Houston vs. Austin barbecue: Who has the best?

Brisket from Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue, Plugerville. Brisket from Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue, Plugerville. Photo: J.C. Reid Photo: J.C. Reid Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close Houston vs. Austin barbecue: Who has the best? 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

The lineup for the first Houston vs. Austin barbecue throwdown is set and it's a doozy.

Barbecue fans won't want to miss the inaugural HOU-ATX BBQ Throwdown on Sunday, Dec. 3, that will feature five Austin-area barbecue joints – all serving for the first time in Houston – and eight Houston barbecue businesses in a competition to see which city makes the best Texas barbecue.

Austin will be represented by Brotherton's Black Iron Barbecue (Pflugerville), Hays Co. Bar-B-Que (San Marcos), LeRoy & Lewis Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meats, and Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ. The Houston smokers (top finishers in the 2017 Houston BBQ Throwdown held in September) are Beaver's, the Brisket House, El Burro & the Bull, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, the Pit Room, and Tin Roof BBQ. Additional Houston participants will include Killen's Barbecue, Ellis Brothers BBQ, and Gatlin's BBQ.

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The barbecue will be judged by a panel including Will Buckman of CorkScrew BBQ, Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook, Texas Monthly food editor Patricia Sharpe, pitmaster Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue and barbecue photographer Robert J. Lerma.

Tickets, $80, are limited. The throwdown will be held 1 to 4 p.m. at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 2000 Lyons Ave., Houston. Tickets allow samples from each competing barbecue joint and Saint Arnold beer.