BBQ List News

3 surprising Houston joints earn spots on new top 50 barbecue list

Tejas Chocolate is the Houston area's highest ranked entry.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Three Houston barbecue restaurants have earned slots on a newly-released best BBQ list. The list, Top BBQ Joints in the South, is from Southern Living magazine, a magazine fond of lists, and features 17 restaurants in Texas overall, including Houston-area restaurants Blood Bros. BBQ (Bellaire), Truth BBQ, and Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue (Tomball).

All three are critical favorites. Blood Bros. received a shoutout in the New York Times for its innovative blend of Asian flavors and Texas barbecue. Tejas Chocolate earned a spot in the Michelin Guide, and Truth is one two restaurants to make the top 10 of Texas Monthly's top 50 barbecue joints three cycles in a row.

The list was compiled and ranked by Southern Living’s Contributing Barbecue Editor, Robert F. Moss, who is based in Charleston, South Carolina. It's probably completely unrelated but the No. 1 "joint" on the list is City Limits Barbeque, which just happens to be located in West Columbia, South Carolina. Of the 50 on the list, 12 are in South Carolina.

Moss was appointed barbecue editor at the magazine in 2014 — one year after Daniel Vaughn was appointed barbecue editor at Texas Monthly. A release says that Moss dined at each restaurant on the list in person — no long-distance UberEats-ing — and has visited most multiple times. Geographically, Texas is as far west as the list goes, and it ventures as far north as Maryland.

"When compiling the list, he revisits as many previous honorees and as many potential new contenders as time will allow," it says. So: not all. Also, he doesn't use score sheets or grading systems — instead, it is a "qualitative ranking based upon the enjoyment of the meal and the overall experience of the visit."

Moss seems to prize history and experience as much as, if not more than, the way a restaurant's food tastes, which produces some surprising results. For example, Spring's Corkscrew BBQ is one of only four barbecue restaurants to earn a Michelin star, but it didn't earn a spot in Moss' list. Two other star holders — InterStellar BBQ and La Barbecue in Austin — are also absent from Moss' list. Similarly, buzzy Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin — which made No. 1 on the most recent Texas Monthly list — comes in at No. #31.

The Texas restaurants that made the list are as follows, with their ranking:

#2. Snow’s BBQ - Lexington
#4. Louie Mueller Barbecue - Taylor
#5. LeRoy & Lewis - Austin
#13. Kreuz Market - Lockhart
#15. Panther City BBQ - Fort Worth
#19. Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue - Tomball
#20. Franklin Barbecue - Austin
#27. Truth BBQ - Houston
#28. Barbs B Q - Lockhart
#31. Burnt Bean Co. - Seguin
#37. Goldee’s Bar-B-Q - Fort Worth
#38. Micklethwait Barbecue - Austin
#40. Dayne's Craft BBQ - Aledo
#42. Blood Bros. BBQ - Bellaire
#43. Cattleack Barbeque - Dallas
#46. Hurtado Barbecue - Arlington
#47. Smitty’s Market - Lockhart

Eric Sandler contributed to this story.

lists barbecue bests media news-you-can-eat

coming to fredericksburg

Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel

Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

Houston chef Aaron Bludorn is coming to the Hill Country. The chef’s Bludorn Hospitality Group will open a restaurant and lead the culinary program at The Kimpton Fredericksburg, a luxury hotel that’s expected to open in late 2027.

The still-unnamed restaurant will be a fresh concept from the company that’s behind five Houston restaurants — its flagship fine dining concept Bludorn, seafood restaurant Navy Blue, French-inspired Perseid at the Hotel Saint Augustine, and two locations of Bar Bludorn, including its recently-opened location in The Woodlands. Later this year, Bludorn, his wife Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji, will open a new restaurant in San Antonio.

“We really loved the idea of being out in Fredericksburg. With us opening in San Antonio, we’ll already have a team out there,” Bludorn tells CultureMap. “We’re a growing Texas hospitality group. We see it as a great opportunity to grow our brand with Texans in really cool spaces.”

Bludorn adds that the restaurant will be a new concept from the company. Details, including its name and menu, will be released closer to the opening.

“We were drawn to Aaron’s ability to create a dining experience that feels both approachable and elevated, where exceptional food and thoughtful service come together in a way that makes every guest feel welcome,” said Blake Berg, senior vice president of development & construction for hotel owner DC Partners. “We recognize that experiential dining is an important part of what makes a destination successful, particularly in a market as distinctive as Fredericksburg. Our vision is to build on the area’s existing culinary character while introducing a new level of creativity, quality and hospitality. Aaron understands that balance. His philosophy aligns with our intentional approach to The Meuse, where every element is designed to complement the community, create a lasting impression and give people a reason to return.”

First announced in 2025, the Kimpton Fredericksburg is a 210-room luxury hotel. In addition to the Bludorn restaurant, it will offer a 10,000-square-foot outdoor pool and deck, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and more than 18,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

The hotel will anchor The Meuse, a 22-acre mixed-use development with more than 70,000 square feet of retail space. Previously announced tenants include Houston-based Padre’s Wine Company, Texas bootmaker Lucchese, westernwear label Double D Ranch, gourmet food company Fischer & Wieser, and Jackson Ballard Gallery.

Courtesy of Bludorn Hospitality Group

Aaron Bludorn is opening a new restaurant in Fredericksburg.

chefs news-you-can-eat hotels anderson openings

BBQ List News

3 surprising Houston joints earn spots on new top 50 barbecue list

Louisiana-born Houston chef assumes ownership of Greenway Plaza Creole eatery

Majestic Indian fine dining restaurant now open in Sugar Land Town Square

Inside the former brothel that's now downtown Houston's hottest new bar

coming to fredericksburg

Star Houston chef signs on to luxurious Hill Country hotel