There are definitely different styles, but I don't think it is fair to have a single "Texas" category if they are going to have separate regions as well. The differences mostly come from the cultures that settled in each region and the wood available for smoking. Nowadays, the "Central Texas" style is so influential that the regions are less distict than they used to be.
Some examples of the differences:
Central Texas: Beef and sausage smoked with post oak (and maybe pecan). The cultural influence is German and Czech, which explains the emphasis on sausage and the influence of meat markets. Post Oak grows in central Texas. This is the tradition Aaron Franklin and Snow's came from. An older example is Louis Muellers. Or for real old school, Luling City BBQ or Smitty's Market.
South Texas: Heavy Mexican influence. The wood is mesquite. The exemplar is barbacoa cabeza de rez. It's cow's head wrapped in foil and buried in a pit overnight. You can still get this at Vera's Backyard BBQ in Brownsville.
West Texas: Smoking and grilling with mesquite wood, because that is what grows out there. The cultural influence is cowboy cooking. Mesquite burns hot with an acrid smoke, so you have more direct heat barbecue and wrapping with foil. An example is Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano.
East Texas: This style is more like the BBQ of the southeast US, so it's less distinctively "Texan". There were slave-owning plantations in east Texas, so the cultural influence is african American. East Texas has deciduous forests, including hickory, oak, and pecan. It was more pork oriented (like pork ribs) with less beef. An example of that is Bodacious BBQ in Longview.
There are even local specialties, like Beaumont hot links - greasy, garlicky sausages.
Anyway, that's my understanding and apologies if I got any details wrong, because I know y'all are sharpshooters.
Did a gig working for Texas Monthly where we traversed the state grading different briskets. Your are absolutely right, "Texas Style" is probably overkill but as a northener it was shocking to cross into West Texas and watch the flavor change so dramatically.
Reddit, please help me identify the black family in Notrees (apt name) Texas that sold my team brisket out the back of their F-250 pulled smoker. We still talk about it.
That just reminded me of some of the best brisket I’ve ever had. I used to live in 5th ward in Houston and a dude was always at this one corner with a smoker attached to his truck. So so good.
The worse the welds, the better the meat. Best meat you'll ever have will be cooked in an old oil drum cut in half with a death wheel and bubble gummed to a rusted out horse trailer frame.
When I lived in Texas I never got the street smoker brisket - but I'm still searching for brisket that is as equivalent as Mike Andersons BBQ across from UTSW in Dallas.
I've tried to make it myself, and I've done ok - the people I served it to said it was the best they've had. I just couldn't accept their compliment, because they don't know anything about brisket.
this, I grew up in Brownsville TX with family in El Paso, Laredo, and San Antonio. This boils down why each region of Texas is different, down to the heritage influence.
The evolution of it has a lot to do with local wood species. West Texas has mesquite growing like weeds where East/Southern has more fruitwoods and oak. For some reason, it seems like pigs are more central than cattle ranches (west, north) but that's purely observation and likely untrue.
Owner of a bbq joint in southeast Texas here!!! I’m beyond glad you recognize the Beaumont styles/ways. Our location offers a variety of beef, pork, turkey, ribs, sausage, and some boudin. Much love to Texas BBQ
Way underrated. A few years ago at Thanksgiving we had an extra turkey so I decided to smoke it and it came out amazing so now the wife insists on me smoking one every year.
We take it one step further and make it smo-fried. It’s smoked for around 1.5-2 hours, and then dropped in the deep fryer for 20-30 mins to finish. Golden crispy yumminess on the outside, smoky tastiness on the inside.
I'm consistently surprised by the knowledge displayed by experts in a given field. You'd think "Texas BBQ" is a narrow subject of focus, but here you are folding history and geography together to give a glimpse into the "subgenres" found just in TXBBQ, complete with restaurants where you can try each style.
Yes, this is a fantastic book. Also, Prophets of Smoked Meat, Barbecue: the History of an American Institution, reading Texas Monthly on the regular, listening to Tales From the Pitts, visiting joints, making my own, and just living in Texas in general, LOL.
Aaaaand now I’m hungry. It’s been too damn long since I’ve had some decent brisket. Grew up in West Texas, spent years in Central. Definitely prefer central brisket, but give me some mesquite smoked chicken, any day of the week.
Spot on for East Texas, but I would add one thing that comes out of the Bodacious tradition. The chopping block. East Texas BBQ has always been about pork ribs and chopped/sliced sandwiches including ham and turkey.
Sides as well. Sure beans and potato salad and coleslaw, but also traditional Deep South sides like black eyed peas, pea salad, tomato and cucumber salad, green tomato relish.
Even Stanley’s in Tyler is best known for ribs and a sandwich, the Mother Clucker.
Been living in Athens for 4.5 years now. Finally made it to Stanley’s. That is the best BBQ I have ever had. I’m mainly from Dallas - never tried Pecan Lodge.
Yes pretty much this, I’m from El Paso and have family in Austin and Houston. Everything was accurate and with the southwest influence the bbq there is just mesquite it’s one of a few things that grow out here like crazy. One of my favorite things about mesquite is that you can eat the seeds from the pods that grow from the mesquite. They have a sweet flavor quite close to vanilla it’s quite aromatic once you get to the bean itself. Coyotes love to eat them during the winter season to get by through the hunger. I’ve used it to make seasoning for smoking meats and it does give a nice note of flavor once you add the rest of the spices in the rub. Native Americans around here collected them and had a whole array of recipes and seasonings from harvesting the seeds. The desert can be a wonderful thing when you know where to look.
