There is simply no way around it. In Virginia, the birthplace of American barbecue as we know it today, where George Washington threw barbecues, where barbecues to honor Andrew Jackson were held, Texas-style barbecue has invaded, laid down strong roots and found many a devotee across the entire commonwealth.
Texas barbecue is defined in large part by offset cooking. The process involves smoke and it’s indirect heat essentially rolling across meat to cook it, versus direct heat and flame meeting the protein as practiced by Virginian pitmasters past and present. A large debt is owed to German and Czech immigrants who in the mid-1800’s brought this cooking method to the Lone Star state and helped to birth what we now know as Texas-style barbecue.
Today, nationally, an easy argument can be made for Texas-style barbecue eclipsing in popularity all other regional styles of barbecue including the popular Carolina-style barbecue which, close your ears Carolinians, is an extension of its predecessor Virginia barbecue. With a bit of research, advertisements for praised authentic Virginia barbecues being held in the Carolinas before Carolina barbecue was a thing can be found. Have any doubts? Pick up a copy of Joseph R. Haynes’ seminal book, Virginia Barbecue: A History, and his research will set you straight.
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Reissued in coordination with Black history month, the 012 print edition of Southern Grit Magazine is on sale now HERE, and features multiple articles focusing on the stories of Hampton Roads’ African-American Watermen and foodways.
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In a 2017 First We Feast article, Robert Moss writes that as early as 2013 the Texas-style “barbecue boom was on.” He points to Austin, Texas pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s 2010 emergence as a celebrity pitmaster, Texas Monthly’s 2013 hiring of Daniel Vaughn as their barbecue editor and the 2007 opening of Hill County, a Lockhart Texas-style barbecued meat market located in New York, as the catalysts for the country wide explosion to come. Since then, nationally, Texas-style barbecue purveyors have popularized and exported smoked brisket and sausage menu offerings to the masses so much so that they now rival the minced or sliced Virginia barbecue menu options known as chopped and pulled in the Carolinas.
Within the last few years in Virginia specifically, a renaissance of Texas-style smoked sausage offerings have steadily continued to fill up more and more barbecue menus. This is much to the chagrin of some Virginia barbecue aficionados who would debate the very notion of sausage as a barbecue offering. Regardless, smoked sausage has made its presence felt statewide from coastal to central, to northern Virginia and the western Shenandoah Valley region of the state and we are going to point you to the best of the best in the commonwealth.
In coastal Virginia, if you are looking for the most delicious interpretation of Texas-style smoked sausage, Redwood Smoke Shack is where you pull up a stool. With two locations, both in Norfolk and a second location opened just last year in Virginia Beach, Redwood is the brainchild of Hartford, New York born Bob Roberts. Roberts moved to Virginia Beach in 2009 and began Redwood Smoke Shack out of a food truck in 2017 after successful house barbecue parties where his neighbors got to enjoy the early formation of his barbecue passion project. He also spent some time participating in formative cooks with Brek Weber of Tin Roof BBQ in Atascocita, Texas before opening Redwood’s first brick and mortar back in Norfolk in 2019.
Saying that Redwood’s green onion and garlic sausage is the best in coastal Virginia is no small proclamation. Both Dave’s BBQ and Bar-Q are located in Virginia Beach and Norfolk and respectively offer up really good Texas-style smoked sausage. Having said that, Redwood’s smoked sausage made by hand five days a week by Chef Chuck Bing at Redwood’s Norfolk location, is the best in coastal Virginia.
Redwood owner Bob Roberts and assorted Redwood decor including a photo of Roberts, his wife Lindsey and acclaimed Texas Pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz
Chef Chuck Bing smoking sausage at Redwood Smoke Shack
Redwood’s green onion and garlic smoked sausage
For more on Redwood’s Smoke Shack, visit redwoodsmokeshack.com | facebook.com/redwoodsmoke
The city of Richmond can soundly lay claim to the best Texas-style smoked sausage in central Virginia. At the deservedly nationally lauded ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque, a beef hot guts resides there that is without question the most authentic interpretation of Texas-style smoked sausage to be found in the commonwealth. In addition to their hot guts, ZZQ also offers a notable play on a jalapeño and cheddar smoked sausage with their habanero fontina sausage which easily could have made this list.
ZZQ beef hot guts sausage
ZZQ beef hot guts sausage making in progress
Owner Chris Fultz, an Austin, Texas native, began ZZQ as a pop up concept in 2016 at Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond after some successful catering endeavors dating back to 2013. Rather fittingly, ZZQ was officially in its brick and mortar in 2018, located directly behind Ardent. From that point forth, ZZQ has sported lines of barbecue lovers out of their doors that are often corralled and managed by Fultz’s wife and ZZQ co-owner Alex Graf.
(Top) ZZQ staff meeting and decor (Middle) Pitmaster Mary MacDermott (Bottom) ZZQ owner Chris Fultz and smoker gauge
From pitmaster Mary MacDermott to culinary director Russell Cook, sausage guy Alen Perez and Fultz himself, many hands go into the making of ZZQ’s smoked sausage. Whether it’s the love, attention to detail, or both put into these juicy snapping sausages that makes them so good is anyone’s guess. One thing is for sure however, if you are waiting in line at ZZQ know that if you order their smoked sausage, the wait will be worth it.
(Clockwise from the top) ZZQ decor | Culinary Director Russell Cook | Grinding an assortment of cuts for the beef hot guts | Filling the natural casings
(Clockwise from the Top) ZZQ’s “sausage guy” Alen Perez cutting and tying the beef hot guts | Hot guts coming out of the smoker | Pitmaster Mary MacDermott
For more on ZZQ, visit: zzqrva.com
In all of northern Virginia, Sloppy Mama’s barbecue is hands down smoking the best Texas-style sausage. This isn’t a surprise. In 2014 owner Joe Neuman began Sloppy Mama’s with his wife Mandy as a sausage and pickle project. After some price considerations however, the sausage and pickling evolved into a full on barbecue endeavor.
Plated jalapeño cheddar smoked sausage at Sloppy Mama’s BBQ
Neuman, like the aforementioned Roberts did with Redwood, founded Sloppy Mama’s out of a food truck. Originally a teacher and high school football coach by trade, these days Neuman oversees his barbecue team at his brick and mortar off Lee Highway in Arlington. The original truck is parked out front next to the smokers, as it should be.
Hand-made jalapeño cheddar smoked sausage in progress at Sloppy Mama’s BBQ
Neuman’s house made jalapeño and cheddar smoked sausage is nothing short of addictive. Ordering merely one is an act for an individual with remarkable self control. The smoked jalapeño at Sloppy Mama’s outshines all other joints decisively in northern Virginia that offer this particular take on the Texas-style crowd pleaser.
(Top) Filling sausage casings in Sloppy Mama’s kitchen (Top Middle) Sloppy Mama’s owner Joe Neuman (Middle & Bottom) Sloppy Mama’s menu board, axe, wood and smoker
For more on Sloppy Mama’s, visit sloppymamas.com | facebook.com/SloppyMamas
Concerning our picks and the process, in 2021 Southern Grit Magazine founder Joshua Fitzwater, along with national food writer Debra Freeman, and food videographer Matt Wade traversed the Old Dominion sampling Texas-style smoked sausage. The process took multiple months, resulted in many full bellies, and on a few unfortunate outings, some heartburn.
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