Unearth The Voyage
Craving smoke and sparkle on the same plate? Texas pitmasters are decking the pits with cranberry glazes, spiced rubs, and sides that taste like December wrapped in butcher paper. You will find brisket kissed with holiday cheer, ribs that hint at mulled wine, and sausages stuffed with festive surprises. Let’s road trip your taste buds to the Lone Star joints putting a Christmas twist on the classics you love.
1. LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue – Austin
LeRoy and Lewis gets playful, so Christmas means cheffy smoke with stockings of surprises. Think beef cheeks lacquered in pomegranate molasses demi, whispering sweet-tart around deep beefy richness. They might run a holiday sausage stuffed with chestnuts and herbs, then finish with brown butter crumbs.
Smoked turkey gets preserved lemon gravy that woke up jolly. Sides lean inventive: dill pickle potato gratin, charred carrots with tahini peppermint crunch, maybe a hot cocoa mole for dipping. You experiment, then nod like this should be tradition. The truck glows, the pits hum, and creativity feels like a gift worth unwrapping twice.
2. Southside Market & Barbeque – Elgin
Southside’s holiday playbook is locked in: smoked prime rib with rosy slices shimmering under garlic herb butter. You carve and hear cheers before the bite lands. Their famous sausage takes a seasonal detour with cranberry jalapeno pop, plenty of snap, and balanced heat.
Pickup packages make hosting easy, timed perfectly before the big day. Think creamed corn, green bean casserole, and pecan pie that travels well. Brisket remains the anchor, but the prime rib steals the tree-topper role. Order before deadlines and you win Christmas dinner without breaking a sweat, or a sauce bottle. The pit does the work.
3. Franklin Barbecue – Austin
At Franklin, the line feels like a pregame carol, and brisket is the headliner wrapped in holiday magic. Picture pepper bark glistening under a tart cranberry pepper glaze, adding sparkle without drowning the smoke. You grab pickles, add a jingle of flaky sea salt, and it sings.
Turkey gets a maple bourbon brush, while ribs flirt with clove and orange zest. Sides lean festive: charred green beans with toasted pecans, brown butter sweet potato mash, and cranberry onion jam. Preordering helps, but spontaneity tastes great too. You leave warm, smoky, and ready for another gift: leftover sandwiches.
4. la Barbecue – Austin
la Barbecue loves pepper bark and bold flavors, so the holiday riff is fearless. Brisket gets a cranberry chipotle drizzle on the side, bright and smoky, so you stay in control. Turkey breast shows rosemary citrus perfume, juicy slices that play nice with jalapeno cheese grits.
Pickles and onions feel like ornaments on a meat tree. Sides flex: charred Brussels with bacon, sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel, and a sneaky gingerbread banana pudding. It’s casual, picnic-table festive, with twinkle lights and warm chatter. Grab extra sausage for breakfast hash. You will thank tomorrow-you when the skillet sizzles.
5. Burnt Bean Co. – Seguin
Burnt Bean Co. leans into South Texas cheer with mesquite-kissed meats and holiday spice. Brisket keeps its classic swagger while a piloncillo glaze winks sweet and earthy. Turkey breast takes a chili-orange rub that tastes like stockings by a fireplace.
Tamales show up as the festive sidekick, perfect with a ladle of smoky gravy. Sweet corn pudding, charro beans, and cinnamon-spiked arroz con leche round things beautifully. Order family-style and let the table decide the pace. By the time you stack leftovers into breakfast tacos, you will swear Christmas belongs in a tortilla. Seguin knows what it is doing.
6. Goldee’s Barbecue – Fort Worth
Goldee’s keeps it meticulous, and the holiday tweaks feel intentional. Ribs carry an orange clove whisper that never hijacks the smoke. Brisket stays pure, paired with a cranberry black pepper sauce on the side for dippers who like sparkle without commitment.
Turkey gets butter-basted and rosemary-kissed, ultra juicy. Potato salad and tangy slaw remain, joined by roasted squash with maple chile crunch. The line is patient, the trays are tidy, and every bite feels tuned. Grab an extra pint of sauce for at-home grazing. When Fort Worth cools down, those warm pits feel like the season’s best heater.
7. Panther City BBQ – Fort Worth
Panther City is comfort and swagger, perfect for holiday cravings. Pork belly burnt ends wear a maple chile glaze that feels like candy canes learned to barbecue. Brisket anchors the tray with confident bark, set beside cranberry jalapeno relish that brightens each bite.
