I Tried The #1 BBQ In Texas

There is one thing

that people haven't been able to crack the code of outside of Texas.

Smoked brisket.

Everyone wants it, but there's only one place on Earth to get it.

So the question is, with over 2,500 barbecue places in Texas alone,

which is the best?

That's my mission today.

Using the Texas Monthly Best Barbecue list, considered the barbecue Bible,

we're visiting the most famous influential places off their top 50 list

and will be rating each spot out of 30 total points. 10 for salt,

10 for texture, and 10 for flavor.

Separately there will also be a competition for who has the best sides.

Now this all starts at one of the first Michelin-starred restaurants in all of

Texas,

Corkscrew barbecue just outside of Houston,

the first of four Michelin-starred barbecue restaurants in all of America.

And we're going to visit all of them.

A lot of people don't realize

that smoking meat is one of the hardest jobs in food

but why and who better to ask than owner

and Pitmaster will buckin every time a customer comes back you want to give

him the same exact experience you're dealing with you know the weather the moisture

in your wood that plays a part kind of like a game of Tetris

I always feel like brisket is the least forgiving out of all the products

too you're basically putting all of your eggs in one basket 18 hours later

you're hoping that it comes out right

if you mess up your day is ruined

or your restaurant's close shout out to the Union Pacific on this journey Olivia

tan who just moved to Texas will join us for her barbecue baptism let's

taste holy this is incredible are all these places going to be

as good as this one they will be better than the places you're used

to we love Olivia she's from New York

so Texas is here to give her a lesson

but she's getting an unfair Advantage starting at cork screw I was going to

do the finger test where it folds over your finger I think you can

tell that that already passed

that test yeah this is crazy this is like texturally perfect you do not

need teeth to eat this brisket I've had brisket before

and it was nothing like this none of them squirted quite like this one

the consistency of deliciousness is across all cuts of the brisket not only are

we going to be judging the brisket

but part of what makes a barbecue experience important to me is the sides

and a lot of places don't pay enough attention to their sides the mac

and cheese here excellent it tastes real cheese potato salad it's nice I like

the way did this it's salted nicely they have like little chunks of potato

and a little bit of mashed potato in there too

so you're getting two textures the Kel this is not fair to start off

with you got to be careful with COA cuz sometimes it can get too

rich you're eating this fatty meat you're eating this mac

and cheese you want something that's like refreshing this does

that okay baked beans ooh wow often times I see one note it's super

sweet in ketchupy these they're nice

and mouns they're a little spicy too the beans aren't total mush they've got

texture to them overall side experience really liked time to rate we have a

brand new rating system we also have a very difficult decision to make the

best barbecue out of all the best barbecue joints across Texas this is not

an easy feat so let's start with the briskets okay flavor how do you

feel about out of 10 one is basically it's horrible five would be mid

seven is great eight is amazing

and nine is like Excellence I think I want to say nine no half

points so it's either an eight

or a nine I think eight flavor we're giving an 8 out of 10

it's very high on the scale texture I'm going to give the texture a

nine yeah I mean it was literally squirting I think we might have to

add a new scale I think I'm personally going to take on the squirt

factor and that was a 10 out of 10 scored there were a couple

bites of the brisket maybe on the flat side I felt like I could

have liked a little sprinkle of flaky salt more salt on there you guys

make fun of me for my constant pointing out of things being undersalted

or overs saled I'm telling you it's the one crucial element

that you add to your food

that maximizes your flavor we're settling at a seven out of 10 on Thea

all very very powerful High rankings for all these things next up the sides

seven and a 10 definitely above average not blowing me away

but still good an unbelievable scorecard

but can anyone Dethrone this

because this isn't the only Michelin spot in Texas

and on top of

that there's a lot of underdogs

that are competing here moving in next up truth barbecue in Houston

and number three on Texas monthly's top 10

but when you're doing

that good how do you not Let It Go all to your head I

think we all want to be the best obviously each barbecue restaurant is like

really really good it's like having four GMC Chevy

and RAM they'll all get you to the same destination it's really just your

personal preference I love

that comparison I think it's funny

because all of you guys are

so respectful to each other I think it's

because this job sucks like

so we kind of all pay homage in respect to each other

because we all know what goes into it holy this setup here is the

most beautiful most Immaculate little barbecue setup I've ever seen they load these plates

