Best BBQ Restaurants in Austin (2026)
Brisket institutions, inventive smokehouses, barbecue breakfasts and five road trips worth the drive.
New to RoamRecs? Save these places to your own map in one tap, find them again on your phone, and share lists with friends. It’s free.
Run a business in this guide, or want yours added? Get in touch. Or get featured.
The best barbecue meal in Austin isn't always the one with the longest line. Some days you want to spend a morning working toward a tray of brisket. Other days you want dinner with a reservation, a beer garden, or a brisket biscuit that makes the rest of the day feel slightly less important.
This guide covers 21 Austin barbecue spots, from the brisket institutions to smokehouses doing Egyptian, Japanese, Louisiana and Tex-Mex takes, plus five road trips worth the drive. The ones to plan a trip around come first: Franklin for the classic brisket pilgrimage, Micklethwait for a well-rounded Texas meal and LeRoy and Lewis for something more inventive. A lot of these places close when the meat runs out, so check the hours in the table before you go.
Every Austin BBQ Spot at a Glance
Every place in the guide, in the same order, with the area, what to order and when it's open. Hours were checked on October 27, 2026.
| Restaurant | Area | What to order | When it's open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Barbecue | Central East Austin | Brisket, then pork ribs | Tue–Sun from 11am until sold out |
| Micklethwait Barbecue | East Austin | Brisket, house-made sausage, the grits | Thu–Sun, 11am–9pm |
| LeRoy and Lewis | Garrison Park | Beef cheeks, cauliflower burnt ends | Closed Tue; until 9pm (10pm Fri–Sat) |
| la Barbecue | East Cesar Chavez | Brisket, pork ribs, shells and cheese; beef rib Fri–Sun | Wed–Sun, 11am–6pm |
| InterStellar BBQ | Northwest Austin | Peach tea-glazed pork belly, scalloped potatoes | Wed–Sun, 11am–4pm or until sold out |
| KG BBQ | Manor Road | Lamb, pomegranate-glazed pork ribs, Mediterranean rice | Thu–Sat until 6:30pm; Sun until 3:30pm |
| Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen | Northeast Austin | Pastrami sandwich | Wed–Sun, 11am–3pm |
| Distant Relatives | Southeast Austin | Smoked chicken with chile-vinegar butter, brisket | Wed–Sun, noon–8pm |
| Parish Barbecue | Northeast Austin | Cane syrup-glazed ribs, boudin, crawfish cornbread dressing | Thu–Sun, 11am–8pm (9pm Fri–Sat) |
| Briscuits | South Austin | Brisket biscuit with smoked strawberry jelly | Thu–Sat, 9am–3pm; Sun until 1:30pm |
| Terry Black's Barbecue | Bouldin Creek | Brisket, pork ribs, sausage; a beef rib to share | Daily, 10:30am–9:30pm (10pm Fri–Sat) |
| Kemuri Tatsu-ya | Holly | Smoked brisket, carrot-ginger pork ribs, small plates | Dinner nightly |
| Loro, South Lamar | South Lamar | Oak-smoked brisket plate, char siew pork belly | Daily, 11am–10pm (11pm Fri–Sat) |
| Churchrow Tejas BBQ | Crestview | Brisket tacos, Oaxaca cheese-habanero sausage | Closed Tue; open into the evening |
| Lamberts Downtown Barbecue | Downtown | Brisket or pork ribs and a cocktail | Lunch and dinner daily |
| Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew | Brentwood | Brisket, sausage, corn casserole | Tue–Sun, 11am–8pm (8:30pm Fri–Sat) |
| The Original Black's Barbecue | North Campus | Brisket, beef rib, sausage | Daily, 11am–8pm (9pm Fri–Sat) |
| Two Goose Market & Barbecue | West End | Big Honkin' Burrito | Wed–Sat, 7am–2pm; Sun, 10am–2pm |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | East Cesar Chavez | Brisket, pork belly burnt ends, smoked mac and cheese | Closed Tue |
| Brown's Bar-B-Que | South Lamar | Brisket sandwich | Tue–Sat, 11am–7pm; Sun until 5pm |
| Moreno Barbecue | Southpark Meadows | Brisket and one other meat | Closed Mon; call ahead |
| Barbs B Q | Lockhart | Brisket, Molotov pork ribs, green spaghetti | Sat from 11am until sold out |
| Louie Mueller Barbecue | Taylor | Brisket and a beef rib | Wed–Sat from 11am |
| Snow's BBQ | Lexington | Brisket, pork steak or chicken | Sat from 8am until sold out |
| Burnt Bean Co. | Seguin | Brisket and ribs; Sunday breakfast tacos | Thu–Sat, 11am–3pm; Sun, 8am–3pm |
| The Salt Lick | Driftwood | Family-style spread | Daily, 11am–9pm (10pm Fri–Sat) |
Go early if one cut matters. Being open isn't the same as having the full menu, and specific meats can sell out well before closing.
