Every four years, this magazine embarks on a delicious but daunting task: choosing the fifty best barbecue establishments in Texas. The job is delicious for obvious reasons. The daunting part is realizing that many worthy joints—places that are nearly as good as those that made the Top 50—had to be left behind. So our barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn, looked back at the score sheets submitted by our 35 traveling tasters to see which ones almost made the cut. Some of them are newcomers that just need a bit more experience. Others are veterans of previous lists nudged out by tough competition. All of them are worth a visit. But don’t take our word for it. Go check them out yourself. Chances are the barbecue will be terrific—and the lines will almost certainly be shorter.
Abilene
The Shed Market
Pitmaster: Byron Stephenson
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Argyle
407 BBQ
Pitmaster: Bryan McLarty
Method: Hickory; rotisserie pit
Arlington
225° BBQ
Pitmaster: Rene Ramirez
Method: Pecan and post oak; reverse-flow offset smoker
Austin
J. Leonardi’s Barbeque
Pitmaster: Jerome Faulkner
Method: Mesquite and oak; offset smoker
Moreno Barbecue
Pitmaster: Bo Moreno
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Stiles Switch BBQ
Pitmasters: Jose Angel, Ewan Hardeman, Braun Hughes, Lance Kirkpatrick, Gibran Loera, Julian Martinez, Ricky Rodriguez
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Whitfield’s
Pitmaster: Kasey Studdard
Method: Mesquite and oak; offset smoker
Bayou Vista
Smokin’ Z’s BBQ
Pitmaster: Zaid Al-Jazrawi
Method: Mesquite and post oak; offset smoker
Beaumont
Charlie’s Bar-B-Que
Pitmaster: Charles Brewer
Method: Hickory and red oak; offset smoker
Bryan
Fargo’s Pit BBQ
Pitmaster: Alan Caldwell
Method: Hickory and pecan; indirect-heat pit
Cedar Hill
Harris Bar-B-Que
Pitmaster: Kelvin Harris
Method: Hickory and oak; reverse-flow offset smoker
Cleburne
Bare Barbecue
Pitmasters: Steven Bailey, Justin Earley
Method: Oak; offset smoker
College Station
1775 Texas Pit BBQ
Pitmaster: Brad Doan
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Cresson
BBQ on the Brazos
Pitmaster: John Sanford Sr.
Method: Pecan and oak; wood-burning gas-assisted rotisserie
Dallas
Oak’d BBQ
Pitmaster: Mike Lane
Method: Post oak; wood-fired rotisserie
Pecan Lodge
Pitmaster: Justin Fourton
Method: Hickory and oak; indirect-heat pit
Eagle Pass
Choche’s BBQ
Pitmaster: Jorge Flores II
Method: Pecan; gas-fired rotisserie
Fort Worth
Derek Allan’s Texas Barbecue
Pitmaster: Derek Allan
Method: Oak; offset smoker
Heim Barbecue
Pitmasters: Tex Alanis, Travis Heim, Jesus Martinez
Method: Oak; indirect-heat pit
Fulshear
Dozier’s BBQ & Meat Market
Pitmaster: Jim Buchanan
Method: Pecan; offset smoker
Garland
Meshack’s Bar-Be-Que
Pitmaster: Travis Mayes
Method: Pecan; offset smoker
Graford
Treviño’s Craft Smokehouse
Pitmaster: Dustin Treviño
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Greenville
Ernie’s Pit Barbeque
Pitmaster: Josh Thomas
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Hallettsville
Kolacny Bar-B-Q
Pitmaster: Ervin Kolacny
Method: Oak; direct-heat pit
Hallsville
Bodacious Bar-B-Q
Pitmaster: Gabriel Ritter
Method: Hickory, pecan, and post oak; offset smoker
Hearne
Blue Moon BBQ
Pitmaster: Matthew Moon
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Hebbronville
Avila’s BBQ
Pitmaster: Joe Quintanilla
Method: Oak; direct- and indirect-heat pits
Houston
Gatlin’s BBQ
Pitmasters: Greg Gatlin, Michelle Wallace
Method: Hickory and post oak; indirect-heat pit
Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue
Pitmaster: Eudel Hernandez
Method: Mesquite and post oak; brick pit and offset smoker
Roegels Barbecue Co.
Pitmasters: Russell Roegels, Fletcher Sheridan, Alfredo Tapia
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Jefferson
Joseph’s Riverport Bar-B-Cue
Pitmaster: Stephen Joseph
Method: White oak; indirect-heat pit
Junction
Lum’s
Pitmasters: Austin Lumbley, Nicholas Lumbley
Method: Mesquite; offset smoker
Lockhart
Kreuz Market
Pitmaster: Roy Perez
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Lubbock
Tom & Bingo’s Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q
Pitmaster: Ian Timmons
Method: Post oak; brick pit
Lufkin
Wade’s Barbecue
Pitmaster: Wade Barbe
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit and offset smoker
Luling
City Market
Pitmaster: Joe Capello
Method: Post oak; gas-fired smoker and indirect-heat pit
Marathon
Brick Vault Brewery and Barbecue
Pitmaster: Phillip Moellering
Method: Oak; offset smoker
Matagorda
Coastal Que BBQ
Pitmaster: Russell Hicks
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Pecos
Pody’s BBQ
Pitmaster: Israel Campos
Method: Mesquite; offset smoker
Pharr
Smokin’ Moon BBQ & Beer Garden
Pitmaster: Joseph Salinas
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Plano
Lockhart Smokehouse
Pitmaster: Israel Rodriguez
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Richmond
Harlem Road Texas BBQ
Pitmaster: Ara Malekian
Method: Oak; cabinet smoker
Royse City
Smoke Sessions Barbecue
Pitmaster: Chad Sessions
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
San Antonio
Smoke Shack
Pitmaster: Jose Cano
Method: Oak; offset smoker
South BBQ & Kitchen
Pitmaster: Andrew Samia
Method: Post oak; offset smoker
Sisterdale
Black Board Bar-B-Q
Pitmaster: Jake Gandolfo
Method: Oak; wood-fired rotisserie
Slaton
Pitforks & Smokerings BBQ
Pitmaster: Isaac Arellano
Method: Oak; offset smoker
Smithville
Zimmerhanzel’s BBQ
Pitmaster: Bert Bunte
Method: Post oak; indirect-heat pit
Sulphur Springs
Slaughter’s BBQ Oasis
Pitmaster: David Slaughter
Method: Pecan and oak; offset smoker
Wimberley
Creekside Cookers BBQ and Bar
Pitmaster: Kelly Evers
Method: Pecan; offset smoker
This article originally appeared in the November 2021 issue of Texas Monthly with the headline “The Next 50.” Subscribe today.