up they even gave us a Smash Burger

but I want to be really clear we're just tasting the brisket

and the four sides are supposed to taste the brisket is kind of stuck

under here that's a fold test

so sides potato salad this is a chunkier it's good it's an average potato

salad I like that there's a crispy topping wow these are good really nice

first thing I noticed is the pasta is actually cooked al dente

which I don't know

if they just made this

or not but I'm kind of Blown Away about

that it's really creamy too like it's Saucy Co sace M fresh relaxed not

over complicated it's not wet it's like refreshing baked beans wo there's a lot

of flavor in it they have a ton of caramelized onion in here

and immediately it's so apparent side rating I'm going to give this a give

this a 7.5 75 makes sense to me now onto the main star of

the show the brisket that's really good guys the salt levels are pretty much

perfect I don't know

that I can nit

that so salt levels it's a 10 I don't believe in 10 out of

10 in anything there is a threshold this is right at the line

so salt can be a 10 out of 10 flavor beefy I feel like

it's a little beefier than the last one was yeah it was this is

more traditional Texas how do we feel about saying an 8 out of 10

as well yeah eight works for me texture texture is great I think this

texture is a nine we have an unbelievably high ranking for this I'm almost

myself questioning how much better it can really get we have a new leader

a big leader truth barbecue showing us the truth this is not the end

of the story though we got a lot of places to go to I

do think there there will be others in here

that could Trump this moving on now look truth

and Corkscrew are looking to make only barbecue

but the next spot I was a little confused by cuz it has uh

chocolate in the name

so guess we'll find out about

that they make their own chocolate I mean like they're manging

and Manufacturing their own chocolate it started

as that then they did barbecue to fund

that then everyone was like wait a minute this barbecue is great

and so we're here to judge the barbecue

if I'm being honest it's better than any other Texas barbecue outside of Texas

but it really wasn't topping our first two we gave it a total score

of 20 the lean was quite dry

and the fat was a bit too unrendered for Olivia still a very standard

Solid Plate of barbecue

that I think most people would love should we move on to the sides

of all the sides the col slot top with crumbled bacon was number one

but even without the mac

and cheese the sides averaged out to 6.5

but if there's one thing I can say about Tas that's non-negotiable carrot sule

it's delicious this isn't even in the competition it's not fair to add it

I give this carot sule like a 9 out of 10

if you come here

and you do not get this carrot sule you have made a grave mistake

we're done with Houston

but we're moving on to the next location

which will be burnt Bean Company outside San Antonio a big Contender

because they are number four in all of Texas at least according to Texas

monthly there's something I've been asking every single Pit Master do you feel like

there is competitiveness or love in barbecue in Texas I'm

but love man here in Texas it's a big pond we're big fish

and we have our own little regions

and at the end of the day we're not here to compete against each

other we're here to spread the love of of what our Cuisine is

and which is barbecue it's not about being the best it's just about everyone's

trying to be the best version of themselves right this place is going to

be different than Leonards

and anywhere else you go to cuz it's self expression of what you believe

is Texas barbecue let's eat food time baby I'm pumped this looks incredible the

vibe is great I'm going to go mac

and cheese that's super Saucy wow the Mac is great big fan I don't

like Cheetos that's my only thing W I mean it's a processed snack I

don't want to eat it with real food I'm digging around it

and the mac and cheese itself is really good very creamy yeah this one's

creamed up and that's important let's try the beans you know what this tastes

like to me a childhood memory myom mom is from South Texas this tastes

just like aing delicious Frito pie

that ising delicious yeah these are really really good moving on to Cole saw

every single side delicious excellent we're about like an 87 I think an 87

it's just incomparably good let's just go straight for the brisket damn yeah I

just like Zapped my body this is the moist

or the fatty it's the most fatty part

so obviously there's zero dryness it's unbelievably moist this is the most tender brisket

we've had this has got to be like the juiciest squirting in my mouth

that just blew my mind

but not as much

as randomly showed up Gabriel acius I excitedly showed him the channel

and he was not impressed with our sub count

that many people watch me eat a month too have you watched how they

do it back there yeah dude sorry for interrupting no you're good you're good

pleasure to meet you thank you guys I want to keep eating this

which is nuts salt level I'm going to give it a 10 flavor this

is the beefiest most beefing brisket I I think I've ever had this has

got to be the best

so far they did such a good job retaining the beef flavor

that it almost has like an Umami quality to yes they're making like candy

out of fat here there was a point where we said okay we're not

going to do 9 9.5 9.6 we're not going to do

that so many of these are

so close that I think we're going to introduce the decimal system welcome to

mathematics I didn't go to college

and I don't know what I'm about to say

but I am going to give this I think 94 is fair that's a

huge rating we never give 94s this is weird texture like I mean look

at this look that's like Poseidon's Trident going in

that and you made me eat this with a spoon

and I had no problems I think a flat n is very fair yeah

I think so too

that makes this the highest rated of one it might stay there by golly

there's only one way to find out brother

that was crazy moving on now before we head up to Austin Texas to

try three Michelin star briskets we have one more spot in San Antonio 2

m Smokehouse led by La barbq Alum s r Jr we have the meat

and all the sides we're going to start with the meat first of all

look at that that's a good sign incredibly flacid I wouldn't use

that word just how Josh likes it that's really Smoky a nice way

though see the bark on this is totally different super Smoky this tastes like

Texas on a DOT salt levels are good it's tender the lean looks wet

this is one of the Jing we bad we

then tried the sides the standout being the chichoni macaroni mac

and cheese top with chichiron I would put this in my top tier Max

that I've had your sides are killing

and they're seasoned nicely they're cooked nicely they feel a little bit brought into

