Put a brisket on the smoker, crack open a cold one, and settle in for a fascinating documentary to watch this weekend.

Here’s a story we can all relate to…

You know that one guy in the neighborhood who thinks he knows BBQ like you do? Well, then you know the feeling of a BBQ rivalry. (Don’t worry, your ribs are better.)

It’s a story of betrayal, families, tension, feuding, and smoking that’s been going on for decades down in the official Barbecue Capital of Texas: Lockhart.

KXAN in Austin, TX has put together a new documentary that chronicles the impact of the great Texas BBQ rivalry. It’s well worth watching this weekend.

A few highlights…

The Black Feud

“Black’s Barbecue” and “Terry Black’s Barbecue” are still at it, having their family feud moment in broad daylight over which one of them is the greater pit master. This family argument is as hot as the fire in the smoker. So hot that there was apparently a family argument at a funeral once. Yikes.

Lockhart History

Even if you’ve never visited the Lone Star State, we’re all familiar with the city of Lockhart. Its presence is so closely tied to TX BBQ that it was named the Barbecue Capital of Texas in 1999 by the TX House of Representatives. And it makes sense, considering Lockhart’s been a staple in the barbecue game for the last 150 years.

The Texas Monthly Top 50

The coveted Texas Monthly Top 50 list only comes out once every 4 years, and some familiar Lockhart names were missing from the list… which only causes more (entertaining) drama.

But whether you dig the rivalry or not, there are at least 3 things this documentary is going to inspire you to do:

  1. Smoke a brisket

  2. Start a neighborhood feud over who the best BBQer is

  3. Plan a road trip to TX

Enjoy the watch.