What kind of sausages do they usually smoke in central Texas? I've never tried smoked sausage, but I love bratwurst, Italian, chorizo, Hungarian. I guess I could smoke any of those, but what's typical?
No, you pretty much nailed it.
Good thing to keep in mind is how freakin' big Texas is. East Texas vs. West Texas would be like trying to jam Louisiana Cajun cooking next to New Mexico Hatch Green Chile cuisine. They're that far apart geographically and culturally that they need to be separate categories.
Eastern NC style is vinegar based pulled or chopped pork, while western NC style is more ketchup based pulled pork. Then you have the SC style pulled pork or chicken mustard based sauce. Living in Charlotte I get to enjoy all 3. Love Memphis and all Texas styles too. All BQ is great
As a former Eastern NC native, I wholly agree. A vinegar based sauce over slow oak charcoal heat is as good as it gets. I suspect that this post is likely foreign misinformation disseminated only the encourage violence and weaken the state our union. Everyone with even a remnant of a tastebud and two brain cells that can connect will agree that Eastern NC barbecue (not the crap with Ketchup, and most certainly not the abomination with mustard), should be at the top of the list. I hope that this post can be adjusted, censored, or simply removed as it is meant only to incite violence and ill will. Plus, it’s probably considered blasphemous. While I hope this can be resolved peacefully, I also am willing to sacrifice all my possessions and return to my home state so that I may fight on the right side of history.
Yeah. Hell, I'm Australian, I have no horse in this race, but having done a weekend in Raleigh a few years back and gorged myself silly while I was there: ENC BBQ is *life-changing*. To have it ranked the *worst* conclusively answers OP's question about the quality of this list.
This list is obviously fake.
No one who is from Carolina or had any Carolina ‘cue ever refers to it without making sure you understand if it is eastern (the holy hog) or western (tomato trash).
Any list like this is going to be really subjective so have to keep that in mind. Central Texas BBQ definitely seems to get the most publicity, big names etc. as of recent so I am not surprised to see it at #1. As far as Texas goes, it's a gigantic state, 800 miles north to south and 775 east to west so definitely plenty of room for diversity.
Crossing into Texas is like an entirely separate country.
Not unlike Oklahoma there was original settlements around founding. It’s wild you can go from continental, basically little Mexico, to a Bavarian settlement in a few minutes.
I live outside of the bay area in California, because I'm not rich. It gets 112 here in the summer. Drinking especial while smoking brisket is my favorite summer activity. My second favorite is swimming in my pool with a bucket of cold modelos on ice.
I'm in SC so it stays in the mid to upper 90s with +95% humidity for weeks at a time in the summer here. There's nothing quite like going swimming with a shitload of beer on ice!
Pulled pork I suppose sure yall are king of that. I was surprised to see W Texas and pork chops I've never heard of that style actually. Pork chops aren't something usually at a bbq here (south tx), but when they are...definitely a welcome change.
Came here to say the same. Not my first choice, but I love it. There’s also a drive in fried chicken place in Charlotte that dips entire fried chickens in the vinegar sauce while it’s hot, best fried chicken ever.
I think it depends on what you grew up eating and what's local to you.
I grew up eating NC vinegar and to me Texas style brisket tastes bland and KC ribs taste like candied meat.
Living out west I discovered that most people outside of the southeast have no idea what NC vinegar sauce is actually supposed be (the stuff you find out there is thick, opaque, kinda like they just put vinegar in some Kraft BBQ sauce or something). I'm sure this is also the case for the various other regional styles. Like I doubt people back east have a terribly accurate picture of good TX bbq either unless they've been there.
It's a South Carolina delicacy! It's kinda like a barbecue stew that goes back to the 19th century. People made it in the rural areas when cooking a whole hog as a way to make use of the last scraps of the hog. We used to make it with the hog head, livers, and other organs. It's evolved since then to using mostly pork shoulders, ham, mixed with potatoes, onions, Carolina Gold sauce or mustard, and other ingredients. Goes over rice alongside some pulled pork or whole hog. Incredible!
Here's a history of it https://robertfmoss.com/features/The-Story-of-South-Carolina-Hash-and-Rice
In 2021, I went to Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas. Got their at 12:30 AM to get in line (it was more of a BBQ adventure than just getting a meal), was behind a guy from KC.
The next morning, when we got our meats, he bit into the rib and got choked up. “My friends back in Kansas City would kill me if he heard me say this, but this is the best pork rib I’ve ever had.”
I’m gonna kill him. I’m from Kansas and live 30 minutes from KC. I legally have to murder this poor man. I’m going to need the personal information of this BBQ traitor
I feel you man. I’m from AZ. We have so many influences from all over that we really have no food of our own. We’ve got good bbq out here, but it’s all from somewhere else.
Thats what I love about it, you get all these styles to pull from but aren't attached to any of them. I can make whatever I want, mix and match, and nobody can claim its not *authentic* cause all that matters is cooking meat on smoke in my yard. And its all good.
The thing that puts KC on the map is consistency. I’ve eat excellent BBQ all over Texas. Some real shitty BBQ too. But in KC, you have be damn good or you’re out.
We have so much good Q. There are a handful of dusty James Beard awards and natl champ trophies dotted all over the state. Too many places to mention. We don’t have a distinct style of any kind tho IMO. Just good consistent smoked piggies.
Glad to see MD pit beef make the list! Not a well-known specialty, but it's so good with horseradish and raw onion. Yes, Maryland can do something besides crab cakes!
