San Antonio ranks 11th on new ‘Best BBQ Cities’ list, lagging far behind Austin

Barbecue lovers may think Texas has the market cornered on brisket and ribs, but not so according to a new study.

An analysis compiled by online casino Betway, which purports to rank the Best BBQ Cities in America and Canada, put San Antonio in 11th place. That’s despite city’s growing national distinction thanks to restaurants including 2M Smokehouse, Pinkerton’s, Reese Bros, Smoke Shack and Two Bros BBQ Market.

Austin fares far better, ranking No. 2 on the list.

But, when the chips are down, it turns out we all should have bet on Las Vegas.

“Las Vegas’ surprising No. 1 ranking on this list is a testament to the city’s evolving food scene,” Betway officials said of the results. “Las Vegas tops the list of the best BBQ cities in the U.S., thanks to its 60.75% top-rated BBQ spots and a range of amazing BBQ vendors.”

Looks like Sin City is distinguishing itself for the sin of gluttony and not just covetousness, lust and greed.

Turns out Las Vegas hosts multiple high-profile barbecue events throughout the year, including Las Vegas BBQ Festival. The city won in part due to the high number of Google searches for barbecue that originate from within its city limits, Betway officials explained.

Whether that’s due to a high number of tourists who don’t know what the fuck to eat in town is anyone’s guess.

Though Las Vegas is one of the top U.S. tourist destinations, local yokels ’round these parts typically don’t need to google our barbecue spots. We just show up, tuck in a bib and get sauce all over our faces as the good Lord intended.

But rankings aside, we all know Texas ‘cue can’t be beat — even if the house always wins on an online casino site. Austin, in particular, is often called the barbecue capital of the world thanks to its brisket, smoked meats and events such as the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest.

But San Antone ain’t no slouch either when it comes to cookin’ low and slow. Nearby Seguin’s Burnt Bean Co. just topped Texas Monthly’s latest list of the state’s best barbecue joints. Two other San Antonio spots also made the cut — Reese Bros. and 2M Smokehouse.
So, if you’ll beg our pardon, them’s fighting words. We’d like Las Vegas to come over here and call itself the best barbecue city to our sauced-up faces.

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This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 6, 2025.