Highly Public Family Drama Fuels Texas BBQ Rivalry

Two Texas BBQ spots have bigger family beef than the briskets they smoke.

In Lockhart, the Barbecue Capital of Texas, the rivalry between Black’s Barbecue and Terry Black’s BBQ might be more notorious than the brisket itself. What began as a simple business disagreement has grown into a full-blown barbecue soap opera, complete with lawsuits and signs that read more like taunts than ads.

How the Black’s BBQ Feud Began

The Black family has been serving barbecue in Lockhart since the 1930s. For years, brothers Kent and Terry Black WERE carving out a legacy.

But the harmony didn’t last. After Terry’s side of the family was ousted via fax, Kent took over the original Black’s Barbecue. That moment lit the fire for a feud that shows no signs of cooling off.

Signs, Shade, and Smoked Competition

If there’s one thing you can’t call Terry Black’s BBQ, it’s boring. Their marketing often doubles as a public jab. When Black’s was cited for withholding $230,353 in tips, Terry’s Marquee fired back with a brutal message:

“Another 230,353 reasons why you should eat at Terry Black’s BBQ.”

As Terry’s son, Mike Black, once said: “The more [Kent] gets angry and puts up billboards, it’s just better for us.”

The BBQ Rivalry That Refuses to DieFirst-time visitors don’t always know which side they’re eating on until they see the signs—or the Reddit threads. Still, most end up sampling both, if only to pick a side in Lockhart’s smokiest family feud.

Mike Black puts it bluntly: “In no way, shape, or form do I ever see there being a ‘Kumbaya’ moment.”

At the end of the day, barbecue in Texas borders on religion. And in Lockhart, that religion has split into two denominations—Black’s Barbecue and Terry Black’s BBQ.