My Best BBQ of 2015 - Texas Pit Quest Celebrates the Excellence of Texas BBQ

2015 was the breakout year for Texas Pit Quest. My friends Andrew and Bryan and I traveled far and wide in search of premier Texas BBQ; we discovered some new gems, and were happy to find many of our favorites still delivering quality Q on a consistent basis.

Houston-area BBQ featured prominently in our travels, as it's really our home base, but several 400 plus-mile road trips took us to new BBQ destinations across Texas. Some have asked what was my favorite BBQ I had this year. I looked back through my posts and photos and have assembled what I recall to be my 25 most memorable bites (or trays I shared), presented here in chronological order:


Killen's Barbecue - Pearland: Brisket, sausage, and pork ribs, 2/8/15

Southern Q BBQ & Catering - Houston: Taste of the South Sampler Platter, 2/14/15

Freedmen's Bar - Austin: Holy Trinity Plate, 3/7/15

Blue Moon BBQ - Hearne: Cowboy Cornbread, 3/7/15

Pinkerton's Barbecue - Houston: Brisket, 3/14/15

Tin Roof BBQ - Humble: Texas Cheesesteak Sandwich, 4/3/15

Snow's BBQ - Lexington: Brisket and chicken, 4/4/15

Louie Mueller Barbecue - Taylor: Big beef plate rib, 4/4/15

Jackson Street BBQ - Houston: Pork spareribs, 4/9/15

Jackson Street BBQ - Houston: Brisket burnt ends on jalapeno cheddar biscuit, 4/17/15

Zimmerhanzel's BBQ - Smithville: Beef sausage, 4/18/15

Pieous - Austin: House-smoked pastrami, 4/18/15

Feges BBQ - Houston: Whole hog, Houston Barbecue Festival, 4/26/15

Blood Bros. BBQ - Houston: Smoked quail, 5/9/15

Pioneer BBQ - Nixon: Brisket, ribs, sausage, firecracker corn, 5/30/15

Kreuz Market - Lockhart: Pork chop, plus full spread, 5/30/15

Southside Market & Barbeque - Bastrop: Southside Sausage Slammer, 5/30/15

Roegels Barbecue Co. - Houston: Smoked rack of lamb, 6/1/15

Blood Bros. BBQ - Houston: Gochujang beef belly burnt ends, 6/20/15

Stanley's Famous Pit BBQ - Tyler: The infamous Mother Clucker, 7/2/15

Pappa Charlies Barbeque - Houston: Boneless beef short rib burnt ends, 7/31/15

Corkscrew BBQ - Spring: Full spread, 8/1/15

John Mueller Meat Co. - Austin: Brisket, 8/29/15

Pappa Charlies Barbeque - Houston: Pork spareribs, 10/20/15

Pappa Charlies Barbeque - Houston: Full spread, 10/21/15

Pappa Charlies Barbeque - Houston: Brisket chili Frito pie, 12/27/15

(photo by Pappa Charlies Barbeque)

All photos © Scott Sandlin, Texas Pit Quest, unless noted otherwise. All rights reserved.

Texas Pit Quest T-Shirts - 1st Edition Available!

Be one of the first Texas BBQ lovers to own the original edition of the Texas Pit Quest T-shirt! We are taking pre-orders now for our initial run. Shirts will be screen-printed on black, high quality Gildan Ultra Cotton T-Shirt material, and are just $20* for adult sizes. Send email to scott@txpitquest.com with your size, quantity, and info on how to reach you.**

As a special incentive for those ordering in this initial run, once the 25th pre-order is placed, two names will be drawn at random from the first 25 orders. One winner will receive a brand new ThermoWorks TimeStick®, and the other will receive a selection of 4 items from Yeti Coolers in appreciation of your order, each a $25 value!***

ThermoWorks TimeStick®

Yeti gear!

*Payments may be made by check, cash, money order, or we can send you a secure link via email to pay online with a card. Shipping is included for orders outside the Houston Metropolitan area; will be sent via USPS. If you live in the Houston area, we will make arrangements to have yours delivered to you.

**Texas Pit Quest is committed to keeping your e-mail address and any other contact information you provide completely confidential. We do not sell, rent, or lease our subscription lists or contact information to third parties, and we will not provide your personal information to any third party individual, government agency, or company at any time unless compelled to do so by law. We will use your e-mail address or other contact information solely to provide timely information to you about your order.

***The free offer will be delivered or shipped once payment for the order is received.