Top 50 BBQ Challenge Completed!

It's been quite the journey!  From October 2017 through February 2018 I hit the road to taste great BBQ and explore more in my resident state of Texas!  My travels took me all over Austin and the Texas Hill Country, through pine tree forests and friendly towns in East Texas, along the palm treed highways of South Texas, and across the windmill strewn plains, cotton fields and canyons in West Texas and the Panhandle.  


[Blue = BBQ places visited, Red = sights visited]

My Adventures included:

• Visiting 48 of the "Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ" places (2017 issue)
• Photographing 5 Texas courthouses: Ellis County - Waxahachie, Potter County - Amarillo, Randall County - Canyon, Harriosn County - Marshall, Mills County - Goldthwaite

• Exploring 7 state parks / nature reserves: Palo Duro Canyon SP, Lake Whitney SP, Lake Corpus Cristi SP, Resaca De La Palma SP, Longhorn Cavern SP, Sabal Palm Santurary and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Reserve

• Sight-seeing:
• Amarillo's Route 66 and Cadillac Ranch
• Lubbock's Buddy Holly Center and Prairie Dog Town
• The East Texas towns of Jefferson with its Louisiana influences and charming Tyler with its historic houses and Kiepersol vineyards.
• The South Texas town of Harlingen and its historic downtown area and murals
• Houston's Rice University, Bayou Bend Gardens, and Discovery Green
• Dallas' Pioneer Square and Cattle Drive Sculptures
• Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

What did I get out it?  Well I learned a LOT about Texas BBQ!  I have a deeper appreciation for Texas and its varied landscapes, big cities and small towns, history, agriculture & industries.  I met some of the nicest people around.  Y'all, most importantly I had fun!

Oh yeah, and I received some cool Yeti prizes (tank 45 not pictured) and Tyler's BBQ (my last passport stop) swag.  *smile*

Below is the list of where I visited, with my Favorites highlighted in gold and Runner-ups highlighted in peach, along with my recommendation on "must try" items. Everyone has their own opinions; that's one thing that becomes very obvious when you are comparing notes with other BBQ enthusiasts. So I expect you to disagree with some of my choices, and I hope you feel the desire to visit some places new-to-you and maybe create your own BBQ challenge.....send me your own "Top 10" list!

Happy Eating and Exploring, My Friends!

😃 Kris

Terry Black's Barbecue

Visited Sunday 2/11, 8:00 pm

What I ordered: chopped beef & jalapeno cheese sausage sandwich, Mexican rice

My take: the sandwich is great and the jalapeno cheese sausage is one of my top picks! / the Mexican rice is good

The place:  cavernous space inside, plenty of seating plus patio seating, fun atmosphere

Pro Tip:  although they are open for dinner until 9 pm, go early if you want brisket!

Tyler's Barbecue

Visited Friday 2/9, 4:00 pm

What I ordered: brisket, black peppercorn sausage, stew, peach cobbler

My take: brisket is tasty with nice smoky charred bark / black peppercorn sausage is good, nice to try different type of sausage / stew is good and filling / made-in-house peach cobbler with a spice cake crust is delicious!

The place: there's a reason, aside from the great BBQ, this is listed in the Top Restaurants to visit in Amarillo on any tourist site, and that's because Tyler's is BBQ spirit exemplified - Tyler Frazer prides himself on a BBQ job well done, supporting BBQ in Texas, BBQ enthusiasts, and tourism in the city of Amarillo.  The entire staff provides friendly hospitality!  (They even gave me a tour of their pride-and-joy smokers)

Pro Tip: this is the place to get dessert, don't pass up the peach cobbler!  Their baseball caps are a step above, made with cotton and are super comfortable

Evie Mae's Pit Barbecue

Visited Thurday 2/8, 1:00 pm

What I ordered: burnt ends, turkey, green chile cheese grits, jalapeno cheese cornbread

My take: burnt ends is best-in-class, and made other diners so envious they stopped by my table just to ask about them / turkey is delicious and juicy with peppery crust / green chile cheese grits are mouth watering creamy goodness, with just enough heat to add flavor / jalapeno cheese cornbread is a decadent tasty treat that I will be thinking about fondly for some time

The place: spacious restaurant, modern interior.  Look for island in the middle for put-on-your-tray condiments, utensils and take-home packaging

Pro Tips: grab a free cold beer while you wait in line, they offer a gluten free menu

Snow's BBQ

Visited Saturday 2/3, 8:15 am

What I ordered: brisket, pork ribs, turkey, beans

My take: brisket is good with nice thick charred bark on it / pork ribs are juicy and flavorful / the tender and peppery turkey is best-in-class, so good that the guy standing next to me in line who scoffed at ordering turkey in a BBQ joint tasted a free sample and changed his mind, ordering it along with his brisket / spicy sausage is peppery and has a nice snap / free beans are tasty

The place: it's a teat to watch the famous 80+ year-old pit master, Tootsie Tomanetz, and her crew in action while waiting in line....unfortunately you will never avoid at a 1-3 hour wait in line since their hours are limited to 8 am - 12 pm Saturdays only (and eating BBQ prior to 8:30 am is not when I have the best appetite)

Pro Tip: get there at least one hour before opening for the best spot in line, under the covered ramp and to be among the first 50 or so to walk through the door, and for the possibility of a seat inside the modest sized dining room 

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

Visited Saturday 1/27, 2:40 pm

What I ordered: burnt ends, prime rib, beans, peach cobbler

My take:  burnt ends are meaty with a flavorful smoky bark, meat is a tad dry / prime rib very moist and fatty / beans are the best-in-class with jalapenos in the pot adding flavor / peach cobbler is great

The place: red brick building often with a line of folks wrapped around the corner on weekend days, inside there a lot of communal bench style seating.  Bread and BBQ sauce are on the tables, free beans and condiments are at a self-serve station

Pro Tip:  you order your meat at the outside smoker and they go by portion (you gesture how much you want) vs. by the pound

Payne's Bar-B-Q Shak

Visited Saturday 1/27, 11:00 am

What I ordered: 3-meat plate (brisket, chicken, spicy sausage), green beans, coleslaw, beans

My take: brisket is juicy with well rendered fat, and smoky bark / spicy sausage is course, mildly spice with a flavorful skin / chicken is good and a generous portion

The place: here the owners and pitmaster are hands-on and present onsite, welcoming you

Pro Tip: order the chicken if you're hungry, half a bird comes with a meat plate!

Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que

Visited Sunday 1/21, 9:30 am

What I ordered: cachete taco w/verde salsa

My take: it was my first experience with barbacoa and to be honest it wasn't my thing (however, judging by the couple's ooohs and awes, who are experienced with this kind of meat, it probably deserves its accolades), it was too fatty, rich and "textured" for my taste.  Tacos are generously sized, and the wonderfully delicious floppy, warmed (lightly salted) tortilla is a treat all by itself, as is the excellent house-made tomatillas-avocado-lime verde salsa 

The place: the hands-on owner, Mando, is patient (and I'm guessing experienced) dealing with Passport toting gringos....and he was fine with letting me order a solo taco (previously he didn't sell individual tacos, just barbacoa by the pound and packets of tortillas)

Pro Tip: if you're a barbacoa newbie, the cachete is the leanest meat and should be your first to try (vs. the lengua, ojos or mixta)

The Smoking Oak

Visited Saturday 1/20, 3:30 pm

What I ordered: beef rib tips, pulled pork, sausage

My take: beef rib tips were unique (to me), meaty and flavorful bark / pulled pork is best-in-class / sausage was good

The place: housed in the former childhood home of the owner, the place is all shiny and newly modernized with interesting memorabilia and photos on the walls from a time past.  The owner is one of the nicest BBQ folks around and gave me a personalized tour of his place, despite my near closing time arrival

Pro Tip:  Do not pass up the pulled pork; it's a winner!

Rio Grande Grill

Visited Saturday 1/20, 1:00 pm

What I ordered: chopped brisket and chicken tacos w/a side of chips & queso

My take:  both tacos are good, served on tasty flour tortillas; the chicken is juicy but the chopped brisket is more flavorful / the chips are tasty, the queso is standard fare

The place: located in the downtown historic district, this is a lively, fun place that had live music while I was there; although it was crowded inside with only outside seating available.  They also have a few craft beer options on tap

Pro Tip: four tortillas (vs. corn) is the way to go here

Heavy's Bar B Que

Visited Thurday 1/18, 1:30 pm

What I ordered: frito pie w/chopped beef

My take: the generously sized frito pie is tasty, with lots of beans, cheese and shredded cheese topping the chopped beef

The place: spacious interior and seating, with wood paneled walls and interesting and unique taxidermy displayed on the walls

Pro Tip: the portions are generously sized, so come hungry!

2M Smokehouse

Visited Thursday 1/18, 11:30 am

What I ordered: brisket tacos w/pico de gallo, chicharoni macaroni

My take: the brisket for the tacos is sliced in front of you, and combined with the large floppy tasty tortilla and zesty pico de gallo it is a mouth-watering taco / the chicharoni mac & cheese is excellent, the real cheese is thick and stringy goodness

The place: seemingly in an out-of-the-way in an industrial area; it's obvious by the long line that folks know about this hidden jewel.  There's limited seating inside and additional seating on the covered patio

Pro Tips: you can choose a pickled item from a list to top your taco and add additional items for a buck each (pico de gallo, nopales, bell peppers and serranos.  If you drinks sodas this is the place to get it - they serve delicious Stubborn sodas (no corn syrup and flavors like Lemon Berry Acai, Black Cherry Tarragon and Orange Hibiscus)

The Pit Room

Visited Monday 1/15, 12:45 pm

What I ordered: brisket taco, chicken w/griddled cheese taco, mac & cheese

My take:  both tacos excellent, with a big lightly fried house-made tortilla, with quality meats and toppings - the griddled cheese topping the chicken taco is a tasty treat! / mac & cheese is creamy goodness / house-made salsa is great

The place: the line inside feels overly crowded, but the dining area has a more spacious modern feel with brick lined walls, booth and butcher block tables, and giant artwork of cows on the walls

Pro Tip:  don't miss the fabulous condiments bar!

Killen's BBQ

Visited Sunday 1/14, 4:30 pm

What I ordered: brisket tacos w/pico de gallo, salsa & guac, pork rib, bread pudding

My take:  the tasty trio of street styled brisket tacos is best-in-class for flavor / the pork rib was meaty with a tasty, just-right-sweet glaze / the made-in-house bread pudding is delicious

The place: set on a Texas sized lot covered with giant Oak trees, spacious interior dining room and large covered patio with outdoor seating.  Even at an "off time" there was still a good sized line out the door

Pro Tip: the street tacos are a "special" and not always offered as a menu item

Roegels Barbecue

Visited Sunday 1/14, 11:00 am

What I ordered: brisket, sausage, Texas caviar

My take: brisket is tender and good / sausage is good, nothing special about it / Texas caviar is a unique side and a tasty treat!

The place: housed is a large hard-to-miss red building with spacious interior room

Pro Tip: they seemed caught off guard by our arrival at opening (this may be a place where you don't want to arrive too early)