Cocktails. Brisket. Live musical performances. Do you need further enticement, or should I go on? On Sunday, October 30th, Texas Monthly’s seventh annual TMBBQ extravaganza serves up a smoky, sizzling smattering of Austin’s finest. With 27 of the “50 Best BBQ Joints in the World” represented and plenty of beer and spirits on tap, TMBBQ Fest is the adult equivalent of trick r’ treating.
TMBBQ is a community of barbecue enthusiasts the world over. In 2010, Texas Monthly established TMBBQ Fest in accordance with the publishing of its quinquennial list of the “50 Best BBQ Joints in the World.” These fifty elite ‘cue joints are invited to partake in the festivities, widely considered to be a destination for brisket freaks, rib junkies, and sausage hounds alike. The event is hosted at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, where local sponsors such as Texas A&M University, YETI Coolers, and Central Market offer interactive games and door prizes.
In addition to a smorgasbord of smoked and cured delicacies, TMBBQ has partnered with Shiner Beer and Legacy Whisky to ensure the libations keep flowing. Attendants can purchase craft cocktails to wash down their BBQ samples; after all, nothing pairs with a meat-fueled fever dream quite like a crisp, refreshing Shiner Beer. While folks are feasting and indulging, musical guests Warren Hood and Santiago Jimenez, Jr. will be sure to bring the house down with stunning live performances.
New to TMBBQ Fest in 2016, the TMBBQ Brisket Brunch will take place Saturday, October 29th. Described as a “morning meat-up,” the Brisket Brunch presents an exciting opportunity to sample offerings from two of TMBBQ’s first international participants, Pitmaster Thomas Abramowicz of Parisian BBQ eatery, The Beast, as well as Chef Jacob Weaver of Juliet Ristorante. A prelude to Sunday’s main event, the Brisket Brunch is just another example of the Texas BBQ renaissance’s global, pervasive influence on the culinary world.
Texas Monthly’s TMBBQ Fest 2016 takes place Sunday, October 30th at the Long Center for the Performing Arts (701 W. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704). VIP options are still available at TMBBQ’s website. You don’t want to miss out on your opportunity to dine on the absolute best barbecue this world has to offer!
