When we head out on the bus, we may just have to spend the first couple months driving around Texas getting sick of BBQ, if such an outcome is possible. You know BBQ is different than other kinds of dining because the indicators are nearly 180 degrees different than for any other kind of restaurant.

To start with, in what other type of dining is a decrepit looking building a good sign? They’re are some, but with BBQ is practically a given. You want a place with the character of New Orleans, a place where maintenance takes a backseat to good food and good fun.

Standing in line at the grocery store this afternoon (I was buying apples), I saw that the latest issue of Texas Monthly was promoting the “Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas.” I bought a copy and was disappointed that it didn’t put the Top 50 in rank order, but then again, that is nearly an impossible task. I know I couldn’t do it because there is just too much nuance.

Here’s what is both notible and exciting about the Texas Monthly list: I’ve never eaten at a single one of the joints. This fact is both exciting and overwhelming.

There are lots of places to go and lots of video to shoot, which means I need some exercise.