the future the fact

that they don't have potato salad does kind of bump it down pretty significantly

I think a flat eight just

because of that I'm happy with

that okay we got to score this thing flavor we'll start there smoke really

nice meaty good it's very flavorful I would say I think it's 85 I

would say 82 flavor 83 texture I mean it's splitting hairs

but the fat is just a little bit less rendered out

and there are pieces in here where you're going to kind of be chewing

and suckling down a little bit like slimy fat Parts I think I'm going

to knock slightly for it I would say eight I agree eight texture eight

and then salt level I think you use a touch the hair salt 85

85 I like that salt 85 I think

if you want a smokier brisket a meteor brisket this is where you're going

to get it we conquered Houston in San Antonio

and after five stops burnt Bean holds the lead in both categories

so hold on your heads brother next up is homeown Turf Austin texing three

of the four Michelin star barbecue places in all of Texas

and the most famous barbecue restaurant in the world Franklin Barbecue

and there's been a line every day for years

but before we eat we got to meet the most important man in meat

history he is credited by many pit Masters

as the Godfather of Texas barbecue

and making it famous globally I don't even know

that we'd be making this video without him Aaron Franklin himself man I started

cooking barbecue in probably 02 I thought it was cool I didn't catch the

mode that it was insanely hard work built fire cooked a brisket it was

awful and I loved it really pretty much

that first cook I was like I think I want to open a barbecue

joint one day you have like spawned this whole passion

that people at home who've never even worked in a restaurant are around with

this and now opening places how does

that make you feel I've got a habit of not paying attention to stuff

like that because I don't ever want to inflate my own ego like

and I also don't want any outside influence like I want us to do

what we do I want it to come from the heart I want it

to be so honest

and so pure when we think about like oh well who's the best everybody's

putting the same amount of energy into this everybody's putting

so much heart and soul into it it's like

if we're all doing good we're all doing good it doesn't really matter like

who's better I tend to just think of the greater good in

that like you know can't believe any of us are still open now before

we eat we got a a little drip you know got to look right

for the par wow we were met with Incredible Hospitality here this is the

most famous barbecue place in Texas

that is indisputable first of all never been to second of all have been

very skeptical about it overhyped places are a thing I try to avoid

and when I see big lines like this I'm like like do I really

want to wait in line for brisket like this

so we're going to find out where it sits Cheers Cheers this one's just

salt and pepper this is the best salt level we've had it's a touch

salty but not in a bad way you almost get like a salty crust

this is really up there I don't know how to explain it

but this tastes like where everything else started like it doesn't necessarily have

that meat sugar thing happening

but it has like pieces of everything else salt level unbelievably good like literally

there's no dryness at all flavor really solid I mean it's beepy it's kind

of like everything you really want all right let's try the sides there's no

mac and cheese beans know what's happening here the beans are good they're a

Savory Bean it's not a sweet Bean yeah it's a very Savory Bean it's

almost like a chili It's like a chili bean potato salad your favorite yellow

mustard is there yellow mustard in the potato salad yeah the potato salad is

real Fourth of July grandma style I knew it I would put this potato

salad as industry standard pigment style it's not trying to be fancy it's not

trying to be something

that it's not I don't think it's like blowing my mind I thought the

same thing about this all of these just feel like they literal standard like

the starting point of barbecue the Classic this place is not trying to be

something it's not you're not going to get an elevated side experience cuz really

it's about the meat all

that being said we're going to give the sides a solid five

because really nobody comes here for the sides they come here for the tremendous

brisket salt 10 out of 10 I feel great about

that so salt is a 10 out of 10 I mean it's perfect texture

it's up there no dryness yeah none whatsoever I think there's a few pieces

of the lean you know they're a little dry

but like they're still juicy my first bite was lean

and I didn't even know

that it was I thought

that it was a fatty I think I'm going to give texture 9 out

of 10 I mean it's basically almost perfect I'm happy with

that flavor it feels just lacking in beef

and smoke a little bit little pot roasty that's a good way to put

put it but in terms of like Flavor

though 75 it's kind of where I was leaning 7.5 Franklin Barbecue complete

and their brisket moves into third place knocking Tas chocolate

and barbecue out of the top five

while their sides move into fifth place

but next up a big spot Interstellar barbecue with our first Texas wagu brisket

and it's also number two in the Texas monthly top 10

and a Michelin star holder for us what I think was the most like

gratifying thing about getting a star was we never worked for one we never

intended to get one we never thought we would get one what we do

here on a daily basis doesn't change

because we're just making great food

and trying to give people great experiences we're pumped thank you for having us

congratulations uh would let's eat okay wow arguably one of the most highly anticipated

ones I'm going right in everything here looks really really perfect look it'sing breaking