Order a meal, not a checklist. For two people, start with two meats and two sides, and ask the beef rib price before adding one. Plan on roughly $30–$45 a person before drinks, tax and tip.
Preorders aren't same-day. Franklin's start at 5 pounds of meat, and InterStellar's need 72 hours and a $120 minimum.
The Best BBQ Restaurants in Austin
The first six are the ones to plan a day around. After them come the specialists, the dinner spots, the barbecue breakfasts and the easy everyday stops. The table and the map show where each one is.
Franklin Barbecue
900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702, USA
The brisket pilgrimage, and the line is part of the deal. The brisket is the reason you're here: deeply marbled, heavy on pepper and simple enough that there's nowhere to hide. Get it with pork ribs and keep the order tight so the main event doesn't get lost on the tray. Good to know: This isn't a lunch to squeeze between two reservations. Preorders have a 5-pound minimum, so they make more sense for a group than a solo lunch.
Micklethwait Barbecue
4602 Tanney St, Austin, TX 78721, USA
Our best all-round pick: a traditional meal where the sides get as much attention as the brisket. It left its Rosewood Avenue truck in 2025 for an old neighborhood church, with indoor seating and a shaded courtyard that suits a slow meal with friends. It's also one of the few top smokehouses you can plan a dinner around, though going earlier leaves more to choose from.
LeRoy and Lewis
5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745, USA
For people who already like Texas barbecue and want to see what else it can do. Beef cheeks, flat iron and whole hog share the menu with cauliflower burnt ends and miso-glazed carrots, both marked vegan, which makes this the strongest barbecue-first pick for a mixed group. Specific cuts can sell out before closing. Good to know: A two-meat plate is $25, plus $3 per portion for premium cuts like beef cheeks and brisket. It's at the Emerald Forest restaurant now, not the old trailer.
la Barbecue
2401 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, USA
The whole spread, for a table that can't agree on which meat matters most. When the beef rib is on, it takes over the tray, so split one across the group instead of ordering one each. Good to know: The beef rib is Friday–Sunday only, at market price. It's still a destination spot, so expect a line at peak times. Online ordering is on the official site.
InterStellar BBQ
12233 Ranch Rd 620 N Ste 105, Austin, TX 78750, USA
Worth the drive northwest as a whole meal, not just another brisket comparison. The peach tea-glazed pork belly is the thing to build around, and the scalloped potatoes make a strong case for taking sides seriously. For two, start with brisket, pork belly and two sides before adding a third meat. Good to know: Lines form before opening and popular items sell out. Preorders need 72 hours' notice, a $120 minimum and at least 4 pounds of meat, and they're for takeout, not a table.
KG BBQ
3108 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723, USA
Egyptian-influenced barbecue from a truck beside Oddwood Brewing, and worth a stop even if you've already done a classic brisket lunch. Pomegranate and za'atar on the ribs, lamb chops, smoked lamb shoulder and spiced rice are the reasons to come. Ordering only brisket misses most of the point. Good to know: You eat at Oddwood's tables, inside or out. Online pickup is available.
Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen
5811 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78723, USA
For when your ideal barbecue meal looks more like a serious sandwich than a tray of ribs. Pastrami is the signature, and splitting it with brisket shows you both sides of the kitchen. Plan it as lunch, since the deli closes at 3. Good to know: This is the Manor Road deli, not the farmers' market stands.
