Two Texas Cities Just Crushed the National BBQ Rankings

Texas is known for having legendary BBQ. It is a widely accepted fact that some of the best BBQ in the nation can be found in the Lone Star State. BBQ is a way of life for most Texans.

What sets Texas BBQ apart is its simplicity. Usually, it isn't seasoned with much more than salt and pepper. Sauces aren't typically used when smoking the meats, which typically include beef ribs, brisket, and sausage.

Texas BBQ places a lot of focus on the actual flavor of the meat instead of the flavor of a sauce. The meats are slow-smoked for a long time, usually using mesquite or oak wood.

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Texas Cities Make the Top 5 Best Cities For BBQ

Recently, two Texas cities ranked among the top 5 BBQ cities nationwide. Those two cities were Houston and Austin.

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Houston came in at 3rd, and Austin was listed as 5th in 2025's Best BBQ Cities In America by LawnStarter. I know some people who are going to have issues with that ranking.

The metrics they used for the rankings are customer satisfaction, access, competition awards, and elite BBQ memberships. Basically, it boiled down to how much people love the BBQ, if there are several places to get it, and how elite the people doing the cooking are.

Austin’s 4.5‑Star BBQ Boom

Interestingly enough, Austin stood out as the top spot to get BBQ from highly rated restaurants. Austin is home to the most BBQ joints with at least a 4.5-star rating.

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You can get all of the details on the rankings and see what other cities made the list on the LawnStarter website. They ranked a total of 476 cities from across the nation.