Midland has plenty of places to get barbeque. There are spots with sticky floors, loud country music, and sauce that tastes like ketchup mixed with regret. There are joints that serve brisket and look like a converted gas station. Then there are spots where the meat is smoked with care, the sides are made from scratch, and every bite makes you want to call your dad. Here are the ones worth your time.
Tanks’s Bar-B-Que & Catering
$ | (432) 684-0006 | WEBSITE
If you’re a barbecue enthusiast, you’ll be thrilled to discover that Tanks’s Bar-B-Que & Catering serves what’s been called the ‘BESTTTTTT BBQ IN MIDLAND TEXAS.’ Beyond that reputation, this spot features a welcoming atmosphere with rustic wood accents, communal picnic tables, and fantastic food – like the Brisket Fries, with perfectly balanced brisket, crispy potatoes, and savory toppings. Add some macaroni and cheese that tastes like fettuccine for the full experience.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
$ | (432) 689-4500 | WEBSITE
A straightforward barbecue joint with red-checkered tablecloths, rustic wood paneling, and a big glass sneeze guard showcasing the smoked meats. Plus classic plates like pulled pork sandwiches with spicy barbecue sauce, brisket plates, and sides like baked beans and coleslaw – and you’d do well to get the pulled pork and savor it slowly. Barbecue deserves attention, after all.
Mac’s Bar-B-Q
$ | (432) 247-5654 | WEBSITE
Mac’s Bar-B-Q is more than a barbecue joint. It’s an experience. OK, that sounds like a weak marketing slogan, but what we mean is that eating at this place is both hearty and relatively involved. First, you navigate the lively, often crowded space. Then, you approach the counter where you can buy meat by the pound and choose your desired sides from the wide variety available, including chicken, St. Louis ribs, turkey, brisket, pulled pork, and sausage.
Once you place your order, you find a seat in the clean, well-prepared dining area, where live music plays and cold beer flows. The service is great, the atmosphere is vibrant, and the brisket is amazing, not to mention the best banana pudding. Your visit feels like a 10/10 dining adventure, so assess your appetite levels prior to visiting.
KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
$$ | (432) 218-8808 | WEBSITE
If Korean barbecue is at all important to your family, resist the urge to be swallowed whole by generic chain restaurants and head to KPOT instead. Not only is this charming spot our favorite place in Midland to eat Korean BBQ and hot pot, but the staff is also super friendly and knowledgeable about things like grilling techniques and dipping sauces without making you feel like an idiot for not being equally informed.
If you’re new to the experience, stay at your table and let the servers guide you through the cooking process, but if you’re feeling adventurous, you’re going to want to try the wide selection of meats and seafood from the buffet-style spread. No matter what you choose, getting the complimentary special sauces prepared by the attentive servers is necessary.
KD’s Bar-B-Q
$$ | (432) 683-5013 | WEBSITE
For barbecue, we’d recommend KD’s Bar-B-Q, but their selection of sides like beans and coleslaw works perfectly for some Texas-style comfort food or a nice plate of tender meats alongside smoked chicken, turkey, and jalapeño cheddar sausage. Not only that, but they always have brisket with a great smoke ring available – and this is some serious brisket, so it wouldn’t be weird to have a full meal here if you can’t bring yourselves to get up and go elsewhere.
Texas Roadhouse
$$ | (432) 689-7427 | WEBSITE
The best steakhouse experience in Midland. This place is perfect for pretty much anyone – including your kids and even those with mobility needs. Settle in at a sturdy wooden table with a perfectly cooked 20oz ribeye or New York steak, plus the welcoming atmosphere and clean facilities that make every visit satisfying.
Crude Food BBQ
$ | (432) 262-0172 | WEBSITE
Want to thank your parents for all the stupid sh*t they had to sit through during your childhood, like the time you insisted on wearing cowboy boots to the beach? Make a reservation and buy them a plate of meticulously-smoked brisket at Crude Food BBQ.
Even if your parents are usually salad-and-sandwich-only people, they deserve to eat something amazing from this place’s extensive menu, because they could probably write an extensive chronicle of all the times you got barbecue sauce on their good clothes. You owe them this.
True Texas BBQ
$ | (432) 699-2660 | WEBSITE
True Texas BBQ is a beloved barbecue spot in Midland with a brisket so tender they need to slice it paper-thin to serve it properly. The classic Texas sides, like pickles and onions with bread, are perfect, and there’s even a pleasant outdoor seating area you can enjoy at the HEB location. Not a bad idea for a quick weekend dinner, a family gathering, or another regular occasion, like your weekly tradition if you actually lived in the area.
LongHorn Steakhouse
$$ | (432) 689-0274 | WEBSITE
There are plenty of hearty occasions you might want your friends around for. A big game day. A birthday celebration. Just getting through a tough week. LongHorn Steakhouse is a pretty great spot to have a meal for any of those things. It’s a lively dining situation, so expect a warm welcome from the friendly staff, settling into a comfortable booth, and finally enjoying this satisfying space with the aroma of grilled steaks (plus a full bar with tasty margaritas).
Any steak here will be good, especially with that buttery taste and perfect preparation, and service from waitresses like Maddy and Sissy ranges from professional to genuinely kind and attentive. Be sure to save room for the molten lava cake.
Browns Bar B Q LLC
$ | (432) 352-1658 | WEBSITE
Browns Bar B Q LLC doesn’t get a ton of traffic, and we don’t know why – the barbecue here is incredible. There are also a few different seating arrangements in the clean, chill space, like some cozy booths next to the counter where you can watch the friendly staff work, and some high-top tables by the window. We particularly like the brisket tacos with that juicy, tender, well-seasoned meat as well as the Impossible Burger from the large vegetarian menu.
Sure, your dad might think an Impossible Burger was the name of a sci-fi movie you used to watch on VHS – but to be honest, that sounds plausible enough.
The Rusty Bucket BBQ and Tavern
$ | (432) 631-5939 | WEBSITE
A low-key spot to kill a couple of hours with a cold beer or a glass of sweet tea. We like it even better inside if it’s raining out – it adds to the overall allure and coziness of this place. The Rusty Bucket also works well if you’re trying to hang out with your friends but your family wants to join you. Camp out in a big wooden booth and laugh at the water falling from the sky (until it’s time to go back outside and deal with it).
The Half Acre
$ | (432) 218-7735 | WEBSITE
Your friends had to choose between a fancy steakhouse dinner and coming to visit you in Midland, the barbecue capital of west Texas. Take them for a meal (and some generous portions) at The Half Acre to make up for it. Grab a table on the new patio and order some sweet BBQ sauce along with a round of pork ribs and chopped beef. Cheers.
Pachuco’s
$ | (432) 218-8806 | WEBSITE
A bustling barbecue joint that doubles as a taco haven serving creative fusion dishes. It gets packed in here, but you can still enjoy favorites like the brisket sandwich and Korean BBQ taco with efficient service. Bonus points if you try the cold smoked tuna tacos and offer to bring some home for friends.