Texas-style barbecue has long held an iconic place in the American culinary imagination — its aesthetic as recognizable as a Warhol print. A butcher paper–lined tray overflowing with brisket, ribs, and sausage, joined by pickles, potato salad, beans, and a few slices of white bread — this tableau has come to symbolize the Lone Star State’s culinary identity. But that image is beginning to shift.
A New Era of Smoked Innovation
As the tradition of Texas barbecue expands beyond its regional roots, a new generation of pitmasters is turning the craft into something more experimental, dynamic, and diverse. And the rest of the world is taking notice — including the Michelin Guide, which awarded stars to four Texas barbecue restaurants in its first foray into the state. But beyond the accolades, something more radical is happening: pitmasters are infusing this time-honored cuisine with flavors from across the globe.
Barbecue as a Global Canvas
Think brisket cooked low and slow, but folded into Indonesian rendang. Ribs dusted with za’atar. Nasi goreng on the side. This is where barbecue is headed — where tradition meets bold, multicultural expression.
Texas Roots, Worldwide Reach
To understand how far this movement has come, it helps to look back. The roots of Texas barbecue trace back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when German and Polish immigrants brought meat-smoking techniques to their adopted homeland. They used hardwoods like post oak, seasoned meats simply with salt and pepper, and sold everything by the pound — practices that became the backbone of what we now call Texas-style barbecue.
The Franklin Effect
In 2009, Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin sparked a quiet revolution by prioritizing quality over quantity. Instead of cheap cuts, he used well-marbled, carefully sourced meats. His emphasis on precision and consistency changed the game — inspiring a new wave of pitmasters to elevate their craft.
Barbecue Without Borders
As the genre evolved, it broke free from its old constraints. Now, pitmasters across the U.S. are folding their heritage and flavor memories into the smoke. Below are a few trailblazers redefining what Texas-style barbecue can be.
- Fikscue — Alameda, California
Husband-and-wife team Fiks and Reka Saleh pair classic brisket with Indonesian spices and dishes like rendang and nasi goreng. The almond wood smoke adds California terroir to Texas tradition.
- KG BBQ — Austin, Texas
Egyptian-born Kareem El-Ghayesh uses warming Middle Eastern spices like fenugreek and coriander to transform lamb ribs into a wholly new experience. Dukkah and dill yogurt round it all out.
- Burnt Bean Co. — Seguin, Texas
Ernest Servantes keeps things closer to home, preserving Tejano soul food through Sunday morning menus of menudo, barbacoa, and carne guisado — dishes rooted in memory and heritage.
- Heritage Barbecue — Oceanside & San Juan Capistrano, California
Daniel Castillo fuses Mexican culinary traditions with Texas barbecue, offering handmade tortillas and housemade salsas alongside smoked meats.
- EEM — Portland, Oregon
Chef Earl Ninsom and pitmaster Matt Vicedomini serve white curry studded with brisket burnt ends and spicy sausages scented with Thai red curry. It’s barbecue, but Bangkok-style.
- Southern Junction — Buffalo, New York
Kerala-born Ryan Fernandez melds South Asian spices with Lone Star methods — brisket biryani, smoked cauliflower Manchurian, and cardamom-scented cornbread are all on the table.
- Heirloom Market BBQ — Atlanta, Georgia
Korean-American fusion reaches its peak with giant dino kalbi and kimchi coleslaw — a bold blend of Korean barbecue sensibilities with classic Texas cuts.
- Sabar BBQ — Fort Worth, Texas
Pakistani-American pitmaster Zain Shafi adds deeply spiced nihari stew to the menu, served alongside brisket and other smoked meats at his blue trailer. - Palmira — Charleston, South Carolina
Hector Garate offers brisket and smoked beef cheeks with Puerto Rican staples like arroz con gandules and crispy tostones — flavor-packed bites steeped in Caribbean soul.
- Smoke & Dough — Miami, Florida
Pitmaster Harry Coleman reinvents the barbecue platter with Cuban coffee–rubbed brisket, guava-laced sauces, and burnt-end empanadas. Even the flan gets the smoker treatment.
Rewriting the Barbecue Rulebook
This new generation isn’t just breaking the rules — they’re rewriting them. But even as pitmasters venture into uncharted territory, they remain grounded in Texas’s foundational techniques: slow smoking over hardwood, a respect for the meat, and an emphasis on flavor first.
What’s Next for Texas Barbecue?
“It’s inspiring to see people getting creative,” says Aaron Franklin. “If everybody was doing the same thing, it’d be pretty boring.” That spirit of experimentation — from Miami to Oregon — ensures the continued evolution of barbecue as a living, breathing art form.
And as Michelin stars and global recognition pour in, one thing remains clear: Texas-style barbecue isn’t going anywhere — it’s just getting a lot more interesting.