by holding it I mean that's kind ofed up

that that just happened wow that's good let's go for the sides

while we think about it klaw immediately this is the best col saw we've

had wow that's really interesting there's something a little more going on there why

am I getting something spicy in there it's a jalapeno vinegret

but it's actually seasoned properly with salt a lot of these places just use

sugar and no salt should we go in the Mac okay this is it

I have been waiting get a mac

and cheese that is worth the calories

and this is amazing the flavor the texture the crunchy on top I should

point out this is one of the few pastas we've had

that wasn't severely overcooked it's actually like got some shw to it left I

have no notes it's a perfect this going to go I'm I might keep

eating it see this you see how this isn't fuing mashed potato finally

and I did like the other Potato salads we got

but every time I saw it I was like God damn anothering mashed up

potato salad this is right up my alley actual pieces of whole moist potato

it's soft it's got a little bit of chew to it

but it's nice it's waxy

but it's also refreshing cuz there's some acidity in there

but it all kind of comes down to this cuz this has been a

very divisive topic they're very like dark red okay 9.8 out of 10 9.5

out of 10 9.5 out of 10 I could live without the beans side

dishes at a 9.3

that puts them at the top of the sides leaderboard

and push this Franklin Barbecue out of the top five let's talk about brisket

this is one of a few actual Michelin star awarded Texas barbecue restaurants

and it's number two on the list theen is nice it's juicy try

that piece and tell me

if you pick up the garlic you absolutely will my body is beginning to

reject meat this is really really nice this is tough I mean it's getting

we're really splitting hairs at this point let's just make this simple salt I

think that the salt levels on the bark are similar to Franklin's like salted

very heavily which I really like I'm going to give the salt the same

rating that I gave all my other favorite salt places the place

that went max out on salt get a 10 out of 10

because it is at the max it's exactly where it should be texture there's

a little more chill a steaky chew not a dry shw I'm comfortable with

an eight and then flavor I think the flavor was pretty remarkable almost the

meat magic like I got a couple bites

that gave me that memory

and that is aing Magic memory

that deserves a shoot up nine I would say nine

or like maybe even like 8 N8 n flavor coming in at an 8.9

powerful ratings really high rankings Interstellar barbecue moves into third place for brisket pushing

Houston's cork screw out of the top five permanently sorry to see them go

not to mention they were in the lead for first place for sides we

have two more Miss spots to go my question is can they beat this

one but not until we ran into one more celebrity yo Santa please give

me brisket next up La Barbecue my number one spot in all of Austin

and like a proud papa I got to see them win a Michelin star

this has been my favorite place for a long time

but to be honest I haven't eaten here in a long time

and I've had a lot of really great briskets

so far so I'm curious where this is going to land you might have

heard me in the crowd I was at the Michelin announcement

if you heard anyone screaming

and you're like who's

that little girl that's crying for her life like can you tell tell us

a little bit about your process how you like to do brisket we cook

them for about 3 3

and 1/2 hours and we don't use thermometers of any kind we use our

hands we use our eyes wow no thermometer this is the biggest Flex we've

had so far zero thermometer we just literally wrapped them in pink butcher paper

and then we shut the doors

and we cook it for about another 3 three

and 1/ half hours we pick it up

and if they're tender tender we pull it thank you for for making this

happen for us and we're pumped to be back let's eat go for it

girl P Sal little lacto fermented interesting this is more of like almost like

a spicy Kraut kimchi kind of vibe potato salad this is a riff off

the classic picnic style potato salad that's very yellow mustard Ford

but it's an innovation at the same time

because you've got fresh herbs like fresh dill in there instead of them relying

on their cold salot to be refreshing it's the potato salad that's refreshing beans

they're stewed with onion I think with a little of meat first black beans

we've seen right yeah it's a basic stewed Bean nothing too crazy about the

beans I will say that's an interesting choice a lot of these places I

felt that way about the beans

though this this is exciting this Mac looks crazy it's creamy

as that's pretty hard is reminiscent of like mac

and cheese you eat

as a kid I don't say

that in a bad way it's Saucy this is almost part queso part mac

and cheese I feel

that these sides to me are closer to a nine she's feeling a little

differently I think we're going to even this out at an 8.8 very high

almost a nine brisket let's talk about it it's the melting fat that's my

new favorite thing I've learned is about melting fat try a piece of the

lean you'll notice that the lean is actually very juicy this is the best

lean texturally I think I agree I think

that La Barbecue does in my opinion the best cook on a brisket you

have to have a touch

and a feel and a skill I think

that lady has that really peppery

which I love but it's not everybody's cup of tea it might be a

bit too much Pepper for me texture it's got chew to it

and it doesn't make you feel heavy

but it's not dry either

so texture nine flavor the flavor is kind of affected by the salt

and I do feel this one is missing a little salt

so I would love to settle this at an 87

because the salt is missing

which brings us the salt I think my body is grateful for for it

right now what are we going to call Salt 78 I'm with you salt

7.8 could be better this is still an amazing brisket we have our rankings

moving on the barbu's brisket sneaks into the top five edging out 2m in

San Antonio and their sides move into second place overall pushing Tas chocolate officially

