Coming up...

Pictures from our wildfire-relief benefit at Black's Barbecue (Lockhart)

Jacob's review of his opening-day meal at JMueller BBQ (Austin)

Videos from latest meal at Lockhart Smokehouse (Dallas)

More pictures from the American Royal (Kansas City)

More pictures from the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Videos from the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Pictures and videos from my second visit to JMueller BBQ (Austin)

Another Texas BBQ Giveaway

BBQ friends at the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival

Last Sunday was the 2011 Texas Monthly BBQ Festival. Loads of pictures on the way. Here are ones of Brad and me with Daniel "BBQ Snob" Vaughn, who runs Full Custom Gospel BBQ, and Kevin Kelly, of KevinsBBQJoints.com, who recently moved from California to Texas to apprentice with John Mueller at JMueller BBQ in Austin.

The rest from Lou Lambert's talk at the Texas Book Festival

Happy 86th, Edgar Black!!!

I have it on good authority that today is the 86th birthday of the man who started it all at Black's Barbecue in Lockhart, TX: Edgar Black. In honor of Mr. Black, today from noon-2PM, Black's will be offer 86-cent hot sausage (limit 8 per person) and free birthday cake. Mr. Black will be in the house, signing hats and t-shirts! A great day to stop in for lunch at Black's, for sure. Happy Birthday, Edgar!!!

Sandwich time at Buster's BBQ (Lakeway, TX)

Before hitting up a Lake Travis football game a few weeks ago, I stopped into Buster's BBQ and snagged two sandwiches. One chicken thigh. The other pulled pork. Both with onions and jalapenos. They used to use buns. They've switched to a hoagie roll (I guess that's what you call it.).

Lou Lambert's Braised Beef Short Ribs

I had the distinct pleasure of joining chef Lou Lambert at this year's Texas Book Festival, as he prepared braised beef short ribs, green-chile grits, and mira qua sauce. More pics to come after this first batch.

QOTD: What's the best BBQ in the Tyler/Longview area?

Okay, East Texas. We know you love your BBQ. I haven't made my first trek to the Tyler/Longview/Kilgore area, but it's on my to-do list. In the meantime, I'm curious what folks think is the best BBQ joint in the area. Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, Overton, Whitehouse, Gladewater, Hallsville, etc. Whose BBQ is best?

Texas BBQ Wannabes: 67-68

As I stated from the beginning, this is simply a compilation of the BBQ joints/caterers worldwide who serve Texas-style BBQ, have "Texas" or something Texan in their name, etc. It is NOT a value judgment about their business. It is NOT a list that is meant to be taken literally, as in "You wish you served real Texas BBQ." Heck, many of these places are run by Texans. Not newcomers like yours truly but rather born-and-bred Texans. Rest assured, whenever I'm in any of these cities, I'll stop in for a meal. I just thought "Texas BBQ Wannabes" had a better ring to it than "BBQ joints and caterers outside of Texas who serve Texas-style BBQ or who have 'Texas' or something Texan in their name." With that said, the next joints on the list:

