Tacodeli in Austin is Roberto Espinosa's Spyglass Drive flagship since 1999, the local breakfast-taco chain known for Salsa Dona and a 25-year run as Texas's best taco counter.
Tip: Order Tacos al Pastor and a Heather; the cult Salsa Dona is the bottle you take home from the merch shelf.
Address: 1500 Spyglass Dr, Ste B, Austin, TX 78746
InterStellar BBQ in Austin is John Bates and Brandon Martinez's North-side smokehouse on RR 620, a Michelin Star 2024-25 BBQ shop in the former Noble Pig location.
Try: Smoked brisket and house sides
Tip: The smoked-prime-rib special on Sundays sells out by 13:00; pre-order online for pickup.
Micklethwait Craft Meats in Austin is Tom Micklethwait's BBQ smokehouse on Tanney Street, a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen relocated from the 12-year Rosewood trailer in 2025.
Try: Smoked brisket and house sausage
Tip: The kitchen runs Thursday to Sunday; pre-order online to skip the brisket-and-sausage line.
LeRoy and Lewis in Austin is the South Austin brick-and-mortar of Sawyer Lewis and Evan LeRoy's BBQ since 2023, a 5,000-sq-ft smokehouse known for beef cheek and Texas sides.
Try: Smoked brisket and beef cheek
Tip: Beef cheek is the kitchen's signature beyond brisket; order it before 13:00 or it runs out.
Distant Relatives in Austin is Damien Brockway's modern African American BBQ trailer at Meanwhile Brewing's South Austin yard, a James Beard semifinalist with cookery-roots plates.
Try: Modern African-American barbecue
Tip: Sit at Meanwhile Brewing's beer garden and order the BBQ to the table; the kitchen runs to 17:00.
Mum Foods in Austin is Geoffrey Ellis and Travis Crawford's pastrami smokehouse on Manor Road, a Michelin-recognised deli serving the city's award-winning pastrami sandwiches.
Try: Pastrami sandwich and brisket
Tip: The Rachel sandwich made The Infatuation's 18 Best Sandwiches in America list 2024; order it as the entry point.
The Salt Lick in Driftwood is the 30-minute-drive-from-Austin open-pit BBQ since 1969, a destination Hill Country smokehouse with byob policy and family-style platters.
Try: Brisket, sausage and ribs from the open pit
Tip: BYOB is the trick; the place is bring-your-own-beer and the wait at 13:00 Saturday can stretch to 2 hours.
