Best BBQ in Waco & North Central Texas

The conversation about Texas BBQ often focuses on Lockhart, Luling, and the Austin metro. But Waco, Killeen, Temple, and the northern Central Texas corridor have their own strong BBQ traditions worth knowing about. Here's the guide to BBQ north of Round Rock.

Waco BBQ

Waco has a genuine BBQ scene anchored by locally owned pit operations that serve the city's significant working population with the weekday lunch emphasis that characterizes old-school Texas BBQ. The Waco scene isn't as nationally recognized as Lockhart's, but it's more accessible for residents of the I-35 corridor.

Killeen / Bell County BBQ

Smokey Mo's BBQ has built Killeen's strongest BBQ reputation, earning 4.4 stars across 1,432 reviews by executing Central Texas-style barbecue with consistent quality. The brisket is properly smoked — good bark, smoke ring, and the tenderness that distinguishes pit BBQ from oven-roasted approximations. For Bell County residents who want excellent BBQ on a Tuesday without the Lockhart drive, Smokey Mo's fills that need reliably.

Belton BBQ

Schoepf's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is Belton's BBQ institution — open since 1994 and earning 4.5 stars across 1,876 reviews for Central Texas-style smoked brisket, pork ribs, and house sausage. The long smoking process shows in the results. For Bell County residents seeking quality pit BBQ without a significant drive, Schoepf's is the answer.

Taylor: The Hidden Gem

Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor is a James Beard America's Classics Award winner that deserves to be mentioned alongside any discussion of great Texas BBQ — it's only 30 miles northeast of Round Rock and often overlooked in favor of the Lockhart pilgrimage. The brisket is extraordinary. The building's century-old smoke-stained walls are an atmosphere you can't manufacture.