Lockhart Smokehouse

Visited Sunday 12/31, 11:30 am


What I ordered: brisket, blue cheese slaw, jalapeno mac n' cheese, whiskey s'mores bread pudding 


My take: my brisket was okay but a little dry and only a hint of bark (my companion's was better with nice flavorful bark, though we ordered the same) / the jalapeno mac n' cheese was creamy and very spicy, kind of overwhelms everything else / the blue cheese slaw is in competition for my favorite coleslaw at a BBQ place / the whiskey and s'mores bread pudding is to die for!  It is bursting with layered flavors yet has an airy texture and so easily melts in your mouth.  Wins best dessert at a BBQ place, hands-down

The place: in fun Bishops district filled with art and boutique stores.  Inside the place is a nice atmosphere filled with Kreuz family artifacts.  They have a bar with craft beers on draft and in bottle

Pro Tip: don't miss the condiments bar (in front of the bar) with a variety of pickled things and BBQ sauce

Joseph's Riverport Barbecue

Visited Saturday 12/30, 3:00 pm.

What I ordered: brisket tacos, turkey, swamp fries

My take: the tacos are generously sized and they don't skimp on any of the fillings, including the meat - they taste great / the turkey tastes flavorful and has good texture / the swamp fries are ridiculous (in a good way!), loaded with shredded brisket and cheese, jalapenos and chopped onions and sprinkled with real bacon bits, yet the fries retain their crunch

The place: unassuming building but you can't miss its prominent location or the wood rack along the brick exterior, inside it's filled with a combo of fun Texana and Louisiana artifacts

Pro Tip: a small order of swamp fries can easily be shared, and the only way to get them is "all the way"

Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue

Visited Friday 12/29, 8:30 pm.

What I ordered: brisket, frito pie

My take: brisket is good with a rich smoky and slightly sweet bark / frito pie was hearty filled with shredded brisket and beans, the sauce was a bit too sweet

The place: at night you can't miss the neon glow of green and red signage.  Get your barbecue downstairs and after head upstairs to the spacious outdoor area with a full bar menu and craft brews on tap

Pro Tips: a great dinner BBQ place as they serve food until 10 pm, and the bar has a large collection of whiskey and serves whiskey flights

Micklethwait Craft Meats

Visited Thursday 12/28, 2:30 pm / Revisited  Thursday 1/25, 1:00 pm

What I ordered: (12/28) brisket, jalapeno sausage, lemon poppy slaw, pickles
(1/25) brisket, czech sausage, jalapeno cheese grits, potato salad

My take: the brisket is inconsistent, first visit it was moist with rendered fat marbled throughout, smoky and with a flavorful bark - second visit the fat was not well rendered and it was on the dry side / jalapeno sausage is flavorful with a spicy zing / czech sausage is flavorful / lemon poppy slaw is the best coleslaw side winner / jalapeno cheese grits were tasty / potato salad was bland, nothing to write home about / pickles are great, with a nice snap

The place: cute yellow trailer with hand painted sign and foliage, and the BBQ magic happening in adjacent screened-in smoke room.  Plenty of outdoor bench seating. Friendly staff who go out of their way to make your experience enjoyable.

Pro Tip: the "to go" set up includes actual containers and a paper bag!

Heim Barbecue

Visited Sunday 12/17, 2:00 pm.

What I ordered: bacon burnt ends, turkey sandwich, green chile mac & cheese

My take: the bacon burnt ends is a savory and sweet indulgence of BBQ meets pork belly / turkey sandwich was good, the jalapeno cheddar bun is a nice add / green chile mac & cheese is cheesy and with a nice zing (but not too spicy)

The place: Housed in a black and red brick building, enter through the side, there's a good amount of indoor seating and the bar features local craft beers

Pro Tips: Grab a seat at the bar and skip the line; you can order your BBQ at the bar!  BBQ goes great with beer!

Hutchins Bar-B-Q & Catfish

Visited Sunday 12/17, 11:30 am.

What I ordered: brisket, jalapeno cheese sausage, mashed potatoes, potato salad

My take: the brisket is moist with well rendered fat / the jalapeno cheese sausage is tasty with just the right amount of heat / the mashed potatoes are cheesy with bits of brisket, very satisfying side / the potato salad is good (but the mashed potatoes are the winner!)

