Leonard Botello IV shook up the Texas barbecue scene when, after just two years of operating a small barbecue shack in Brenham, Texas, his Truth BBQ was recognized in spot number 10 on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 list of barbecue joints. Botello opened Truth in 2015 focusing on craft-made brisket and sausage, drawing lines and selling out quickly each time he opened. His success there propelled him to open a second, much larger location in Houston in 2019, where the lines still queue up daily.
Botello’s emphasis on brisket is front and center as you snake your way through the line at the Houston location—the smokers and prep room are visible through a large glass window so you can watch as they smother the briskets in mustard, salt, and pepper before loading them into the smokers. Besides inducing hunger pangs, it gives visitors front-row seats to the action. There’s a dedication to scratch-made cooking that shows up in all of Truth’s smoked meats, which include a few types of sausages, smoked pork ribs, turkey breast, pulled pork, beef boudin, and on weekends, smoked chickens and beef ribs. Try a handful of them together in the Texas Trinity platter, loaded with a pound each of brisket, ribs, and sausage.
Truth also excels at mouthwatering sides, including a tater tot casserole, corn pudding, collard greens, and sweet potato soufflé. Each platter, either loaded with meats or sandwiches, also comes with a choice of sauces and a colorful array of pickled onions, carrots, peppers, and cucumbers.
The Houston location has a full bar set within the dining room and there are buckets of iced-down Texas beers, which you can grab right from the line (they might help pass the time). In the Brenham location, which is only open Thursday through Sunday until they sell out, the lines can be daunting but worth the wait—especially if they’re serving up what is regarded as some of the best craft barbecue in Texas.
