Texas' 13 Best Hole-In-The-Wall BBQ Joints, Hands Down

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Barbecue is sacred in Texas. The devoted awaken before dawn to make pilgrimages to the most esteemed joints. They join lines a country mile long, waiting for platters of slow-smoked meats. This is beef country, and brisket is the main attraction. That's a major part of what makes Texas barbecue unique. But to say Texans love beef is missing the point. Texas' traditional cuisine was developed by ranch hands and vaqueros. The prime cuts were sold to out-of-state steakhouses, but brisket was a throwaway meat that was given to the workers as food.

These humble beginnings spawned today's industry. Barbecue joints are scattered in every region of the state, but it's a stretch to call most of the well-known places a hole-in-the-wall. You can scroll to the end of the article for more details on how we made the designation, but to showcase the best hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints in Texas, the general rule of thumb was choosing spots where you can get high-quality smoked meats with minimal fuss. Well-smoked brisket is a common theme among these restaurants, but they also go beyond to encompass the diverse landscape of Texas barbecue.

LaVaca BBQ is a Gulf Coast joint that exemplifies two of the major influences on Texas barbecue. Here you'll find perfectly prepared Central Texas-style barbecue. This is the style of barbecue most people picture when they think of Texas. It's a style defined by brisket rubbed with a salt-and-pepper dry rub and slow-smoked until a flavorful bark encases juicy, fork-tender meat. LaVaca combines this with Mexican influences to create an exceptional Tex-Mex barbecue experience. 

In addition to brisket, Big Red-glazed ribs, and sausage, the menu includes pulled pork tacos on blue corn tortillas, jalapeño creamed corn, and Cochinito — a pork steak served with tortillas. Another specialty is the smoked tamales that are prepared by spreading masa on butcher paper and filling with chopped brisket and pulled pork before being tossed in the smoker. 

At LaVaca BBQ, the joint knows that vanilla ice cream pairs perfectly with brisket, and every order comes with a complimentary cup of Blue Bell. Lupe Nevarez founded the restaurant in 2019, but his daughter, Kelli Nevarez, took over as pitmaster in 2020. She's propelled the restaurant into the upper echelons of Texas barbecue.

lavacabbq.com

Multiple locations

Micklethwait Craft Meats serves some of the best barbecue in Austin, but doesn't receive the same hype as a few of its neighbors. To be fair, it started in a food truck a couple of blocks from Franklin Barbecue, which is (deservedly) one of the most hyped joints in the state and regularly attracts four-plus-hour long lines. While the line at Micklethwait has always been much shorter, it hasn't exactly flown under the radar either. It was named one of the top 10 BBQ joints by Texas Monthly in 2017 and awarded a Bib Gourmand (an award that recognizes restaurants that provide quality dining at a great value) by the Michelin Guide in 2024.

Micklethwait serves a textbook example of what most people picture when they hear Texas barbecue. Tender brisket with a dark, peppery bark, colossal beef ribs that melt in your mouth, and a selection of house-made sausages. The sides are every bit as good as the meat and include green chile cheese grits, mustardy potato salad, and crisp slaw. After 12 years in the food truck, Micklethwait moved into a 1950s-era building that used to serve as a Baptist church  where it continues to serve some of the best barbecue in the state.

craftmeatsaustin.com

(512) 953-3549

4602 Tanney St, Austin, TX, 78721

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack has been serving East Texas-style barbecue since 2011. At Ray's, there is a heavy influence from Southern and Cajun cooking with a little Chicago flavor tossed in too. Not only does it have some of the absolute best ribs in the Lone Star State, but it's also known for smoked boudin and fried seafood. Rib tips are a specialty in Chicago, but not as common in the Lone Star State. Ray's offers an opportunity to sample the crispy, sauce-drenched specialty made from pork rib trimmings.

Many places that serve fried seafood and barbecue make one well, and the other decent. That's not the case at Ray's. The fried catfish and shrimp go toe-to-toe with anything on the barbecue menu. To try it all, go for The Max — a platter that includes four meats, two fish, and two shrimp. The smoked mac and cheese is a must-try side. The secret to its concoction is tossing the cheese-drenched pasta in the smoker for a few minutes to gather the smoky flavor.

raysbbqshack.com

(713) 748-4227

3929 Old Spanish Trail, Ste. 300, Houston, TX 77021

Tony DeMaria's Bar-B-Que is an extension of one of the oldest barbecue traditions in Texas. This establishment has been open since 1946, but the roots were planted when the DeMaria family opened a grocery and meat market in 1919. Not long after that, the market started selling smoked meats to go. Tony DeMaria's Bar-B-Que uses the traditional family recipe that's been keeping diners happy for more than 100 years.

