I think in many cases in this list we are seeing Daniel Vaughan’s and team’s boredom with top notch basics of Texas barbecue. He’s been chomping on craft made prime brisket and great sausage for over a decade. And it’s now ubiquitous everywhere vs the past where dry brisket dogmatically served without sauce was the only game in town. So he seems to focus on new school focuses on new ethnic influences, different preps, burgers, fancy sauces and especially sides.
the top places have long lines to eat their standards and they just don’t invest much time in developing new things.
looks like he also has decided to punish the mini chains like Hurtado, Terry Blacks, and especially Heim which appears to be erased (and should be). I am surprised smoke n ash with a Michelin rec and ny times top 50 restaurant of any kind ranking hammered to the 50-100 list. It seems to check a lot of boxes DV likes. And Slow Bone isn’t that great; I don’t like their high temp technique. Where is 407?
we are a long way from a shack on the highway selling chopped beef sandwiches, a bag of chips from the rack, and a Grape-ette from the cooler box.