67. Taste of Texas BBQ (Keystone, Nebraska)

68. Bubba's Barbecue (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Updated list:

1. Texas Smokehouse (Decatur, AL)
2. Hill Country Barbecue (Manhattan)
3. Dallas BBQ (Manhattan)
4. Tim's Texas Bar-B-Q (Beijing)
5. Capital Q (Washington, DC)
6. Little Texas (Iasi, Romania)
7. Back Forty Texas BBQ (CA)
8. West Texas Barbeque Co. (Jackson, MI)
9. Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ (Van Nuys, CA)
10. Barn Burner Texas Barbeque (Pasadena, CA)
11. JR’s Texas Bar-B-Que (Sacramento, CA)
12. Texas West BBQ (3 CA locations)
13. Tootie’s Texas Barbeque (Cathedral City, CA)
14. Armadillo Willy’s Real Texas BBQ (Los Altos, CA)
15. The Original Texas Barbecue King (Los Angeles)
16. Longhorn Barbecue (3 WA locations)
17. Bubb's Big Texas Style BBQ (Big Bend, WI)
18. The Texas BBQ Company (Northborough, MA)
19. DJ's Texas Style BBQ (Lewiston, ME)
20. Serious Texas BBQ (3 CO locations)
21. Abbey's Real Texas Bar-B-Q (San Diego, California)
22. Jake's Authentic Texan Bar B-Q (Rensselaer, NY)
23. Buster's Texas Style Barbecue (3 OR locations)
24. Howard's Texas Barbecue Service (Portland, OR)
25. Bennett's BBQ (CO, TN, & NC)
26. Kin Folks Texas Style BBQ (Altoona, IA)
27. Cecil's Texas Style Bar-B-Q (2 FL locations)
28. Shaw's Texas Style BBQ (Hercules, CA)
29. Backwoods BBQ (Corona, CA)
30. Cedar River Smoke House (Renton, WA)
31. Big Al's Texas BBQ (Lehi, UT)
32. East Texas BBQ, LLC (Huntsville, AL)
33. Bonehead's Texas BBQ (San Francisco, CA)
34. Texas Pride Barbecue (Huntsville, UT)
35. Bart's Texas Style BBQ (Traverse City, MI)
36. Roland's Bar-B-Que Company (Hot Springs, AR)
37. Ralphies Texas Style BBQ & Ribs (Fairmont, WV)
38. Taste of Texas Bar-B-Q (Spencerport, NY)
39. Danny's Little Taste of Texas (South Windsor, CT)
40. Taste of Texas BBQ (McCook, NE)
41. Lockhart's BBQ (Royal Oak, MI)
42. Big John's Texas BBQ (Flagstaff, AZ)
43. Big Star Texas Barbeque (Flagstaff, AZ)
44. Big Mouth BBQ (Great Falls, MT)
45. Bull Durham’s Texas BBQ and Steakhouse (West Chester, PA)
46. Texas Ribs and BBQ (Clinton, MD)
47. The Silver Spur Texas Smokehouse BBQ (Elm Grove, WI)
48. Elmer's Authentic Texas BBQ (Battle Lake, MN)
49. Doc's Texas BBQ & Burgers (Sonora, CA)
50. Dixie's Smokehouse Texas BBQ & Rotisserie (Kings Park, NY)
51. Bob's BBQ & Mexican Grill (Pattaya, Thailand)
52. Bob's Texas BBQ (Boise, ID)
53. Hickory River Smokehouse (6 locations in OH & IL)
54. Texas Tony's BBQ Shack (Naples, FL)
55. Roosters Texas Style BBQ & Steakhouse (Nashville, TN)
56. Lee's Texas Style Bar-B-Q (Detroit, MI)
57. Texas Smokehouse Bar-B-Q (Woodinville, WA)
58. Austin BBQ (Wheaton, IL)
59. Alamo BBQ (Richmond, VA)
60. Austin's BBQ (Mountain View, CA)
61. 4C BBQ (Ponce De Leon, FL)
62. Rotuno's Texas Style Barbeque (Elyria, OH)
63. Smoke City Market (Sherman Oaks, CA)
64. The Ranger Texas Barbecue (Manhattan)
65. 4Rivers Smokehouse (2 FL locations)
66. Podnah's Pit Barbecue (Portland, OR)
67. Taste of Texas BBQ (Keystone, NE)
68. Bubba's Barbecue (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Big Brotha's Smokehouse BBQ (Pflugerville, TX)

There's a new BBQ joint in Pflugerville: Big Brotha's Smokehouse BBQ (Facebook page). 110 12th St., Suite 110. Don't know when it opened. Man Upper Jason went there today for lunch. He said the sausage was "not good" but that "the brisket was very tasty - very affordable. brisket sandwich w/ chip and drink was under 7 bucks." Anyone else been there?

Next round of pictures from the American Royal (Kansas City, MO)