It's hard to get more traditional than that, but DeMaria's doesn't serve "traditional" Texas brisket. The family immigrated from Italy and brought meat-smoking methods that differed from what you found in the German meat markets in Lockhart, the barbecue capital of Texas. At DeMaria's, the brisket is simmered in beef broth before being finished in the smoker. The meat is served with slices of white bread, so it can be wrapped with pickles and onions and dipped in the accompanying cup of gravy. But that's not the only option; other meats on the menu include sausage, bologna, and turkey. Tony's offers an opportunity to try a traditional Texas barbecue that's hard to find in this part of the world.

tonysbarbque.com

(254) 755-8888

1000 Elm St, Waco, TX 76704

A 67-foot-tall statue of Sam Houston towers over the pine trees as motorists approach Huntsville on I-45. A few miles away, in a quiet residential neighborhood, is the final resting place of the Texas hero. Across the street from the grave is Bennie J's Smoke Pit. It's an unassuming building that is easy to overlook, but inside it serves top-notch barbecue that evokes a nostalgic fondness in many customers. "This is the best barbecue restaurant I've been to in Texas, hands down," one reviewer wrote on Yelp. "I haven't had potato salad and cole slaw this good since I was a kid at a family reunion."

The barbecue is served Tuesday through Saturday, but that's not the only thing this hole-in-the-wall does well. There's a Friday fish fry featuring catfish and shrimp, and rotating daily specials that range from smoked pork chops to beef tips. All the food is served in a friendly, casual environment that reminds many customers of a backyard barbecue. "That was the best brisket, sausage, potato salad, beans, and pecan pie I've had in years," one reviewer wrote on Facebook. "Reminded me of my momma's cooking."

facebook.com/benniejs.smokepit

(936) 439-9559

621 9th St, Huntsville, TX 77320

If we're being honest, it's testing the limits of what it means to be a hole-in-the-wall to include 2M Smokehouse on this list. It's a well-known place that has received plenty of accolades, including being listed on Texas Monthly's 2025 Top 50 list, named one of the best BBQ spots in the state by Fodor's, and receiving a Michelin recommendation. If we were forced to defend the choice, we could point out the unassuming building, the lack of a proper website, and wait times that are significantly shorter than many of the other top spots in the state. But the truth is, the food is too damn good not to include it.

Pitmaster Esaul Ramos Jr. perfected his craft at La Barbecue in Austin before branching out on his own. At 2M, he not only smokes brisket as well as anyone in the state, but also brings Mexican influences into the cuisine with offerings such as pork sausage with serranos and Oaxaca cheese and chicarrón mac and cheese. On the first Sunday of the month, 2M prepares smoked beef cheek barbacoa, a traditional South Texas dish that is a pillar of Texas barbecue.

facebook.com/2msmokehouse

(210) 885-9352

2731 S WW White Rd, San Antonio, TX 78222

In Texas, the largest city is named for Sam Houston, the capital is named for Stephen F. Austin, and a small town of about 6,500 north of the Sam Houston National Forest is named for Davy Crockett. That city boasts some of the juiciest meat in the state at Mimsy's Craft Barbecue. The restaurant is run by a husband-and-wife team that both made the rounds in the food service industry before branching out on their own. They opened the restaurant in 2020 and have continued to build a reputation that earned them a spot on Texas Monthly's list of top BBQ joints in 2025.

Mimsy's serves staples such as brisket, house-made sausage, and ribs. But it also features the unexpected and rotates in new items to keep things interesting. Some of the current offerings include a brisket quesadilla with Oaxaca cheese, the Sweet Spot sandwich made with pulled pork shoulder and cabbage marmalade, and the El Jefe Taco with chopped brisket, fries, and smoked queso. The sides are also full of intriguing items such as Creole potato salad and smoked maple sprouts.

mimsyscraftbbq.com

(936) 544-7000

1979 S 5th St, Crockett, TX, 75835

Fort Worth might be the hottest barbecue city in the state right now, featuring a few of the trendiest joints, including Goldee's, which topped the Texas Monthly rankings in 2021 and was one of the restaurants enjoyed by the cast of Landman. We've never heard Hickory Stick called trendy, but it's been serving some of the best barbecue in Cowtown since 1976. It holds its own against the new guys and remains a local favorite that was voted the best barbecue restaurant by Fort Worth Star-Telegram readers in 2023.

Mark Jones, the pitmaster, started working at the restaurant his dad founded when he was 14, and now he smokes all the meat himself. Hickory Stick has an extensive menu of standard Texas barbecue fare — brisket, sausage, ribs, chicken, turkey, and sides such as potato salad, ranch-style beans, and mac and cheese. "Best pork ribs EVER," according to one Yelp review, "and you can't go wrong with their brisket." Save room for dessert. Mark's wife, Marci, makes options that include chocolate cake, banana pudding, buttermilk pie, and a highly praised peach cobbler.

hickorystickbbq.com

(817) 478-9997

900 E Enon Ave, Everman, TX 76140

The Nickel Sandwich Grill has been a staple in Houston's Fifth Ward since 2001, and Patricia Dunn has been working there since day one. To her, it's the people who make the restaurant special. "Everyone is like family," she told KPRC. "There's no stranger — you come once, you're gonna come back." It is not just the community that brings the customers back, though. The food is top-shelf.