The place: Prominent signage out in front of a barn red building. Order your meat and sides are self-serve cafeteria style. Spacious interior with rustic decor and industrial lighting fixtures, has seating able to accommodate large groups, intimate booths for two and everything in between. 

Pro Tips: They have drive thru ordering, and if you're hungry they have a good deal for all-you-can-eat buffet

Pecan Lodge

Visited Saturday 12/16, 3:30 pm.

What I ordered: brisket burnt ends, The "Pitmaster" sandwich

My take: I never knew I loved burnt ends this much! A hearty portion of delectable, tangy bark clingy to melt-in-your-mouth meat / The Pitmaster is an excellent sandwich holding a perfect trinity of BBQ meats

The place: Has a cool, lively vibe and is located in the heart of the fun Deep Ellum district, with Braindead Brewing and Deep Ellum Brewing nearby (both great breweries!). 

Pro Tip: Did I mention "burnt ends"?!

Stillwater Barbecue

Visited Saturday 12/16, 11:00 am.

What I ordered: beef ribs, brisket mac & cheese

My take: the beef ribs are moist, tender and with a delicious tangy bark / the brisket mac & cheese is my favorite, with chunks of brisket and melted pepperjack cheese giving it a hint of heat
The place: It is an unassuming building at the forefront of a strip mall, with a cute trailer and smoker round back

Pro Tip: Help yourself to a free cold one (beer) in the ice large ice chest; beer goes great with BBQ

Miller's Smokehouse

Visited Friday 12/15, 8:00 pm.

What I ordered: brisket taco, jalapeno cheese sausage, buttered potatoes, mac & cheese, banana pudding, sopapilla cheesecake

My take: the brisket in my taco was smoky with well rendered fat and perfect burnt ends / the jalapeno cheese sausage is some of the best so far / the buttered potatoes are a surprisingly great side (scalloped potatoes meets mashed potatoes) / mac & cheese is good / sopapilla cheesecake is worth the caloric splurge with a wonderful crispy cinnamon top over creamy cheesecake / banana pudding is good with homemade vanilla wafer cookies

The place: fun place on a Friday night with some beers of draft and live music, plenty of indoor seating in the restaurant side or the bar side's enclosed porch (we lucked out with a less busy night due to the local high school's game)

Pro Tip: this is the place to save room for house-made desserts

Franklin Barbecue

Date Visited: 12/13/17, 2:00 pm

What I ordered: brisket slice, The Tipsy Texan sandwich 

My take: the brisket has a delectable, peppery and tangy bark that easily fell off my (plastic) fork it was so tender / The Tipsy Texan is the best barbecue sandwich I've ever enjoyed, with chopped beef, sausage, coleslaw, pickles and onions, perched precariously high on a sandwich bun (definitely not for the faint of appetites...)

The place: small but iconic shop, you can't miss it with the ubiquitous wrap-around line, there's limited seating inside and outside on the small side porch patio.  I've been to Franklin's a half dozen times and often am greeted by the pitmaster himself, who sometimes offers tasty samples for those that waited at the front of the busy line

Pro Tips: expect a several hours long wait early Saturday mornings, or take your chances and slide in around 1:30 or 2 pm on a weekday (at the very least they will likely have the Tipsy Texan even if the brisket/ribs/turkey runs out), if they have the turkey don't pass up adding it to your plate...it's smoked and basted with its own juices

Fargo's Pit BBQ

Date Visited: 12/09/17, 1:30 pm

What I ordered: brisket and pork ribs, mac & cheese

My take: the brisket has an excellent smoky flavor and charred flavorful bark; the meat fell off the fork with ease on several pieces / the smoky, just-the-right-salty pork ribs are some of the best I've enjoyed / the mac & cheese has a nice cheese crust over creamy, cheesy pasta

The place: a large square building, inside is ample seating.  Upon entering we were immediately welcomed by the gregarious pitmaster and the staff is friendly and provides great service

Pro Tip: You can't go wrong here with any of the meats

Blue Moon BBQ

Visited:  Saturday 12/09, 11:00 am

What I ordered: moon nachos w/onions & jalapenos, cowboy cornbread

My take: the chopped beef in the moon nachos is delicious / the cornbread with brisket, chilies, onion and cheese and skillet baked is a creative and tasty side

The place: a tiny building with themed decor inside and several styles of Blue Moon ball caps for sale.  There is additional covered seating adjacent to the building outside

Pro Tip: try the cornbread

Louie Mueller Barbecue

Visited:  Monday 10/30, 2:30 pm

What I ordered: brisket, turkey, jalapeno sausage, cornbread.

