I always gain 10 lbs when I go back home.
Texas alone has 4 diff styles of BBQ
- Central Texas (what people think of these days - ideally no sauce, all smoke (post Oak))
- East Texas (sweet sauce and beef links)
- South Texas (Barbacoa)
- West Texas (Mesquite has a way diff flavor than Hickory)
But as good as Texas is
Louisiana is on a whole other level of food. New Orleans, Lafayette, Baton Rouge...
But don't sleep on AL/MS/GA and the rest.
As long as you get someone to steer you right, you'll never have a bad meal in The South.
There's a reason that the South is as heavy as it is.