The menu expands beyond traditional smokehouse fare. For barbecue purists, there is brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey, and chicken on the menu, but some of the less traditional items coming out of the smoker are house specialties. The smoked boudin is exceptional, and an example of how traditional Louisiana foods are intertwined with East Texas menus. Sherry Williams, a reporter for KHOU, declared the boudin is the best she's ever had. The half-pound smoked burger is also one of the top-selling items, as is the chopped beef-loaded spud. The namesake sandwiches are not to be missed. The restaurant serves excellent fried fish and shrimp po'boys, onion rings, and french fries.

nickelsandwichgrill.com

(713) 674-8020

5601 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX 77020

West Texas isn't as well-known for barbecue as other parts of the state, but there are some good joints scattered around the vast area. Pody's is one of those places. Founder and pitmaster Israel "Pody" Campos didn't grow up eating traditional Texas barbecue. In an interview with Texas Monthly, he said in these parts, when they had brisket, it was a shredded, oven-cooked preparation called carne desebrada.

He got a job with the state training police officers and started commuting to Austin. Since it's about a six-hour drive, he spent weeks at a time in the capital, where he got to know Central Texas barbecue. When he moved home again full-time, he brought that barbecue style back with him. He opened the joint in 2011 and has been serving smoked meats to locals and oilfield workers since. Stop at this far West Texas outpost for smoked brisket, ribs, and sausage, but don't sleep on the sides, such as the green chile-cheddar pozole.

facebook.com/PodysBBQ

(432) 448-4635

Corner of 14th St & Cedar St (Hwy 285), Pecos, TX, 79772

Patillo's is one of the oldest barbecue restaurants in Texas. It is both the oldest Black-owned and the oldest family-run barbecue restaurant in the state. That's a lot of history, but Patillo's remains off the beaten path, and only the most devoted make the pilgrimage to the swamps of deep East Texas. It's been open since 1912, and many of the current customers have been visiting the restaurant for more than 50 years.

The beef sausage, or "grease balls" as locals affectionately call them, is the reason to visit Patillo's. The restaurant has been using the same recipe since it opened, providing an opportunity to sample history. The sausage is the only item on the menu that uses brisket (the sliced beef uses clod). The brisket is ground with spices and garlic, then inserted into casings using a hand-crank before being smoked. Additional meats, including ribs, chicken, and ham, are on the menu as well as Cajun influences in the form of jambalaya and boudin.

patillosbbqtx.com

(409) 833-3156

2775 Washington Blvd, Beaumont, TX 77705

Brendyn's BBQ has been perfecting the art of the smoke in Nacogdoches since it opened in a food truck in 2018. It migrated to a brick-and-mortar location in 2020 and was welcomed into the Texas Monthly Top 50 club in 2025. One of the things Brendyn's is known for is the coffee rub on its brisket. The brisket is slow-smoked, then wrapped in foil for the last part of the process to accentuate the flavor. The final result is a tasty bark with a nice smokiness.

The Pig Apple is a popular sandwich made with pulled pork, slaw, and slices of green apple. Brendyn's manages to blend cream cheese and jalapeño into a couple of winning menu items. There is a spiced cream cheese filling in the bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. The combo pops up again in the jalapeño creamed corn, which is tart and spicy. The only dessert on the menu is banana pudding, another example of its mysterious connection to the South.

brendynsbbq.com

(936) 585-1030

601 E Main St, Nacogdoches, Texas 75961

It's tempting to call Redbird a rising star in Texas barbecue since it only opened in 2023, but it already cracked the top five in the 2025 Texas Monthly rankings and claimed a place among the elite barbecue joints. Pitmaster Amir Jalali worked at Goldee's before returning to his hometown to open his own restaurant. At Redbird, perfectly executed Texas-style barbecue is combined with regional Cajun influences and family recipes that reflect Jalali's Iranian heritage.

The brisket rivals any in the state, but the other items on the menu take Redbird to another level. The koobideh sausage is one of the intriguing items on the menu. The beef and onion mixture is flavored with saffron, mint, turmeric, and green onion. The final product is wrapped in a fresh-baked pita and topped with whipped feta and Shirazi salad. The coleslaw is made with a tangy, made-from-scratch Caesar dressing and shaved parmesan, and the potato salad is loaded with fresh dill. It's not clear whether Redbird is the next big thing or it's already there, but it's clearly making some of the best barbecue in the state while also expanding the borders of Texas barbecue.

theredbirdbbq.com

(409) 719-3297

1104 Port Neches Ave, Port Neches, TX 77651

There are two challenges in declaring the best hole-in-the-wall barbecue restaurants in Texas. The first is defining what a hole-in-the-wall is, and the second is figuring out which are the best. Most Texas barbecue joints are designed to look like a shack or a barn, so you can't always trust your eyes to identify a hole-in-the-wall. Wait times are a more accurate barometer because we deem a hole-in-the-wall somewhere you can eat lunch at without planning the day around it. We limited these restaurants to places with reasonable lines that don't require setting an alarm clock. We also eliminated food trucks because they deserve their own category. 

Best was a tougher egg to crack. There is too much barbecue in Texas to determine the best by sampling it all, but it doesn't hurt to try. We gave it our best shot, but in the end had to rely on the collective opinions of local media, online reviewers, and chats in barbecue forums. The restaurants here are the pride of their hometowns, and most have been recognized with local and/or national awards.