BBQ favorite to least favorite

Louie Mueller
Blacks
Hutchins
Smoke Session
Lockhart's
Hard 8
Smitty's
Mike Anderson’s
Heim
Kreuz
Salt Lick
Hay's
Riscky's
Bodacious
Bakers
Easterling Custom Meats
Mesquite BBQ

On the list:
407
Lulling Market

What some good BBQ joints that are missing from my list?

Coopers in LLano

Stanley’s
Mike Anderson’s

Top two.

Hard 8 is extremely overrated IMO

Hard 8 shouldnt be on that list imo

Franklin's
Pecan Lodge
Cattleack

Franklins
Pecan lodge
Hutchins.

Dickies
Buccees
McRib

I can't rate. Love 407, Lockhart, Pecan Lodge. Need to hit Cattleac. Had Franklin's, Opies, and Smittys and others which are good too. Anyone like Heims in Fort Worth?

Depends on which one you go to. My customers love the one in Roanoke - But I am not a fan. One in the Colony is much better. Also another group likes Meat U anywhere and that one is at the bottom of any list.

I really enjoyed Coopers Llano and Pecan Lodge Dallas. I want to try blacks in Lockhart, Mike Andersons on Harry Hines and Franklins.

Other good places in no certain order is our own 407 and Hutchins in McKinney although last time I ate the Brisket at Hutchins it was very average.


Biggest disappointment was TEN50 BBQ and Kruez in Lockhart, ate at both of them once never again.

Angelos FW..

This is pretty tuff:

Non-chain: Smitty's, Kruez, Truth, Tejas Chocolate Factory, John Mueller Black Box

Chain: Rudy's, Goode Co., Bill Millers

I love BBQ and have planned entire road trips around eating bbq, but there are a lot I still haven't tried. Of the ones I have tried, here are my favorites.


My Top 10 in no particular order
Franklin-Austin
Pecan Lodge-Dallas
Freedmen's-Austin
Hutchins-McKinney
Killen's-Pearland
Evie Mae's-Wolfforth
Cattleack BBQ-Dallas
Micklethwait Craft Meats-Austin
Heim - Fort Worth
Louie Mueller's-Taylor

Honorable Mention: Stanley's (Tyler), LA BBQ (Austin), Slow Bone(Dallas), 407(Argyle), Black's(Lockhart), Terry Blacks (Austin), City Market (Luling), Meat U Anywhere BBQ (Grapevine), Stiles Switch (Austin)

Most overrated: Lockhart Smokehouse (Dallas), Hard 8 (any locations), Coopers (Llano location seems better than most, but still far from great), Kruez's (Lockhart, 10 years ago, I would have told you this was my favorite, but last 2 trips there have been less than spectacular and other joints have upped their game), Smitty's (Lockhart), Salt Lick (Driftwood)

Places I haven't tried yet, but are on my list to try:
Snow's (Lexington), John Mueller Black Box (I loved his old place in Austin), Corkscrew BBQ (Spring), Tejas Chocolate Factory(Tomball), Truth BBQ( Brenham), Stillwater BBQ (Abilene), BBQ on the Brazos (Cresson), 2M BBQ (San Antonio)

Circa 1975.

when did you eat at TEN50?

Tejas

Tejas Chocolate Factory in Tomball

Don't really have a favorite but I can tell you the two worst I've ever been to.

Mikeska's in Columbus
Any Bill Miller's

BBQ is subjective and to each person's taste and likings ...

in no particular order ... and some are hole-in-the-wall or trailer places
Valentina's Austin
LaBarbecue Austin
Micklethwait Craft Meats Austin
Stiles Switch Austin
Kerlin Austin
Stubb's Austin
Full House Georgetown
Black Box Georgetown
Miller's Smokehouse Belton
Texas BBQ Masters Bertram
Payne's Bar-B-Q Shak Burnet
Inman's Llano
Louie Miller Taylor
Snow's Lexington
Blacks Lockhart
Kreutz Lockhart
City Market Luling
Wagon Wheel Ozona
407 Argyle

This, hands down correct. Horrible.
I dont know about bill millers.

Top 5

Evie Mae's
Cattleack
Franklin
LaBarbecue
Valentina's

Places that people seem to enjoy and I don't think is all that great

Hard 8
Saltlick
Slow Bone
Longoria's
Micklethwait

Place I go to the most.

Rudys as I love their breakfast tacos. Always ask for a fresh slice of brisket and on Saturday and Sunday ask for the Prime Rib taco.

Bill millers is to bbq what mcdonalds or Whataburger is to the hamburger world. It is fast food, it shouldn't be on this list. The sides at most of the places on the list cost as much as a meal at bill millers.

For a quick lunch stop or something on the way to the ranch after work I like it and will most of the time pick it over a burger etc. but it isn't and isn't intended to compete with the kraft bbq places around texas and hate it when people knock it like it is.

Colter's is by far the worst bbq I've had.

