Texas Monthly Top 50 in Texas announced

platypusrex

http://www.texasmonthly.com/food/the-list-the-top-50-barbecue-joints-in-texas/

Snow's now #1, Franklin #2. Lots of great places on here!... Seven from the Austin area, crazy.

Rankings here: http://texasmonthly.com/s/the-golden-age-of-barbecue/  

Foghorn

Interesting that in Lockhart only Kreuz made the list.

TN_Sister_State

They werent kidding about the food porn here.... That brisket looks awesome.

http://www.cattleackbbq.com/

lousubcap

Will be very much interested in the locals' run-down of the lists.  Thanks for the links.  Great reads and timing just before National Brisket Day.   I see another road-trip on the horizon.  

Mickey

Still have not eaten at Franklins (my bad). But Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ 
is by far the best I have ever had in my life. Micklewait Craft Meats is really good as well. 
But how in the hell did Millers in Belton make any list??????????????????????
Kind of screws up the whole article. 

HoustonEgger

If you can - pick up the magazine itself. It contains a handy BBQ passport of all the places with prizes from Yeti for certain achievements like visiting all the Mueller BBQ places gets you a half gallon Yeti Rambler Jug

PlanoPokes79

Cattleacks should be #1! Great Que, best brisket I have ever had hands down.

TXSamIam

Good list but I think they missed on a few.  I was glad to see Heim in Ft Worth on there, great new place.  I was surprised Hard Eight  wasn't on there and think they missed the boat by not including Meat You Anywhere in Grapevine.

jak7028

I typically see Snow's as #1 most often, but since they are only open Saturday morning, I guess they don't get us much recognition as Franklins.  

Good to see Terry Blacks on now , but surprised to see Kruetz but no Black's for Lockhart.  That area has taken a backseat to a lot of the places that have opened in the last 5 years like La Barbecue, Valentinas, and Terrys.  

My big takeaway from the list was the amount of new BBQ places on the list. Franklins opened in 2009 -since then, 33/50 of the places on the list opened in 2010 or later.  

EggObsessed

I feel like Buzzie's BBQ, in Kerrville, TX, should have made the list.  His brisket is consistently outstanding, and he won the Texas Monthly BBQ Challenge in Austin a few years ago, going against all the big dogs!

dstearn

Last May I visited Franklin's, Kreuz Market, Blacks, Valentina's and Salt Lick. Next time I will visit Snow's and Louis Muellers.

Legume

dstearn said:

Last May I visited Franklin's, Kreuz Market, Blacks, Valentina's and Salt Lick. Next time I will visit Snow's and Louis Muellers.

But how did you rate them?

dstearn

Legume said:

dstearn said:

Last May I visited Franklin's, Kreuz Market, Blacks, Valentina's and Salt Lick. Next time I will visit Snow's and Louis Muellers.

But how did you rate them?

I did not rate them. However, I would say that Franklins was the best for Brisket, Kreuz for Sausage, Valentinas (breakfast) on par with Franklins, Blacks was overrated, Salt Lick was great experience but the food was not in the same league as the rest.

platypusrex

It's Franklin, not Franklins or Franklin's, right? Sorry, pet peeve

For me brisket is the primary test of a great BBQ joint. I like Freedman's and La Barbecue brisket as much as Franklin, lately Franklin has tasted a tiny bit salty to me. I'm sure Leroy and Lewis has amazing brisket since Evan Leroy taught the guys at Freedman's how to do brisket (my youngest son worked in the kitchen at Freedman's). But Leroy and Lewis has not been around long enough to be included in this list, they are just a few months old.

I've never been to Snow's - after this I'm gonna make the trip but assume they will be packed this Saturday morning. Any tips on how early one needs to arrive at Snow's?

Austin Egghead

Glad to see the Black siblings mentioned.  They have had to over come unfriendly neighbors but seem to have their act together.  Now if they could overcome the parking problem.  
My fav is Valentina's.  Never stood in line for Franklin, but have had his brisket at another food festival.  We have missed Snow's by "that much" twice,  but I was fortunate to have eaten at City Market when miss Tootsie was there.
At two different family gathering we have had LaBarbeque and Miklewait as our q. 
Favorite Brisket is Valentina's, then Centex....he makes darn good brisket.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Mickey said:

Still have not eaten at Franklins (my bad). But Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ 
is by far the best I have ever had in my life. Micklewait Craft Meats is really good as well. 
But how in the hell did Millers in Belton make any list??????????????????????
Kind of screws up the whole article. 

Millers sucks ass. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Austin Egghead said:

Glad to see the Black siblings mentioned.  They have had to over come unfriendly neighbors but seem to have their act together.  Now if they could overcome the parking problem.  
My fav is Valentina's.  Never stood in line for Franklin, but have had his brisket at another food festival.  We have missed Snow's by "that much" twice,  but I was fortunate to have eaten at City Market when miss Tootsie was there.
At two different family gathering we have had LaBarbeque and Miklewait as our q. 
Favorite Brisket is Valentina's, then Centex....he makes darn good brisket.

Very kind but it's easy to make one good one every few months. These guys make a hundred a day. Every day. Totally different game. 

platypusrex

I gotta get down to Valentina's, for a north Austin boy it's a bit of a drive (first world problems). Thanks!

DoubleEgger

HoustonEgger

platypusrex said:

It's Franklin, not Franklins or Franklin's, right? Sorry, pet peeve

For me brisket is the primary test of a great BBQ joint. I like Freedman's and La Barbecue brisket as much as Franklin, lately Franklin has tasted a tiny bit salty to me. I'm sure Leroy and Lewis has amazing brisket since Evan Leroy taught the guys at Freedman's how to do brisket (my youngest son worked in the kitchen at Freedman's). But Leroy and Lewis has not been around long enough to be included in this list, they are just a few months old.

I've never been to Snow's - after this I'm gonna make the trip but assume they will be packed this Saturday morning. Any tips on how early one needs to arrive at Snow's?

As early at 6-7am these days. They aren't set up for major crowds and the que goes quick!

HoustonEgger

Also, according to Kerry Bexley @Snow's BBQ they only use Select briskets (if anyone cares about that). Heard it from him directly this past Friday. 

lousubcap

As with all things local, many don't pursue the gems as "they will always be there" until they aren't.  I am locally guilty of the same mind-set.  But nailing great brisket is an art-I would offer that you "strike while the iron is hot".
I made the 2400 mile round-trip to Austin last Dec because it was time.  Thus the above comment about considering " another road-trip."  It helps that I have accumulated many decades of laps of the sun and every day is Saturday.  But if you are even thinking about giving any places on the list a go- just do it.  I am sure you will be justly rewarded.  FWIW-
Off soap-box.