There are many things Texas gets right — and one of those things is BBQ. Texas boasts some of the best BBQ in the country. There’s a reason it’s the unofficial state cuisine — it’s good. Dang good.

Texas has long been one of the country’s most celebrated barbecue regions. About 10,000 years ago, the Caddo Indians smoked different meats over smoldering wood. In the 1600s, Spaniards brought herds of grazing animals, which they used for labor and for, well, slow-roasting over an open flame. Then came the Mexicans with barbacoa: seasoned meats wrapped in leaves and buried with coals and hot rocks.

Other states may have a penchant for pork, but in Texas, beef is where it’s at: slow-cooked, melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket. Texans like to serve it market-style, which means sans barbecue sauce. It’s most often served with a thick slice of Mrs. Baird’s bread, and with all the best BBQ fixin’s: potato salad, coleslaw, and pinto beans.

Here’s a rundown of Texas’s top spots for barbecue bliss:

1. Pecan Lodge | Dallas, Texas

Hailed as one of the top BBQ joints in the world by Texas Monthly, Pecan Lodge keeps its wood-fueled BBQ pit burning 24 hours a day. They grind and stuff their own sausage, and they make everything they can from scratch — from mac & cheese to collard greens.

2. Lockhart Smokehouse | Dallas + Plano, Texas

At Lockhart Smokehouse, the saying goes: “No forks! No sauce!!” You just don’t need these frivolities when the barbecue is that good. Diners can order their brisket exactly how they like it: lean, moist, or fatty. Two kinds of sausage — original and jalapeño cheddar — are flavorful enough to send any Texas BBQ lover over the edge.

3. North Main BBQ | Euless, Texas

Just minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, North Main BBQ is undoubtedly the first stop when Texans arrive back home. They can load up on all-you-can-eat, slow-cooked, hickory-smoked meat (and all the sides) for about $15.

4. Hard Eight BBQ | Stephenville + Coppell + Roanoke, Texas

Hard Eight BBQ, a family-owned-and-operated barbecue mecca, combines a rustic atmosphere with authentic Texas BBQ. Walk in, and pit masters serve up smoking-hot meat right from the pit. No hostess. No waiters. No fuss. Just finger-lickin’ good barbecue.

5. Louie Mueller Barbecue | Taylor, Texas

The beef ribs keep hungry Texans coming in droves to Louie Mueller Barbecue, the authentic Texas barbecue establishment founded in 1949. Some say the beef is more buttery than a croissant. It’s worth finding out for yourself.

When you have an appetite as big as Texas, there’s nothing like some authentic barbecue to hit the spot. Stop by one of these beloved barbecue joints and get your fill of some of the state’s best BBQ.

Image Source: Flickr/Wally Gobetz

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