out of the competition

and next up we have a major Contender ly

and Lewis in Austin Texas this is the place where they say new school

Barbecue Old School service

and that philosophy supposedly is what earned them their Michelin star

so did it change things this Accolade has has been bestowed upon us

and we're just trying to live up to it every day I think the

main thing that sets our brisket apart from everyone else is the wrapping method

we use and we use a foil boat we leave ours open

so it gets crispy it stays crispy

and then the bottom of it holds just enough juices to keep it nice

and moist first the brisket yeah that's crazy it's the meat Magic Moment again

the magic of meat is in my mouth guys the sides are kind of

an unfair Advantage cuz they're all completely different they didn't have any of the

sides that we traditionally have

but that didn't stop us from trying them

if these sides were in the jurisdiction of mac

and cheese and baked beans

and all the traditional things

then we would be entering it in the competition

but because they're not it wouldn't be fair

but to me this would be the winner of Sid anyway back to the

brisket theen is eating almost like a steak I don't know what to do

about this I mean it's soing good I almost don't even know what to

say I'm also not even hungry

and it's this good I don't want to eat brisket

but I want to eat this one they properly rendered the fat out of

this but like in a way

that didn't lose moisture in the lean no this is my favorite lean I

think flavor I'm so afraid to get too close to 10

because people are going to roast me

but it's perfect I don't what else to saying 96 I mean it really

is the best tasting beef I've had salt 10 out of 10 it's maxed

out to me it all kind of comes down to one thing texture honestly

this is the best texture one I think I've had

and whatever they've done here we haven't seen before it's still juicy

and chill in just a different way it's by far best texture texture 9.2

out of 10 unbelievable the highest rating across the board in every single category

this is as close to a perfect score I think I've ever given in

my entire life might

as well be a perfect score L Roy Lewis takes the top spot with

our brisket rankings we now have a new leader with an insane 28.8 I

was not expecting this at all I don't know why I haven't made it

down here and I regret not doing it sooner

but the question is will it be able to hold the lead against the

biggest contenders of the competition coming up we're at Terry blacks this is one

that I frequently recommend to people

because it is good barbecue I don't think it's excellent the quality is always

exactly the same and look the brisket still folds you know I typically send

people here for two reasons the first their food is consistent

and the second they never run out of brisket

or at least they usually don't it's not necessarily

because it's the best

or is it the sides are very Baseline experience with only mac

and cheese really standing out overall side score 6.5

and brisket was a bit too smoky for Olivia earning a total of 24

out of 30 nothing here is bad everything is delicious

and I would be very happy to come

and dine here with my family

but I will say

that any Baseline Texas barbecue is better than 99% of barbecue on Earth period

end of story we're not trying to reinvent the wheel it is just the

stand great scores but not enough for our leaderboard

but now we move on to one of the most legendary places in all

of America that literally defined Texas barbecue 1 hour outside of Austin Texas snows

barbecue it may be number nine on Texas monthly current top 50 list

but it's number one

and number three on previous lists

but what's more interesting is it's home to what I think might be one

of the most unique pit crews in all of Texas

if not in the world Miss Tootsie is the original Pit Master she's over

80 years old famous from Netflix's Chef's Table barbecue

and now she does everything

but the brisket and ribs

which co- Pit Master clay took off her plate all this is going on

while the owner Carrie Bexley is a a former rodeo clown

and coal miners like these guys are Texas incarnate

so what happened when the fame found this Saturday only spot

when it hit we didn't really know what it hit we knew we had

been recognized but we didn't have a clue really what Texas monthly was

and being recognized I mean we knew it's an honor

but we didn't know

but it was an immediate quadruple in business what do you think makes y'all's

brisket great we're salt

and pepper on everything that's all I have ever cooked with is salt

and pepper I'd go by field I've never cooked with a gauge she was

cooking before they had gauges I'm nervous

because look Miss totsie is a legend she's been around forever

but to be honest brisket has been innovated upon

so many times what

if she can't stack up to the rest anymore I don't want to give

a low rating but I must be honest let's taste the brisket I will

say immediately looks unreal dude we have another Banger that's a really good one

so the fatty really moist like juicy salty in a nice way really beefy

unctious the flavor is nice the lean isn't dry it's juicy it's a really

really good one look at how it folded over this has to be the

wet look at it dripping look how it's steaming

and dripping and flopping dude this is exactly what I look like

when I come out of the shower the bark is super defined

but thin and crisp all right beans traditional cowboy beans

but I like that these are a little more subdued kind of a nice

break from some of the really strong chilies beans we've had these aren't canned

beans the texture of them is really nice co sloth no mayo this is

what you call a hyper traditional vinegar sugar sloth it's closer to being pickled

