In Texas Monthly‘s long-awaited list of 50 best barbecue ts released May 27, 2025, an impressive 20% are in Dallas-Fort Worth. Two of those, Goldee’s in Fort Worth and Dayne’s Craft Barbecue in Aledo, sliced into the top 10.
The top 50 list is updated every four years, offering Olympics-sized bragging rights to the Texas barbecue ts that make the cut.
In 2021, the magazine put Fort Worth barbecue t Goldee’s at No. 1, and nearly overnight, its young pitmasters watched their out-of-the-way shop become a top Texas tourist attraction. It’s likely that Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin — 2025’s No. 1 pick — will receive similar attention.
Goldee’s made Texas Monthly‘s list again, but no longer at No. 1: It slid to No. 3.
Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue ts fared well. In the brand-new list led by barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn, two of Dallas-Fort Worth’s barbecue ts made the top 10, with another eight finishing out the final 40.
For those looking to drive just a bit farther east, three more are outside of Dallas-Fort Worth but still a two-hour drive or less: Sunbird Barbecue in Longview, B4 Barbeque in Mabank and Slaughter’s BBQ in Sulphur Springs. Or, take a drive south, and Helberg Barbecue in Woodway, near Waco, is 110 miles away.
The top 10
- Burnt Bean Co. in Seguin
- LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue in Austin
- Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth
- Redbird BBQ in Port Neches
- GW’s BBQ in San Juan
- InterStellar BBQ in Austin
- Dayne’s Craft Barbecue in Aledo
- LaVaca BBQ in Port Lavaca
- Truth Barbeque in Houston
- Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque in Wolfforth
More about each Dallas-Fort Worth barbecue t listed in the top 50
Serious barbecue enthusiasts treat Texas Monthly‘s top 50 list as a meaty challenge: Can they get to all 50 before the next list comes out? Or better yet, how many have they visited before the magazine told them to?
For North Texas carnivores, there’s plenty to eat without taking a detour across Texas. Texas Monthly ranks the top 10, then leaves the remaining 40 unranked.
Let’s start from the top of the list and work down, hitting all the North Texas spots.
Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth — No. 3
Goldee’s Barbecue is a COVID-19 success story. Since barbecue fans caught wind of Goldee’s great food, it’s had a long line, where customers could spread out and drink beer with brisket at the finish line. It was TM‘s No. 1 barbecue t in 2021, and no surprise, it remains on Texas Monthly‘s list four years later.
We agree: It’s still one of the best barbecue ts around. Michelin honored it with a Bib Gourmand in 2024.
“We’re pleased to report that the Goldee’s crew has not faltered as hungry hordes have descended upon this modest t a half mile down a country road from the county landfill,” TM reports. They described the brisket as “perfect.”
“And the Sundays-only bread pudding,” the story reads, “is so heavenly that God might skip church for it.”
Several of the friends who opened Goldee’s expanded with a second barbecue t, Ribbee’s, in 2024. Can a ribs-only restaurant wow barbecue enthusiasts in beef country? Maybe, but it didn’t make the top 50.
Goldee’s Barbecue is at 4645 Dick Price Road, Fort Worth. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only, starting at 11 a.m.
Dayne’s Craft Barbecue in Aledo — No. 7
It’s easy to root for this west-of-Fort Worth restaurant owned by a family that wouldn’t quit on their barbecue dreams. Co-owner Dayne Weaver spent most of his adult life as a delivery driver: pizzas, FedEx and mail for the United States Postal Service.
“There was a time when I thought ‘delivery guy’ was all I was,” the dad of four told The Dallas Morning News last week.
He started selling barbecue from his backyard, then a food trailer in Fort Worth in his spare time. He hoped to get his first brick-and-mortar in Fort Worth’s Westland neighborhood. In a plot twist made for TV — but totally true — Taylor Sheridan’s production crew swooped in and used the space for his oil-and-gas show Landman, leaving the Weavers looking for another home. They found it in Aledo, in a 1920s-era former grocery store and garage that now feels like it couldn’t be anything except a barbecue place. (Cue the train chugging by at lunchtime, as it does regularly, as guests watch from the patio.)
Dayne’s sells tender brisket, jalapeño-havarti sausage, burgers assembled from brisket scraps and burnt ends that Weaver described to The News as “meat dessert.”
Dayne’s Craft Barbecue is at 100 S. Front St., Aledo. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The remaining D-FW barbecue ts in TM’s list are presented in alphabetical order, since they are unranked by the magazine.
Cattleack Barbeque in Farmers Branch
Founder Todd David sold revered Dallas-area restaurant Cattleack to pitmaster Andrew Castelan in 2023, and the quality of smoked meat has remained great, TM said. It was formerly ranked No. 6 in the state.