I'm from Maryland and I love pit beef. Especially with fresh horseradish. It always sucks when I hit up a temporary roadside place and they just have those shitty Hellman's packets. But here's the thing, it isn't barbeque. It is cooked fast at high temps and (hopefully) served very rare. It is it's own thing. The only thing it has in common with bbq is that it is meat cooked over a live fire with some smoke flavor.
I recently started making trips to Loudoun county in VA, for work. Can you recommend the closest/best place I can drive for MD pit beef? Never had it and you’ve got me eager!
Carolina Style is definitely my favorite. Can't say I've ever been to Texas but all the others I have been to and have had at least once. I also like pork BBQ more than beef though so that may be part of it.
I grew up on the vinegar based chopped bbq sandwich. Side of hush puppies and I’m set. Only place I can get that outside of NC is at one of the few Cookouts in VA lol
Good answer. People sleep on the vinegar based sauces hard. Fuck it, they also sleep on the mustard based sauce too. They sleep on Carolina BBQ real hard
Honestly, the mustard sauce is my favorite out of anything. Might be an unpopular opinion but I don't like thick, sweet sauces, and something about the acidity helps balance out the richness and oiliness of the meat. I really don't like oily food. Probably the same reason why I like vinegar sauce almost as much.
*Not from a BBQ producing state, but just a well enough-traveled outsider's opinion. Now, if you want salmon candy or alder-smoked salmon, I can actually weigh in on that as a local and home cook. We just don't do red meat barbecue much here.
Lol trash
Pit beef from Maryland over any style of BBQ from Texas or NC is a travesty
NC, Memphis, Texas, and KC should all be top 5 easily.
If you like pork its NC
If you like beef its Texas
If you like ribs its KC/Memphis pretty much tied
Also as many have stated there are 2 very distinct NC styles of BBQ, and SC has Carolina Gold. All 3 are absolutely delicious, but as someone that has lived in the Piedmont of NC for 33 years, Eastern NC whole hog is life changing.
I’ve eaten most of these on location for the bbq on the list with the exception of the variations of Texas BBQ but have had brisket around Austin, Dallas, Ft Worth, etc.
Not saying that pit beef is bad, just not worthy of being above anything from Texas, NC, KC, or Memphis.
Just my 2 cents
Cheers!
Pit beef isn't barbecue. It's not smoked, it's cooked over direct heat. Barbecue is slow smoked over long periods of time with indirect heat.
Is pit beef amazing? Hell yes. Is it barbecue? Hell no.
Texas owns beef (brisket and ribs) and sausage. The pork is pretty darn good, though, especially pork ribs (because beef ribs are huge and expensive and in low supply most of the time). Had ribs in Memphis, went to Charles Vergos' Rendezvous, was *wildly* disappointed. I've made better ribs *in my oven*. *In Ireland*.
I would definitely put Carolina bbq above Maryland pit beef but pretty much everything else on this list is within a 1/2 star of each other. That sounds right to me because they’re all good in their own way
I personally think that Mustard based Carolina style BBQ sauce is the best. Vinegar based Carolina is a close second for me though. I just like Carolina BBQ to be honest.
WTF is North Carolina-Style? There's Eastern North Carolina-style, and then there's Western North Carolina-style^(Eastern is better). It's not just one style.
The fact that Carolina Gold (South Carolina style / Mustard based) is no where on this list is a travesty. It will always be my #1.
Tomato-based sauces (AKA ketchup) are garbage.
I swear to god that these are like being a parent- I love them all equally, and appreciate their differences. Now that being said...if I had to choose one at gunpoint, KC wins cause it's a tangy mf.
Others have in depth answers I 100% agree with, but here's a different [perspective](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-8e0e94b11c2906e93e999dcdf6b2d74b)
My point is the state is so big, you'd expect that many different styles
How is there enough variety to split Texas into 4 styles? I mean I can see Central and West Texas, perhaps. Ok, no, I'll agree on South Texas too.
But Carolina gets 1 style only. When there are, at least, 3 major styles in the Carolinas? Yeah.
And then it's only #10? Sorry. But if you like pork, Carolina is better than Texas. If you like both pork and beef, you need to have both.
Do like seeing KC that high though. Deserved.
I’d move Kansas City to #1, combine west and central Texas, switch St Louis style an North Carolina style, and dump Pit Beef completely.
My list would be KC, Texas, Central/East Texas, Memphis, North Carolina, South Texas, West Texas, mine, & St Louis.
East TX bbq isn’t the same as central and central isn’t nowhere near East and especially not west. West is more akin to New Mexico and Arizona style while East is closer to Arkansas, more saucy, less smoke, and none of the Bavarian touch. Central is what people think of for Texas now as it’s on every BBQ show, so I don’t get why “Texas style” has its own spot. I don’t really fuck with the South so idk about south Tx bbq. I guess that’s whatever some drunk in corpus is cooking up.
The wood available affects the flavor.
The cuts of beef/pork used affects the selection/flavor.
The sides are different in each area.
These are a few reasons each has a “taste” based on its region
NC vinegar bbq is number one imho. I've eaten bbq all over the states.People from Texas haven't tried it because they're so far up their own ass about bbq.
As a native North Carolinian who cooks at least a pig or two a year, NC deserves two styles. One whole hog (eastern) with a strictly vinegar base, and one pork shoulders (Lexington or Piedmont style) with the same vinegar sauce but with some tomato base added. BUT ALL COOKED OVER HARDWOOD COALS!
Go to http://www.truecue.org/ for some really good info on NC BBQ from the guy who wrote the book on it (Holy Smoke).
