Post oak smoke, peppery bark, and brisket worth a four-hour line. Austin is the capital of Texas barbecue, and these are the pits at the top of the heap.
The full ranking
Post oak smoke, peppery bark, and brisket worth a four-hour line. Austin is the capital of Texas barbecue, and these are the pits at the top of the heap.
Franklin Barbecue (East Austin)
Aaron Franklin's James Beard-winning East Austin temple, the spot that made the four-hour brisket line a national pilgrimage. A ranked Southern Living South's Best Top 50 honoree and a fixture on every ranking.
LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue (South Austin)
The unanimous number one, the Infatuation's 9.5 and the top Austin joint on every list. Evan LeRoy's new-school trailer-turned-restaurant smokes beef cheeks, house charcuterie, and barbecue that pushes the craft forward.
KG BBQ (MLK)
Kareem El-Ghayesh's Egyptian-Texan crossover, the Infatuation's 9.4, where brisket meets harissa and koshari. One of the most exciting things happening in Austin smoke.
Briscuits (South Austin)
A South Austin newcomer that cracked Texas Monthly's Top 50, named for its biscuit-and-brisket specialty. One of the city's most buzzed-about new smoke joints.
Micklethwait Barbecue (East Austin)
Tom Micklethwait's East Side trailer, an Infatuation favorite famous for its sausages, beef ribs, and homey sides. A craft-barbecue original.
B. Cooper Barbecue (East Austin)
An East Austin operation turning out exceptional brisket and house sausage to some of the highest ratings in town. A rising star on the Austin barbecue scene.
Interstellar BBQ (Anderson Mill)
John Bates's Michelin-recognized northwest Austin joint, a Texas Monthly Top 10, famous for peach-glazed pork belly and pristine brisket that rivals anything downtown.
Mum Foods Smokehouse (Manor Road)
A Texas Monthly Top 50 joint on Manor Road known for house pastrami and a brisket that has quietly become an East Side favorite.
Moreno Barbecue (South Austin)
A South Austin spot praised by the Infatuation for tender brisket and Tex-Mex-inflected sides. A neighborhood favorite climbing the city's rankings.
Distant Relatives (South Austin)
Damien Brockway's African-American-rooted barbecue at Meanwhile Brewing, a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot the Infatuation scores 8.4 for its smoked sweet potatoes and inventive sides.
Ranked across 6 sources: The Infatuation Austin · Best BBQ (by 0–10 score) 2025; Texas Monthly · Top 50 BBQ 2025 (Austin joints in the ranked Top Ten); Texas Monthly · Top 50 BBQ 2025 (Austin joints in the Best of the Rest, unordered); Southern Living · The South's Best Barbecue 2025 (Austin joints, ranked); Yelp · Ranked by Rating (June 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
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