Pastrami Beef Rib, Tejas Chocolate Craftory 3.

Thursday is Pastrami Day at Tejas, but any day is a good day for elite craft barbecue alongside high-end homemade chocolate bonbons.

Herb Taylor

Smoked Oxtails, Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack 4.

Ray's serves classic East Texas barbecue, porkier and saucier than its Central Texan cousin: fat spare ribs, ricey links of boudin, and, as a weekly special, these gamy, gelatinous beauties.

Jenn Duncan

Everything on Justin Yu's ever changing menu is precise and soulful, but this simple dessert, funkified by Swiss-cheese cream and honey, is what I've craved since I tried it.

Jack Opatrny

Brisket Taco, The Pit Room 6.

The Pit Room's brisket shines brightest (and smokiest) topped with cheese, sour cream, and salsa roja on a chewy homemade tortilla made with beef fat.

Smothered Turkey Wings, Alfreda's Soul Food 7.

There's nearly as much meat in the vegetables as there is in the meat dishes at this venerable cafeteria—which is how you know it's legit.

Carla Gomez

Clam Rapini Pizza, Coltivare 8.

A touch of sorghum in the dough complements the brine of clams at Morgan Weber and Ryan Pera's regional-Italian spot.