Mac and cheese gets a breadcrumb snowfall, and elote cups wear cotija glitter. Turkey legs appear on certain nights, smoky and shareable, like edible ornaments. You grab a cocoa-spiced brownie and call it balance. The patio’s string lights smile while smoke drifts across Fort Worth skies. You leave warm and slightly giddy, pockets full of napkins.
8. Cattleack Barbecue – Dallas
Cattleack treats holiday meat like a boardroom that wears a Santa hat. Prime rib specials carve juicy and peppery, with herbed au jus for dunking. Pastrami-style brisket slides into the lineup, perfect with a swipe of grainy mustard.
Jalapeno cheddar sausage gets cranberry relish for a playful bite. Sides lean classic: cheesy potatoes, bacon green beans, and a peppery kale salad for balance. Lines move fast, but preorder if hosting. The vibe is efficient, the flavors are generous, and leftovers plate beautifully. Dallas gets its smoke with a shiny bow, and you will not miss the mall food court.
9. Truth Barbeque – Houston
Truth loves big flavors and bigger cakes, so Christmas hits like a parade. Brisket keeps its pepper snap, while ribs meet a mulled-wine inspired glaze that whispers clove and citrus. Turkey takes a cranberry pan jus that brightens and comforts simultaneously.
The sides count like carols: tallow rice, corn pudding, and Brussels with bacon and honey chile. Save room for towering pecan cake, unapologetically festive. You will box slices for neighbors, if they are lucky. The dining room glows, trays clatter, and every bite remembers the smoke first. Houston’s holiday spirit comes plated in thick glossy slabs.
10. Tejas Chocolate + Barbecue – Tomball
Tejas bridges cacao and smoke, perfect for December. Brisket wears a cocoa nib rub that deepens bark without turning sweet. Turkey bathes in a light mole gravy, letting chiles, nuts, and chocolate hum behind the scenes.
House chocolates become stocking stuffers, while ancho marshmallows top a hot cocoa you did not expect to crave. Sides include jalapeno creamed corn and cumin braised carrots. Order trays, add chocolate truffles, and call it balance. Tomball’s chill air mixes with oak perfume, and you feel wrapped in it. Holiday barbecue rarely feels this thoughtful, or this complete.
11. Blood Bros. BBQ – Bellaire (Houston area)
Blood Bros. mixes Houston’s pantry with Texas smoke, perfect for holiday mashups. Char siu glazed ribs glow ruby and sticky, a sweet-savory tree ornament for your tray. Brisket stays classic, while turkey meets five spice butter and a scallion ginger relish.
Gochujang Brussels bring heat that cuts rich bites. There might be a holiday sausage riff with lap cheong and herbs, playful but grounded. You scoop jasmine rice, swipe sauces, and grin at the balance. Takeout trays turn weeknights into parties. Bellaire proves Christmas can taste like Chinatown meets Hill Country, and it absolutely works.
12. Snow’s BBQ – Lexington
Snow’s wakes early like Christmas morning, smoke drifting over Lexington as pits glow ember-red. Pork steak wears a spiced apple-cider lacquer, laying cozy sweetness over that legendary char. Ribs pick up cinnamon and a hush of star anise, never too sweet, just winter-kissed.
Turkey shines with sage butter baste, while jalapeno sausage arrives with cranberry mustard for dipping. Sides feel like grandma came to visit: skillet cornbread, peppery slaw, and campfire beans kissed with molasses. Order a family pack and you have stockings for leftovers. The line moves, the coffee steams, and joy tastes like oak.
13. Hutchins BBQ – McKinney / Frisco
Hutchins feels like a family room with better smoke. Prime rib glows rosy under herb butter, while brisket slices wear textbook bark. Turkey is moist and lightly smoky, begging for a spoon of tangy gravy.
Sides are crowd-pleasers: jalapeno mac, green beans, and sweet potato casserole with pecans. Complimentary desserts bring extra cheer, so save room for cobbler and banana pudding. Holiday packs feed a crowd without stress. McKinney and Frisco locations keep service friendly and fast. You leave with leftovers and plans to turn them into breakfast biscuits, because tradition deserves a morning sequel.
14. Pecan Lodge – Dallas
Pecan Lodge brings Deep Ellum energy to the holidays. Ham gets a sorghum and black pepper glaze that crackles under the slice. Brisket remains the legend, paired with a cranberry chile sauce you will keep dipping.
Hot links snap, ribs shine, and sides like burnt end pinto beans, slaw, and sweet potato mash round it out. Holiday packs help you host without panic. The line looks long but moves with rhythm, like carols on repeat. You step outside into mural-lit streets, hands warm from the tray, and feel Dallas clapping along to smoky sleigh bells.
