The Origins of Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ List (PART 1)
- Conor Moran
- May 23
- 3 min read
With the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list dropping in 4 days, I figured now’s the perfect time to take a step back—not to speculate on this year’s picks, but to explore the history behind the list itself.
And for that, we need to rewind to an article that started it all.
Back in April 1973, Texas Monthly ran a piece by Griffin Smith Jr. titled:
“The World’s Best Barbecue Is in Taylor, Texas. Or Is It Lockhart?”
It was bold, no-nonsense, and packed with BBQ philosophies that read like commandments. Griffin didn’t just name drop — he laid down the law, drew regional lines, and spotlighted the OG joints that built the foundation of Texas barbecue as we know it.
He gave us four brutally simple rules every pit-seeker should live by:
1.) Go only to a place that specializes in barbecue.
2.) Pick the right time — usually lunch, never Monday.
3.) Get to know the carver — they control the cut.
4.) Order by the pound. Sandwiches are for the uninitiated.
Griffin drew a clear line through Texas barbecue — not just geographically, but culturally.
East Texas BBQ was chopped pork or beef, drenched in hot sauce, served
sandwich-style, and rooted in Black Southern tradition.
Central Texas BBQ was sliced brisket, no sauce, no sandwich, no BS — straight
from the meat markets.
When it came to the top dogs, he laid it out plain as day:
“Louie Mueller’s in Taylor probably serves the best all-around barbecue dinner in
Texas.” and “For the most succulent, perfectly-seasoned beef, you can do no better
than Kreuz Market in Lockhart.”
Before there was a “Top 50,” Griffin named 20 joints that defined Texas BBQ. These spots weren’t fancy. They were fundamental:
Kreuz Market (Lockhart)
Louie Mueller’s (Taylor)
Black’s Barbecue (Lockhart)
Luling City Market
Inman Kitchen (Llano)
Angelo’s Barbecue (Fort Worth)
Dozier’s Grocery & Market (Fulshear)
Otto’s Bar-B-Q (Houston)
Matt Garner (Houston)
Gulf Street Inn (San Antonio)
Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse (Dallas)
Zak’s Place (Taylor)
Swan’s Country House (Hempstead)
Hobo Joe’s (Austin)
The Pit #3 (Austin)
Howard’s Bar-B-Q (Austin)
Dale Baker Food Products (Austin)
Megg’s Bar-B-Q (San Antonio)
Western Kitchen (Houston)
Metzler Bros. Barbecue (Lindsay)
Whether he knew it at the time or not, this wasn’t just a BBQ article.
It was a blueprint.
The spark that lit the fire — and the start of a conversation we’re still having 50 years later.
By 1997, the conversation had grown louder—and more serious. What started as a bold declaration in 1973 became a full-fledged obsession. That year, Texas Monthly finally made it official: they released the very first Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas list.
This wasn’t just about taste anymore—it was about philosophy, geography, technique, and pride. They wrote, “Here in Texas, the only thing agreed upon is that what passes for barbecue in Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina, or anywhere else is inferior to our own well-smoked delicacies.”
Lines were drawn. Interstate 35 became a dividing line between two dominant styles: East of I-35 favored indirect heat while West of I-35 leaned into direct heat.
Wood choice wasn’t just a detail—it was a declaration. Hickory, pecan, oak, mesquite. Pick wrong, and you might lose some friends. Brisket preferences? Also divisive. Firm or falling apart? Rub or no rub? A deep red smoke ring or bust? All these points lead to the start of a deeper conversation about barbecue.
The 1997 Texas Monthly team—including Joe Nick Patoski, Patricia Sharpe, John Morthland, Jim Shahin, and Richard Zelade—ate at 245 barbecue joints across the state. They introduced a grading scale, and only those that met the cut made it, creating a list that still sparks arguments today.
And from that endeavor emerged The Big Three:
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Q (Llano)
Kreuz Market (Lockhart)
Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor)
They also honored tradition—five names from the 1973 article made it back on the board. These weren’t just survivors. They were standard-bearers.
It was Texas BBQ turned all the way up. And for the first time, there was an official scorecard.
Comentários