The Absolute Best BBQ Brisket Across The US

This list will probably anger more people than it will satisfy. Barbecue, for all its community and history, can be like that. It's a cutthroat sport of iron pit doors and smoke-infused sweat. In the South, pitmasters will be among the first feeding tornado survivors out of their own pockets. They'll also be the first to tell you that they're the best at what they do, even and especially if they know you feel the same way about yourself (and if you're a pitmaster, you probably do). Across the country, barbecue competitions list specific criteria that make smoked meat "good," but when it comes down to it, taste is subjective, and no institutionalized judging method can ever truly capture the magic of a perfect bite.

Barbecue brisket, while generally associated with Texas, can be found wherever hardwood is rising from a smoker. Here are the best, determined not by consensus (it doesn't exist), but by the sheer volume of their fandom, the passion of their patrons, the assessments of professionals (the fine folks at Michelin, for example), and, admittedly, the bias of this author. 

Bonafides: Author is a formerly professional pitmaster initiated into the tradition of smoked meat by the late Dan Gill of Something Different in Urbanna, Virginia (who is not on this list for reasons of journalistic integrity).

If you're at all familiar with this absolute legend of smoked beef, you were probably expecting this. Type "best BBQ brisket in the U.S." into your search bar, and Franklin BBQ is bound to be the first name you find. We can perhaps attribute the reputation — at least partially — to Anthony Bourdain, who described the barbecue at Franklin as "reason enough to slit your best friend's throat, steal a car, drive cross country, and then wait on line outside a dreary-looking shed for upwards of two hours." Who are we to question an opinion like that?

Owner and pitmaster Aaron Franklin has received a James Beard Award and a Bib Gourmand designation from Michelin, but arguably the most impressive accomplishment has been the relentless community support, which started long before the international acclaim. When Austinites (who are by no means short on options) are spending two to four hours in line for brisket, that is an award in itself.

https://franklinbbq.com/ 

(512) 653-1187

900 E. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702 

When Michelin started tossing out stars to barbecue joints in Texas, this was one of the first. Owners Will and Nichole Buckman use only red oak in their pits, an unusual choice with a complex and lingering smoke profile that is rounder and more forgiving than the more common hickory, mesquite, and post oak varieties. This (along with whatever superpower the barbecue gods have bestowed upon Will) also might explain why their use of Oyler rotisserie-style pits, which are notoriously prone to over-smoking meat, hasn't even remotely compromised their product.

Inside the restaurant, you'll find framed photographs documenting the couple's evolution from backyard barbecuers to catering company to brick-and-mortar restaurant. Michelin inspectors note the use of prime cuts from local farms, unreservedly announcing that the brisket is some of the finest in the state of Texas. The owners also credit the support of family, friends, and community as the primary source of their success.

https://www.corkscreworders.com/

(281) 330-2178 

26608 Keith St, Spring, TX 77373

At smaller, rural barbecue spots across the country, kitchen workers are cutting the charred tips (or "ends") off their briskets ... and eating them. It's the best, barkiest part, you see, and a little perk in a generally underpaid and relentlessly demanding job. At La Barbecue, however, the kitchen seems to be in the habit of giving the tips away as soon as you reach the counter. Whether this little happiness bribe helped net the business a Michelin star, we'll never know, but public opinion seems to agree with its luminary status.

The vibe at female-owned La Barbecue is notably alternative, with punk rock tattoo studio aesthetics blending surprisingly well with more traditional Texas smokehouse imagery. Which is to say, this is not your grandpa's barbecue joint. The difference isn't just cultural, either: pitmasters here, under the guidance of owner Ali Clem, cook a comparatively hot and fast brisket to achieve a deep peppery bark. Staff then wrap the meat in butcher paper within four hours, then pull them at around seven hours. This is roughly half the cook time given to a brisket at many (if not most) other award-winning establishments, and this underscores the crucial barbecue principle of irreverent traditionalism: the art of carrying on tradition by deliberately breaking with it.

https://labarbecue.com/

2401 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78702 

This spot isn't in Texas, but it does endeavor to transport its patrons to the Lone Star State through its flavors. Lauded for its Texas-style salt and pepper dry-rubbed brisket, this Richmond icon was created by native Texan Chris Fultz and Virginian Alex Graf, and opened under the tutelage of barbecue legend and pitbuilder, John Lewis. Fusing Southwestern traditions with Southeastern influences (they use local Virginia white oak in their smokers, for example), the two have created a legacy that has reshaped the Virginia barbecue scene.

ZZQ uses a mustard binder to hold its rub in place, but it's not something you'll taste in the finished product. Consistently succulent with perfect bark, silky fat cuts, and a pearlescent moisture content, this brisket draws people from all over the state and beyond. And it's worth it; Texas Monthly has called it the best brisket outside of Texas. 

