Austin is the epicenter of Central Texas BBQ — a tradition built on post oak smoke, simple salt-and-pepper rubs, and pitmasters who wake up at 3am to tend their fires. The city has more top-ranked BBQ joints per square mile than anywhere else in the state, and the competition keeps getting fiercer. Whether you are chasing a Michelin-starred brisket or a no-frills plate from a pit that has been burning since the 1970s, this guide covers the best BBQ in Austin for every taste and budget.
A few ground rules before you start: most of the best spots sell out, so arrive early. Lines are part of the culture — bring a cooler of beer and make friends. Brisket is king, but do not overlook the ribs, sausage links, and house-made sides. And if someone tells you their place is the best in Austin, they are probably right — there is that much quality here.
The Best BBQ in Austin
Franklin Barbecue
The line starts forming at 8am. By 11am, it wraps around the building. And every single person in it will tell you the wait is worth it. Franklin Barbecue has won every major BBQ award in America, earned a James Beard Award, and landed on the Texas Monthly Top 50 list so many times it is practically a permanent fixture. The brisket — smoked over post oak for 12+ hours — has a bark so black it looks burnt, but bite through it and you hit the most tender, peppery beef you have ever tasted. Pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and house-made sausage round out the menu.
Location: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX
Open: 11am till sold out, Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Nearest Hotel: Downright Austin
Tip: Weekdays are shorter waits. Arrive by 9am to guarantee your pick of meats.
LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue
Ranked #2 in Texas by Texas Monthly in 2025, awarded a Michelin Star, and a James Beard semifinalist — LeRoy and Lewis has quietly become one of the most important BBQ operations in the country. Pitmaster Evan LeRoy calls it “new school” barbecue, and the menu proves it: beef cheeks braised until they collapse, whole-hog pulled pork, house-ground sausage, barbacoa, and a rotating cast of specials that might include smoked lamb belly or pork jowl on any given weekend. The meat is ethically sourced from Texas ranches, and the sides — think elote-style corn and smoked beet salad — match the ambition of the proteins.
Location: 5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX
Open: Sunday through Thursday 11am–9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–10pm
Nearest Hotel: Colton House Hotel
Terry Black’s Barbecue
Terry Black’s sits just south of Lady Bird Lake near Butler Park, and the smoke billowing from the pits hits you from a block away. The beef ribs are the headline — massive, meaty bones with a deep smoke ring and a bark that cracks when you pull the meat. Brisket, chopped beef, pork ribs, turkey, and sausage are all excellent and sold by the pound or sandwich. The cafeteria-style line keeps things moving, and unlike many Austin spots, Terry Black’s rarely sells out before closing. Texas Monthly’s 2025 Top 50 honorable mention.
Location: 1003 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX
Open: 7 days a week, 10:30am–9pm (9:30pm Friday and Saturday)
Nearest Hotel: The Carpenter Hotel
Interstellar BBQ
Ranked #6 in Texas by Texas Monthly in 2025, Interstellar is a 20-minute drive from downtown Austin — and worth every mile. The prime sliced brisket is exceptional, with a clean smoke flavor that lets the beef speak for itself. Two types of sausage, turkey, pulled pork shoulder, pork ribs, and pork belly round out the board. The sandwiches are built to match the quality of the meat inside them. Interstellar has earned its reputation fast, and the weekend lines prove it.
Location: 12233 Ranch Road 620 N, Austin, TX
Open: Wednesday through Sunday, 11am till sold out
Nearest Hotel: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Austin NW
La Barbecue
La Barbecue consistently lands on the Texas Monthly Top 50, and for good reason — the brisket is salt-and-pepper perfection with no sugary sauce to hide behind. This is savory, smoky, unapologetically Central Texas BBQ. The pulled pork, pork ribs, turkey, and sausage are all strong, and the sandwiches — particularly the chopped brisket with pickles and onions — are the kind of thing you will think about on the plane home.
Location: 2401 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX
Open: Wednesday through Sunday, 11am–6pm
Nearest Hotel: Heywood Hotel
Micklethwait Barbecue
Micklethwait moved from its original Rosewood Avenue trailer into a renovated 1940s church on the east side — and the upgrade suits them. The dining room has the kind of character you cannot manufacture, and the BBQ is as strong as ever: beef ribs with a thick peppery crust, moist brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, barbacoa, turkey, chicken, and house-made sausage. The sides are excellent too — do not skip the mac and cheese. Micklethwait earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation, confirming what East Austin regulars have known for years.
