Epic Fail

Say what? Texas snubbed in best barbecue rankings in favor of . . . Georgia: A lesson in ridiculous lists

Signs and commercials advise people "Don't mess with Texas," but it appears not everyone got the memo. TripAdvisor, which describes itself as "the world's largest travel site" but is more likely to be your mom's favorite way to plan her girls weekend in Cape Cod, compiled a list of the Top 10 U.S. states for barbecue.

Texas came in third. North Carolina came in second, which, sure, some people think pork in vinegar counts as barbecue, so OK. Georgia came in first. WTF Trip Advisor?

The fault, of course, lies in how the rankings are compiled, which is based on how many people voted for a barbecue restaurant. Lots of people voted for lots of places in Georgia, so it's magically the state with the best barbecue.

Georgia came in first. WTF Trip Advisor?

Of course, Texans see things differently. When Texas Monthly published its list of the state's 50 best barbecue joints, it called them "the best in the world." After all, a little bragging is very Texan.

Texas and North Carolina each have multiple, distinctive regional styles that distinguish each state's barbecue from any other. What exactly is Georgia barbecue?

Writing for the Southern Foodways Alliance, John T. Edge notes that Georgia barbecue "is not restricted to one style" but that barbecue in Georgia is "an event, where the bonds of community are celebrated, the tethers of tradition strengthened."

Is that a fancy way of saying it's an excuse to get drunk? Because it seems like every SEC football weekend provides a similar opportunity, with or without smoked pork shoulder.

Dallas TV station WFAA went so far as to track down Georgia-based barbecue blogger Dustin Moody, who said TripAdvisor's work is "one of the more bogus lists I’ve seen. Texas is still number one for me."

At least TripAdvisor users had the sense to rank Austin's Franklin Barbecue as the country's best, even if they snubbed other worthy spots like Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor or Snow's BBQ in Lexington (both Texas top five). Strangely, no North Carolina joints, not even the world-renowned Lexington Barbecue, make the Top 10. Three spots in Georgia did, of course.

Oh, TripAdvisor. Never stop being you. It just means the rest of us won't have to compete with quite as many other people at actual barbecue joints people care about.

The site does rate Austin's Franklin Barbecue as the best in the country.

Photo courtesy of Franklin Barbecue

The site does rate Austin's Franklin Barbecue as the best in the country.

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J.J.'s hot takes

Texans legend J.J. Watt drops 'controversial' crawfish take on soccer podcast

Courtesy of FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee

J.J. Watt discussed Houston's food scene on Men in Blazers.

“If you’re checking your watch, I’m on food talk now, so we’re going to be awhile.”

With that comment, former Houston Texans star and future Pro Football Hall of Famer J.J. Watt launched into an epic tribute to Houston’s dynamic food scene. Speaking with host Roger Bennett on the globally-renown soccer podcast Men in Blazers, Watt spent about 15 minutes introducing the show’s audience to many of the cuisines and restaurants that Houstonians love.

“When you look at this singular city, at Houston, what is it in your mind that makes it great — that the world is going to see this summer,” Bennett asks at approximately the 1:45 mark.

“Food,” Watt replies. “Truthfully, we have great, great food. I have always said that Houston is one of the most underrated food cities in the world. People that come here are going to get fatter.”

Encouraged by Bennett to “go deeper” into the topic, Watt offered more than 20 suggestions for restaurants to try. They included:

Breakfast tacos at Island Grill and Pappas Bar-B-Q
Barbecue at Killen’s Barbecue
Burgers at Becks Prime, The Burger Joint, and Killen’s Burgers
Seafood at Pappadeaux

Watt told an entertaining anecdote about Trill Burgers, the smash burger concept from Houston hip-hop legend Bun B.

“Trill Burgers, they put something in there that can’t be legal,” Watt quipped. “I’ve talked to Bun B. It’s like crack, okay? He gave me one of those burgers. When I came back from the Ring of Honor at the Texans, they put Trill Burgers in our suite. There were six, and there were 12 people in the suite. I had four of them. Everyone else had to fight over two burgers.”

Asked about crawfish, Watt dropped an opinion that he acknowledged would be controversial. “You’re not going to like,” he told the 300-person, sold-out crowd.

“That’s a lot of work. Then they tell you to suck the head. I’ll be honest. Didn’t do a lot for me,” Watt stated. “Look at this [points to himself]. The amount of crawfish you have to break and eat. When they dump it all out, I have to have my own 9-foot table. Nobody has the time to break that many crawfish open and suck the heads on every one.”

Watt appeared on the show as part of its Houston episode that marked 99 days until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Houston Rockets icon and Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon also appeared on the show, which was recorded at Rice University.

Houston will host seven matches from June 14 - July 4, including five in the group stage and one each in the round of 32 and the round of 16. Find more details about the tournament and local celebrations at the official FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee website.

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