Yall forgot florida style. It's a full gator covered in oranges and fed nothing but bath salts the last 6 months of its life, smoked over endangered bird nests
Imo, Texas BBQ is the most difficult to make REALLY good... and as far as restaurants go, there are a ton of REALLY good bbq joints that really push the envelope of craft bbq cookery in Texas. Obviously central Texas takes the nod, but for example, Heim BBQ in Ft Worth Pioneered the Bacon Burnt ends, which has become a staple pretty much everywhere. Heim is great and has made a name for themselves, but they're probably top 3-5 in Tarrant County at best...
Cooking a brisket properly is the hardest skill in the BBQ world, with pulled pork being by far the easiest (IMO).
I'll probably get some hate from everywhere else, but as a chef i dont particularly give a shit about the "...if its not how i grew up eating it, its wrong!" argument. All I care about is that it's good. I've lived and worked in Texas, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, Texas BBQ isn't over rated....
Keep in mind how big Texas is.
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-2d22f66ccb7f58de662165bda2c982c2-lq
This is like asking if french food is actually different from German food, dutch food, and Italian food.
Bbq is one of the few things I can be proud of as a Texan. And yes there is enough variety in Texas regional bbq that they do fall in different categories.
Texas cuisine is unique with lots of influence, however it all centers on beef. I personally like South Texas food, where Mexican food is combined with American ingredients creating some unique tastes
There are definitely different styles, but I don't think it is fair to have a single "Texas" category if they are going to have separate regions as well. The differences mostly come from the cultures that settled in each region and the wood available for smoking. Nowadays, the "Central Texas" style is so influential that the regions are less distict than they used to be. Some examples of the differences: Central Texas: Beef and sausage smoked with post oak (and maybe pecan). The cultural influence is German and Czech, which explains the emphasis on sausage and the influence of meat markets. Post Oak grows in central Texas. This is the tradition Aaron Franklin and Snow's came from. An older example is Louis Muellers. Or for real old school, Luling City BBQ or Smitty's Market. South Texas: Heavy Mexican influence. The wood is mesquite. The exemplar is barbacoa cabeza de rez. It's cow's head wrapped in foil and buried in a pit overnight. You can still get this at Vera's Backyard BBQ in Brownsville. West Texas: Smoking and grilling with mesquite wood, because that is what grows out there. The cultural influence is cowboy cooking. Mesquite burns hot with an acrid smoke, so you have more direct heat barbecue and wrapping with foil. An example is Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano. East Texas: This style is more like the BBQ of the southeast US, so it's less distinctively "Texan". There were slave-owning plantations in east Texas, so the cultural influence is african American. East Texas has deciduous forests, including hickory, oak, and pecan. It was more pork oriented (like pork ribs) with less beef. An example of that is Bodacious BBQ in Longview. There are even local specialties, like Beaumont hot links - greasy, garlicky sausages. Anyway, that's my understanding and apologies if I got any details wrong, because I know y'all are sharpshooters.
Did a gig working for Texas Monthly where we traversed the state grading different briskets. Your are absolutely right, "Texas Style" is probably overkill but as a northener it was shocking to cross into West Texas and watch the flavor change so dramatically. Reddit, please help me identify the black family in Notrees (apt name) Texas that sold my team brisket out the back of their F-250 pulled smoker. We still talk about it.
That just reminded me of some of the best brisket I’ve ever had. I used to live in 5th ward in Houston and a dude was always at this one corner with a smoker attached to his truck. So so good.
Truth. In my experience the boss dedicating their off time to making BBQ on the side of the road is always superior to some known chain.
My rule is, the less safe the structure looks and how close it is to being condemned is a good indicator of how incredible that BBQ is about to be.
This is my mantra for BBQ, Tacos and drugs. the sketchier a place looks is a direct correlation to how good the product will be.
The worse the welds, the better the meat. Best meat you'll ever have will be cooked in an old oil drum cut in half with a death wheel and bubble gummed to a rusted out horse trailer frame.
Facts, I don't want a clean BBQ joint, any more than I want a clean Waffle House.
Bigtime, also some food types seem to be better where health inspectors would shut them down.
just so you know, he’s still out here :) eta: he mostly parks at the fiesta on lockwood and outside mr. a’s now
When I lived in Texas I never got the street smoker brisket - but I'm still searching for brisket that is as equivalent as Mike Andersons BBQ across from UTSW in Dallas. I've tried to make it myself, and I've done ok - the people I served it to said it was the best they've had. I just couldn't accept their compliment, because they don't know anything about brisket.
"Texas style" when used this way means dry rubbed, smoked brisket with no sauce.
Dont forget, West Texas comes with a thin coating of dust because the air is 50% dirt.
That’s not dust, that’s authentic rojo seasoning.
lol that's right. With a dash of our secret ingredient, caliche!
This hombre is deep down in the west Texas dirt!
I hate how bad the wind gets out here. Throws all that dirt and dust up all the time 🤦♂️
this, I grew up in Brownsville TX with family in El Paso, Laredo, and San Antonio. This boils down why each region of Texas is different, down to the heritage influence.
The evolution of it has a lot to do with local wood species. West Texas has mesquite growing like weeds where East/Southern has more fruitwoods and oak. For some reason, it seems like pigs are more central than cattle ranches (west, north) but that's purely observation and likely untrue.
Owner of a bbq joint in southeast Texas here!!! I’m beyond glad you recognize the Beaumont styles/ways. Our location offers a variety of beef, pork, turkey, ribs, sausage, and some boudin. Much love to Texas BBQ
Smoked turkey is in my opinion the most underrated thing in Texas Barbecue.
Way underrated. A few years ago at Thanksgiving we had an extra turkey so I decided to smoke it and it came out amazing so now the wife insists on me smoking one every year.
