The Texas Barbecue Belt

Longhorns and longnecks. The two-step and the 10-gallon hat. They might be symbols of the Lone Star State, but no other symbol gets quite the attention as does Texas barbecue.

At last count, Texas boasted over 1,300 barbecue joints, ranging from side-of-the-road greasehouses with slamming screen doors to sit-down restaurants with beautiful vistas, air conditioning and even (gasp) wine lists. The business of barbecue rings up over a half-billion dollars annually, a cobweb of commerce that connects an otherwise diverse, sprawling state with a common mission: Go forth and seek out good barbecue.

Unlike Kansas City and Memphis, Texas has no clearly defined capital of ‘que. But Texas does have what’s sometimes nicknamed the “barbecue belt,” a smoky swath that runs through the central part of the state. In many of these small towns, the hottest thing in town is the barbecue pit.

The selection varies from pit to pit but in most tradition reigns. Meals of sliced brisket and spicy sausage are served with sides of cole slaw, pinto beans, and spongy white bread, often on plates of butcher paper. Dessert, if found at all, is usually a scoop of banana pudding with a dose of vanilla wafers.

A sign over the counter of one Central Texas barbecue joint says it all: "Bar-b-que, sex and death are subjects that provoke intense speculation in most Texans. Out of the three, probably bar-b-que is taken most seriously."

Notches in the Texas Barbecue Belt:

• Llano
• Lockhart
• Taylor
• Elgin
• Luling
  

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