Cattleack’s younger owner, Castelan, got an “escape from office life,” he told The News, when he left a job at one of the nation’s top ing firms, EY, for a life in barbecue.
Castelan’s hard work showed when he received a 2024 Bib Gourmand, which is Michelin’s honor for restaurants that provide reasonably priced food.
TM said the brisket — always a Cattleack strong suit — is “good as ever.” It praised the Wagyu bologna and brisket-pastrami.
Cattleack Barbeque is at 13628 Gamma Road, Dallas. Open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and the first Saturday of the month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
North Texas Smoke BBQ in Decatur
Barbecue-obsessed roadtrippers have likely been making the drive to Decatur since TM spotlighted it in 2022. Beyond typical smoked meat plates, North Texas Smoke also sells brisket elotes, brisket boudin and brisket nachos.
Favorites among the TM critics included ribs, peppery brisket and loaded potato salad.
North Texas Smoke is at 2601 US-287, Decatur. Closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
Panther City BBQ in Fort Worth
Fort Worth remains one of the best cities in Texas to eat barbecue, and Panther City is part of the allure. The menu is a mix of Texas-style barbecue and Tex-Mex. On Saturdays and Sundays, the smoked brisket guisada might just fix whatever needs fixin’. Two other popular orders are Flacos Tacos and a sandwich piled with four meats called the Southside Slammer.
Since owners Chris Magallanes and Ernest Morales were named the 10th best barbecue t in the state in 2021, they purchased the nearly 100-year-old Bailey’s Bar-B-Que in Fort Worth. It’s proof that new-school and old-school barbecue both belong.
In addition to a menu of smoked meat, TM recommends the Nutter Butter cheesecake.
Panther City BBQ is at 201 E. Hattie St., Fort Worth. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Sabar Barbecue in Fort Worth
We’ve been rooting for food trailer Sabar since it started serving Pakistani-Texas barbecue in a Fort Worth parking lot.
Owner Zain Shafi learned some of his techniques from the Goldee’s team, but his barbecue trailer is all his own. “Shafi’s ribs might look like the pork ones at most barbecue ts,” I wrote in a 2024 News story, “but, no, Shafi is Muslim and doesn’t eat pork, so these are Sichuan lamb ribs. They’re mesmerizing. Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, and white pepper create a bark on supple meat.”
The brisket, turkey and Pakistani sides like fruit chaat and daal chawaal (lentils) can’t be found anywhere else on TM’s list.
“I love it when people, say, ‘I’ve never had these flavors before,’” Shafi told us.
Sabar Barbecue is at 105 S. Main St., Fort Worth. Look for the royal blue Sabar truck. Open Saturdays and Sundays only, 11 a.m. until sell out.
Slow Bone in Dallas
Fresh off a feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Design District restaurant Slow Bone is, again, in TM‘s top 50. Dallas visitors love the huge beef ribs, while regulars often opt for brisket chili, the crispy chicken sandwich or the great sides.
TM offers a great tip: “One easy way to make friends and family love you a little more is to introduce them to Slow Bone.” I’ve done it, and they’re right.
Slow Bone is at 2234 Irving Blvd., Dallas. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. only.
Smoak Town BBQ in Fate
Since 2020, Smoak Town has been serving ‘cue from a trailer in Fate, near Rockwall. TM loved the brisket, beer-brined turkey, Nashville pork ribs and more. Owner Cameron Haley left corporate America to work a smoker in a small town. His “constant” smile shows he made the right move, the magazine said.
Smoak Town BBQ is at 107 Elmhurst Lane, Fate. Closed Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Smokey Joe’s BBQ in Dallas
Older barbecue ts don’t take priority on TM‘s list, but Smokey Joe’s, established in 1985, cleared that hurdle. After reworking their processes before the 2021 list — and making the top 50 — the restaurant is back on the list.
“The pork ribs shine in the overhead lighting and on the taste buds,” TM said. “The brisket, also carrying a touch of sweetness, is remarkable.”
Smokey Joe’s BBQ is at 6403 S R. L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas. Closed Mondays.
Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice in Pilot Point
CJ and Sabrina Henley’s growing barbecue t got a jolt in 2024 when TM told readers about Yearby’s great brisket. The all-halal menu is small but focused, with meat and sides dominating the menu beyond a few “plus ones” like a brisket mac and cheese bowl.
And what’s “waterice”? TM describes it as “a frozen mixture of ice, fruit and fruit flavoring,” a nice cold treat for Texas summers inspired by the co-owners’ upbringing in Philadelphia.
Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice is at 209 S. Washington St., Pilot Point. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Check out this handy map with all of Texas Monthly‘s top 50 barbecue spots