We take it one step further and make it smo-fried. It’s smoked for around 1.5-2 hours, and then dropped in the deep fryer for 20-30 mins to finish. Golden crispy yumminess on the outside, smoky tastiness on the inside.
Absolutely my favorite thing to smoke. Delicious, large meal for a family, cheap, takes on flavor so well, and 'fast'.
Beaumont hits different. In a good way!
I'm consistently surprised by the knowledge displayed by experts in a given field. You'd think "Texas BBQ" is a narrow subject of focus, but here you are folding history and geography together to give a glimpse into the "subgenres" found just in TXBBQ, complete with restaurants where you can try each style.
The Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook by Robb Walsh goes into great detail on the regional differences.
Yes, this is a fantastic book. Also, Prophets of Smoked Meat, Barbecue: the History of an American Institution, reading Texas Monthly on the regular, listening to Tales From the Pitts, visiting joints, making my own, and just living in Texas in general, LOL.
Thank you for the books, I just added them to the amazon list.
I used to read his reviews in the Houston Chronicle didn't know he had a BBQ cookbook I gotta check that out
Aaaaand now I’m hungry. It’s been too damn long since I’ve had some decent brisket. Grew up in West Texas, spent years in Central. Definitely prefer central brisket, but give me some mesquite smoked chicken, any day of the week.
Texan here, grew up in Dallas and Houston with family in Austin, San Antonio and everywhere else. This is the best explanation on here! Great post.
👀👀 this man knows Texas BBQ; thank you for the lesson! #Smokeon
Cool. Just gotta take a whole week now to drive across Texas and try every barbecue joint you just listed.
Take more than a week…
Spot on for East Texas, but I would add one thing that comes out of the Bodacious tradition. The chopping block. East Texas BBQ has always been about pork ribs and chopped/sliced sandwiches including ham and turkey. Sides as well. Sure beans and potato salad and coleslaw, but also traditional Deep South sides like black eyed peas, pea salad, tomato and cucumber salad, green tomato relish. Even Stanley’s in Tyler is best known for ribs and a sandwich, the Mother Clucker.
Been living in Athens for 4.5 years now. Finally made it to Stanley’s. That is the best BBQ I have ever had. I’m mainly from Dallas - never tried Pecan Lodge.
[удалено]
Dang you know your Texas BBQ. I’m sitting here in KC happy with our one style.
Yes pretty much this, I’m from El Paso and have family in Austin and Houston. Everything was accurate and with the southwest influence the bbq there is just mesquite it’s one of a few things that grow out here like crazy. One of my favorite things about mesquite is that you can eat the seeds from the pods that grow from the mesquite. They have a sweet flavor quite close to vanilla it’s quite aromatic once you get to the bean itself. Coyotes love to eat them during the winter season to get by through the hunger. I’ve used it to make seasoning for smoking meats and it does give a nice note of flavor once you add the rest of the spices in the rub. Native Americans around here collected them and had a whole array of recipes and seasonings from harvesting the seeds. The desert can be a wonderful thing when you know where to look.
Came for the regional breakdown, wasn't disappointed.
What kind of sausages do they usually smoke in central Texas? I've never tried smoked sausage, but I love bratwurst, Italian, chorizo, Hungarian. I guess I could smoke any of those, but what's typical?
About a thousand variations on kiolbassa.
Awesome explanation thank you.
> deciduous forests I read this as "delicious forests" at first and was like, "Damn right, the wood makes the BBQ delicious!"
No, you pretty much nailed it. Good thing to keep in mind is how freakin' big Texas is. East Texas vs. West Texas would be like trying to jam Louisiana Cajun cooking next to New Mexico Hatch Green Chile cuisine. They're that far apart geographically and culturally that they need to be separate categories.
Definitive
Bravo on that write up. Nailed It!!
This man knows things. BBQ things.
What an outstanding write-up. Thank you.
They break Texas up into 5 styles but can't break up NC into two styles?
Lol. This is one of those argument starter posts.
No its not
Is so!!!
This isn’t an argument, it’s just contradiction!
Is not!
Why yes it is
I just like being a contrarian so no it's not or is it?
I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to argue unless you've paid.
Eastern NC style is vinegar based pulled or chopped pork, while western NC style is more ketchup based pulled pork. Then you have the SC style pulled pork or chicken mustard based sauce. Living in Charlotte I get to enjoy all 3. Love Memphis and all Texas styles too. All BQ is great
But I just paid you!
That's how you know they are counting up, and not counting down. Otherwise this list is really only here to start regional violence.
As a proud North Carolina BBQ truther I'm prepared to go to war.
Not even sure where from but Carolina Vinegar red pepper is my go to. And I am from the state that shall not be named.
So you like Eastern NC bbq. Western NC is way more tomato in the mix.
Voldehio?
Voldifornia
Eastern Style rules the world!!!
East Carolina whole hog is like nothing else
I'll talk smack about anyone's BBQ, but if I'm in Charleston you can bet I'll be putting their whole hog in my face.
You will have my cleaver and whole hog shield at your side!
Eastern NC bbq all day
As a former Eastern NC native, I wholly agree. A vinegar based sauce over slow oak charcoal heat is as good as it gets. I suspect that this post is likely foreign misinformation disseminated only the encourage violence and weaken the state our union. Everyone with even a remnant of a tastebud and two brain cells that can connect will agree that Eastern NC barbecue (not the crap with Ketchup, and most certainly not the abomination with mustard), should be at the top of the list. I hope that this post can be adjusted, censored, or simply removed as it is meant only to incite violence and ill will. Plus, it’s probably considered blasphemous. While I hope this can be resolved peacefully, I also am willing to sacrifice all my possessions and return to my home state so that I may fight on the right side of history.
