Because it’s only open for lunch on Thursday and Friday, Cattleack draws a line every time the doors are open. The brisket is nice and juicy, and the Hatch chile and cheese sausages are especially snappy. Looking to really feast? Order the Toddfather, an enormous sandwich topped with brisket, pulled pork, sausage, and a scoop of coleslaw for extra crunch.

It may go against everything you know about ordering at a barbecue place, but order the smoked turkey here. They brine it to perfection and it is moist, flavorful, and delicious. Intrinsic is also a great spot to come for weekend brunch, when the team get especially creative with the menu, serving up meals like brisket with burnt-end gravy on a biscuit with an egg on top. It’s also a brewery, so prepare to order some outrageous beers.

In it for the brisket? Try OAK’D on Greenville. With wagyu beef from Rosewood Ranch in Ennis, and black angus prime beef, it aims to create a local-centric experience. Plus, grab some sweets at the in-house bake shop — a feature most barbecue joints don’t have.

This Dallas icon has been a staple of the smoked meats scene for decades, and that expertise shows. The brisket is tender and juicy, the ribs are nice and smoky, and the cooks here absolutely cannot be beat when it comes to sides. Chow down on collard greens, candied yams, and potato salad. Then be prepared to immediately need a nap.

A stalwart of Dallas’s barbecue scene, the Slow Bone’s prime brisket, smoked ribs, and pulled pork just can’t be beat. Order a two-meat plate, or consider the pork rib sandwich, a saucy and messy open-faced offering that won’t disappoint.

The proteins here, including baby back ribs, tender chicken, and brisket, are smoked to perfection over pecan wood. Pair with sides like queso mac and cheese and baked beans, and prepare to be transported to barbecue heaven.

With three locations in DFW, Lockhart Smokehouse makes reliably good, Central Texas style barbecue accessible. The sausages here, shipped in from the legendary Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, are an especially yummy choice.

Panther City started as a food truck and turned into the place to get pork belly poppers: that is, burnt ends, a Fort Worth favorite, stuffed inside jalapeños with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon — a clever take on shrimp brioche. There are lots of other Mexican influenced barbecue plates here, including their brisket guisada, swimming in its meaty sauce, and brisket elote, layered into creamy corn and cilantro.

The brisket, sausage, and ribs at this Fort Worth barbecue joint are stellar, but the real star of the show is the bacon burnt ends. These delightfully smoky little nuggets of pork belly are slathered in a sweet and peppery glaze, and it’s damn near impossible to eat just one. Good news for Dallasites: Heim opened a location on Mockingbird.

After topping the Texas Monthly barbecue list for 2021, the lines to eat at Goldee’s are epic — and completely worth it. At this Fort Worth spot, diners can enjoy the work of a group of young pitmasters who got experience working in some of the state’s best barbecue spots. Pair brisket and pulled pork with pinto beans, collard greens, and super cheesy grits. Save room for dessert — the bread pudding is a real stunner.