than it is being dressed potato salad oh yeah this is probably one of

the best potato salads I've had add a barbecue place all right sides amazing

I feel like we found another place that's like the standard 87 this is

the best version of the standard of what a great traditional barbecue side should

be they don't even have the mac

and cheese and to be honest with you I'm not missing it after what

the mac and cheese did to me last night I'm not missing it either

brisket it's definitely has the salt going on 10 out of 10 on salt

yeah the salt is maxed out this is like the ultimate melting fat I

think text this is kind of Immaculate I mean it was all full of

juice it's been sitting here a minute now it's still very juicy text 8.7

flavor is really nice too I got to say they don't even Trim in

house and it's this good that's crazy flavor 85 even

if you don't live in Texas

if you make your way to Texas

and you don't go to snows I really think you're missing out on the

original heart and soul of Texas barbecue you just can't beat like the generational

story and the fact

that it's this good it's still is crazy snows unbelievable thank you moving on

Snow's brisket moving into third place overall pushing Franklin Barbecue out of the top

five a big upset

while their sides move on to to a tie for third place an amazing

experience as we move on to maybe one of the most old school spots

in Texas Lou Miller they've received countless Awards

and if that's not enough they've been around since the 1940s

and it's still in the same family with the third generation Pitmaster Wayne Miller

busy with a job you honestly probably wouldn't expect I feel like a museum

Cur half the time

but most of the tables

and chairs that are in there were put in here in 59 I credit

my father he chose to keep everything in its original form it's a classic

place they put a lot of love in their brisket Maybe not

as much as the sides

but to be honest

that is kind of old school barbecue overall score gets a five the brisket

was a strong 7.8 on Flavor eight on texture

and nine on salt overall score 24.8 listen all the ones

that are getting high rankings are new people coming into the space with every

last ounce of possible effort

that they can give they're giving maximum effort these guys are just living their

lives I'm not saying they don't care had a chance to like drop their

shoulders and commit to the process

that they've been doing for decades these other places just fing open like a

year or two ago they're doing everything

that they can to be better

so the fact that they would make it

that close knowing that I see

that as a positive

but not strong enough for our leaderboards still well worth a visit to see

a true piece of barbecue history

that is in fact delicious Austin is wrapped

and now it's on our final barbecue City Dallas

but first a quick stop in Leck on the way out

and uh let me tell you something it was not fun

or easy to get here

but we're hoping that eie may barbecue number eight on Texas monthly top 10

is worth the trip according to owners arnest

and mallerie Robbins they honestly might not exist at all

if it weren't for Daniel vaugh editor of the Texas monthly top list whether

he knows it or not actually guiding this whole journey started doing roadside vending

one day a week in Tucson we decided to go all in on barbecue

and relocated to love

but we were just having a really really hard time building our business

and one morning Daniel V showed up first customer of the day only customer

of the day for the first hour

and a half that we're open the next day less than 24 hours from

his visit he post a review of our trailer

and the minute that went live we had people pulling off the highway

and they were like hey barbecue snob just posted about this we didn't even

know yall yall were out here

and it was a light switch there's no doubt in my mind

that that saved our business

and then it was in our hands to just make sure

that we were able to back up his reval I'm pumped I'm ready to

eat it better be a meat Magic Moment what

if it's not I'll never return to loic ooh all right first we went

into the sides and they were typical uncomplicated barbecue sides a solid six overall

but now onto the main event I think the meat is the real highlight

smokiness bang this is really good this has one of the better smoke levels

it's like a classic lean

but a little juicier definitely the softest I can't even pick it up with

my Fork look this might be one of the most tender we've had let's

talk about salt I've noticed

that the fatty part is perfectly salted the lean on the other hand is

not yeah I would say it's like a little bit light on salt in

places it wasn't seasoned evenly overall salt what would you say I think an

AG is fair because it's not wildly under seasoned

so I don't think

that it's hurting it too much I agree salt eight texture juicy it's different

too yeah like this is a unique experience kind of texture on a nine

yeah okay I like

that texture nine flavor this is perfect amount of smoke it's losing a little

beefiness to me with the areas

that weren't salted enough

but the areas that were salted enough the flavor was delicious not pot roasty

at all I feel like the way they melted the fat in here too

like very slowly as the whole thing really flavorful I think

if it was seasoned perfectly it would be a nine I want to be

clear this is an absolutely beautiful brisket

because the salt is inconsistent the flavor is inconsistent right like that's the flavor

enhancer so flavor is going to get 85 25.5 for eie Mae we came

all the way out here

and it was worth it moving on

while it didn't crack our top five list their brisket

and sides were still incredibly solid looking at our leaderboard Austin's M start spots