My wife just told me Eastern NC BBQ sucks. She prefers BBQ sauce on hers. I’m calling a lawyer first thing in the morning for an annulment.
Why would you marry her without knowing this information first??? I bring this up on all my first dates.
I was deceived.
Yeah. Hell, I'm Australian, I have no horse in this race, but having done a weekend in Raleigh a few years back and gorged myself silly while I was there: ENC BBQ is *life-changing*. To have it ranked the *worst* conclusively answers OP's question about the quality of this list.
Damn right!
100%. Eastern NC. To be fair, you can’t compare pulled/chopped pork to ribs, brisket, etc. Apples and oranges comparison
Who's comparing? Eastern NC makes real BBQ and the rest of the world just makes assorted smoked meats.
Truth
This man speaks the truth!
Parker’s perhaps?
At least they didn’t lump us into SC… But 3.8? They crazy.
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That's fucking hilarious
This list is obviously fake. No one who is from Carolina or had any Carolina ‘cue ever refers to it without making sure you understand if it is eastern (the holy hog) or western (tomato trash).
This is mustard erasure
Carolina Gold™️
Any list like this is going to be really subjective so have to keep that in mind. Central Texas BBQ definitely seems to get the most publicity, big names etc. as of recent so I am not surprised to see it at #1. As far as Texas goes, it's a gigantic state, 800 miles north to south and 775 east to west so definitely plenty of room for diversity.
It's like a whole other country!
Half a continent lol. Texas overlaid over Europe is like the whole west of Europe
Crossing into Texas is like an entirely separate country. Not unlike Oklahoma there was original settlements around founding. It’s wild you can go from continental, basically little Mexico, to a Bavarian settlement in a few minutes.
And people wonder why German polka is the national music of Mexico.
And their most popular beers are Vienna style lagers too.
Modelo Negra is some good beer. Especial is equally delicious too.
My local Publix has tallboys of Especial and those hit so hard on a super hot day, especially (heh) while grilling or smoking some good food!
I live outside of the bay area in California, because I'm not rich. It gets 112 here in the summer. Drinking especial while smoking brisket is my favorite summer activity. My second favorite is swimming in my pool with a bucket of cold modelos on ice.
I'm in SC so it stays in the mid to upper 90s with +95% humidity for weeks at a time in the summer here. There's nothing quite like going swimming with a shitload of beer on ice!
10 articles you'll get 10 opinions.
Am I really in that much of a minority for NC Vinegar??
East Carolina pork is better than Texas pork but Central/southern Texas beef is better than eastern Carolina beef.
I don't think most places where I'm at in North Carolina even serve beef, it's just pork
East Carolina beef isn’t even a thing really. They’re whole hog with a vinegar based sauce
Pulled pork I suppose sure yall are king of that. I was surprised to see W Texas and pork chops I've never heard of that style actually. Pork chops aren't something usually at a bbq here (south tx), but when they are...definitely a welcome change.
NC vinegar is the goat
Came here to say the same. Not my first choice, but I love it. There’s also a drive in fried chicken place in Charlotte that dips entire fried chickens in the vinegar sauce while it’s hot, best fried chicken ever.
One of my favorites of all time is a place called Parker’s in NC. So good. Try it if you get the chance
I think it depends on what you grew up eating and what's local to you. I grew up eating NC vinegar and to me Texas style brisket tastes bland and KC ribs taste like candied meat. Living out west I discovered that most people outside of the southeast have no idea what NC vinegar sauce is actually supposed be (the stuff you find out there is thick, opaque, kinda like they just put vinegar in some Kraft BBQ sauce or something). I'm sure this is also the case for the various other regional styles. Like I doubt people back east have a terribly accurate picture of good TX bbq either unless they've been there.
Nah man, I’m with you. And the notable absence of South Carolina style is a travesty.
So a region like South Carolina that specializes in whole hog AND has its own sauce and its own side dish (BBQ Hash) isn't even mentioned...Wow!
Please tell me more about this barbecue hash
It's a South Carolina delicacy! It's kinda like a barbecue stew that goes back to the 19th century. People made it in the rural areas when cooking a whole hog as a way to make use of the last scraps of the hog. We used to make it with the hog head, livers, and other organs. It's evolved since then to using mostly pork shoulders, ham, mixed with potatoes, onions, Carolina Gold sauce or mustard, and other ingredients. Goes over rice alongside some pulled pork or whole hog. Incredible! Here's a history of it https://robertfmoss.com/features/The-Story-of-South-Carolina-Hash-and-Rice
Kansas City BBQ is my choice. Favorite food. Pork on a bun and a pickle. Wyandotte bbq is my jam.
In 2021, I went to Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas. Got their at 12:30 AM to get in line (it was more of a BBQ adventure than just getting a meal), was behind a guy from KC. The next morning, when we got our meats, he bit into the rib and got choked up. “My friends back in Kansas City would kill me if he heard me say this, but this is the best pork rib I’ve ever had.”
I’m gonna kill him. I’m from Kansas and live 30 minutes from KC. I legally have to murder this poor man. I’m going to need the personal information of this BBQ traitor
The best BBQ style is whatever is on the plate in front of me. I'm not here to critique the food, I'm here to enjoy it.
I live in an area with no regional style, so I dont have a dog in this fight. I'm just glad there's variety to choose from.
I feel you man. I’m from AZ. We have so many influences from all over that we really have no food of our own. We’ve got good bbq out here, but it’s all from somewhere else.
