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