Six of the best barbecue pit stops on a Central Texas road trip

Texas barbecue has become a destination, and Central Texas barbecue has become legendary.

People travel many hours and wait in line for almost as much time just for a taste of arguably the best smoked meats in the country.

While joints like Franklin, Louie Mueller and Kruez Market are on the tip of most taste buds when it comes to Texas barbecue powerhouses, there are many other mainstays that pump out exceptional flavor.

With a little planning — and plenty of stomach room — anyone can tour some of the state’s lesser known but equally phenomenal joints.

Here's a map of a recent two-day trip to barbecue heaven

Stop No. 1

Taylor Cafe, Taylor

Our first stop took us to Taylor Cafe. Just a stone's throw from Texas barbecue heavyweight Louie Meuller's, Taylor Cafe stands toe-to-toe with Mueller's in terms of quality. The brisket had a great smoke ring and outstanding flavor, but the beef sausage stood out from the rest with its course grind and excellent kick from black pepper.

Stop No. 2

Smitty’s Market, Lockhart

Walking up to our second stop gave us a taste of what was to come as the smell of burning post oak filled the parking lot. The setup at Smitty's is outstanding as you order in a smoke-covered pit room and then eat amongst other guests in the large market. The sausage at Smitty's never disappoints as its peppery smokey juice flows down onto the butcher paper plates.

Stop No. 3

Prause Meat Market, LaGrange

Prause Meat Market has made a name for itself as the home of a phenomenal pork roll as well as other barbecue offerings. The popularity was evident when at shortly after noon they had already sold out of everything but their famous sausage links. If you plan to visit Prause Meat Market, call ahead and they will set some food aside for you.

Stop No. 4

Snow’s Barbecue, Lexington

After staying the night in Giddings and still stuffed from the first day of the trip, I planned to just get some barbecue to go from Snow's. Then I saw it. Everything was made to perfection, and somehow tasted even better than it looked. I caught myself eating everything on my tray and then going back to get more. It takes a little planning since Snow's is only open on Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m. and closes when it's sold out.

Stop No. 5

Southside Market, Elgin

Southside Market in Elgin is the oldest barbecue joint in Texas, but you couldn't tell by driving up as you're greeted by a giant restaurant. At Southside Market sausage is king and here the king rules supreme. The regular sausage has a nice blend of black pepper, meat and smoke and the jalapeno cheese sausage is equally tasty with the slight spicy kick from the peppers.

Stop No. 6

Miller’s Smokehouse, Belton

Miller's Smokehouse is a relative newcomer on the barbecue scene, but has quickly built a strong foundation on great flavor. The brisket and ribs were solid contenders with a great smoke ring and nice bark, but the jalapeno cheese sausage was the winner on this trip.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Six of the best barbecue pit stops on a Central Texas road trip."