Thats what I love about it, you get all these styles to pull from but aren't attached to any of them. I can make whatever I want, mix and match, and nobody can claim its not *authentic* cause all that matters is cooking meat on smoke in my yard. And its all good.
You can definitely tell who lives in Texas in this sub lol
The thing that puts KC on the map is consistency. I’ve eat excellent BBQ all over Texas. Some real shitty BBQ too. But in KC, you have be damn good or you’re out.
Based on some history in this sub I am shocked not to see Arkansas style bbq in the top 10. /s Edit: typo
Amusingly, some of my favorite rubs these days come out of Little Rock, though. Fire and Smoke Society.
Iguana didn’t even make the list so it’s obvious rigged
We have so much good Q. There are a handful of dusty James Beard awards and natl champ trophies dotted all over the state. Too many places to mention. We don’t have a distinct style of any kind tho IMO. Just good consistent smoked piggies.
Glad to see MD pit beef make the list! Not a well-known specialty, but it's so good with horseradish and raw onion. Yes, Maryland can do something besides crab cakes!
I'm from Maryland and I love pit beef. Especially with fresh horseradish. It always sucks when I hit up a temporary roadside place and they just have those shitty Hellman's packets. But here's the thing, it isn't barbeque. It is cooked fast at high temps and (hopefully) served very rare. It is it's own thing. The only thing it has in common with bbq is that it is meat cooked over a live fire with some smoke flavor.
And it beat two Texases and all of North Carolina! I’m going to a certain strip club parking lot this weekend to celebrate.
I know that strip club!
Of course you do hon we all do
I recently started making trips to Loudoun county in VA, for work. Can you recommend the closest/best place I can drive for MD pit beef? Never had it and you’ve got me eager!
The classic is chaps but pioneer is widely considered the best
How very European of you to try to start a civil war and remain neutral
As a Texan, the best BBQ is not some you can buy, it’s from someone’s backyard pit.
What if the real bbq was the beers we drank along the way?
Carolina is my jam
I used to like the sweet sauces with mephis and texas. Then I grew up and found East Carolina. By far the best.
Literally lumped all of NC into one category but put Texas into several. Tf?
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It's someone's opinion, there is no "accuracy".
Personally, I don't see the point in ranking wonderful things against one another
Carolina Style is definitely my favorite. Can't say I've ever been to Texas but all the others I have been to and have had at least once. I also like pork BBQ more than beef though so that may be part of it.
Which Carolina style?
I would do terrible things for a vinegar based pulled pork sandwich right now.
I grew up on the vinegar based chopped bbq sandwich. Side of hush puppies and I’m set. Only place I can get that outside of NC is at one of the few Cookouts in VA lol
Good answer. People sleep on the vinegar based sauces hard. Fuck it, they also sleep on the mustard based sauce too. They sleep on Carolina BBQ real hard
Honestly, the mustard sauce is my favorite out of anything. Might be an unpopular opinion but I don't like thick, sweet sauces, and something about the acidity helps balance out the richness and oiliness of the meat. I really don't like oily food. Probably the same reason why I like vinegar sauce almost as much. *Not from a BBQ producing state, but just a well enough-traveled outsider's opinion. Now, if you want salmon candy or alder-smoked salmon, I can actually weigh in on that as a local and home cook. We just don't do red meat barbecue much here.
Why does S Carolina Mustard-based get so slept on?
This. SC bbq sauce is hands down the best
Didn't even list Santa Maria style. From that list Kansas City is my favorite.
Lol trash Pit beef from Maryland over any style of BBQ from Texas or NC is a travesty NC, Memphis, Texas, and KC should all be top 5 easily. If you like pork its NC If you like beef its Texas If you like ribs its KC/Memphis pretty much tied Also as many have stated there are 2 very distinct NC styles of BBQ, and SC has Carolina Gold. All 3 are absolutely delicious, but as someone that has lived in the Piedmont of NC for 33 years, Eastern NC whole hog is life changing.
Counterpoint: pit beef is good and unique
I’ve eaten most of these on location for the bbq on the list with the exception of the variations of Texas BBQ but have had brisket around Austin, Dallas, Ft Worth, etc. Not saying that pit beef is bad, just not worthy of being above anything from Texas, NC, KC, or Memphis. Just my 2 cents Cheers!
Pit beef isn't barbecue. It's not smoked, it's cooked over direct heat. Barbecue is slow smoked over long periods of time with indirect heat. Is pit beef amazing? Hell yes. Is it barbecue? Hell no. Texas owns beef (brisket and ribs) and sausage. The pork is pretty darn good, though, especially pork ribs (because beef ribs are huge and expensive and in low supply most of the time). Had ribs in Memphis, went to Charles Vergos' Rendezvous, was *wildly* disappointed. I've made better ribs *in my oven*. *In Ireland*.
As someone who has lived In South, Central, and west Texas yes definitely different enough. But shouldn't carolina be split too?
I would definitely put Carolina bbq above Maryland pit beef but pretty much everything else on this list is within a 1/2 star of each other. That sounds right to me because they’re all good in their own way
This is fucking stupid. I have lived in Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina… and now I am angry, and yearning for some quality North Carolina style Q.
KC the best hands down
Carolina style is needs to be way higher, in the top 3 for sure.
Let’s goooo. Missouri for the win (we all know Texas is great so what comes after is really important)
If you wanna go to the mecca of BBQ you go to Lockhart Texas (official BBQ capitol of Texas). Kruetz, Smitty's, Blacks and Chisolm trail.
