Texans are less than one month away from getting their first bite of arguably the best Texas-style barbecue outside of the Lone Star State. Unfortunately, the wait did just get about seven days longer.
Mad Jack’s Hill Country Barbecue, the offshoot of Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue from Cloudcroft, New Mexico, has been in development for over a year in Johnson City and had told MySA that it was eyeing a November 7 grand opening. Now the smokehouse from owner and pitmaster James Jackson has pushed its opening back one week to November 14, and with good reason.
“I sincerely apologize for the delay. Our original target was November 7th, but that happens to coincide with Texas Monthly’s BBQ Fest in my hometown of Lockhart, and that’s one event I really don’t want to miss!” Jackson wrote on Facebook. “After all, you can never stop learning in this business, and there’s no better classroom than spending time with some of the very best pitmasters in the world.”
Jackson first opened Mad Jack’s in 2015 and has gained an international following for his Texas-style barbecue that many have claimed is the best Texas-style barbecue outside of the Lone Star State. Jackson repeatedly made drives back and forth from Lockhart to New Mexico to stock up on wood for the barbecue smokers, but after a decade he decided he wanted to be closer to his daughters and grandchildren. After an extensive search he found a homestead in Johnson City that belonged to friends of President Lyndon B. Johnson that soon will become Texas’ newest barbecue joint.
Mad Jack’s plans to stay open in Cloudcroft, but Jackson plans to spend the majority of his time in Johnson City. His goal? To land on Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ Joints list in 2029.
“Mad Jack’s Hill Country Barbecue is coming, y’all! And trust me, we’ve got some things up our sleeves that you’re going to want to stick around for,” Jackson wrote on Facebook.
Find it: 624 N. US 281, Johnson City, TX 78636
