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The chopped cheese from LeRoy and Lewis.Photograph by Daniel VaughnChopped CheeseLeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, in Austin<\/p>\nDigital subscribers can listen to this article. <\/p>\n
Subscribe today for unlimited access to Texas\u00a0Monthly. Already a subscriber? Log in. <\/p>\n
Pitmasters slinging chopped brisket and pulled pork sandwiches a couple of decades ago wouldn\u2019t believe how creative today\u2019s barbecue sandwiches have become. I recently wrote about the evolution of smoked meat on bread and included some of my favorite sandwiches, such as one that features smoked-mushroom duxelles and another that gets a swipe of chicken liver p\u00e2t\u00e9. In my research, I found a bevy of classic sandwich types interpreted through a barbecue lens: Using smoked beef only improves a French dip, a BLT will always be better with bacon that\u2019s cured and smoked in-house, and a cheesesteak, perhaps the most challenging sandwich to re-create, can be upgraded with brisket. Here\u2019s a look at some of the best barbecue sandwiches around the state.<\/p>\n
Banh MiBlood Bros. BBQ, in Bellaire<\/p>\n
Char siu pork loin, pickled daikon and carrots, fresh jalape\u00f1o, and cilantro mingle inside an airy baguette from local French Riviera bakery. The cooks use a thick swipe of house-made chicken liver p\u00e2t\u00e9 as the base for this gloriously overflowing Vietnamese classic.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Helberg Barbecue, in Woodway<\/p>\n
BLTMum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, in Austin<\/p>\n
Geoffrey Ellis, owner of Mum Foods, only adds the BLT to the specials board when tomatoes are in season and he can buy them locally. Their juices meld with the generous layer of mayo on beef-tallow Texas toast. I normally prefer thin and crispy bacon on a BLT, but Mum\u2019s thick-sliced bacon, cured and smoked in-house, is a great example of the more toothsome variety.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: One90 Smoked Meats, in Dallas<\/p>\n
Grilled CheeseSmoke Shack, in San Antonio<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure whether Smoke Shack originated the brisket grilled cheese sandwich, but it was the first place I saw serving one. Let\u2019s clear up one thing first: Every brisket grilled cheese can more accurately be described as a brisket melt. This one gets plenty of chopped brisket on buttered Texas toast with American cheese slices that give it proper gooeyness. Try the classic version or get it \u201cSteve-Mo\u201d style, with saut\u00e9ed onions and jalape\u00f1os.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Smokin\u2019 Z\u2019s BBQ, in Bayou Vista<\/p>\n
CheesesteakTruth Barbeque, in Houston<\/p>\n
Finding a great smoked-meat cheesesteak in Texas was more difficult than I thought it would be. Most places pour queso over chopped brisket in a split roll. I prefer the Cooper Sharp cheese often used in Philadelphia cheesesteak joints. I understand the regional appeal of using queso, but my beef is with not mixing the cheese into the meat. Truth Barbeque gets that. The cooks there chop the brisket on the flattop with a mix of American, provolone, and Swiss cheeses and then top it with more provolone slices that melt into saut\u00e9ed onions and bell peppers. A few brisket burnt ends serve as garnishes for good measure.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Two Goose, in Austin<\/p>\n
The chopped cheese from LeRoy and Lewis.Photograph by Daniel VaughnChopped CheeseLeRoy and Lewis Barbecue, in Austin<\/p>\n
LeRoy and Lewis\u2019s smoked burger is already famous, but its cousin might be even better. The chopped cheese is not on the regular menu, but you can always order one at the counter or the bar. The main ingredient is the same half-pound patty used in the smoked burger, and the cooks chop it up on the flattop with saut\u00e9ed onions and loads of American cheese. It goes into a hoagie roll with chopped iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes. Look for sandwich specials such as the smoked meatball sub and the smoked Italian beef for more variety.<\/p>\n
Club SandwichPecan Lodge, in Dallas<\/p>\n
This joint calls it a Texicali Turkey, but the sandwich has almost all of the elements of a club. The house-cured bacon is crisp, and the arugula and tomato protruding from the edges obscure the slices of perfectly ripe avocado underneath. Oaxaca cheese is browned on the flattop before crowning folds of thinly sliced smoked turkey, and each side of the buttered and griddled sweet sourdough bun gets a squeeze of basil mayo. It\u2019s unlike anything else on Pecan Lodge\u2019s menu, and it became my new favorite thing to order there after the first bite.<\/p>\n
