Texas barbecue joints can be broadly classified into two main types: old-school and new-school.

New-school establishments, which have proliferated over the past decade, are characterized by bright dining rooms and expansive menus. Beyond the smoked meats that anchor Texas barbecue, they often feature a variety of burgers, sandwiches and sides designed to appeal to modern tastes.

GUIDE: Houston's best barbecue joints

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

Old-school joints, by contrast, stick to tradition. Many operate under the meat-market model: step up to the counter, choose from a pared-down selection of meats, and watch as your order is carved and wrapped in front of you. These places are often steeped in history, but even they have adapted in small ways.

For example, City Market in Luling now accepts credit cards — a minor modern concession. Still, the old ATM outside the pit room remains as a soot-covered relic, a kind of........

© Houston Chronicle