Distant Relatives
3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744, USA
Barbecue built on the food traditions of the African diaspora, from a truck at Meanwhile Brewing. The smoked chicken is the standout, so make it a chicken-and-brisket meal instead of judging the kitchen on one cut of beef, then stay for a beer. Good to know: Go by the truck's hours, not the brewery's.
Parish Barbecue
10300 Springdale Rd Backyard, Austin, TX 78754, USA
A menu that leans all the way into Louisiana, not a token Cajun special. The ribs get a Steen's cane syrup glaze, the boudin is made with brisket étouffée, and smoked pulled duck is worth adding if the group is big enough to explore. Brisket's on the menu, but it doesn't need to carry the meal. Good to know: Parish moved to Austin Beerworks' Sprinkle Valley brewery in May 2026. Older listings still show its Manor Road trailer.
Briscuits
4204 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78704, USA
The answer to wanting barbecue before you want lunch. The brisket biscuit with smoked strawberry jelly is the signature, pork belly with spiced apple-pear preserves is the other sweet-savory route, and you can add egg and cheese. They're big, so start with one each. Good to know: Get coffee from Radio and make a morning of it. Popular biscuits sell out.
Terry Black's Barbecue
1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704, USA
Central, open every day and big enough inside and out to seat a crowd, which makes it the practical first-trip pick. Keep the order focused: a few meats and shared sides beat everyone building their own enormous tray. Good to know: Long hours don't mean no line, and it's busy at peak meal times. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25–26.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya
2713 E 2nd St, Austin, TX 78702, USA
An izakaya where barbecue is one part of dinner, not the whole menu. The brisket comes with a serrano-miso barbecue sauce, the Hot Pocketz wrap brisket and smoked gouda in tofu skin, and the brisket dipping ramen goes somewhere else entirely. Book it when you want a planned night out, not a counter line. Good to know: Reservations recommended.
Loro, South Lamar
2115 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, USA
An Asian smokehouse, not a barbecue counter, and that's the appeal. Smoked meats sit next to rice bowls, salads and vegetables, so a table can build a meal without everyone committing to half a pound of beef. You order at the bar and find a seat, ideally on the patio under the oaks. Good to know: The sliced brisket plate, with chili gastrique and Thai herbs, is only served after 4pm. Brisket comes in a sandwich and a bowl all day.
Churchrow Tejas BBQ
1521 W Anderson Ln., Austin, TX 78757, USA
From the former owner of Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ, and the place to go when one person wants barbecue and another wants tacos and queso. Smoked meats, brisket-loaded queso and tacos share the menu in a proper sit-down restaurant with a bar and patio. Weekend beef ribs and barbacoa are a reason to time your visit. Good to know: The kitchen closes 30 minutes before the restaurant does.
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue
401 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Barbecue with a reservation, cocktails and a server, which puts it in a different category from Franklin or a brewery truck. The restored Schneider Brothers Building gives dinner some occasion, so it's the pick for a downtown date, a meal with visiting parents or a group that wants table service. Good to know: Book online or by phone.
Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew
6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752, USA
The middle ground between a pilgrimage and a forgettable convenience meal. The original North Lamar location has classic smoked meats, local beer on tap and an easy place to sit, and it's open for dinner most of the week. Smoked wings, finished in the fryer, are the change of pace for anyone not in the mood for meat by the pound.
The Original Black's Barbecue
3110 Guadalupe St #150, Austin, TX 78705, USA
The Austin outpost of the Lockhart barbecue family, and the easiest way to fit a traditional meal into a day around campus. It serves lunch and dinner every day, which most of the destination spots don't. Good to know: It's not the same restaurant as Terry Black's on Barton Springs Road. Black's has bought the old Trudy's building on West 30th Street for a future move, so this address will change down the road.
Two Goose Market & Barbecue
706 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703, USA
Handy if you're staying downtown and want smoked meat without a lunch pilgrimage. Breakfast runs until 11 and centers on the Big Honkin' Burrito, with brisket, eggs, potatoes and cheddar. After that the menu switches to barbecue plates and meat by the pound, so it's more than a coffee stop with one brisket item.
Rollin Smoke BBQ
1700 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702, USA
The move when the plan is drinks with friends and a real meal, not an early line. It cooks out of Chalmers, so you can settle into the bar and still eat well, and tacos and burritos cover anyone who doesn't want a full tray. Good to know: Chalmers is 21 and over on weekends. Kids are welcome all day Monday–Wednesday and until 6pm on Thursday and Friday.
