Tommy "Big Bite" Brennan
January 20, 2026
This Is the Best Brisket in America
I don't say that lightly. I've eaten brisket in every state that thinks it does brisket well, and Smoke & Ember's version is the benchmark. Pitmaster Rodney Wells burns post oak exclusively, and his fire management is masterful — the smoke ring is a consistent quarter-inch, the bark is mahogany and crunchy, and the meat has that perfect pull-apart tenderness.
The burnt ends are cubed, sauced, and caramelized into what I can only describe as meat candy. The ribs have a clean bone pull. The sausage links snap when you bite them.
Get here before 11 AM. I'm serious. By noon, the brisket is gone. By 1 PM, the ribs are gone. By 2 PM, the door is locked. This is how real barbecue works. No website, no app, no reservations. Just great meat and a line of people who know.
The burnt ends are cubed, sauced, and caramelized into what I can only describe as meat candy. The ribs have a clean bone pull. The sausage links snap when you bite them.
Get here before 11 AM. I'm serious. By noon, the brisket is gone. By 1 PM, the ribs are gone. By 2 PM, the door is locked. This is how real barbecue works. No website, no app, no reservations. Just great meat and a line of people who know.