Exploring BBQ

05/29/2026

What badge are you chasing first?

BBQ Passport now gives your Texas BBQ journey a little more smoke, bragging rights, and personality.

Log your visits.
Build your bucket lists.
Earn badges as you explore.

Some badges are about how many BBQ joints you have visited. Some are about finishing bucket lists. Some are about becoming the person everyone asks for BBQ recommendations.

Because Texas BBQ was never meant to be a one-stop story.

Start your BBQ Passport here:
https://exploringbbq.com/bbq-passport-ig-landing/

05/29/2026

Made it to The Twig Book Shop at Pearl for the New School Barbecue signing with Evan LeRoy.
Great visit, great setup, and always fun getting to talk BBQ with people who are helping move the craft forward.

Evan signed my copy, and I got to tell him a little about what we are building with ExploringBBQ.com: a place for Texas BBQ fans to discover joints, follow the culture, track the journey, and keep finding the next good stop.

The note he wrote says it pretty well:

“Always keep that fire burning, and have fun exploring barbecue.”

That is pretty much the mission.

Big thanks to The Twig Book Shop for hosting, and congrats to Evan LeRoy, Paula Forbes, and the LeRoy and Lewis crew on the new book.

05/28/2026

With Two Bros BBQ Market – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

Two Bros BBQ Market recognized ExploringBBQ as one of their top fans, and lunch was fantastic.

Good smoke, good sides, good people, that will earn a repeat visit every time.

05/28/2026

We were glad to be in the room for this conversation.

Great S.A.: Texas BBQ brought together a strong panel talking about San Antonio BBQ, Texas BBQ culture, and where the scene is headed next.

Hearing Daniel Vaughn Texas Monthly, Arnie Segovia ArnieTex, Esaul Ramos 2M Smokehouse & catering, and Laura Loomis Two Bros BBQ Market talk through the craft, community, and future of Texas BBQ was exactly the kind of conversation we love following.

Big thanks to Texas Public Radio and everyone involved for putting this together.

San Antonio BBQ has a real story to tell, and nights like this help more people hear it.

Great SA: Texas BBQ San Antonio took place on May 14th, 2026, in partnership with the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office and the San Antonio City of Gastronomy, and was supported by H-E-B and Frost. Moderated by TPR's Jerry Clayton and featuring panelists Daniel Vaughn, Arnie Segovia, Esaul Ramos, and Laura Loomis. This event also featured a food pop-up by Bucán Rodeo.

Photography by Alejandra Sol Casas/ Texas Public Radio.

05/26/2026

Brisket Pillow 🛏️ or Brisket Marshmallow 🍡? Let’s settle this.
​Talk to any serious Texas BBQ lover, and they’ll tell you this exact point-end corner piece is subjectively the absolute BEST bite on a brisket. It’s pure perfection... fully rendered fat, perfect bark, and punchy salt.

​The real debate is what to call it. What’s the official name for this bite at your favorite joint? Drop your vote in the comments! 👇
​Catch more of our Texas BBQ tour at ExploringBBQ.com 🤠🔥

​

05/21/2026

BBQ Fandom Issue #10 is live.

This week we are asking a bigger Texas BBQ question:

What does a BBQ joint owe its city besides good barbecue?

Is it consistency? Hospitality? A sense of place? Fair prices? Community pride? Or is the answer simpler: serve great food, treat people right, and let the rest take care of itself?

Inside this issue:

🔥 Beef prices and what they mean for Texas BBQ joints
🔥 Pinkerton’s whole hog showing at Memphis in May
🔥 A Waco pitmaster using barbecue to feed people with dignity
🔥 Pitmaster Picks for backyard cooks and road trippers
🔥 Memorial Day weekend BBQ events around Texas
🔥 New BBQ Passport badges on ExploringBBQ.com

Read Issue #10 here:
https://www.bbqfandom.com/p/bbq-fandom-issue-10

And if you have a BBQ joint that feels like part of its city, drop it in the comments. I want to hear which place comes to mind and why.

05/18/2026

What BBQ joint has earned a return visit from you lately?

Not necessarily the most famous one. Not necessarily the longest line. Just the place where you left thinking:

“Yep, I’d go back.”

Drop the joint + city in the comments.

We’re always looking for Texas BBQ stops worth adding to the radar.

05/16/2026

Not every BBQ trip has to be a bucket list pilgrimage.

Sometimes it is a Saturday drive, a new town, a two-meat plate, and a joint you would have missed if you were only chasing famous names.

That is the kind of Texas BBQ journey BBQ Passport was built for.

Get out there. Visit a BBQ joint. Get your stamp.

Start your BBQ Passport here:
https://exploringbbq.com/bbq-passport-ig-landing/⁠

05/13/2026

New BBQ reading just landed.

My copy of New School Barbecue by Evan LeRoy of LeRoy and Lewis and Paula Forbes came in, and this one is going straight into the BBQ stack.

What I like already is that it feels very Texas, but not stuck in the past. That is the fun part of BBQ right now: tradition is still the backbone, but pitmasters are also pushing new ideas, new flavors, and new ways to think about smoke.

That fits what we are building at ExploringBBQ: a place for Texas BBQ discovery, road trips, recipes, BBQ Passport, and the stories around the tray.

The Texas Red Chili Frito Pie and Italian Beef Sandwich pages already caught my eye.

Explore more Texas BBQ with us: https://exploringbbq.com/

05/13/2026

We’re excited for this one.

ExploringBBQ will be at Great SA: Texas BBQ on May 14 with Texas Public Radio, the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office, San Antonio City of Gastronomy, and a panel featuring Daniel Vaughn, Annie Segovia, Esaul Ramos, Laura Loomis, and moderator Jerry Clayton.

This is exactly the kind of Texas BBQ culture we love following: the food, the people, the history, the city, and the conversations behind the smoke.

If you’re going, come say hi. We’ll be there listening, learning, and probably taking notes for BBQ Fandom.