Texas BBQ Top 50

TexasBarbecue.com published the 2026 Texas Barbecue Top 50 on March 2, 2026, expanding its earlier Top 25 from 2022 and presenting the list with sponsor 2 Gringos Chupacabra. (texas-barbecue.com: ) Owner Derik Strelsky announced the list on Facebook and framed the release as the result of judges who traveled the state to score smokehouses. (mysanantonio.com: ) Organizers say judging involved nearly 100 volunteer judges divided by region, with official judging running from January 2, 2025, through late 2025 and high-performing locations receiving additional visits and a fourth judge when necessary. (texas-barbecue.com: ) The publishers emphasized neutrality, stating no paid judges or paid inclusions and that the site owner abstained from scoring to preserve impartiality. (texas-barbecue.com: ) Schoepf’s BBQ in Belton was named No. 1 on the list, and the outlet’s published Top 10 also included Victorian’s Barbecue, InterStellar BBQ, GW’s BBQ, Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, Bar‑A‑BBQ, Rollin Smoke BBQ, Panther City BBQ, Burnt Bean and Drew’s Barbecue. (mysanantonio.com: ) The release contrasted Schoepf’s top placement with Texas Monthly’s 2025 rankings, where Schoepf’s had been listed only as an honorable mention. (mysanantonio.com: ) Local reporting noted six Bell County businesses made the Top 50, with three coming from the Killeen–Harker Heights area—an uncommon county concentration on a statewide roundup. (kdhnews.com: ) Regional profiles described Rossler’s Blue Cord as a family‑run Harker Heights smokehouse earning Top 50 recognition, while Band of Brothers was identified as veteran‑owned and has publicly reported steep brisket‑price increases that local owners say reflect wider cost pressures. (kcentv.com: ) (mykiss1031.com: )