Every two years, Southern Living drops its Top 50 BBQ Joints in the South list. The 2025 edition just landed, and naturally, Texas (as always) had to strut a little.

The Lone Star State didn’t just dominate... It owned the podium. Of the top 10 spots, Texas joints claimed 7. Still, TX lost the #1 spot to City Limits Barbeque, which was crowned #1 BBQ Joint in the South.

The Key Smoke Points

  • Southern Living’s Top 50 BBQ Joints 2025 is considered THE definitive list by many. It stretches across 13 states.

  • Texas Monthly was quick to point out the Texas dominance, and they’re not wrong.

  • The list also shows just how regional BBQ really is: Texas brisket, Carolina whole hog, Memphis ribs… everyone brought their A game.


What Texas Monthly noticed

Texas Monthly wasted no time claiming bragging rights. Their headline was basically “Southern Living just confirmed what we already knew.” But they did more than gloat. They highlighted just how wide the Texas net is.

Not only did Texas rack up the lion’s share of top 10 spots, but the state stacked the list with 16 joints overall. From legendary institutions like Snow’s and Franklin to rising stars tucked in smaller towns, the message was clear: If you’re chasing the greatest flavors, Texas has more than one stop worth the trip.

They also framed the win as a kind of cultural moment. Texas BBQ isn’t just dominating in Texas anymore. The Lone Star State is setting the tone for the South at large. Southern Living is essentially putting the state’s pitmasters on a pedestal for the rest of the country to measure against.

Why it matters (to us meat nerds)

Lists like this are basically fuel for road trips, group chat arguments, and bucket lists. Southern Living does the work of eating their way through smokehouses so we don’t have to (even though we still want to).

And if you’re anywhere near a top 10 spot, consider this your permission slip to “swing by,” even if it’s three or four hours out of the way. Or 10. Or 20.

The “Others”

Texas flexing doesn’t mean other states didn’t represent. The Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee put plenty of spots on the map. And a few up-and-comers outside the usual suspects make the list more interesting than a brisket-vs-pork debate.

The point is…

If you want to eat the best BBQ in America right now, the Southern Living Top 50 is the road map.

Just don’t blame us when your weekend trip suddenly turns into a 700-mile “research project.”