The 2021 Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ list has come out and true to form it created a huge surge of business for a number of BBQ joints that weren't nearly as busy as they were this past weekend.
I reached out to the owners of the Top 10 spots to get the inside track on when to arrive, where to park, and anything else to expect due to the huge influx of business. Hopefully this will help you in planning a visit. Note that a number of these locations were not getting the insane amount of business that Texas Monthly Magazine creates so expect small hiccups, delays in lines moving at times, and selling out of proteins earlier than expected until they find a level ground. Patience is needed.
#1 - Goldee's Barbecue - Forth Worth | Instagram: @goldeesbbq | Hours of operation: Friday - Sunday 11:00 am - 3:00 pm or SOLD OUT. Address: 4645 Dick Price Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76140
- "Our lines started between 4 am - 5:30 am all three days we were open. Here some tips & updates: Parking is limited at the restaurant. Our great neighbors have helped us out by opening up their property for parking. Please be respectful to them and others parked around you. Don’t block anyone in. Come early! Bring chairs, coffee, coolers, etc. We encourage a fun and friendly atmosphere at Goldee’s, inside and outside. Our capacity to prep and cook is at a maximum right now. We’re making 6x the amount of food that we made before being named #1 by @texasmonthly. We have another smoker being built now, but until we can fire it up, we are limited to how much we can prepare without losing integrity of our product. We will update the line as much as we can about the food that is available."
Photo courtesy of Jirby BBQ 
#2 Interstellar BBQ - Austin | Instagram @interstellarbbq | Hours of operation: Wednesday - Sunday 11:00 am - 5:00 pm or SOLD OUT. Address: 12233 Ranch Rd 620 N Suite 105, Austin, TX 78750
- "The best time to arrive is before 2:00 pm on the weekdays and before noon on weekends. If you arrive later expect a wait of 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. There is parking, however carpooling or ride share is encouraged. Please be patient with our team. We are a small place with one cutting station and one 1,000 gallonl pit to cook on. Everything we do is limited by space constraints. For reference Terry Blacks has 6-7 pits and I think 4 cutting stations."
#3 Truth Barbeque - Houston | Instagram @truth_bbq | Hours of operation: Tuesday - Sunday 11 am - 4PM | Address: 110 S Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007 - Pre-order for curbside pickup HERE
- "Hey there, for us 10 am is a great time for the line; earlier on Saturday. We have two parking lots so you're good to go for parking. Online ordering is still in effect for us as well as dine in & patio dining. Expect a wait; 90 min during the week and longer on weekends, but we run a well-oiled machine with 2-3 cutters on the line."
#4 - Burnt Bean Co. - Seguin | Instagram @burntbeanco | Hours of operation: Thursday - Saturday 11 am - 3 pm; Sunday 8am - 3pm | Address: 108 S Austin St, Seguin, TX 78155
- "Get here early we are trying our best to make sure everyone gets fed. Plenty of parking. No online ordering. Come hungry." Note you should probably get there at least a couple hours early to be safe.
#5 LeRoy & Lewis Barbeuce - Austin | Instagram @leroyandlewis | Hours of operation: Wednesday - Sunday 11 am - 9 pm | Address: 121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704
- "Currently showing up at 11 am makes sure the line is pretty short, but if you don't mind waiting, as long as you’re in line by 1:30 pm - 2 pm you’ll likely get food. Uber/Lyft are def recommended, but there is street parking along surrounding streets: Krebs, Lessin, and Alpine. We do not currently have an online ordering option or a call ahead pre-order option. To ensure you get what you want we recommend showing up at or before 11am. Only other comment would be that we only serve brisket on Saturday and Sunday. Asking about it does not make it magically appear haha."
#6 Cattleack Barbque - Dallas | Instagram @cattleackbbq | Hours of operation: Thursday - Friday 10:30 am - 2 pm; 1st Saturday of the Month: Pits & Punch at 9:00 am with Dining Room 10:30 am – 2:00 pm | Address: 13628 Gamma Rd, Farmers Branch, TX 75244
- "Hours are 10:30 until 2 pm. The more you show up early, the better the opportunity. The lines starts before we open anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes a couple of hours. Parking is all over the neighborhood and the largest lot, is at Chefs Store on the corner. Also, look at the menu and know what you want while you are waiting to keep things moving."
#7 Franklin Barbecue - Austin | Instagram @franklingbbq | Hours of operation: Tuesday - Sunday 10:30 am - 2 pm | Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702 | Pre-order for curbside pickup HERE
- "Parking is definitely a scene over here with construction of neighboring lots. You can still order online." Note they have scheduled the re-opening of their dining room for Tuesday, November 23rd so things will change. I in turn will update this page as time goes on to reflect any changes.
#8 Evie Mae's Pit Barbeque - Wolfforth, TX - Instagram @eviemaesbbq | Hours of operation: Wednesday - Saturday 11 am- SOLD OUT (Note: They are open 7 days a week at their second location inside a United Supermarkets at 114/Slide from 11 am - 8 pm or Sold Out) | Address: 217 US-62, Wolfforth, TX 79382
- Currently no changes to their regular schedule.
Photo courtesy of Kelly Yandell Photography 
Photo courtesy of Kelly Yandell Photography
#9 Snow's BBQ - Lexington - Instagram @snowsbbq | Hours of operation: Saturdays ONLY 8 am - SOLD OUT | Address: 516 Main St., Lexington, Texas 78947
- "We were a little busier this past week at opening time, but don't feel like we will see a difference in overall crowd as we have been very busy for some time. We suggest around 5 am mark, but seems like people are getting here earlier and earlier. Past week at 5 am probably over 100 already in line. We fed everybody in line this week and there were probably 350 plus. We have plenty of parking. There is no online ordering for Saturdays."
#10 Panther City BBQ - Fort Worth | Instagram @panthercitybbq | Hours of operation: Wednesday 11 am - 2 pm; Thursday - Saturday 11 am - 4pm; Sunday 11am - 2pm | Address: 201 E Hattie St, Fort Worth, TX 76104
- " I would suggest people arrive about 10 am. The parking lot is small but there is plenty of street parking available. We do offer preorders via email to Panthercitybbq@gmail.com by 10:30 am the day prior to pickup. We have seen the wait average 1.5 hours since the list for people showing up later than 11:30 am."
Photo courtesy of Kelly Yandell Photography 
