The real question here is why nobody ever thought to put Texas barbecue and specialty chocolate under the same roof before. This barbecue spot boasts a solid menu of classics, but also ventures outside of the box with its offerings. Try a brisket-topped wedge salad or smoked turkey sandwich with avocado and fried egg. On the side, try the carrot souffle and cornbread pudding, then grab some chocolate truffles on the way out.

Just a short drive outside of Houston proper, in Old Town Spring, is Corkscrew BBQ, a smokehouse as charming as its surroundings. Prime brisket, pulled pork, turkey and link sausage are all killer choices, as is the Bobert sandwich, piled high with the customer’s choice of meats and green chile ranch dressing. For a huge undertaking, go for the Whole Hog, a massive sandwich topped with pulled pork, sausage, and a rib or two. 

Launched by a former Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy, this barbecue joint serves up brisket, chicken and pork ribs with a side of old-fashioned barbecue, but its forte is sausage. Specializing in different housemade links to satisfy your sausage lust, choose from the East Texas-style link, the Central Texas-style beef-and-pork sausage, and the jalapeno-cheese variety, and leave happy.

Gatlin’s BBQ serves up St. Louis-style ribs, classic brisket smoked to perfection, and plenty more meaty delights. Try the pastrami turkey sandwich, the smoked chicken wings slathered in Thai chili or raspberry-habanero sauce, and Cajun-style dirty rice. Stopping in for lunch? The baked potatoes here are legendary.

As solid as the brisket, sausage, and pulled pork are at this Spring Branch location, the sides at Feges BBQ are truly standout. Starting at just $4 each, elote corn salad, spiced cracklins, pimento mac and cheese, and more stunners await. The Carolina-style whole hog with cracklin’ mop sauce, and charred coleslaw on top of hog fat cornbread will have you bragging to your friends out of state, as will its expansive menu, featuring a boatload of sandwiches, finger foods, a large selection of wine and beer, and $10 frozen margaritas. Top it off with “sweets,” like a scoop of Big Red ice cream, or a banana caramel cream pie.

Find perfectly smoked Prime brisket, boudin, juicy chicken, and glazed pork ribs at this smokehouse helmed by pitmaster Grant Pinkerton. Don't get too stuffed on meats, though — the sides like the cheesy jalapeno rice and duck jambalaya are as compelling as the proteins.

Billed as one of the top 50 barbecue joints in Texas, this Katy stalwart holds its own with oak-smoked Central Style barbecue. Pair the moist fatty brisket, pork belly burnt ends, juicy pork ribs, or smoked brisket enchiladas smothered in a creamy gravy, with epic sides like loaded mac and cheese, cilantro-jalapeno slaw, and pinto beans. Depending on the day, you might find a new special, like a brisket banh mi, or the beef cheek confit.

Tennessee-style barbecue doesn’t get a whole lot of play in Texas, but Fainmous does it right. Smoked chicken wings, turkey legs, and rib tips meet traditional offerings like brisket, pulled pork, and link sausage. Try the most-excellent rib tips sandwich if meats by the pound don’t appeal, and be grateful that the killer coleslaw is technically a vegetable. 

Part restaurant, part market, Henderson & Kane is known for its support of local purveyors with well-stocked shelves of dried snacks, jams, salsas, and more, but don’t leave without sampling its barbecue. Glass cases reveal cuts from 44Farms, and you can choose from pork ribs and brisket by the pound, boudin and sausage by the link, and sides like ranchero beans and cream corn.

One of Finn Hall’s newest vendors, The Smoke by chef Reginald Scott is bringing the heat to Downtown, with its smoked wings, sandwiches stuffed with your choice of brisket, sausage, and/or Memphis pulled pork; meat-filled Jumbo Spuds, plus a host of sides, including collard greens, Momma’s spaghetti, and a Memphis slaw. Vegans can also participate in the barbecue experience, with Scott’s smokey veggie bowl, which features a host of smoked vegetables with a special sauce.

This sprawling East End hangout is a newer addition to Houston’s barbecue scene. Along with offering Post Oak-smoked meats, the restaurant has a contemporary design with a massive beer garden and views of downtown. If you have a sweet tooth, desserts like the classic banana pudding, and peach cobbler are sure to solidify this barbecue experience.

This Montrose smokehouse turns out stunning slabs of brisket that are especially delicious when wrapped in one of The Pit Room’s tortillas made with rendered (and perfectly smoky) brisket fat. The sausage, made on-site, is equally compelling, especially the black pepper venison and jalapeno-cheddar versions.

Three words: brisket fried rice. At Blood Bros., diners can feast on jalapeno-cheddar sausages, juicy turkey, and pork belly burnt ends. As far as the sides are concerned, the brisket fried rice here is arguably one of the city’s finest barbecue joint sides, and the jalapeno coleslaw is equally solid.

Helmed by classically trained, Swiss-born chef Ara Malekian, this barbecue joint at the end of Harlem Road in Richmond is a true gem. Brisket, ribs, and sausage are smoked low and slow over wood made from vintage oak wine barrels, and desserts like chocolate bread pudding and pecan pie are worth saving room for.

Since opening a decade ago, Killen’s BBQ has made Pearland a barbecue destination, and it’s gone on to open outposts in the Woodlands and Cypress too. In addition to smoked brisket, house-made sausage, and a massive beef rib, Killen’s has exceptional sides, particularly the creamed corn and potato salad.