.

Glad you stopped by and enjoyed lunch. Saturday was a wild & crazy day for sure.

You do good work Sir! Fine food! I hope to get back up there maybe the middle of June!

Went to Truth BBQ in Brenham today and some was good and other was average. The brisket was oh so moist with a wonderful bark, the only pit fall was that it was too damn salty. I am not talking about oh it's over salted a bit, I am talking where is the water over salted. The ribs and sausage were on point, they make the sausage in house. The beans and mac n cheese were middle of the road.

Heavys in Hondo should have made the top ten.

I've been to six places with my BBQ passport so far. Corkscrew in Spring was a great outing. Some of the best brisket I've had in all my life. Ever. That's for both the moist and lean. Ohhh I need a time machine!

Just ate at the #10 joint Stiles in Austin. It was the best brisket I've ever eaten! Maybe I'm to country, but $20/pound for brisket just flat out hurts my feelings!! I had 1/2 pound with 2 jalapeno cheese links and 2 side, wife had 2 meat plate.. $45

Maybe its just my tight German side but dang it

I'm 11 into my Passport. Some Tattoo artist out of Conroe finished all 50 last week.

That dude better make a bunch off of those tattoos!!!

I want to know how many points his cholesterol spiked during that time.

I had BBQ at Heavys in Hondo today. Texas monthly is fake news for not listing him.

I was chatting with some guys while in line at Truth BBQ last Friday and they are under the impression as to get to the Top 50 let alone top 5; you have to pay to play.

This deal just started about a month ago. Forget his cholesterol spike, the guy (my hat's off to him haha) is probably dead! He literally had to eat at more than one bbq joint a day for a month. Ever seen the movie supersize me?

Heck technically all he had to do was eat there right, not like it said you had to order a minimum of food?

I have been told from someone whom I would think would be "in the know" and they said the same thing

I have friends who were a part of the team who put the list together. Why spend 6 months and endless hours researching and eating bad bbq when all you have to do is make a sales call? Now do I believe some places in Houston and Austin might have been left out so a region of Texas would have a join on the list? Yes I do.

At some point I have eaten at 30 of the Top 50 joints. Only once have I said WTF is this doing on the list.

Most peeps who rate them joints like lots of smoke and salt.

I dont. I need to taste the meat.

I accept the challenge of trying every joint on the top 50. Might take some time but I can do this.

I am not from Texas, but my family was. I hear a lot about " the salt lick " but it didn't even make the list.

Is it legit ?

Better than average, but I wouldn't got out of my way to eat there. The draw is the atmosphere rather than the meat in my opinion. Much better options in the area.

I agree 100% with this statement.

I'm with Beav.....easy on the salt, easy on the smoke, NO SAUCE!

I've stopped at BBQ on the Brazos twice now at breakfast time and had the brisket breakfast tacos. Not bad but better get a fork because the tortillas fall apart. A little too much grease to work properly.