What to Eat at Tanglefoot: Pitmaster Preview

Mouthwatering BBQ from Across Texas & Beyond

Tanglefoot Music & BBQ Festival isn’t just about the music, it’s a full-on culinary fest featuring 16 stellar pitmasters from Texas and beyond, all setting up shop at the MLK Festival Grounds in Temple on Sept 12–13. Expect everything from Central Texas brisket to Kansas City burnt ends and Carolina pulled pork. These are the flavor superstars you don’t want to miss!

If BBQ’s your love language, welcome home. This gets you unlimited tastings from 12+ Texas pitmasters and a one-of-a-kind foodie experience. Join us and smell the pits smokin’ for a sauce drippin’, fingers lickin’, belly fillin’ experience.The BBQ portion is an add-on to your Tanglefoot Music & BBQ Festival. BBQ is included in the VIP packages or can be purchased separately.

Texas Legends

• Miller's Smokehouse

  • Belton, TX. Juicy brisket & peppery ribs

• Panther City BBQ

  • Fort Worth, TX. Texas Monthly Top 50 fave

• B4 Barbecue

  • Mabank, TX. Texas Monthly Top 50 hit

• Bar-A-BBQ 

  • Montgomery, TX. Texas craft BBQ with bold flavors and southern hospitality.

• Rossler's Blue Cord Barbecue

  • Harker Heights, TX. Top 50 legend​

• Hill City Chop House

  • Tolar, TX. Named a Texas Monthly Top 25 in 2023

• Schoepf's BBQ

  • Belton, TX

• Brick Vault Brewery & BBQ

  • Marathon, TX. The combo you didn't know you needed.

• Olmos BBQ

  • Fort Worth, TX. Traditional brisket, sausage, and ribs, but the tacos make this business shine.

• The Original Roy Hutchins BBQ

  • Trophy Club, TX. Mouthwatering flavors and Texas BBQ

• Victorian's Barbecue

  • Mart, TX. Central Texas BBQ with a Creole flair

Out‑of‑State Flavor

• Edge Craft Barbecue

  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Brings cross-border smoke

• Southern Smoke BBQ

  • Garland, North Carolina. Smoky Carolina style

• Fork Grove Barbecue 

  • Anderson, South Carolina. Low-country BBQ flair

• Meat Mitch

  • Leawood, Kansas. Memphis in May & American Royal World Champ Winning Sauce, Rub & Meat

• Owens & Hull

  • Smyrna, Georgia. Southern smoke & sauces

Don’t Miss These BBQ Classics:

• Texas brisket: melt-in-your-mouth beef, smoked to perfection
• Kansas City burnt ends: smoked tips with signature char
• Carolina pulled pork: tangy, juicy, and shareable
• smoked sausage: ideal for a portable festival bite

Festival Food Game Plan:

• Sample smart: Grab small bites or share plates to try more vendors

• Sauce swap: Explore spicy, sweet, and mustard-style sauces

• Sidekick sides: Some vendors serve killer mac ’n’ cheese, coleslaw, or beans worth tasting

• Go dessert-y: Don’t forget to check out Temple’s local sweets at the fest

With a lineup this stacked, your tastebuds are in for a real festival treat. Pair your brisket with big country beats—and you've got a weekend of flavor and fun you’ll talk about for years.