Cuban SandwichPachuco\u2019s, in Midland<\/p>\n
Smoked pulled pork with mustard sauce brings the barbecue element into the Pachuco\u2019s Cuban, which also features thick slices of ham, dill pickle chips, and melted Swiss cheese. The bread isn\u2019t ideal\u2014it\u2019s more of a hoagie roll than crusty pan cubano\u2014but it is buttered and then pressed to squish all of the elements together, just like with a traditional Cuban sandwich. Most important, it\u2019s not overstuffed, showing the proper restraint.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Stiles Switch BBQ (monthly special), in Austin and Cedar Park<\/p>\n
French DipThe Switch, in Austin<\/p>\n
Rather than going the obvious route and using smoked brisket, the Switch employs tri-tip for its French dip. The thinly sliced beef is pink in the center with a stout bark and is topped with melted Swiss before being pressed into a fresh French roll. The rich jus, as dark as cola, steals the show as it soaks into the bread with every plunge.<\/p>\n
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/best-bbq-sandwiches-4.jpg\")
The French dip from the Switch. Photograph by Daniel Vaughn ![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/best-bbq-sandwiches-3.jpg\")
The Texicali Turkey, from Pecan Lodge. Photograph by Daniel Vaughn
\nMuffulettaParish Barbecue, in Austin<\/p>\n
Texas barbecue with a Cajun flair is Parish Barbecue\u2019s forte, and its cooks make everything in-house for this classic New Orleans sandwich, including the circular seeded roll, the cured and smoked ham, and the olive salad. It\u2019s served hot, with melted Swiss and a pickle spear on the toothpick that holds this behemoth together.<\/p>\n
PastramiMum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, in Austin<\/p>\n
This sandwich has so few elements that the ingredients have nowhere to hide. Thankfully, the folks at Mum Foods bake their own rye bread, slather their own spicy mustard onto each slice, and layer lean and fatty slices of the best pastrami in Texas between them. It\u2019s simple perfection.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Cattleack Barbeque (special), in Farmers Branch<\/p>\n
Po\u2019 Boy3rd Coast BBQ, in Spring<\/p>\n
They call it the Whoa-Boy at 3rd Coast BBQ because this sandwich is huge. Get your choice of one or two barbecued meats\u2014I love the combo of fatty brisket and lean smoked turkey\u2014along with crunchy chipotle slaw and Shiner Bock cheese on a French roll from Gambino\u2019s, in New Orleans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Parish Barbecue, in Austin<\/p>\n
ReubenRoegels Barbecue Co, in Houston<\/p>\n
Every Thursday, folks line up at Roegels Barbecue Co for its pastrami Reuben. Thick slices of house-made brisket pastrami are topped with house-fermented sauerkraut. Misty Roegels makes the Russian dressing and whole grain mustard. In an unusual move, Swiss cheese slices are heated directly on the griddle, and the thin, browned layer of cheese that\u2019s left behind is scraped off and added to the buttered and griddled rye bread for an extra dose of umami.<\/p>\n
Runner-up: Mum Foods Smokehouse & Delicatessen, in Austin<\/p>\n
Fried-Chicken SandwichSlow Bone BBQ, in Dallas<\/p>\n
After the Popeye\u2019s fried-chicken sandwich went viral in 2019, Slow Bone created its own smoky version called the Chickalicious, made with breaded and fried smoke-brined chicken tenders. A layer of both sweet and sour pickles provides more crunch, and the sriracha aioli brings the heat. Heavily dressed chimichurri slaw ties the sandwich together on a toasted challah bun.<\/p>\n
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Digital subscribers can listen to this article. Subscribe today for unlimited access to Texas\u00a0Monthly. Already a subscriber? Log in. Pitmasters slinging chopped brisket and pulled pork sandwiches a couple of decades ago wouldn\u2019t believe how creative today\u2019s barbecue sandwiches have become. I recently wrote about the evolution of smoked meat on bread and included some<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[387,388,398,389,390,36,896,5156,26654,1252],"class_list":["post-35165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-barbecue-joints","tag-barbecue-joint","tag-barbecue-joints","tag-bbq","tag-bbq-joint","tag-bbq-joints","tag-cheese","tag-feature","tag-fried-chicken","tag-pastrami","tag-sandwiches"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117371504184980246","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}