Where to eat the best BBQ in San Antonio – Top 10 for you!

Dignowity Meats is a smoked meat sandwich shop located in San Antonio’s Eastside historical neighborhood of Dignowity Hill. The name may be hard to pronounce, but by the time you’re done with your meal, you won’t forget it. They offer elevated deli eats, sandwiches and sides, such as their incredibe sharp cheddar mac-n-cheese. Their menu includes KC Brisket Burnt Ends, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork, St. Louis Ribs and specialties such as their Dignowity Pie, which is brisket burnt ends or pulled pork with mac, served over fries and sliced jalapenos. This is not the place to go when you’re on a diet, but you probably already figured that out! Owners Andrew Samia and Shane Reed grew up in the Northeast and Midwest and are the visionaries of Dignowity Meats. Having developed a strong appreciation for old school mom and pop deli’s that smoked and cooked all of their products on site, they wanted to bring the same flavors and authenticity to the Alamo city… and they have!

You can drive all over Texas and never find another restaurant that takes barbecue to this level of perfection, although when it comes to barbecue, those might be fightin’ words. Still, Blackboard Bar-B-Q, known for its elevated craft barbecue, has some things going for it that few restaurants even strive towards. To begin with, they cut their own wood for the smoker using the Live Oak trees on property. The smoker is a story unto itself, as it’s close to half a century old. Chef, co-owner and pitmaster, Jake Gandolfo, compares it to inheriting your great grandmother’s exceptionally-seasoned cast iron skillet. Then there’s the meat. Blackboard makes a ridiculously succulent Texas dry-rubbed Wagyu brisket that truly melts in your mouth like butter. Add to that the wild boar jalapeno cheddar sausage, housemade Boudin, Luckenbach Lollipops of buttermilk-brined, deep-fried Texas-raised quail and you’ve got yourself an epic barbecue feast. Make sure to save room for one of chef and co-owner, Jo Irizarry’s freshly-made desserts, including giant chocolate chip cookies with ice-cold milk, cobbler or carrot cake.

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Suta

Everyone has those days when you’re wanting more than one thing. Some days you’re craving Asian food, some days you’re craving barbecue, and some days you’re craving both. It’s a conundrum, to be sure! Fortunately, Curry Boys BBQ comes to the rescue with an Asian-barbecue fusion that will happily satisfy all of your cravings. Located in a tiny pink building surrounded by picnic tables, Curry Boys offers an experience, more than anything. They say it’s where Southeast Asian curry meets smoked Texas BBQ. As you might imagine, one of their most popular bowls is the Brisket Smoke Show, which comes with classic, smoked prime brisket paired with a yummy green curry over white rice. Another popular bowl is their Good Luck Cluck, made with tender, peppery chicken thigh in a velvety yellow curry, also over fluffy white rice. Which fusion will satisfy your craving? There’s only one way to find out!

Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ is a staple in San Antonio and all around Texas, in fact. They offer “Real Texas Barbecue” served in a family-style dining atmosphere. If you go during popular lunch and dinner times, you can expect to see a line that goes around the building, but they move fast and offer samples while you wait, so don’t worry! Rudy’s menu features Texas smoked sausage, brisket, St. Louis ribs, turkey, and chicken as well some fantastic fixin’s including their decadent creamed corn, potato salad, and beans. Tastes just as good as homemade! They also take orders online and offer catering and shipping.

Augie’s barbecue has been a San Antonio staple for many years now. It’s so delicious it repeatedly sells out, so make sure to get there early to get your favorites. Now, when it comes to favorites, Augie’s has all the classics. He has mastered the art of Texas BBQ and that includes the sides, which are scratch made and, simply, exceptional complements to the barbecue. With succulent brisket, pulled pork, sausage, chicken and more perfectly smoked and ready to make your mouth water meats, Augie’s is our #1 go-to for traditional Texas ‘cue. As this is also a steakhouse, they offer affordable, hand-cut ribeyes and NY strips as well. The restaurant is spacious with fun décor you might expect. They also have a new dedicated bar with a long list of specialty bourbons and an outdoor patio where you can enjoy that brisket and bourbon on warm Texas evenings. Make sure to also check out Augie’s other location, Augie’s Barbed Wire Smoke House.

