Every two years, lifestyle magazine Southern Living picks its best new barbecue joints in the South, and four Texas spots made the 16-spot list, although none are in Houston.
Three Austin-area joints lead the way: Two Goose Market & Barbecue (No. 2), Churchrow Tejas BBQ (No. 4), and Parish Barbecue (No. 8). Irving's Kafi BBQ, known for its halal Wagyu, ranks No. 7.
Contributing barbecue editor Robert F. Moss determined Southern Living's rankings and wrote a paragraph introducing each spot. Even though Southern Living represents the entire South, Moss pointed out in his introduction that Texas-style barbecue is "blurring" the lines between other regional styles.
"These days, offset smokers have become standard equipment at new restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas," wrote Moss. "Slow-smoked brisket and house-made sausage links have gone native, appearing side-by-side with chopped pork, mustard or vinegar sauces, and regional specialties like red slaw, Brunswick stew, and hash and rice."
At Kafi BBQ in Irving, halal Wagyu beef is king. Halal — meaning meat raised and butchered cleanly and humanely, in accordance with Islamic guidelines — is a growing trend in Texas, where at least a dozen barbecue spots now serve halal meats. At Kafi, Moss appreciated touches like pomegranate-glazed beef belly burnt ends, lamb spareribs, and Iraqi spices. "Of equal note are the crisp, thick-cut French fries, which are cooked in beef tallow (Wagyu, of course)," he writes, "and you can finish things off with cardamom-scented banana pudding or the basbousa, a rich rosewater-laced coconut semolina cake."
At Two Goose Market & Barbecue, Moss specifically praised the breakfast tacos, describing them as "compact bites of soft, pliant flour tortillas bursting with the smoky flavor of brisket (or sausage or bacon) along with eggs, soft home-fried potatoes, and gooey melted Cheddar." He also liked the more traditional side of the menu, and gave credit for departures like a pork belly banh mi and a cheesesteak.
Another spot that blends Texan and Mexican traditions, Churchrow Tejas BBQ, caught the writer's attention for its expansive menu with "almost too many tempting options." Instead of reviewing any one menu item, he laid out a selection of options, including meat by the pound, smoked mollejas (beef sweetbreads), brisket queso, La Valentina brisket taco, and La Tejanita with chopped chicken thighs and roasted poblano, plus a full bar with local beers.
Parish Barbecue is the standout in Austin in terms of unexpected flavors, since everything it does is touched by Cajun cooking. Moss especially liked the pulled dug legs, which he recommended pairing with "zippy remoulade-vinegar slaw and herb-laced Creole tomato salad." He also commended the boudin, which comes in rotating flavors.
Although Moss didn't include any Houston-area spots on the list, the city has seen a couple of high-quality barbecue openings this year that could be eligible for the writer's next roundup. Eastbound Barbecue, a project led by four alumni of Killen's Barbecue, opened in June. Willow's Smokehouse & Tavern, the first solo project from veteran pitmaster Willow Villarreal and his partner Jasmine Barela, recently opened in the East End. The 2024 edition of Moss' list included Houston's Brisket & Rice.
If Texans are willing to take a trip based on advice from Southern Living, they should head to Elliott’s BBQ Lounge in Florence, South Carolina, which took the No. 1 spot. Pork is a big deal at Elliott's, including a whole-hog barbecue that Moss calls "superlative."
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Eric Sandler contributed to this article.
