Barbs B Q has a distinct South Texas influence, serving sides like spaghetti with creamy poblano sauce, avocado slaw, and beans a la charra. (Courtesy of Barbs B Q)

Nothing screams Fourth of July quite like a backyard barbecue, but whether you smoke the meats yourself or order some takeout, you'll find plenty of options in the Lone Star State - and three of them earned crowning titles of best in the nation.

Food & Wine unveiled its barbecue lovers guide at the end of June, a roundup of 10 barbecue havens that are worth the wait (and the post-feast food coma). Texans are in good company, with the Lone Star State home to the most coveted barbecue spots mentioned on the list, including one in the Barbecue Capital of Texas.

Chef Aaron Franklin sliced brisket during the fourth annual Southern Smoke, a culinary event celebrating barbecue and Southern food traditions Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Houston. (Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag)

Taking home the coveted top spot is Austin's homegrown heavyweight champion, Franklin Barbecue, with Food & Wine praising the brisket's "well-established and spice-rubbed bark" that is "a testimony to the simple complexity of barbecue." Helmed by smoked meats connoisseur Aaron Franklin, the Texas capital's premier barbecue spot's coveted spread beacons to residents and tourists alike, who brave the hours-long wait for its smoky goodness. Located off East 11th Street in East Austin, the heralded barbecue joint is largely considered among the best in the world and has been a destination for everyday Texans, celebrities and even former presidents of the United States.

Holding up the middle of the pack is Barbs B Q, a Lockhart outpost that's establishing its prowess in the state's lauded barbecue game and noted for its blend of Mexican and South Texas flavors in dishes like Molotov pork ribs. Bon Appétit's best new restaurants of 2024 roundup included the Lockhart restaurant in its rankings, and Texas Monthly commended Barbs for "bringing a new kind of energy to the Lockhart scene" in its 2025 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas list.

Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas (Google Images)

Closing out on the tail end of Food & Wine's ranking, Taylor's Louie Mueller Barbecue was deemed a "third-generation 'cathedral of smoke'" well regarded for its beef and pork ribs, mouth-watering turkey and sausage. Despite not being one of the oldest smokehouses in the region, Food & Wine commended the restaurant for its "unmistakable mark" on the Central Texas style.