Location: 4602 Tanney St, Austin, TX
Open: Thursday through Sunday, 11am–4pm (or sold out)
Nearest Hotel: East Austin Hotel
Distant Relatives
Distant Relatives brings African American culinary traditions to Central Texas BBQ in ways nobody else is doing. Pitmaster Damien Brockway serves brisket finished with smoked-mustard butter, juicy chicken leg quarters, and pork spareribs alongside sides like black-eyed peas cooked with burnt ends — a nod to West African foodways. Even the bread is upgraded: toasted Pullman sourdough instead of generic white. The menu rotates with seasonal ingredients, so every visit offers something different. Michelin Bib Gourmand. The truck sits in the lot at Meanwhile Brewing, which means excellent beer and expansive outdoor seating.
Location: 3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX (at Meanwhile Brewing)
Open: Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm–8pm (6pm Friday through Sunday)
Nearest Hotel: Austin Southpark Hotel
KG BBQ
KG BBQ fuses Central Texas barbecue with Egyptian and Middle Eastern flavors — a combination that sounds unlikely until you taste it. The result is brisket and ribs that carry familiar smoke and salt alongside spices you would never expect to find at an Austin BBQ joint. Featured on the Texas Monthly 2025 Top 50 list, KG is one of the most exciting newer additions to the Austin BBQ scene. The truck operates out of Oddwood Brewing on Manor Road, so you get craft beer with your smoked meat. They also offer Brisket 101 classes if you want to learn the craft.
Location: 3108 Manor Rd, Austin, TX (at Oddwood Brewing)
Open: Thursday through Saturday 11am–8pm, Sunday 11am–5pm (or sold out)
Nearest Hotel: Arrive Austin
Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew
Stiles Switch has sharp branding and a polished social media presence — which might make you suspicious until you eat there. The food backs it all up. St. Louis pork ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, chicken, and sausage are all consistently good, and the smoked-then-fried wings are a legitimate reason to visit on their own. Featured on the Texas Monthly 2025 Top 50 list. The craft beer selection is one of the best at any BBQ joint in Austin, and the North Lamar location means shorter lines than the downtown spots.
Location: 6610 North Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
Open: Tuesday through Sunday, 11am–8pm (8:30pm Friday and Saturday)
Stubbs Bar-B-Q
Stubbs gets overlooked on “serious BBQ” lists because it is equally known for its live music amphitheater out back. But the food holds its own. The all-you-can-eat family-style spread includes brisket, burnt ends, pork spare ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and sausage — all served at communal tables inside a building that drips with Austin history. If it was good enough for President Obama, it will work for you. Stubbs is not the place BBQ purists rank #1, but it is the place they keep coming back to on a Wednesday night when they want smoked meat, cold beer, and live music without a two-hour wait.
Location: 801 Red River St, Austin, TX
Open: 7 days a week from 11am
Nearest Hotel: Hotel Indigo
Brown’s Bar-B-Que
Brown’s is the South Austin food truck the locals do not want you to know about. There is no four-hour line, no Instagram hype, and no celebrity endorsements — just a trailer outside Corner Bar on South Lamar serving brisket that rivals spots with ten times the buzz. Turkey, beef ribs, pork ribs, sausage, pulled pork, and chicken fill out the menu, and the prices are lower than most of the big-name spots. Brown’s has been quietly operating since 2011, building a fiercely loyal following one plate at a time.
Location: 1901 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX
Open: Tuesday through Saturday 11am–7pm, Sunday 11am–5pm. Closed Monday.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
Cooper’s offers the widest range of smoked meat in Austin. Beyond the standard brisket, beef ribs, chicken, turkey, pork ribs, and sausage, the menu includes goat, pork chops, prime rib, rib eye, pork loin, and jerky. The two-inch-thick pork chops are the signature — massive, bone-in, and smoked until they pull apart. The original Cooper’s is in Llano in the Texas Hill Country, and the Austin location on Congress Ave brings that same direct-heat, cowboy-style pit cooking to downtown. Open later than most BBQ spots in the city.
Location: 217 Congress Ave, Austin, TX
Open: 7 days a week, 11am–10pm
Iron Works BBQ
Iron Works has been smoking meat in the same historic ironworks building on Red River Street since 1978 — back when most of these other spots did not exist. The patina is real: tin ceilings, old tools on the walls, and a dining room that has absorbed decades of post oak smoke. Brisket, beef back ribs, pork ribs, chicken, turkey, pulled pork, sausage, and chopped beef are all served by the plate or pound. Iron Works will also smoke your own game — bring in a butchered animal and pick it up 24 hours later. No line, no fuss, no attitude.
Location: 100 Red River St, Austin, TX
Open: Monday through Saturday, 11am–9pm. Closed Sunday.
