More evidence that Lockhart has lost its barbecue magic

Smitty's Market oak wood pile & the Caldwell County courthouse. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

On our way back to Dallas from our recent Houston-area barbecue tour, all 6 Posse members on the trip listed their top 5 joints in the state, in no particular order.

Specific criteria probably varied from person to person, but these would be places we'd drive across the state to eat at or recommend to good friends that they do the same.

Since then, we've been asked to run each person's top 5. Those lists are below.

Three joints mentioned by each of us: Killen's Barbecue in Houston, Pecan Lodge in Dallas and la Barbecue in Austin. Only 3 of us listed Franklin Barbecue in Austin, generally considered the best joint in the state.

Others receiving at least one mention: Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Miller's Smokehouse in Belton and Snow's BBQ in Lexington.

Reviewing the lists now, a bigger revelation than the lack of unanimity for Franklin, is the total absence of any joint in Lockhart. Five years ago, that wouldn't have been the case. Then, Smitty's, Black's and Kreuz Market demanded a pilgrimage.

That's more evidence that Lockhart is no longer the barbecue capital of Texas.

Zip Code 78702 -- East Austin -- the center of the Texas BBQ universe

Tom Micklethwait, pitmaster & owner of Micklethwait Craft Meats. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

Last spring we wrote that Austin had replaced Lockhart as the new barbecue capital of Texas.

Now, with La Barbecue moving east of I-35, we're prepared to be even more specific.

East Austin, specifically Zip Code 78702, is the undisputed center of the Texas barbecue universe.

La Barbecue, with pit boss John Lewis, opens this week in its new location at the corner of East 6th Street and Waller.

According to Google, that puts La Barbecue about a half-mile (a 9-minute walk) from Franklin Barbecue on East 11th Street, about six-tenths of a mile (an 11-minute walk) from Micklethwait Craft Meats on Rosewood Ave., and about a mile from John Mueller Meat Co. on East 6th.

All are in the same Zip Code.

When we made our Austin tour earlier this year, Micklethwait had run out of meat by the time we arrived. We remedied that -- partially anyway -- two days after Thanksgiving. Posse member Mike Gagne ordered brisket to go from Micklethwait and we ate it a few minutes later at his East Austin home.

It was delicious, rivaling the brisket at Franklin and La Barbecue, we both thought. And the line at about 1 p.m. that Saturday was short. Only a couple of people were ahead of us.

Short lines and great barbecue. At the Posse, that's our holiday wish.

Locations of the joints:

• La Barbecue, E. 6th St. and Waller.
• Franklin Barbecue, 900 E. 11th St.
• Micklethwait Craft Meats, 1309 Rosewood Ave.
• John Mueller Meat Co., 2500 E. 6th St.

John Lewis, pitmaster at La Barbecue in Austin. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse

It's not just Austin, something big is happening in Dallas BBQ, too

These five joints are leading a BBQ renaissance in the Dallas area. (Photos ©Chris Wilkins and Jim Rossman)

Reader interaction is terrific. On our story in The Dallas Morning News about Austin's barbecue renaissance, one online reader -- going by the moniker "J" -- wrote:

"Too bad the BBQ scene in DFW stinks."

I responded to "J" that the sentiment is wrong. There's a barbecue renaissance in Dallas, too.

From the Posse's extensive touring, we put Pecan Lodge at the Farmers Market among the top two or three joints in the state. If Texas Monthly's new rankings (the June issue) don't agree, we'll call them out again.

Also, we think Lockhart Smokehouse in the Bishops Arts District and Meshacks's in Garland are easily among the Top 50.

No photos allowed, but La Barbecue's John Lewis talks about his new convection smoker

La Barbecue pitmaster John Lewis and his new brisket pit. (Photo ©Chris Wilkins/Texas BBQ Posse)

In Texas barbecue, competitive secrets are valuable. And a photograph, apparently, is worth much, much more than a few lousy words in a blog.

No pictures. No pictures, La Barbecue pitmaster John Lewis kept repeating as he gave us a tour of his new pit during our recent tour of the best joints in Austin.

Lewis claims he has built, with the help of his father, the world's first offset convection cooker that operates without any mechanical assists, such as fans or blowers. Offset refers to the firebox hanging off one end of the pit.

He didn't mind talking for publication about his invention. He just didn't want anyone to take a photo, especially of the two ends, which contain all the magic, as far as barbecue is concerned.