Holy Brisket

Texas Monthly names the top 50 barbecue joints in the state, Austin takes unofficial title

Texas Monthly's latest Best BBQ list gives Austin the unofficial title.

In June, Texas Monthly's highly-anticipated, drool-inducing "Top 50 Best BBQ Joints" issue hits newsstands, and just before publication, the award-winning magazine gave readers a sneak peek into the list via Twitter. This most-recent barbecue issue follows the magazine's addition of its first-ever barbecue editor, Daniel Vaughn.

The prestigious magazine publishes the coveted smoked meats list every five years, and this year's archive fawned over a number of new Austin hotspots.

"There were more sweeping changes to this year’s 'best of the best' than ever before. An Austin place that has only been open four years, Franklin, took the number one spot. Two of the old stalwarts — Kreuz and Smitty’s, both in Lockhart — are no longer at the top. The rise of Austin is the biggest news overall; the city went from barely being represented five years ago to having the largest concentration of excellent barbecue in the state this time around. I’d say it has taken the unofficial title away from Lockhart," Texas Monthly Food Editor Pat Sharpe told CultureMap.

As Sharpe mentioned, Franklin Barbecue was honored as the number one spot in the state, with Texas Monthly staff going so far as to claim the restaurant has the "best [barbecue] in the world." With a tender brisket that attracts hours long lines every day, who are we to disagree?

Rounding out the rest of the top four are Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor), Pecan Lodge (Dallas), and Snow's BBQ (Lexington).

Austin eateries that received a mention in the competitive list included John Mueller, LA Barbecue, Lamberts and Styles Switch. The rest of the list, which is unranked, is featured below.

Alamo
The Original Willie's

Amarillo
Tyler's

Austin
Franklin
John Mueller
LA Barbecue
Lamberts
Stiles Switch

Belton
Miller's Smokehouse

Bryan
Fargo's

Cypress
Brooks' Place

Dallas
Lockhart Smokehouse
Pecan Lodge

Eagle Lake
Austin's

Fannin
McMillan's

Fort Worth
Cousin's
Longoria's

Fredericksburg
Cranky Frank's

Galveston
Leon's World's Finest In & Out

Garland
Meshack's

Giddings
City Meat Market

Grapevine
Bartley's

Henderson
Bob's

Houston
Gatlin's
Virgie's

Jasper
Billy's Old Fashion

Jefferson
Joseph's Riverport

Kerrville
Buzzie's

Lexington
Snow's

Livingston
Hitch-N-Post

Llano
Cooper's

Lockhart
Black's
Kreuz Market

Luling
City Market

Marlin
Whup's

McKinney
Hutchins

Mexia
Kirby's

Peadenville
Hashknife on the Chisholm

Pearsall
Cowpoke's

Pecos
Pody's

Rockport
Hatfields

San Antonio
The Granary
Two Bros

San Marcos
Hays Co. Bar-B-Que

Smithville
Zimmerhanzel's

Spicewood
Opie's

Spring
Corkscrew

Sweetwater
Big Boy's

Taylor
Louie Mueller

Tyler
Stanley's

Victoria
Mumphord's Place

What do you think of the magazine's meaty rankings? Did any of your favorites get left out? Use the comment section as your sounding board!

Full disclosure: Layne Lynch is a contributor to Texas Monthly's food blog, Eat My Words.

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pour one out

Longtime Austin Tex-Mex staple Trudy's closes final location

Photo courtesy of KVUE

Trudy's Tex-Mex is closing its final location on Burnet Rd. after 40 years.

After serving up queso, Mexican martinis, and more for decades, Trudy's Tex-Mex is closing its final Austin location.

The restaurant group announced on Monday that it is saying goodbye to its North Star location on Burnet Road. Trudy's did not state an end of operations date for the location, and a KVUE phone call to clarify went unanswered.

"This spot has been so much more than a restaurant — it's been a place where memories were made, margaritas were shared, and the spirt of Austin came to life," Trudy's wrote on social media. "To our amazing team and loyal customers, thank you for making North Star so special."

North Star's closure is the latest blow for Trudy's, which first opened in Austin in 1977. The company was purchased out of bankruptcy in 2020 by equity firm Hargett Hunter. The acquisition included three Trudy's locations (a fourth closed in 2019, according to KVUE's partners at the Austin American-Statesman) and South Congress Café.

At the time, Hargett Hunter said it hoped to keep the brand alive and reinvest in Trudy's locations and teams, including the group's temporarily closed Texas Star location near the University of Texas campus. But after the acquisition, the Statesman reported that Hargett Hunter said property damage and other issues made reopening Texas Star unfeasible. The firm sold the West 30th Street property in 2022.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Trudy's hard times.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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