Here Are the Best Barbecue Places in Austin and Dallas
Barbecue is a longstanding tradition and important part of the culture in Texas. In other US states with a barbecue tradition — such as Tennessee and the Carolinas — pork is the primary meat used by pitmasters. In Texas, beef is king, thanks to the state’s cattle industry. Brisket, made from the breast or lower chest of the cow, is the most popular cut, and the way it’s cooked is considered indicative of the pitmaster’s skill. If you’re going to eat barbecue in Texas, you simply must eat brisket.
Though every pitmaster has different opinions on what makes good barbecue, one of the defining qualities of Texas barbecue is its simplicity. Often, the only seasonings on the meat are salt and pepper. The meat is cooked low and slow, sometimes for as much as 20 hours, over a wood fire rather than gas or charcoal. Oak, hickory, and mesquite are the most common hardwoods used.
If you’re visiting Dallas or Austin, you’re in luck — both cities have more excellent barbecue joints than you can shake a stick at. Though each city has several worthy contenders for “best barbecue,” the following two restaurants are consistently popular and often described as the best in their respective cities.
Franklin Barbecue, Austin
According to Texas Monthly, Franklin Barbecue serves the “best barbecue in the known universe.” That’s high praise, but it might be true, given that people are known to wait for as much as four hours for a taste of Franklin’s brisket. On the weekend, hundreds of people are often lined up outside the eatery before it opens at 11 a.m. By 2 or 3 p.m., the meat is sold out.
Franklin Barbecue has also won a dizzying array of awards, including Best Barbecue Joint in Texas from Texas Monthly and Best Barbecue Joint in America from Bon Appetit. Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain and President Barack Obama have sung its praises. In addition, Aaron Franklin, the pitmaster and owner of the restaurant, won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2015. This was the first time that the prestigious award was bestowed on a pitmaster. Mr. Franklin also appears on his PBS show, BBQ with Franklin.
At Franklin, the meats are cooked on an indirect-heat pit, using post oak. The brisket — the most famous menu item — is made from hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, smoked low and slow for 12 to 18 hours. The result is a moist, densely flavorful brisket with a peppery crust and beautifully rendered fat. The accompanying espresso sauce pairs perfectly with it.
The brisket is the star of the show at Franklin, but the beef ribs, pulled pork, sausage, and turkey are all excellent as well. Available sides include potato salad, slaw, and pinto beans; for dessert, there’s bourbon-banana, key lime, pecan, and lemon chess pies. Franklin is located at 900 East 11th Street and is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. until sell-out.
Pecan Lodge, Dallas
While Austin arguably has the edge over Dallas when it comes to Texas barbecue, you can still find some of the best barbecue in the country in the latter city.
Look no further than Pecan Lodge. A veritable Dallas barbecue institution, Pecan Lodge started life in humble Shed #2 at the Dallas Farmer’s Market in 2010. Husband and wife Justin and Diane Fourton decided to quit their 9-to-5 jobs and dedicate themselves to the art of smoking meat. They named their eatery after Justin’s grandfather’s ranch in Abilene.
This family connection is a hallmark of Pecan Lodge and influences much of the menu. For example, many recipes are family creations that have been passed down for generations in both Diane’s and Justin’s families.
Pecan Lodge’s other defining quality is its aversion to shortcuts. Its barbecue pits, which use mesquite wood, are closely watched 24 hours a day to maintain the optimum temperatures. The two types of sausages on the menu (regular and jalapeno) are ground and stuffed in-house. Many of the other menu items are also made entirely from scratch, including the famous Aunt Polly’s banana pudding, the mac n’ cheese with green chilies, and the Southern fried chicken. Among the meat selections, Pecan Lodge’s brisket is just as moist and tender as you’d expect, but its beef ribs, which average a whole pound each, are particularly noteworthy — the succulent meat slides right off the bone.
Pecan Lodge has been named the Best Barbecue in Dallas by D Magazine, and it is №2 on Texas Monthly’s list of the 50 Best BBQ Joints in the World. Meanwhile, Condé Nast Traveler ranked Pecan Lodge among the 8 Best BBQ Places in Dallas.
The restaurant is located in Dallas’ Deep Ellum neighborhood at 2702 Main Street. It is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
