The Best Barbecue in Every Major Texas City

Hello, fellow barbecue lover. Glad to see you.

If you’ve been on the hunt for the best barbecue in Texas, you’ve come to the right place. The editors of Travel Magazine have put in extensive (and delicious) research to help guide you to the right bite of beef ribs, sausage, and yes, brisket, one city at a time.

We won’t speak to our overall favorite barbecue joint in Texas, but we will guide you right through the best barbecue in Texas, city by city. And remember, this is just a small sampling of what the state has to offer–there are incredible barbecue joints in each of these cities, narrowing each place down to one is meant to guide you to a great spot if you’re only in town for a short time. There are dozens of joints in each of these cities that will leave you feeling awed, amazed, and inspired…everything but hungry.

Let’s get into the meat and greet.

Houston

Being the largest city in Texas, there’s certainly no shortage of incredible barbecue joints in Houston, Texas.

Rosemeyer Bar-B-Q started as a hobby for owners Jordan Rosemeyer and Ben Maxwell and has transformed into one of the most beloved institutions in the city. Feges BBQ has multiple locations, and they’ve fully convinced us that a glass of wine pears perfectly with a well seasoned bite of brisket. But for us, the best in Houston is the truth. Literally, it’s Truth BBQ.

Juicy ribs, succulent turkey, every bite we’ve had at Truth BBQ has been perfection. Since opening its first location in 2015 on a highway connecting Houston and Austin, Truth has expanded and opened a large shop right in the city. They made the New York Times top 20 barbecue list for Texas, and are being extremely creative with their offering. I shouldn’t have to say more than Pastrami Brisket, South Carolina Style Whole Hog (available on Saturdays), or brisket boudin–inspired by local Cajun and Creole culture.

But the Texas Trinity (sausage, brisket, and ribs) is executed to perfection, too, as are all the sides and desserts made by the restaurant’s pastry chef, Kiki Wilkins.

This place is a must-visit in Houston.

An honorable mention goes out to Gatlin’s BBQ in Houston, another local favorite in the city worth visiting for a lot of things, but most notable for us, their 3.5 hour smoked chicken wings.

San Antonio

You knew San Antonio was more than just a riverwalk and strong drinks, didn’t you? The food coming out of the city is just as much fun, but be keep that between you and me. We don’t want that many more visitors clogging up the lines at our favorite spots.

Speaking of lines, yes, you’re very likely to run into a lineup when you visit the best barbecue in San Antonio, 2M Smokehouse. Once you get a whiff of the aroma coming out of the place, you’ll understand why people visit from all around the country.

The Pitmaster here has some serious hardware to backup the claims that this is the best BBQ joint in San Antonio. Esaul Ramos Jr. received his second, well-earned James Beard nomination as the Best Chef in Texas this year. If you’re wondering why, you don’t have to look any further than the menu at 2M Smokehouse. They nail all of the classics, and their sides are something else. We’re talking Chicharoni Macaroni (Mac & Cheese topped with Chicharonnes), Mexican Street Corn, Pickled Nopales (Cactus) and Serranos, and some serious sandwich that will make your knees buckle–the Half Pound Chopped Brisket Sandwich and the Brisket Cheddar Melt are our favorites, but you can’t go wrong.

Pro-tip, stop by on the first Sunday of every month for Barbacoa.

Dallas

We’ll cover Fort Worth below, but first, let’s talk Dallas.

The Big D is home to some great barbecue, including several spots on the Texas Monthly top 50. One of those places is near and dear to our heart, and maybe more importantly, our stomach.

We’re always giddy when we get to visit Cattleack Barbeque, maybe the best named joint on our list. The quality here is incredible, and the offer some of the best Texas-style barbecue in the state.

There’s not a question about this place though, you have to get here early for specials. The pastrami beef ribs, pork belly ribs, and pork steaks are must-trys, so bring the whole family and get to sampling. You’ll also want to put in an order fo the whole hog sandwich with slaw and cracklins, served the same way you’d get it in North Carolina.

We love that their website is updated regularly so we can stay on top of this week’s feature, go ahead and just save that link in your browser if you’re thinking about visiting soon. The features change, and they’re always incredible.

Oh, and one more item we definitely don’t want you to miss out on when you visit—the Wagyu Bologna. You read that right. You’ve never had any bologna like this before. Come hungry, and you’ll leave happy.

