This California Restaurant May Serve The Best Brisket Outside Of Texas

When discussing favorite regional barbecue throughout the U.S., Texas is always in the conversation. In Texas, they focus on beef, rather than pork cuts often favored in other barbecue regions. And brisket is a big part of what makes Texas barbecue unique. Texas-style brisket is lauded for cooking technique and its simplicity — generally, only a dry rub is used on the meat, which is usually cooked over mesquite wood. When something is considered some of the best brisket in Texas, it's likely among the best in the world. But Ray's Barbeque in Huntington Park, California, is giving Texas a run for its money when it comes to brisket. Listed as #1 for California in a Mashed ranking of the best brisket in every state, Ray's Barbeque might just be the best brisket outside of Texas (or pretty much anywhere), and reviewers on social media tend to agree.

On Yelp, one user felt the pitmaster brisket sandwich was top notch, stating, "The brisket was absolutely amazing. Moist, tender, great bark, and rich meaty taste. The behemoth was loaded with flavor and had a bun that could withstand its epic interior." Other customers heralded the perfect smokiness and juicy meat. One MenuPix reviewer said, "The Angus brisket and beef ribs here blew me away with their smoky, tender perfection ... every bite felt like a Texas BBQ celebration in my mouth." On TripAdvisor, a customer wrote, "I am a Kansas City certified BBQ judge and eat BBQ all over the country. The bottom line is that Ray's is one of the best places for BBQ anywhere ... The brisket is one of the best I've had." While the brisket may be considered the best outside of Texas, there's even more to delight in on the Ray's Barbeque menu.

Ray's Barbeque was founded by Rene "Ray" Ramirez in 2014. It was a brazen move by a self-taught pitmaster who had never step foot in Texas until after his Texas-style restaurant was already well established. Ray's quickly became a local favorite, was soon praised by, then, Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold, and reached national attention in 2018, when a glowing profile of Ramirez and Ray's appeared in Texas Monthly. Unfortunately, Ray Ramirez passed away in 2022, but his sons, Raul and Sebastian, have been keeping his legacy alive since, still regularly receiving solid reviews.

Aside from the USDA prime brisket, there's a lot to love at Ray's. Among the most frequently mentioned favorites is the cheddar jalapeño sausage, described on Yelp as, "Zesty ... with a snappy casing and exploding with juicy flavor." Other reviewers called the sausage awesome and legit. Sausages are made in-house and were one of the original menu items the Ramirez brothers didn't pick up right away because they had to spend some time mastering making them. Ray's Barbeque also gets a lot of love for both its smoky pork and beef ribs, with one customer describing them as "tender and fall off the bone delicious." But one Ray's original you're not likely to find anywhere else is inspired by their father's upbringing — crispy, chewy Salvadoran pupusas stuffed with beans and mozzarella and topped with Ray's famous, hand-cut brisket. So, if you've never been to Ray's Barbeque, there's a lot to branch out into, but it seems brisket is still a must.