Midland Ranks Among Best BBQ Cities in the Nation

Photo By José Ignacio Pompé

By Josiah Carrasco

MIDLAND, TEXAS – Midland is making a name for itself in the barbecue world, ranking 12th in the nation on Lawnstarter.com’s list of 2024’s Best BBQ Cities in America. Out of 500 cities, Midland earned its spot thanks to its thriving BBQ scene, impressive competition wins, and a growing community of dedicated pitmasters and enthusiasts.

Lawnstarter, known for comparing cities on everything from lawn care to local food scenes, based this ranking on a few key factors, including competition awards, elite barbecue memberships, consumer satisfaction, and access to good BBQ. Midland shone in several of these categories, proving that its barbecue game is something to take seriously.

Most notably, Midland ranked an impressive third in the country for competition awards, showing that its BBQ pros know their way around a smoker. The city also landed ninth for elite BBQ memberships, highlighting a passionate local community dedicated to barbecue. However, it ranked a little lower in other areas, coming in 32nd for hosting BBQ events, 160th for BBQ access (basically, how easy it is to find great BBQ around town), and 222nd in consumer satisfaction, which suggests there’s still some work to do when it comes to winning over the general public.

Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Houston, Texas, took the top three spots, no surprises there, as these cities have been BBQ giants for years. But Texas was well-represented in general, with Austin coming in at seventh and San Antonio at eighth. Midland, though ranked 12th, stood out by being ahead of bigger cities like Dallas (21st), Fort Worth (34th), and even barbecue-heavy Lubbock (45th).

Midland’s neighbor, Odessa, also made the list, coming in at 111th, while other Texas cities like Amarillo (101st), Abilene (173rd), and San Angelo (178th) showed up as well.

While Midland’s competition rankings are stellar, there’s still some room to grow in terms of how accessible BBQ is and how satisfied local consumers are. But with such a strong foundation, Midland has all the tools to continue building its reputation as one of the top BBQ destinations in Texas and the nation.

For BBQ lovers, Midland is clearly a city worth keeping an eye on—and with its ranking this year, it’s only going to get better from here. Whether you’re a local or planning a visit, Midland’s BBQ scene is definitely worth exploring.

For more details on the rankings, head to Lawnstarter.com.