As a New Jersey native, my family’s idea of barbecue was backyard grilling. The only brisket we ate was corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day.
When I arrived in San Antonio in December 2000, I was taken to Rudy’s Original BBQ in Leon Springs, a gas station that also served barbecue. I thought it was odd but enjoyable. Later, while living in Ohio for four years, I found myself missing Rudy’s ’cue.
When I returned to San Antonio in 2014, co-workers suggested a trip to Lockhart to try Black’s, Smitty’s, and Kreuz. Next came recommendations for The Salt Lick in Driftwood and Cooper’s Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano. Rudy’s had been displaced.
By the time Texas Monthly published its 2017 Top 50 list, I was smitten with barbecue. It took me a year to complete the full tour, which gave me the perfect excuse to travel across Texas. From the Rio Grande Valley to Amarillo, El Paso to Beaumont, and Lubbock to Tyler, I went in search of great barbecue. As my wife would say, “He doesn’t drink; he doesn’t smoke; he eats barbecue.” I may not be a backyard pitmaster, but I am certainly a barbecue enthusiast.
And so, 400 barbecue joints later, my Texas barbecue tour continues. I have completed the last three Texas Monthly Top 50 barbecue tours and, earlier this year, finished the Texas Barbecue Online Magazine Top 50.
My current goal is to finish the honorable mention list. I track the hobby in an Excel workbook with worksheets for places to try, barbecue joints I’ve visited, non-Texas barbecue I’ve tried, and non-Texas spots still on my list. One of the small pleasures is moving a restaurant from “On List to Try” to “BBQ Joints Tried.” I also keep regional favorites handy so I can quickly recommend great barbecue when people ask where to go.
Of course, Texas barbecue has changed, expanding from its rural roots into the cities. Although I live outside San Antonio, among the 400 barbecue joints I have visited are 56 in the Alamo City, 36 in Austin, and 21 in Houston.
I have even flown for barbecue, most recently to El Paso to eat at Hallelujah! BBQ before immediately flying home. Twice, I have flown somewhere only to discover that the barbecue destination was closed. In each case, I had checked online before the restaurant posted its closure.
The “On List to Try” worksheet gets updated whenever I discover an unfamiliar restaurant through a post in the Texas Barbecue Facebook group. So, keep marketing your business. It really does encourage customers to visit.
Tom Apicella
apicellat@gmail.com