Nearest Hotel: Hotels near 6th Street
Rollin Smoke
Rollin Smoke moved to a new home inside Chalmers Bar on East Cesar Chavez, and the late-night hours make it the best BBQ option in Austin after dark. The menu is straightforward: pulled pork, brisket, and sausage served in sandwiches and tacos rather than traditional plates. The sandwiches are massive and built for people who have been drinking — which, given the bar setting, is most of the clientele. Texas Monthly 2025 honorable mention. Note: 21+ on weekends.
Location: 1700 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX (inside Chalmers Bar)
Open: Monday 5pm–9pm, Wednesday 12pm–9pm, Thursday through Saturday 12pm–10pm, Sunday 12pm–9pm
Black’s Barbecue
The original Black’s has been operating in Lockhart since 1932, making it one of the oldest BBQ joints in Texas. The Austin location on Guadalupe Street serves meat cooked on the Lockhart pits and delivered daily. Brisket (sliced or chopped), beef ribs, pork ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey, and sausage — all solid, all priced lower than comparable downtown spots. If you have the time, the 30-minute drive to the Lockhart original is a pilgrimage worth making. If not, the Austin outpost does the name justice.
Location: 3110 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX
Open: 7 days a week, 11am–9pm (10pm Friday and Saturday)
Sam’s Bar-B-Que
Sam’s is old-school East Austin BBQ cooked over a traditional Central Texas brick pit, and walking in feels like stepping back 40 years. The meats are smoked low and slow the way they have always been done here: brisket, pork ribs, mutton, sausage, and chicken. The prices are noticeably lower than the trendy spots, and the portions do not hold back. If you want to understand what Austin BBQ was before the national spotlight found it, Sam’s is where you go.
Location: 2000 E 12th St, Austin, TX
Open: 6 days a week — Sunday and Monday 10am–8pm, Wednesday through Saturday 10am–10pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Austin BBQ Tips for Visitors
- Arrive early — The best spots sell out by 1–2pm. If a place says “till sold out,” plan to be in line by 10:30–11am. Franklin requires an 8–9am arrival on weekends.
- Lines are social — Bring a cooler with drinks, fold-out chairs if you have them, and be ready to chat. The line is part of the experience, not an obstacle.
- Order by the pound — Most spots sell meat by weight, not by plate. A half-pound of brisket, a quarter-pound of sausage, and a side is a solid meal for one person. Split a full spread with a group to try more cuts.
- Eat brisket first — The fatty end (“moist” brisket) is where the magic is. Ask for a mix of lean and moist if they offer it.
- Sauce on the side — Central Texas BBQ tradition is dry-rubbed and smoked, not sauced. Good brisket does not need sauce. Taste the meat first, then add if you want.
- Weekdays are easier — The biggest lines are Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday through Thursday you will often cut your wait time in half or more.
- Combine BBQ with a hotel day — Many of these spots are near great South Congress hotels and downtown Austin hotels. Grab an early lunch and spend the afternoon at Barton Springs Pool or exploring the neighborhood.
Austin BBQ FAQ
What is the best BBQ in Austin right now?
Based on the Texas Monthly 2025 Top 50 BBQ list, LeRoy and Lewis (#2 in Texas) and Interstellar BBQ (#6) are the top-ranked Austin spots. Franklin Barbecue remains the most iconic and awarded. For newcomers pushing boundaries, Distant Relatives and KG BBQ are two of the most exciting additions in recent years.
Is Franklin BBQ really worth the wait?
Yes. The brisket is that good. If the line intimidates you, go on a weekday and arrive by 9am — you will usually be eating by 11:30am. You can also order online for pickup, though availability is limited. The experience of standing in line with fellow BBQ enthusiasts, cold beer in hand, is part of what makes Franklin special.
Which Austin BBQ spot has the shortest wait?
Terry Black’s, Cooper’s, Iron Works, Black’s, and Stubbs rarely have long lines. Of those, Terry Black’s and Black’s deliver the strongest brisket. Cooper’s and Iron Works are reliable for walk-in BBQ any day of the week.
Where should I stay in Austin if I want to hit multiple BBQ spots?
South Congress puts you close to Terry Black’s, Brown’s, and a short drive to Franklin and the East Austin spots. Downtown hotels near 6th Street are walking distance to Stubbs, Iron Works, and Cooper’s. For a full BBQ itinerary, see our Austin neighborhoods guide.
Last updated: February 2026. Hours and menus change — check restaurant websites before visiting.
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Austin’s food scene goes well beyond any single category. Here are our other dining guides to help you eat your way through the city:
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