The best BBQ isn’t in Texas, but the second-best is in New Braunfels, according to travel website

Black’s Barbecue is highest ranked of four Texas restaurants on the list

File: Brisket at the original Black's Barbecue in Lockhart. (David Elder, Ben Garison, Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Did you know some of the best barbecue in the nation can be found less than an hour away from San Antonio?

Travel website Travel Awaits shared the top 14 BBQ restaurants in the U.S., and coming in as the second-best restaurant is Black’s Barbecue in New Braunfels.

The restaurant has been a traditional Texas BBQ staple for over 85 years, according to the travel website. It’s known for its pit-smoked meats, tasty sides and its one-of-a-kind atmosphere.

Black’s Barbecue also has three other locations — in Austin, Lockhart and San Marcos.

Travel Awaits recommends ordering their homemade sausage and giant beef ribs that weigh nearly a pound each.

The top BBQ restaurant in the U.S. is C.H.O.P. Clay’s House Of Pig in Tupelo, Miss., according to Travel Awaits.

The travel website listed 14 top BBQ restaurants in total, and among those are a few other BBQ joints in Texas.

Franklin’s Barbecue in Austin came in as the fourth-best BBQ restaurant in Texas, followed by Cackle & Oink BBQ as the 10th best, according to Travel Awaits.

The Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas placed thirteenth on the list.

Travel Awaits based its best BBQ rankings on readers’ reviews in its 2023 Best Of Travel Awards. You can find the full list here.


About the Authors:

Cody King is a digital journalist for KSAT 12. She previously worked for WICS/WRSP 20 in Springfield, Illinois.

Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 25 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.