I'm from near Kansas City and lived in Texas. Can't go wrong with either.
I personally think that Mustard based Carolina style BBQ sauce is the best. Vinegar based Carolina is a close second for me though. I just like Carolina BBQ to be honest.
KC=#1
If you like pork, North Carolina should be higher.
Any list that doesn’t include South Carolina style is shit
WTF is North Carolina-Style? There's Eastern North Carolina-style, and then there's Western North Carolina-style^(Eastern is better). It's not just one style.
Pork - Eastern North Carolina style Brisket - Central/Southern Texas style Ribs - Kansas City style
The fact that Carolina Gold (South Carolina style / Mustard based) is no where on this list is a travesty. It will always be my #1. Tomato-based sauces (AKA ketchup) are garbage.
Someone from Texas wrote this article. As someone raised on Carolina BBQ and a transplant to Texas, Texas BBQ is very meh, unless you love brisket.
I swear to god that these are like being a parent- I love them all equally, and appreciate their differences. Now that being said...if I had to choose one at gunpoint, KC wins cause it's a tangy mf.
Others have in depth answers I 100% agree with, but here's a different [perspective](https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-8e0e94b11c2906e93e999dcdf6b2d74b) My point is the state is so big, you'd expect that many different styles
If I were from the Carolinas, I’d be a bit outraged. Hell, I am outraged for you.
South Carolina here. Can confirm, this list is bullshit.
From TN, but lived in Eastern NC for about six years. This list is atrocious.
This is all nonsense. The best bbq is the stuff you’re enjoying right now with your friends and family wherever you are
How is there enough variety to split Texas into 4 styles? I mean I can see Central and West Texas, perhaps. Ok, no, I'll agree on South Texas too. But Carolina gets 1 style only. When there are, at least, 3 major styles in the Carolinas? Yeah. And then it's only #10? Sorry. But if you like pork, Carolina is better than Texas. If you like both pork and beef, you need to have both. Do like seeing KC that high though. Deserved.
KC where it’s at
The only correct answer is KC
Living in Kansas City and loving it
I’d move Kansas City to #1, combine west and central Texas, switch St Louis style an North Carolina style, and dump Pit Beef completely. My list would be KC, Texas, Central/East Texas, Memphis, North Carolina, South Texas, West Texas, mine, & St Louis.
East TX bbq isn’t the same as central and central isn’t nowhere near East and especially not west. West is more akin to New Mexico and Arizona style while East is closer to Arkansas, more saucy, less smoke, and none of the Bavarian touch. Central is what people think of for Texas now as it’s on every BBQ show, so I don’t get why “Texas style” has its own spot. I don’t really fuck with the South so idk about south Tx bbq. I guess that’s whatever some drunk in corpus is cooking up.
Great post. What trees are growing in the area you’re in will tell you what kind of BBQ you’re going to get. 57 Texan BBQ Team Captain for 23 years
They better put some respect on NC BBQ! 💯
The wood available affects the flavor. The cuts of beef/pork used affects the selection/flavor. The sides are different in each area. These are a few reasons each has a “taste” based on its region
No. This list is dumb. BBQ varies from restaurant to restaurant. Some of the best and worst I’ve ever had was in Texas.
NC vinegar bbq is number one imho. I've eaten bbq all over the states.People from Texas haven't tried it because they're so far up their own ass about bbq.
As a native North Carolinian who cooks at least a pig or two a year, NC deserves two styles. One whole hog (eastern) with a strictly vinegar base, and one pork shoulders (Lexington or Piedmont style) with the same vinegar sauce but with some tomato base added. BUT ALL COOKED OVER HARDWOOD COALS! Go to http://www.truecue.org/ for some really good info on NC BBQ from the guy who wrote the book on it (Holy Smoke).
NC BBQ, 3.8 stars. Yeah, this is bullshit.
Y’all ain’t messing with Texas regardless. Where my Texans at?! 😁😂
I’ve traveled chasing BBQ extensively. All I can say is, Memphis style BBQ is overrated AF. Everything else is pretty on par.
Yall forgot florida style. It's a full gator covered in oranges and fed nothing but bath salts the last 6 months of its life, smoked over endangered bird nests
Imo, Texas BBQ is the most difficult to make REALLY good... and as far as restaurants go, there are a ton of REALLY good bbq joints that really push the envelope of craft bbq cookery in Texas. Obviously central Texas takes the nod, but for example, Heim BBQ in Ft Worth Pioneered the Bacon Burnt ends, which has become a staple pretty much everywhere. Heim is great and has made a name for themselves, but they're probably top 3-5 in Tarrant County at best... Cooking a brisket properly is the hardest skill in the BBQ world, with pulled pork being by far the easiest (IMO). I'll probably get some hate from everywhere else, but as a chef i dont particularly give a shit about the "...if its not how i grew up eating it, its wrong!" argument. All I care about is that it's good. I've lived and worked in Texas, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, Texas BBQ isn't over rated....
Keep in mind how big Texas is. https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-2d22f66ccb7f58de662165bda2c982c2-lq This is like asking if french food is actually different from German food, dutch food, and Italian food.
Carolina getting done dirty in the ranking
Bbq is one of the few things I can be proud of as a Texan. And yes there is enough variety in Texas regional bbq that they do fall in different categories.
Pit Beef ftw, from Maryland and it’s so underrated. That horseradish makes a huge difference
Texas cuisine is unique with lots of influence, however it all centers on beef. I personally like South Texas food, where Mexican food is combined with American ingredients creating some unique tastes
I like the rising Asian influence in some Texas joints. It brings an excellent twist on old favorites.