are holding strong ly Lewis leads brisket

while Interstellar leads sides

but now we head to Dallas Fort Worth no Michelin starts here

but arguably some of the biggest contenders of the entire video three out of

our final four spots are in the Texas monthly top 10 including Goldies number

one in all of Texas at least according to Texas monthly

so we're starting our leg at Panther City known for injecting their big TexMex

flavor into everything that they do

that seems a little risky will the risk pay off the Mac SLO potato

salad all very solid

but the baracho beans honestly cooked with jalapeno bacon

and beer top Contender Bean o damn totally different Bean the person who made

these beans like a pork Ramen ton kotu of beans top Contender might be

the best beans on the trip overall 8.5 very strong

if their size of this good surely the brisket is going to keep up

salt honestly really missing for us it was like maybe a 7 out of

10 flavor is unique little heat definitely more than just salt

and pepper you know maybe a 7 out of 10 what about the texture

something feels off here sadly the lean was is probably one of the driest

I think I've ever had

and we really didn't love how thick it was cut frankly 5 out of

10 overall score unfortunately a 19 out of 30 not everyone can be top

risk at boss but Panther City sides do take some possession here at Fourth

Place pushing Houston's truth barbecue out of the top five

as we move on to Dane's craft barbecue now listen up Dane Weaver quit

his full-time job just to dedicate his life to barbecue they're a dangerous Contender

sides look amazing super classic Mac really great this apple slot was surpris surprising

little sweet kick so the co sace doesn't have any salt on it

but then you get a little bite of Raisin you're like oh that's nice

little raisin little Walnut I like it

when placees switch it up potato salad big flavor

and the Frito pie beans these are the best beans of the whole journey

overall sides 8 out of 10 moves them into a three-way tie for fifth

but I'm more concerned about the brisket

which looks incredible flavor super Smoky

which I love but Olivia not

so much 8 out of 10 texture leans a bit dry on the bite

only losing points for a heavily unrendered fat cap an 8 out of 10

and finally salt almost a perfect N9 out of 10 25 overall I think

that this place deserves to be among the best they're all literally the best

yeah I mean we're literally eating the best briskets in the world for now

we're moving on so we move on to Cadillac barbecue number six on Texas

monthly top 10 owner Andrew castalin Cooks Texas wagu brisket just like our first

police leader ly and Lewis can they out cook in the game of wagu

we're at Cadillac but look at this brisket

though this whole plate the second this came out we're like this looks different

and yet familiar all the sides we requested

but they're nice we have patched chili mac

and cheese not just plain old mac

and cheese we have klaw

which I like the way

that they cut this it's fine we got beans with burnt ends a classic

potato salad all this feels a little bit more culinary driven it's is a

Waggy brisket the lean is supposed to be

as good as the moist

so we'll see let's go for the lean first okay sides mac

and cheese oh my God I'm

so happy right now pasta's cooked nicely season nicely not too salty cheese quality

is there it's creamy it's fatty KW just more more pickle it's like a

sweet pickle almost beans a pineapple in

that savory but sweet little smoky from the burnt ends

which you pick that up

but also the beans are meaty whole potato hang on I will say the

potato salad is like a baseline potato salad like they're not trying to do

anything too fancy here

which I like this is a very like heart pickly potato salad it plays

well with all the sides wish a little more salt that's like my only

complaint on this whole plate this is a really solid brisket

but can these sides top our current leader this the best mac

and cheese and the beans are actually the best also we have a powerful

side leader sides n five out of 10 that's crazy unbelievable experience okay we

got to score this thing most of our contenders today have been using very

good American beef but just like looy

and Lewis an Interstellar Cadillac is using Japanese American Hybrid heex wagu is

that really enough of an edge to take them to the top

but I finally made a realization

if we're all using different kinds of wood

and cooking methods sure like that'll change the product absolutely

but if the quality of beef is not there you're losing out on

so much now that we have Texas wagu I mean the flavor of this

the way the fat melts it's almost like a different animal

and this is like really turning it up to what it should be talk

about salt it doesn't need any more salt at all

so we're going to call

that salt a 10 out of 10 flavor flavor is great this also tastes

like just salt and pepper it's letting the flavor

and the quality of the beef shine oh yeah flavor 9.3 we're almost at

a perfect score right now okay one more texture the lean is kind of

unique in the sense of it's staky

and I think some people would be like oh it's not tender enough

but it's so juicy

and the fatty part of the brisket is tender just like it should be

as a whole this is probably where I'd come back to

and be like this was the complete barbecue experience

that was my favorite

so far this is something unique it's a better bite this has

that melting fat thing

that happens where you put it in your mouth it has structure

and immediately it melts it's a meat Magic Moment texture nine it's going to

take a lot to unseat a place like this Cadillac's incredible Little Texas Waggy

brisket moves on to third place pushing Austin's Interstellar barbecue beating out a Michelin

