Many know Triple J’s as that stand with the giant, smoked-crusted turkey legs at the Rodeo. It's also a music-bumping takeout joint in Trinity Gardens with a line from open to close. Open since 1994, Triple J’s represents a specific style of Houston barbecue: part country cookout, part Texas-style low and slow-smoked barbecue, and part East Texas potluck smashed together. The smoked ribs come with a tangy sauce that’s a perfect counterbalance to the meat.

Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack has been around since 1984 and is the best Third Ward spot for consistent barbecue. Ray’s is a key part of the neighborhood–usually, this joint is filled with regulars whose weekly ritual includes coming here for a loaded brisket baked potato, and folks craning their necks to catch glimpses of a football game between forkfuls of fried okra. We like their three-meat plates because you can sample their BBQ Big Three (brisket, pulled pork, and sausage) and sides.

This Acres Homes landmark has served classic East Texas-style barbecue for the last half-century. Burns feels like a cookout, and not just because people camp out on the picnic tables. Unlike other places that have one or two standout dishes, Burns specializes in, well, everything. The entire menu will be spotted on someone’s plate—a rack of ribs, snappy sausage links, and southern-style sides.

Few restaurants warrant waiting over two hours in line. Khói Barbecue does. The once-monthly pop-up restaurant—a backyard with multiple pit smokers on the Northside—makes what could be called Central Texas-style barbecue. But it’s actually Vietnamese food, translated into incredible smoked curry ribs, tender brisket, and broken rice. This is the third wave of Texas barbecue, where slow-smoked meats are just one part of a whole dish, and it’s damn good.

Pizzitola’s is like a small-town Texas spot where folks gather after a Friday night football game. Begin your meal with the pepper-crusted pork spare ribs. The earthy kick from the black pepper amplifies the ribs’ smokiness, making them the best meat on the menu. While the smell of smoked BBQ gets you in the door, the fluffy banana pudding and kind servers gushing over the food while refilling sweet tea make you a regular.

Southern-style sides make the best companions for great barbecue, and no other place gets that like Gatlin’s BBQ in the GOOF neighborhood. Gatlin’s gets busy, especially on the weekends, but the wait is best used to make the tough calls like what meats and sides you can’t live without. Your combination should at least include the brisket that all but shimmers on your tray and the smokey traditional pork sausage.

Don’t be scared off by the giant, semi-menacing metal pig head mounted on the patio—we promise Feges BBQ is a friendly Spring Branch neighborhood spot even if it has all the appeal of a typical strip center restaurant. The new-school-meets-old-school style of barbecue has sides you won't find at other Houston places, like Korean braised greens and pimento mac and cheese.

When you just want old-school, straightforward Texas barbecue, go to Pinkerton’s Barbecue in The Heights. During prime barbecue hour (a.k.a. 11am) every pick-up truck within a three-mile radius lines up for brisket with a hint of smoke, tender turkey, and bacon-flecked macaroni and cheese. Someone definitely selected the “Texas” package given the many picnic tables, flagstone walls, and beer signs decorating the space.

J-Bar-M in EaDo also serves up some of the city’s best new-school barbecue in one of the prettiest restaurants dedicated to smoked meats we’ve ever seen. Have some beautifully rendered brisket, snappy jalapeño-cheddar sausage, tender pork ribs, and thick slices of pepper-crusted turkey breast on a table with fresh flowers. Load up on sides like creamy macaroni and cheese or smoky charro beans. Just make sure to grab some extra napkins before you sit down.

Grabbing a three-meat plate at Roegels feels like sliding into a small-town roadside barbecue joint. And even though it’s smack dab amongst the Galleria area restaurant chaos, the barbecue’s pretty damn good. All the usual pit-smoked suspects line the menu. The meat is tender, the macaroni and cheese has a funky spiral noodle, and Roegels will even slap some brisket on a grilled cheese for you.

If you love queso with a side of pulled pork, you want The Pit Room in Montrose. Unlike most spots, Pit Room is open most of the day and never seems to run out of meat. And while the dining room is fairly small, The Pit Room has a sprawling patio deck with an outdoor bar, so you can enjoy a giant plate of smoked meats the way our wild west-ranging ancestors intended: outside, with a beer in hand, and your clothes smelling of slow-smoking beef, pork, and turkey.

A new-school place, Truth focuses on brisket. And the Brenham-based spot is undeniably popular—the line usually extends out the door at the Washington Ave joint. While the brisket is certainly moist, it lacks the flavor or smokiness that other BBQ joints have mastered. But not all of Truth’s dishes fall short—the smoked turkey is expertly seasoned and the smokiness of the baked beans makes us feel like true cowboys.

The Bellaire barbecue joint Blood Bros. BBQ always has a rotating menu of daily specials, with standouts like brisket fried rice and burnt pork belly ends with a peach habanero compote. The meat here is sold by the pound with the sides playing the role of a dutiful teammate—especially the mac and cheese. And while we appreciate the inventiveness, Blood Bros. long menu can be a little overwhelming, especially with new dishes popping up daily, so come laser-focused with an order strategy.