407 is my present favorite, though I should do more research. Two others I like a lot are the Luling City Market on Richmond Avenue in Houston just inside the west loop, and the Pitmaster on Sawdust Road at the Woodlands. And there’s a BBQ place in Conroe, on 105 I think, that is outstanding. I just can’t remember the name.

As for bad bbq, it’s all over the place.

Blacks- Heavys- Coopers-Rudys- Bill Millers and a couple in Bandera

Ribs: Stanley's in Tyler
Brisket: Franklin's
Pulled Pork: My own
Sausage: 407
Sauce: Saltlick
If I had to pick just one: Kreuz

Cant believe no one has listed Flores outside of Whitney. Some of the best I have had

It is fantastic bbq. I've only been once and it might have been the best rib I've ever had. I've said that before with other places only to go back and it not be nearly as good. Once I go again they may jump into my top 5.

One of my favorites was Nonmacher's in Katy, but they have recently closed after being in service for 30 or so years. I do have to say, for being a sorta fast-food bbq place, rudys is pretty good, as well as Buccees.

I’ve had Flores 4 times

It is definitely good but half the time I drive by they are closed. It is not better than Hutchins

They have excellent pickles

Best I have had were Snow's in Lexington and Austin's BBQ from Eagle Lake. Down south of SA the better ones are The Market and Partners in Karnes City and then MCMillans from Fannin.

1)Lums in Junction Texas. Love, love, love me some Lums. Mom and pop shop they know BBQ and I love the feeling of old time Country stores and beer, beer of course.

2) Salt Lick in Driftwood-some say over rated. I liked it not my favorite but I will be back. Open pit is attracting.

3) Moonlite BBQ in Owensboro KY-my in laws live there. I like goat and they are huge on mouton/sheep. Good stuff and one hell of a all you can eat buffet. Good stuff

4) Coopers in Llano-not bad, not out of this world, A few times I had been in there they had Cabrito, love me some goat meat on the pit.

5)Macs- in Midland and Lubbock, formerly in Eden. Co owner is Josh Abbott. Not great BBQ by any stretch of the imagination. Personally I like the beer and live music. My ladies think it's good. Meh, over hyped, imo

6)Coopers in Junction Texas- absolute insulting name to the Cooper BBQ dynasty. Dog couldn't chew thru that crap. Nasty pathetic so called BBQ. Someone needs to kick this guy in the nads and get him off the block. Nasty stuff.

7) KDs in Midland-close runner up to Coopers in Junction Texas.

Last 2 times I have been to Rudy's I was extremely disappointed. Brisket was dry and had no smoke flavor and the chicken was also very bland.

If you are ever in the neighborhood of Paris, TX you have to stop at Scholls Bros BBQ. Small family run BBQ joint that has never left me disappointed. I planned my east texas work trips around lunch or dinner so I could hit Scholls when in the area. They have a big sign inside that reads, "you don't need teeth to eat our beef". I would attest that to be accurate.

I really enjoy the ribs at The Coutry Tavern outside of Kilgore, TX. Probably my #1 bbq joint.

Soulman’s for me

Yes sir, this.

The best Mikesaka's is in El Campo, however it tastes better when they are catering an event opposed to eating it on site.

Rudy's is the only one out here that can make descent Barbecue.
Their sides are second to non, green bean salad, green chile stew man o man!
Their regular sauce is good on their breakfast tacos as well which I'd
put up against anyone's brisket and egg tacos.

Rudy’s breakfast tacos are good AND you can get a beer with them!

Rudy's Tacos will always have a special place in my heart. Full story here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlzR2walmTn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Their green Chile stew is pretty good as well.

Since some of yall have mentioned the Hard 8 bbq, they were recently on an episode of Man, Fire, Food. I found it pretty interesting that he doesn't season his briskets until he wraps them in foil. In fact I have never heard of anyone putting a brisket on naked and then season later.

Gonna try some 407 bbq tomorrow.

Flores in Whitney is definitely top of the list. Pecan Lodge is pretty food and I like Hutchins as well. Being as we are not far from Whitney, that's normally our go to spot.

Marshall's in Farmers Branch has been using the same smokers since 1975. Always good and consistent. The other Marshall's not as good.

I’ll second that the place is really good.

Don't buy into all the hype about Truths BBQ in Brenham!!!
Long lines of people that believe all the Austin reviews !!

We tried going to Saltlick yesterday but hour wait in humid sticky weather wasn't going to work so went to Railroad BBQ in Dripping Springs. Beats the heck out of any Rudys. It was pretty good. They were out of ribs though and only 1:30. Brisket and sausage and sides were great. Sauce was for pork apparantly but didn't have any to try it on. We went through 4 lbs of meat and had to get more.

https://www.rrbbq.com/

Heim in Fort Worth, good but pricey
Railhead in FW for Ribs

If I am in a bind a get a craving, Rudy's and Back 40 do a good enough for me

I'm a Mom and Pop restaurant guy. There a little place on the westside of Richmond Texas called Galvan's Sausage House. I'll take their sausage or brisket sandwich any day of the week.