San Angelo Snubbed Again on Texas Monthly's Best New & Improved BBQ List

SAN ANGELO, TX – One of Texas' favorite magazines has shunned San Angelo in this year's Top 25 New and Improved BBQ Joints in the State.

The list in the September issue of Texas Monthly names new and improved bbq joints from cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin but none from San Angelo. There were two West Texas Spots that made the list; Midland Meat Co.’s Half Acre in Midland and Brantley Creek Barbecue in Odessa. For the full list click here.

San Angelo has several new and improved bbq joints that were snubbed in the list. The author of the piece, food critic Daniel Vaughn, clarified in the article that “new” means the joint has opened since Texas Monthly's 2021 report and “improved” including those that made significant changes to their menu or settled down in one spot long enough for Vaughn to catch up to them.

When it comes to new and improved BBQ in San Angelo two spots jump out. In 2023, the Pit Bar-B-Que opened up its full service restaurant. The Pit is located in the 2300 block Sherwood Way and has been a food truck for years but has improved into what it is today. The Pit is widely considered one of the best BBQ joints in San Angelo. For more see: The Pit BBQ Announces Opening Day

The second improved BBQ joint is RJ's BBQ. Since 2020 RJ's has managed to open three more locations. The original building stands and still operates at 14th and Bryant. Now the RJ's family has two other BBQ locations and a chicken shack on South Oakes.

Other BBQ restaurants that have been improved in our area in recent years includes Cooper's BBQ in Christoval and Smitty's Smokehouse on Martine Luther King Dr.