The Anderson Mill-adjacent restaurant from John Bates and Brandon Martinez (of the long-gone Noble Sandwich Co.) is a more recent and excellent addition to Texas’s barbecue field. The menu meats by weight (including sliced or chopped brisket), sandwiches, and tacos. The sides are particularly great as well.
Service-style: Indoor and outdoor dine-in service, online takeout orders
Hours: 11 a.m. until everything is sold out, Wednesday through Sunday.
Recommended orders: Pork ribs, beef kielbasa, tomato-zucchini salad, smoked scalloped potatoes

The Brentwood barbecue restaurant is a prime spot with indoor seating that is focused on good smoked meats, plenty of daily specials like smoked prime rib, sandwiches, and crispy half-chickens with Alabama white sauce, and solid desserts. Lead pitmaster Lance Kirkpatrick trained under Bob Mueller in Taylor. There’s a second location up in Cedar Park, and a Cajun-focused offshoot out in Dripping Springs.
Service-style: Indoor and patio dine-in service, online curbside pickup orders
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Recommended orders: beef ribs, pork ribs, turkey, barbecue sandwiches, peach cobbler

The Austin branch of the renowned Lockhart barbecue destination will have to do for those who can’t make the trip down to the smoked meat capital of Texas. Find the same very good menu at this local spot from the Black family.
Service-style: Indoor and outdoor dine-in service, online takeout orders, third-party deliveries
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Recommended orders: beef ribs, brisket, barbecue chicken, sausages

Home of the world-renowned brisket, this barbecue restaurant from co-owners James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Aaron Franklin and Stacy Franklin has been operating with a different format throughout the pandemic. Gone are the lines (for now), instead people place curbside pickup orders 42 days in advance, making it easier to secure that brisket plus other smoked meats, sandwiches, sides, and pies. For an Asian-y take on the famed brisket, head over to Loro, Franklin’s other restaurant in collaboration with lauded Austin Japanese restaurant Uchi.
Service-style: Online curbside pickups; national shipping; dine-in will be available in September
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
Recommended orders: brisket, beef ribs, turkey, sausage

Pitmasters owner Tom Micklethwait and Ren Garcia serve up thoughtful smoked meats at this Central East Austin food truck. Expect the staples (Tex-Czech sausage, beef ribs) to uncommon barbecue meats (pulled lamb) to specials (tacos, burgers, pork chops). The standout sides round out the meal
Service-style: Outdoor dine-in service, online and call-ahead pickup orders, national shipping
Hours: 11 a.m. until sold out Tuesday through Sunday.
Recommended orders: sausage, pulled lamb

While a very recent newcomer to the city’s barbecue world, chef Damien Brockway and his Govalle truck have already made a huge impression. The menu honors and explores what modern African-American fare really is with a Texas lens, which leads to items such as pulled pork served alongside tamarind barbecue sauce and brisket with a coriander sauce.
Service-style: Outdoor dine-in service, in-person and call-ahead takeout orders
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Recommended orders: Brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends and red beans, green mango slaw

Brisket stuffed into kolaches is a Texan’s dream come true, and the co-owners of the Holly barbecue truck, pitmaster Bill Kerlin and Amelis Kerlin, made that magic happen. Alas, the klobásníky are only available on Sundays, but that’s not an issue, since the regular barbecue menu is just as great.
Service-style: Outdoor dine-in service, to-go orders, email preorders at orders@kerlinbbq.com with 72-hour notice
Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until sold out Wednesday through Sunday
Recommended orders: brisket, barbecue kolache, pork belly burnt ends

The Holly barbecue restaurant from LeAnn Mueller has a new permanent home. It smokes the same beautiful briskets, ribs, and house-made sausages, plus sake, plum wine, and Aperol spritzes.
Service-style: Indoor and patio dine-in service, online pickup orders
Hours: 11 a.m to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Recommended orders: brisket, pulled pork, beef ribs, sausages, Bobby Dawg, shells and cheese

The new-school barbecue trailer from pitmaster Evan LeRoy offers up twists on the usual smoked meats classics. Think beef cheeks, halved avocados stuffed with barbacoa, cauliflower burnt ends, cheddar cheesecake, and more.
Service-style: Host site Cosmic Coffee is open for outdoor dine-in service; in-person takeout orders; online preorder takeout orders
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday
Recommended orders: beef cheeks, barbacoa, burger

The far south Austin food truck from pitmaster Miguel Vidal mashes up two of the city’s favorite foods into one mega-meal. Delicious meats like smoked brisket or pulled pork can be found in tacos or sandwiches.
Service-style: Online ordering only; dine-in service is available
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. or until sold out, Wednesday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. or until sold out, Saturday and Sunday
Recommended orders: brisket, Real Deal Holyfield breakfast taco, smoked brisket taco