Brown's Bar-B-Que
1901 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704, USA
Not every barbecue meal needs to be an expedition. Brown's is the stop for an ordinary day: brisket, ribs and a couple of sides, no fuss. A brisket sandwich is $12–$14, a fraction of what a premium tray runs at the destination spots.
Moreno Barbecue
9900 S I-35 Frontage Rd Ste M700, Austin, TX 78748, USA
Handy when you're staying or spending the day well south of downtown, and crossing the city would turn a simple meal into a project. The menu sticks to the Texas basics: brisket, ribs and sausage. Good to know: The barbecue is at Southpark Meadows. The Moreno on Menchaca Road is Moreno Burger Co.
Email me this guide
All 26 places with map links, in your inbox. No account needed.
BBQ Road Trips Worth the Drive
These are separate outings, not extra Austin neighborhoods. Pick one because you want that particular day, not because you think you need to leave the city to eat well.
Barbs B Q
102 E Market St, Lockhart, TX 78644, USA
Our Lockhart pick when you want more than a tour of the oldest names. Brisket anchors the meal, but the lime-zested Molotov ribs and the green spaghetti, in a smoked poblano sauce, are what make it Barbs. Make it the main event of the day, not a stop after a big meal somewhere else. Good to know: Saturday is the day to count on, so check for any extra days before you drive. If you'd rather do the old guard, Black's, Kreuz Market and Smitty's Market are all in town.
Louie Mueller Barbecue
206 W 2nd St, Taylor, TX 76574, USA
The trip for someone who wants the setting and history as much as the food. The Taylor restaurant dates to 1949, which gives it a sense of place no newer smokehouse can match. Put brisket and the beef rib at the center, bring enough people to share the rib and give the meal some time. Good to know: Closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Snow's BBQ
516 Main St, Lexington, TX 78947, USA
The most commitment-heavy trip here. It's open one morning a week, so it's not something to tack onto a late brunch. Go for the whole experience: an early start, a small-town barbecue legend and a menu worth exploring past the brisket. It makes the most sense when barbecue is one of the main reasons you came to Texas.
Burnt Bean Co.
108 S Austin St, Seguin, TX 78155, USA
About an hour south of Austin on Seguin's courthouse square, run by two pitmasters who met on the competition circuit. Brisket and ribs are the core, with Mexican influences across the menu and sides like queso fusilli and sweet potato with torched marshmallows. Sunday adds breakfast, which makes it the easiest way to fit a top-tier road trip into a weekend morning. Good to know: Arrive between 8 and 10am for the best shot at the full menu, and bring a lawn chair for the line. Preorders are to-go only.
The Salt Lick
18300 RM 1826, Driftwood, TX 78619, USA
Here for the outing, not as our pick for the best possible brisket. Oak trees, the open pit and a long Hill Country afternoon are the draw. Family style works when the whole table wants the same broad spread; ordering individually gives you more control. Good to know: The Driftwood location is BYOB, and Salt Lick Cellars next door sells wine and Texas beer. Groups of 10 or more can reserve. This entry is Driftwood only; the Round Rock location isn't BYOB.
Save this guide
Keep this guide in your RoamRecs so you can find it again later.
Email me this guide
All 26 places with map links, in your inbox. No account needed.
Own or run a place in this guide? Update your info. Want your business included? Get in touch. Own a restaurant or bar here? Become a featured partner on this guide →
Frequently asked questions
What's the best barbecue in Austin for a first visit?
Where can I get good barbecue in Austin without planning my whole day around it?
Which Austin barbecue restaurants are open for dinner?
Which Austin barbecue places are open on Mondays?
Where can I get barbecue for breakfast in Austin?
Which Austin barbecue spots work for a big group?
Where can vegetarians eat at an Austin barbecue restaurant?
Are Terry Black's and Black's Barbecue the same restaurant?
Do you need to leave Austin for great barbecue?
More in Austin
About the creator
Your guide to eating, drinking & exploring Austin 🤠 BBQ, Tex-Mex, live music, patios & local favorites. Find your next spot ↓
View profile →