Determining the best place to get barbecue in Texas is like trying to find the best pizza in NYC, at first it feels like an impossible task. Refusing to give away a whole day to waiting at world-renowned Franklin’s BBQ, I heard la Barbecue was one of the next best spots. When I found out the restaurant is lesbian-owned and the brisket is slow-cooked over Texas oak for 14+ hours, my decision was made. I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival to discover a casual, multi-purpose space. I concluded that I’d hit the jackpot when I learned the dishes are low in added sugars and the meat is grass-fed, hormone-free, and sourced from a local farm. .

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Maybe it’s the fact that I have a sweet tooth (and so I like my sauces with a hint of sweet) or maybe it’s because my first taste of really good barbecue was in Charleston, from the pit-master himself, Rodney Scott, but I must admit, I didn’t love la Barbecue’s brisket. My disappointment served as a lesson, however, that the same dish can be prepared completely differently depending on where you are in the country. If I was raised in Texas, I would probably prefer the dry-rub approach to barbecue. But having had my first memorable experiences involve the wet-rub technique of the east coast, I think juicy and saucy and tender when I imagine ‘good’ barbecue. I realized my distaste for their brisket doesn’t mean it’s ‘bad’, it’s just different.