Austin

Go west young man, haven’t you been told?

Austin is jam-packed with options to fill your stomach. Honestly, all of these cities are, which can be overwhelming. But fear not, barbecue seeker. Just head to InterStellar BBQ, LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, or our pick for Austin, the world-renowned Franklin Barbecue.

The reputation here precedes itself, do a search on YouTube for Franklin Barbecue and you’ll be sure to spend hours learning and salivating. Every single menu item is bursting with flavor, carefully created to leave you satisfied. This is classic Texas barbecue, the mains, the sandwiches, and the sides are exactly what you’d expect to find in Texas, and they’re executed perfectly. Just note two important details.

The beef ribs at Franklin Barbecue are sold on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and you won’t want to miss them. Some of us around here think they’re the best bite in Texas.

Important detail number two, this is not a place you can just roll up to at 11am on a Friday. There will be a line, and you need to get here early to make sure you eat to your heart’s content.

If you’re starting a Texas BBQ bucket list, go ahead and add Franklin Barbecue right at the top. This is food well worth traveling for.

Fort Worth

With some of these cities we struggled only mentioning one spot. There’s just so much great food to eat in Texas, picking one spot per city is a near impossible task. But when it comes to barbecue in Fort Worth, we knew where we were heading before we started writing.

Goldee’s received the most-acclaimed award in the Texas barbecue world, being named the number one spot in Texas Monthly. And it’s a title well-earned by Goldee’s.

They call themselves a straightforward BBQ joint, serving food out of their wooden shack that always has a lineup. Get here early, and you won’t leave disappointed. Order your food together and share it as a group so that everyone gets to try a little something. You’ll be treated with a burnt end while you’re at the counter ordering, just to get your taste buds flowing in the right direction. All orders come with bread made in-house, and it’s essential that you order pretty much every protein on the menu when you finally make it to the front of the line. Bring some friends, and make a day of it.

There was an incredible day-in-the-life video produced about Goldee’s, make sure you check it out if you want to see the amount of care and quality that goes into your food. Goldee’s is doing everything the right way. Watch that below.

El Paso

Rib Hut’s slogan might just be the best in Texas.

“You can’t beat our meat!”

Established in 1984 in El Paso, Rib Hut believes that barbecue is life, something we endorse completely. Slow smoked ribs, sausage, brisket, and chicken are the staples, and there are weekly specials like chicken fried steak and bbq burritos so you’ll never get bored at Rib Hut.

Our favorite bite here, as you might guess from the name of the joint, does happen to be the ribs. We couldn’t tell you exactly what goes into their spare and baby back rib seasoning, but we can tell you that it makes all the difference. The desserts are also special here, like the seasonal Halloween Pumpkin Cobbler, which has been known to knock socks right off.

Don’t be surprised to see a skewer of brisket and sausage on top of your bloody mary, another touch of class from the best in El Paso. With three locations to serve you, you’re never too far from an incredible meal in the city. We love visiting this place when we’re in town, make sure you stop in and say hello.

Arlington

Dating back to 1910, David’s Barbecue is a Texas BBQ institution, located in the Village Park Shopping Center.

Pitmaster Jimmy Harris works alongside his son-in-law, Austin Payne, who may well take this barbecue restaurant into its fifth generation.

The menu is exactly what you’d expect from a 100+ year old joint, serving the classics like beef brisket, pork ribs, turkey, and sausage. Sides include coleslaw, barbeque beans, potato salad, and be sure to save room for the fried okra.

The sauce they’re serving at David’s is mouth-wateringly delicious, but have no fear purists, the barbecue’s great on its own, too.

Corpus Christi

Setting up shop in a 90-year old warehouse has a certain kind of charm to it that Hoegemeyer’s Barbeque Barn has on full display.

The busy daytime counter serves up huge plates of chicken, ribs, brisket and sausage, and we highly suggest you try one of their brisket and sausage po’boy sandwiches.

Smoked potatoes covered in all the fixins, the Texas cheesesteak, and a bunch of other rotating specials are worth following Hoegemeyer’s Instagram page for; you never know what you’re going to get at this Corpus Christi staple.

Texas is home to some great barbecue

There’s no question that Texas isn’t starved for great barbecue. The joints mentioned on this list offer some of the best barbecue in the world, so be sure to check them out the next time you’re in town. Add them all to your bucket list and start eating your way through the Lone Star State.

Happy eating!