Celebrating the 'Cue

Texas Monthly dishes mouthwatering details for annual barbecue festival

Texas Monthly BBQ Fest 2015 Killen's Barbecue

Killen's Barbecue returns to the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Texas' hottest barbecue festival is back and juicier than ever. On Wednesday, Texas Monthly released the lineup for the 2016 TMBBQ Fest, which returns to Austin's Long Center on Sunday, October 30.

The seventh annual festival offers barbecue fans the opportunity to sample the state's most celebrated brisket, sausage, and ribs in one place.

There are 27 participants at this year's festival, 25 of which were honored on Texas Monthly's authoritative guide to the 50 best barbecue joints in Texas. As is tradition, one "newcomer" joins the fold; this year it's Evie Mae’s of Wolfforth (just outside Lubbock). The Beast, from Paris, France, is the first "global joint" to participate.

Pearland's celebrated Killen's Barbecue and Gatlin's BBQ in Garden Oaks will represent the Houston area. Acclaimed restaurants like Austin's Franklin Barbecue, Snow's BBQ, and Louie Mueller Barbecue are all returning, too.

A new addition this year is the TMBBQ Brisket Brunch on Saturday, October 29, at Juliet Ristorante. Chef Jacob Weaver is teaming up with visiting pitmaster Thomas Abramowicz from The Beast to craft a hearty brunch menu.

Tickets to the festival ($80-$165) and the brunch ($85) go on sale at 10 am Thursday, September 8. In addition to barbecue, festival-goers can enjoy live music from Santiago Jimenez Jr. and Warren Hood and sip on Shiner beer and Legacy whisky cocktails.

The full TMBBQ Fest lineup is as follows:

Austin's BBQ and Catering (Eagle Lake)
The Beast (Paris, France)
The Original Black's Barbecue (Lockhart)
Buzzie's Bar-B-Q (Kerrville)
Cousin's Bar-B-Q (Fort Worth)
Cranky Frank's (Fredericksburg)
Evie Mae's (Wolfforth)
Franklin Barbecue (Austin)
Freedmen's Bar (Austin)
Gatlin's BBQ (Houston)
The Granary 'Cue & Brew (San Antonio)
Hays Co. Bar-B-Q and Catering (San Marcos)
Hutchins BBQ (McKinney)
Killen's Barbecue (Pearland)
La Barbecue (Austin)
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (Austin)
Lockhart Smokehouse (Dallas)
Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor)
Miller’s Smokehouse (Belton)
Opie's Barbecue (Spicewood)
Pecan Lodge (Dallas)
Pody's BBQ (Pecos)
Snow's BBQ (Lexington)
Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue (Tyler)
Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew (Austin)
Two Bros. BBQ Market (San Antonio)
Tyler's Barbecue (Amarillo)

festivals barbecue

Let's a-go-go tacos

Houston taqueria opens 2 new locations with cocktails by Anvil owner

Tacos A Go Go Sharon Haynes Bobby Heugel Maribel Gomez

Photo by Dylan McEwan

Co-owners Sharon Haynes and chef Maribel Gomez with Anvil owner Bobby Heugel.

Residents of the Heights and Briargrove have a new options for tacos and margaritas. Tacos A Go Go has opened new locations in both neighborhoods.

Located in the former Lola Neighborhood Diner (1102 Yale St.) and Killen’s STQ (2231 S. Voss Rd.), the two new restaurants are the first Tacos A Go Go locations to feature a full bar. Owners Sharon Haynes and Maribel Gomez turned to Anvil owner Bobby Heugel to create the cocktail program.

“Launching a full bar felt like the natural evolution of Tacos A Go Go,” Haynes said in a statement. “We’re known for fresh, authentic flavors, and our bold, fun new cocktails and designated bar area are totally in line with that thinking. Working with Bobby Heugel meant we could bring that same care and thought to the bar, offering excellent cocktails with fresh-squeezed juices and perfectly matched spirits.”

Heugel, along with bartenders Máté Hartai and Tyler Wang, put a Mexican spin on familiar cocktails, including the Mole Espresso Martini (vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and mole spices), the Frozen Mangonada (Mexican rum, mango, lime, chamoy, and chile spices), and a fresh spin on the margarita that can be enhanced with a housemade pico de gallo syrup and finished with a pico de gallo garnish.

At 2,646 square feet, the Heights location offers more space and better parking than Tacos A Go Go’s former home on White Oak. Both new locations feature interior design by Brittany Vaughn of Garnish Designs (Milton’s, Tiny Champions) and hand-painted graphics and collages by Matt Tabor of Letterset Houston.

The restaurants will serve Tacos A Go Go’s familiar menu. Led by chef Gomez, it includes street-style tacos with fillings such as carne guisada, pastor, picadillo, and barbacoa. In addition, the restaurant offers breakfast tacos all day and more elevated options such as grilled shrimp and smoked brisket. Non-taco options include burritos, quesadillas, and salads.

The Heights location is open from 7 am-10 pm Sunday through Wednesday and 7 am-12 am Thursday through Saturday, while Briargrove is open daily from 7 am-10 pm. Both restaurants offer happy hour daily from 2-5 pm, including $5 margaritas.

Photo by Dylan McEwan

Co-owners Sharon Haynes and chef Maribel Gomez with Anvil owner Bobby Heugel.

news-you-can-eat openings tacos the-heights