On Fridays, the kitchen also puts out a small number of smoked pastrami briskets, and it seems unfair to compare them to the standard dry-rubbed variety. They are indescribable and sell out immediately.

https://www.zzqrva.com/

(804) 528 5648 

3201 West Moore St, Richmond, VA 23230

If you're interested in being served life-changing brisket by a man with a drawl in a cowboy hat — but would prefer not to drive across Texas for the experience — there's good news waiting in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. To be clear, proprietor James Jackson is very much a Texan, and so is his brisket ("salt, pepper, wood, and fire," as he told New Mexico Magazine). Jackson even drives over 600 miles every other month to procure post oak — one of the traditional Texan barbecue hardwoods that produces a relatively mild, soft smoke that's hard to overdo and easy on a range of palates.

While the brisket is decidedly Texan, the restaurant does pay homage to its physical location by incorporating local culinary traditions into the daily specials. It's the meat, of course, that keeps folks lined up outside the two-storey wood building. The restaurant looks every bit like what you'd imagine a "mountaintop barbecue" joint to be: part Texas roadhouse, part Appalachian ski chalet, and utterly enticing.

https://www.madjacksbbq.com/ 

(575) 682-7577 

105 James Canyon Hwy, Cloudcroft, New Mexico 88317 

Pitmaster Robbie Robinson scored two consecutive James Beard nominations for Best Chef: Southeast. While it's not unheard of for a pitmaster to win the coveted award, it is strikingly uncommon. If that weren't enough to turn your brisket-fiending gaze east, his spot City Limits BBQ was named one of the Best BBQ Joints in the South by Southern Living in 2025, and placed on the 2024 50 Best Restaurant List by the New York Times.

Despite the demand, this place is still only open on Saturdays and Sundays. Robinson is a South Carolina native, and there is Carolina-style pork barbecue on the menu. But he did live in Texas for a few years after marrying a Texan. Love will make you do strange things. Like smoke some of the best brisket in the country.

https://citylimitsq.com/ 

(803) 260-7469 

1119 Methodist Park, West Columbia, SC 29170

Wedged between Raleigh and Durham, this Cary, NC, joint is something of a newcomer, having only been open since 2021. While its location might have you wondering whether it falls on the Eastern or Western side of the Carolina barbecue feud, you'll be forgiven for this assumption: the style here is Texan, and the brisket has earned rave reviews from traveling experts and the Michelin guide alike.

In an article exploring the burgeoning popularity of brisket among Carolina barbecue spots, Texas Monthly called Dampf Good the best of the trip, noting the soft fat, tender burnt ends, smooth white oak smoke, and quality Red Angus beef from local farms. Owner Nick Dampf hails from St. Louis originally, but spent some time in Texas, where he fell in love with the regional barbecue style. 

https://www.dampfgoodbbq.com/

(847) 387-7469 

6800 Good Hope Church Rd, Cary, NC 27519

Generally associated with beef tri-tip smoked hot and fast (more like a tri-tip steak than brisket), Southern California can, apparently, pull off pitmaster patience as well. Moo's Craft Barbecue in (gasp) Los Angeles is certainly worth its (kosher) salt, garnering a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. Whether the good value or the good brisket is more surprising in Los Angeles, you can contemplate this while waiting in line, between praying that they don't sell out before you reach the door.

Infusing Texas barbecue with Los Angeles soul may sound like the tagline for some bland corporate franchise, but husband-and-wife-team Andrew and Michelle Muñoz are nothing if not earnest and cook exuberantly from the heart. The brisket is pure Texan tradition — they even go so far as to source their pepper from the state — and is widely regarded as being on a par with the big-name brisket destinations. Some say it bests them.   

https://www.mooscraftbbq.com/

(323) 686-4133 

2118 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Pitmaster John Lewis helped Aaron Franklin open Franklin BBQ. He co-founded La Barbecue. He mentored the proprietors of ZZQ. This is the guy who founded Austin Smoke Works and designed many of the company's famed smokers with his father. He has built pits for a sizeable cross-section of the entries on this list. He's something of a barbecue brisket Godfather, and his eponymous Lewis Barbecue in coastal South Carolina reflects that legacy, while also having the beach nearby. Beach brisket. What could be better?

With a vintagey, borderline surfshack aesthetic, the Charleston location (there's another in Atlanta, Georgia) feels a touch less down and dirty, and a bit more laid back than your standard issue barbecue joint. But what comes out of it is tradition at its best, according to the Micheline guide, which gave the South Carolina restaurant a Bib Gourmand nod and a glowing recommendation.

https://www.lewisbarbecue.com/ 

Multiple locations

Native Brooklynite Billy Durney fell in love with barbecue and traveled the U.S., taking it all in: the regional distinctions, the techniques, and yes, the meat. It's amazing what you can accomplish with the means and drive to do so. So now there's a Michelin Bib Gourmand barbecue joint in Brooklyn. However you feel about this, the results are as undeniable as barbecue can be (read: somebody somewhere — cough Texas — is denying this).

Durney uses oak and cherry, which is unconventional but has its merits. The gentle sweetness of the cherry plays wonderfully with the dry, earthy notes of oak. It's a hugely forgiving combination with a wide appeal and distinct flavor profile. Texas Monthly even recognized the brisket here as some of the best you can find outside of the state.

https://hometownbbq.com

(347) 294-4644

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

There seem to be two primary schools of new pitmasters: classically trained chefs bringing heightened structure to the craft, and native barbecue initiates breaking as many rules as possible. Sacred Ground Barbecue is a project that falls firmly into the former category. Though approaching the building, you'd never know. 

