The Top 50 Texas BBQ Joints: 2025 Edition
Texas Monthly’s 2025 roundup by Daniel Vaughn chronicles a months‑long, unannounced tasting tour that narrowed more than a hundred strong contenders into the magazine’s fifty best barbecue joints in the state. The story tracks how [[Texas]] barbecue has evolved since [[Franklin Barbecue]] opened in 2009, with first‑rate [[brisket]] and house‑made sausages proliferating alongside inventive dishes such as brisket fried rice, smoked koobideh sausage, and jerk chicken. Taste testers logged thousands of miles, dozens of visits, and price extremes that include brisket up to $40 per pound, ultimately celebrating both traditional and experimental pits from places like [[Burnt Bean Co.]] and [[LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue]]. The piece explains methodology, highlights top picks, and situates the list within ongoing shifts in technique, regional flavors, and pitmaster creativity.