starred restaurant that's right out of the top five welcome to the top five

Cadillac and their sides are our new leader with a 9.5

and we finally head to our very last spot number one on the Texas

monthly top 50 is it really number one this journey has been long it

took weeks to film this we're exhausted

and let me tell you something

when you eat this much meat you do not feel good pounds

and pounds of fatty Rich perfectly smoked brisket the dedication of not only the

pit Masters but Olivia

and I we're going to need some sort of like a juice cleanser after

this but after 16 stops across the Lone Star State our pilgrimage to find

the number one brisket in Texas comes down to one of the hottest barbecue

spots out in the middle of nowhere outside of Fort Worth Goldie barbecue

but as I stepped in the sunlit parking lot I spotted a lone figure

in the Horizon oh my God it was Daniel vaugh the man himself the

legendary barbecue editor behind the Texas monthly top 50 list the one we've been

following this whole time he's been like a Shepherd to us

and finally we're here with him in person to witness our final bite would

Goldies truly live up to its title we finally made it to Goldies the

final location and the man himself Daniel V is here Daniel thank you

so much we literally would not have been able to do this without you

I'm excited that you're here

and I'm excited about this plate

because they make their own bread the brisket looks impeccable Olivia is pissed off

because they don't have mac

and cheese but that's okay we'll let it slide wow the lean is usually

what I'm looking for

as far as like judging how well it's done right holy is this Waggy

or is it what is this no this is just Prime Beef this is

prime yeah people are working with the most expensive fattiest beef they can

and I have not had lean this juicy in this tender their consistency is

just unmatched how many barbecue spots have you visited I'm closing in on 2500

I just went to my cardiologist 2 days ago

and he said I'm doing all right not ideal surviving let's jump to sides

real quick potato salad is one of my favorite things on earth I say

this too often this potato salad it's perfect this you're getting the sweetness of

the onion a little bit of crunch from it it's got a little Spice

from the black pepper it's salty it's seasoned perfectly okay col saw no mayonnaise

in the col saw

which is and there's kale super balanced a lot of the places there Co

saw is too sweet

and the the cabbage is all wilted all the crunch is gone from it

this is like fresh cabbage Chewy from the kale little sweetening he's working hard

for col slaw adjectives is Sor right beans these basically are chili beans this

is the highest level of it

though this colaw is amazing the potato salad's perfect the pinto beans they're very

good they're seasoned nicely they're not like blowing me away I would give the

sides a 95 I'll give it a 95 Olivia yeah I'll meet you there

we're agreeing on a 95 out of 10 on the sides this is a

side tie with Cadillac I will say

that this col slot is 10,000 times better in my opinion

that pushes it over

but then again they do have mac

and cheese we're missing the mac

and cheese I was in love with Cadillac their mac

and cheese was so good well hang on we got to rate the brisket

we got to rate the brisket

so the seasoning is ridiculous it's exactly where it should be it's got the

smoke flavor I want

but it's not overwhelmingly Smoky

when you said that this is the place I was like all right how

much better is it going to be this is worth fing traveling for like

I would fly back here just to eat this this is the culmination of

all the prior briskets this is the final brisket boss yes I got to

say I'm I'm surprised yall are saying

that because you've gone

and eaten like all the best brisket around now personally I feel quite Vindicated

salt level 10 out of 10 the bark is ridiculous it's also seasoned throughout

I'm not just tasting salt on the outside I'm tasting salt on the inside

texture let's go to texture I don't know how you get any better on

the fatty texture the fat in between all the fibers kind of gushes the

lean to me it's like

as good if not better than the other leans

that we've had that we thought were the best

which was looy and Lewis really good steaky lean

but so did this

and looy and Lewis is using fing wagu how are they in the competition

with a lesser grade of beef yeah no they win this is a 95

on texture especially considering it's a lower grade of beef

that just leaves one more element

which is the flavor to me this is the best flavor I can possibly

remember not even considering anything else my brain immediately goes to 965 maybe 97

I'm going to let you make

that decision where does it Teeter over

as you were talking about this I was actually dreaming the number 9.7 it

was a kmic moment we were having you didn't know about

then that puts the flavor at I think possibly an unprecedented like for the

whole Channel I don't know

that we've ever given flavor at a 9.7 out of 10 total score putting

Goldies at the very very tippity top of the entire Mountain I mean we've

climbed meat Mountain I'm on top of mean Mountain are you on top of

me Mountain unfortunately yes tell them pump we're on top of mean Mountain we

fought for this dragged up meat Mountain actually I have gout I think I

have gout but God damn it we found the best barbecue

that we possibly could have

and we couldn't have done it without Daniel

so thank you for

that unbelievable journey I don't think I can look at barbecue for for a

little bit I think I need a break

but you know what to do you know where to go next time you

come to Texas maybe you should come here we've gone

and traveled across the the whole globe we've gone to multiple countries

and cities and tried foods from all over the world

but this is the first time I feel like I've really eaten at all

these places and seen all the stories

and seen all the people

and I really felt the community

and the culture and it reminded me kind of the reason

that we do this it really feels like the roots of what we've almost

lost in culinary so I hope to see

that more and uh I'm happy

that we found it here in Texas maybe it was a good decision to

live here after all