When award-winning chef Derek Emerson decided to open a barbecue restaurant, he went to Texas for research and development. When he came back, he built his own smoker and started putting out brisket that has Michelin inspectors using words like "melting" and "impressively charred barks." Despite Emerson's fine dining chops, which are showcased beautifully at his restaurant, Caet, and the "fancy cocktail" bar, Little Effie, Sacred Ground isn't a tablecloth kind of culinary experience. It is a kind of paper napkin shack along the railroad tracks. The way barbecue should be.

https://www.sacredgroundbbq.com/ 

(601) 900-9769 

1052 Pocahontas Rd, Jackson, MS 39206

Barbecue in Alabama doesn't have the finest reputation outside the state. Associated with the tangy, white, mayo-based BBQ sauce (even though it's only really a thing in Northern Alabama), it's arguably the most overlooked Southern state when it comes to smoked meat. But this entry is less white sauce, more white tablecloth.

A far cry from the farmhouse aesthetic that's endemic among barbecue joints, Salt Smokehouse is something of a barbecue palace. Blending international inspirations with elevated Southern cuisine, the brisket here is a standout, lauded as "cutting like custard" by the Michelin inspectors. Despite the highfalutin presentation here, this spot seems to be a hidden gem, garnering a shocking dearth of hype even following its critical acclaim. Blame it on the purists and their stereotypical aversion to fancy dress, but a true barbecue hunter will find the mystery alluring. 

https://saltssmokehouse.toast.site/ 

(256) 261-3360 

1300 Meridian St. D-104, Huntsville, AL 35801

Try as one might to give equal weight to states that aren't Texas, the fact remains that the Lone Star State started the tradition, and the rest of us, well, we're doing our best. InterStellar, as the name suggests, goes a bit beyond the smoky terroir of traditional Texan barbecue with items like peach tea-glazed pork belly and kielbasa, but the brisket is done according to regional standards. It just happens to be done exceptionally well. Michelin calls the brisket, which is dry-rubbed with salt, pepper, and garlic, and then smoked over post oak, "outstanding." 

And indeed, the glossy network of liquified fat holding the perfectly tender lean delicately in place is the result of true mastery. For every two barbecue joint superfans, there's an equal and opposite hater, and the prices here are at times called inaccessible. Criticism of the brisket, however, is much harder to find. 

https://www.theinterstellarbbq.com/ 

(512) 382-6248

12233 RR 620, Suite #105, Austin, TX 78750

It could be said that barbecue is a religion in the South, so it's perhaps fitting that this entry on our list is located inside a renovated church. Serving brisket that the Austin Chronicle endorses for its impossibly juicy, perfectly trimmed, fork-tender consistency, this might be the one religion it's ok to discuss in polite company.

Another recently christened institution, Micklethwait made the jump from food truck to brick-and-mortar in 2025 and has been selling out ever since. There's not much novelty here (other than the building itself), just impeccable, oak-fired brisket (that Michelin says it would be sacrilege to skip and crowns with a Bib Gourmand) and well-loved Southern sides. Micklethwait also earned spot number 38 on Southern Living's 2025 Top 50 Barbecue Joints in the South.

https://www.craftmeatsaustin.com/

(512) 953-3549 

4602 Tanney St. Austin, TX 78721

A San Antonio staple since the 1990s, Barbecue Station is exactly the kind of corrugated shack you'd expect to serve some of the best smoked meat to ever grace your palate. And, by most standards, it does just that. 30 years of service is an eternity in the restaurant industry. There's a reason they're still here.

A former filling station, this is as bare bones as it gets (insert reference to their ribs by the end of the day here). The focus is on the food, and it comes smoked with a powerful blend of post oak and mesquite. The well-marbled brisket is what draws the crowds when the barbecue tanks are on empty. Michelin guide recommended, this place occupies a delicate middle ground between old-school classic and legendary. If you're more interested in a quality heritage product than frantic hype, this might be just your speed.  

https://barbecuestation.com/ 

(210) 824-9191 

1610 NE Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78209

Barbecue is ultimately subjective, which is to say that the "best" is a matter of opinion. When reviews stack up from both experts and the general public, though, we can (somewhat) safely declare it to be true. For this article, we looked at two primary sources: The Michelin Guide and Texas Monthly. There is also a good bit of personal experience thrown in, and for this, the criteria is a bit harder to explain. Truly good brisket checks certain boxes: a dark bark, luminescent moisture content, balanced seasoning that showcases the natural flavor of the beef, a rich but not overpowering smoke profile, and a consistency that, when held up, keeps a slice of brisket from falling apart ... but just barely. I don't personally care about whether it has been wrapped, how long it spent in the smoker, or if it has a neon smoke ring. 

Great brisket, however, is a transcendent moment, and there's no way to check that off a list of criteria. It is quite possible that there is better brisket coming from your own backyard, the new restaurant down the street, or a gas station 100 miles from the nearest town. If there is, please, spill the pit-cooked beans. We desperately want to try it.