Get ready for some wonderful Texas barbecue, right in the middle of San Antonio – more specifically in Alamo Heights, right across the street from the Witte Museum and Brackenridge Park. If the weather’s nice, there’s nothing better than grabbing your meats to go and taking them to the park for a picnic. This location is new, but Smoke Shack has been around and has a food truck at 410 & Nacodoches for quite a while. Their food truck still operates during the week. It’s encouraged that you opt for the 3 meat combo. The barbecue is smoked to perfection and utterly tender. There’s plenty of choices, from brisket and sausage to smoked turkey, chicken and succulently caramelized pork ribs. The sides are just as good and include potato salad, mac & cheese, fried okra and more. The portions are generous and potentially enough food for two to share, although you may not want to. If you’re feeling frisky, give the frito pie a chance. It’s one of the best in town!

Chef Jason Dady is considered an innovative pioneer of the culinary culture in San Antonio and has developed quite a following because of his dedication to quality, excellence and professionalism. So when Dady opened up Two Bros. BBQ Market, serving classic Texas Pit BBQ in a family atmosphere, locals flocked to it. This little joint is open 7 days a week and you can eat in or get your feast to go. Their succulent meats include brisket, pork butt, chopped beef, pork ribs, baby back ribs, sausage and chicken thighs. When Anthony Bourdain was in town, this is the barbeque restaurant he went to. Enough said!

You don’t have to travel far in San Antonio to find some fantastic barbecue, and few illustrate this better than 2M Smokehouse. Located about 15 minutes from downtown on the east side is where you’ll find a passion for Texas barbecue that’s nearly unparalleled. Two high school friends that shared one passion, one dream, came together to bring 2M to life, and in just a few years have become a local’s favorite. It starts with a dry-rubbed Texas-style brisket that’s smoked for up to 18 hours. The duo has artfully blended Central Texas-style barbecue with local flavors and ingredients that they grew up eating themselves. The result is a truly original barbecue menu you won’t find anywhere else. From the seasonings on the meat to the pork sausage (made in-house) with Oaxaca cheese and serrano peppers, get ready for a succulent treat you won’t soon forget. Enjoy your meats San Antonio-style, as a taco, or as a sandwich. Sides, such as the Chicharoni Macaroni (topped with crispy pork rinds), Borracho Beans and Mexican Street Corn solidify 2M’s standing as “puro San Anto” fare!

Smoke recently relocated to the downtown area, just on the Eastside, making downtown residents and visitors very happy. Smoke’s Texas-style barbecue isn’t just delicious, it’s diverse. The menu is extensive, offering mouth-watering meats, including traditional brisket, pulled pork, Dr. Pepper pork ribs, beer can chicken, Shiner Bock Beer brined turkey, prawns with chimichurri sauce, bacon, and bratwurst. If you go hungry, don’t be too shy to try their Cowboy Chop Ribeye with barrel-aged rye whiskey butter. Besides the more familiar barbecue menu, they offer burgers, sandwiches, entrees and a long list of sides, such as buttermilk mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Yum! Pickle fiends will appreciate their “pickles by the jar,” options like sweet and sour carrots, jalapenos, spicy garden vegetables, candied beets and whiskey spiced peaches. It’s fair to say, Smoke thinks a little outside the box. There are not many other places in San Antonio (or elsewhere, for that matter) where you can chow down on some crispy pig ears and braised tongue!

PINKERTON’S BARBECUE

Pinkerton’s Barbecue, located downtown, has quickly become one of the most popular hot spots for Texas barbecue in the Alamo City, and we know why! They have a chef-driven approach to classic Texas-style barbecue utilizing old school techniques along with superior natural ingredients. At Pinkerton’s, you buy it by the pound and can expect all of your delectable favorites done right, including prime brisket, sausage (jalapeno cheese, boudin, as examples), turkey, glazed pork ribs and chicken wings. Grant Pinkerton is the owner and pitmaster of this sultry-smoky pit stop and loves barbecue as much as you do. He also gets a lot of compliments on Pinkerton’s sides, which are scratch-made every single day. You’ll want to sample them all, but for sure get an order of the Baller Rosemary Bacon Mac & Cheese, Duck & Sausage Jambalaya and the Jalapeno Cheese Rice. Deelish! Dine in on one of their three patios. Why not try it tonight?!