A Hand-Painted Map Celebrates 184 Legendary Texas BBQ Joints
Texas Monthly unveiled an illustrated tribute to the state's barbecue landscape, as its Lockhart BBQ festival heads back this fall.
Texas barbecue got a love letter this week in the form of a map. Texas Monthly unveiled a hand-painted illustration honoring 184 of the state's most legendary smokehouses — a sprawling tribute to the joints that define the Lone Star tradition.
The piece was created by Atlanta-based designer Joseph Veazey, who spent two years painting it by hand. Alongside the household names, the map makes room for a few surprises, a reminder that great barbecue in Texas turns up in small towns and strip malls as often as in famous destinations.
Festival season ahead
The tribute arrives as the magazine gears up for its TM BBQ Fest, returning to Lockhart — one of the state's barbecue capitals — on November 7 and 8. The event is set to feature more than 30 of the top joints in Texas, and tickets are on sale now.
For a state that treats brisket as heritage, the map is both a celebration and a road map for anyone planning their next pilgrimage.
Sources: Texas Monthly, CultureMap Austin.
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