Will Texas Monthly's Top 5 BBQ joints be same as those named by its new BBQ editor?

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Will Texas Monthly's Top 5 BBQ joints be same as those named by its new BBQ editor?

During our live online barbecue chat Monday on DallasNews.com, a reader asked us to predict the Top 5 ranked joints in Texas Monthly's 2013 BBQ issue, which should be available soon.

There was considerable agreement among the four Posse members participating. We each put Franklin Barbecue in Austin No. 1. The next three spots were occupied by the same three joints, although the orders differed: Snow's BBQ in Lexington, La Barbecue in Austin and Pecan Lodge in Dallas.

The fifth spot, depending upon the Posse member, went to either Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor or Kreuz Market in Lockhart.

A few hours after the chat ended, I was finally able to get a copy of Daniel's Vaughn's new book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat, which is due out in a couple of weeks.

Vaughn of course is the celebrated blogger -- Full Custom Gospel BBQ -- who recently became BBQ editor of Texas Monthly.

In his book, Vaughn lists his Top 5, not in any designated order: Fargo's Pit BBQ in Bryan, Louie Mueller, Pecan Lodge, Vera's Backyard Bar-B-Que in Brownsville and Franklin.

"In a region where barbacoa is worshipped, a trip to Vera's can double as Sunday mass," Vaughn writes. "Vera's is the only joint in the state still cooking beef heads with wood smoke..."

It will be interesting to see how Vaughn's Top 5 mimic -- or don't -- Texas Monthly's.

Roadrunner

12 years ago

Mac's Barbecue is "da bomb", on Main St. in Dallas. The jalapeño sausage at Mac's is the best I've had anywhere.

Anonymous

12 years ago

Was Mumpfords BBQ in Victoria on the list to be considered? It's the best bbq around here, but it doesn't get enough advertisement outside of Victoria County.....

Anonymous

12 years ago

Franklin BBQ, really, is anyone out there doing blind taste test. Hell, three other places in austin doin it better, just sayin...

Anonymous

12 years ago

I own a bbq joint near Austin. Daniel Vaughn has been to my place and if you ask me he does not know squat about bbq - other than eating it. Austin locals know Franklin's brisket is in the dumps. I hear since John Luwis quit him. Austin locals know too there are 4-5 bbq joins much better than Franklin. Nothing stays the same forever - my joint use to be a top favorite. As for Vauns list, don't follow it. I tried Peacan loge and tasted like smokey lighter fluid, tabu in bbq.

Jim Rossman

12 years ago

Hmmm...not sure I believe this comment is all that authentic. Your grammar is pretty good for someone who spells so conveniently bad in the second half of your post. You spell great in the first three sentences, then you try too hard to look dumb in the last half.

Anonymous, if you'd care to share the name of your "joint" we'd be happy to visit it on the next trip to central Texas and give it a proper tasting and review.

This blog is about celebrating good barbecue. You say (in your opinion) there are places better than Franklin, but you don't list them...why not?

Contribute to the conversation...don't just hate.

Anonymous

12 years ago

I have not been to Dallas in ages, so before Pecan Lodge started getting the big press, I tasted their brisket at the TM BBQ Fest last year. They had the best brisket of everyone we tried. But on a day-to-day basis, La Barbeque is doing the best.

bbq catering phoenix

12 years ago

This is absolutely authentic!

RockportDon

12 years ago

Having just visited Kreuz last week for The Texas Trinity, I cannot believe they are in the top five of anyone's list. They might be somewhere in the middle of the top fifty but even that might be a gift.