Readers' Choice Awards: Best Overall of 2011

Winner: Franklin Barbecue (Austin, TX) - 19.05% of the vote 

Runner-up (tie): Black's Barbecue (Lockhart) & Opie's Barbecue (Spicewood) - 14.29% of the vote

Others receiving votes: Artz (Austin), City Market (Luling), City Meat Market (Giddings), Cooper's (Llano, FW, NB), Fargo's (Bryan), JMueller (Austin), Live Oak (Austin), Louie Mueller (Taylor), Milt's (Kyle - 4th place, with 11.9% of the vote), Rudy's (Austin), The Salt Lick (Driftwood), Smitty's (Lockhart), Taylor Cafe (Taylor)

Readers' Choice Awards: Best Pork Ribs of 2011

Winner: Opie's Barbecue (Spicewood, TX) - 22.5% of the vote 

Others receiving votes: Artz (Austin), Black's (Lockhart), City Market (Luling), Cooper's (Llano, FW, NB), Fargo's (Bryan), Franklin (Austin), Gatlin's (Houston), Gristmill (Gruene), KD's (Midland), Live Oak (Austin), Milt's (Kyle), North Main (Euless), Rattler's Pit (Navasota), Smitty's (Lockhart), Taylor Cafe (Taylor)

Readers' Choice Award: Best Beef Ribs of 2011

Winner: Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor, TX) - 30.3% of the vote 

Others receiving votes (I'm pretty sure some of these don't serve beef ribs. And I double checked menus online - several don't show beef ribs on their menu. Maybe they have them from time to time. Someone enlighten me. I'm thinking people just assumed their favorite places had beef ribs. Regardless, LMB would've won. Only difference is their % of the vote would've been higher.): Artz (Austin), Black's (Lockhart), Cooper's (Llano, FW, NB), Iron Works (Austin), JMueller (Austin), Lockhart Smokehouse (Dallas), Milt's (Kyle), Opie's (Spicewood), Salt Lick (Driftwood), Vic's (Austin)

Readers' Choice Award: Best Sausage of 2011

Winner: Kreuz Market (Lockhart, TX) - 14.86% of the vote 

Others receiving votes: Artz (Austin), Black's (Lockhart), City Market (Luling), Franklin (Austin), Hard 8 (Brady), JMueller (Austin), Louie Mueller (Taylor), Meyer's (Elgin), Milt's (Kyle), Opie's (Spicewood), Prause (LaGrange), Rudy's (Austin), Smitty's (Lockhart), Snow's (Lexington), Southside Market (Elgin), Vincek's (East Bernard)

Readers' Choice Award: Best Brisket of 2011

Winner: Franklin Barbecue (Austin, TX) - 40.9% of the vote 

Others receiving votes: Black's (Lockhart), City Market (Luling), Hays Co. (San Marcos), JMueller (Austin), Kreuz (Lockhart), Live Oak (Austin), Louie Mueller (Taylor), Milt's (Kyle), Opie's (Spicewood), Salt Lick (Driftwood), Smitty's (Lockhart), Smolik's (Cuero)

2011 Readers' Choice Awards!

It's that time again. Time to pick your favorites of 2011. Man Up picked "Best of" awards in 2008, 2009, and 2010, but it wasn't until 2010 that we added Readers' Choice Awards (for Best Brisket and Best Overall). This year, we expand the Readers' Choice Awards to include sausage, pork ribs, & beef ribs. So, you, our readers, will be in control of 5 awards:

Best Brisket 

Best Sausage 

Best Pork Ribs 

Best Beef Ribs 

Best Overall 

Voting lasts through January. You may vote once for each category. To vote, simply email us your picks. Which Texas BBQ joint gets your vote(s), based on what you had in 2011? Vote for as few or as many categories as you please. With that said, let the voting begin!!!