My take: brisket is half moist w/a nice peppered dry rub, and half dry with a crispy bark but not much flavor / turkey has a rubbery consistency / jalapeno sausage is tasty - meaty, spicy, with visible jalapeno pieces and a snappy casing / cornbread tasted homemade and is a nice compliment to barbecue.  The barbecue sauce is a thin, au jus style that is fine for the brisket but no help for the turkey.

The place: you step back in time as soon as you walk through the door, this place speaks of generations of barbecue, wafts of smoky meat permeate the atmosphere.

Pro Tip: Monday afternoon there was little to no line.  Skip the turkey.

Flores Barbecue

Visited:  Saturday 10/28, 7:15 pm

What I ordered: brisket, rib shredded meat, potato salad, beans, pickles, banana pudding

My take: brisket is good w/a flavorful bark / rib meat is okay (probably would be best as a sandwich) / beans w/bits of bacon is full of flavor / mustard red potato salad is better than most / house-made pickles are great / banana pudding is a dream come true

The place: is in a large building, not much atmosphere inside or out, but plenty of seating and the sweet smoky smell of barbecue surrounds you as soon as you walk through the door.  The folks serving up the barbecue are enthusiastic and friendly.  Great logo.

Pro Tip: check their days/hours open before you go (as of this post they are closed 4-6 pm in between lunch and dinner), and check their Facebook page for mouthwatering photos of their daily specials

Top 5 BBQ

Visited:  Saturday 10/28, 4:30 pm

What I ordered: chopped beef nachos, mac & cheese

My take: 5-stars for the tastiest nachos I've ever enjoyed!  There's a lot going on with these nachos in terms of ingredients and flavor, with the smoky barked chopped beef and the spicy dry rubbed house-made corn chips being the stars of the show / the mac & cheese is good

The place: it's in strip mall surrounded by fast food joints, with a modestly sized interior dining space with barbecue and bbq nachos or baked potatoes at the ready to go.

Pro Tip: it's a quick stop en route Austin to Dallas (and you better believe I'm stopping here from now on)

BBQ on the Brazos

Visited:  Saturday 10/28, 10:40 am

What I ordered: brisket taco w/cheese, rib meat taco w/cheese (adding potatoes is optional)

My take: the hearty brisket taco is good (one is more than enough), not fair to compare but the tortilla is no Valentina's / the rib meat taco had inedible pieces of gristle that I had to pull out of my mouth

The place: is inside the Texaco station and the interior is a pleasant and clean space to enjoy your food and there's an upstairs dining area with a view of the racetrack.  The folks working there were friendly and passed out pieces of brisket to people waiting in line.

Pro Tip: there wasn't any line Saturday at 10:30 am; if you want breakfast tacos you have to get there before 11 am (and by 9:30 am weekdays)

La Barbecue

Visited:  Wednesday 10/25, 2 pm

What I ordered: brisket (combo fatty and lean), pork ribs, chipotle sausage, pickles, potato bun.

My take: both briskets were good, but the fatty is some of the best so far / the pork ribs are tender (but not fall off your fork tender), with a flavorful peppery crust / the sausage isn't my favorite texture-wise and lacked the flavor punch I was seeking. The crispy, thick dill pickle slices are the best (totally worth the $2).

The place: inside a Quickie Pickie, with a line that wraps around outside (covered w/tarps for shade) and then down the length of the building on the inside.  Plenty of indoor seating and several benches outside under cover.  There's a nice selection of craft beers on the menu.

Pro Tips: Get your brisket slices separately and then add pickles ($2) and a potato bun (.50) to make your own tasty sandwich.  I was there Wednesday at 2 pm and waited in the outside line that wrapped around twice, and noted when I left at 3 pm that line was empty - good time to go!