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The High Plains rewards people who like a straight road and a clear plan. Amarillo sits on the old Route 66 spine and still feels like a travel town. Lubbock is the anchor for the South Plains, shaped by agriculture and a big campus pull. In between, you hit county seat streets, grain elevators, and the kind of wind that makes smoke behave a little differently.
Barbecue up here tends to be practical. Lunch crowds are real. Weekend lines happen, but nobody wants a three hour mystery. You will see classic Texas cuts, with brisket leading the conversation. Expect seasoning that stays honest, smoke that reads clean, and pits that take pride in consistency. In a region built on ranching and cotton country, the food leans sturdy and filling.
Tyler’s Barbeque in Amarillo is the road trip touchstone. It is the kind of place you can build a drive around, then still feel good ordering the basics. Evie Mae’s BBQ in Wolfforth is the Lubbock area flag plant. It draws travelers and locals alike, and it gives this list a destination level finish on the south end.
The rest of the trail is what makes it fun. You have quick stops in small towns where a slice of brisket feels like the whole point of the day. You have places that keep the menu tight and let the pit do the talking. It is a great region for collecting repeat visits, because the drive is part of the ritual and the meals are built for regulars.
Use the cards to pick your stops, then use the map to stitch them into a day, a weekend, or a full blown BBQ road trip. For a bigger loop, start with How to Plan the Ultimate Texas BBQ Road Trip.
This stretch of Texas is made for a long weekend. You can tag Route 66 in Amarillo, dip into canyon country near Canyon, then slide south toward Lubbock for a second day of eating. The best part is the density of small town pit stops. You do not need a festival weekend to make it feel like an event. You just need the miles and an appetite.
One practical tip. Build in buffer time and arrive early. A lot of places keep tight hours and sellouts are part of the rhythm. If you are chaining stops, order smaller and pace yourself. Let the drive do some of the work.
Resources
🔥 Fifty Years of Cadillac Ranch
🔥 Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
🔥 100 Texas BBQ Terms You Need to Know Before You Order
🔥 Exploring BBQ BBQ Joint Finder
🔥 Mastering the Art of Ordering at a Texas BBQ Restaurant
Make this list your own. Create a free Exploring BBQ account, adopt the list, and track your progress as you go. Log each stop with Visit Stamps so you can remember what you ordered, who you were with, and the meals that mattered. Learn how it works - Introducing Exploring BBQ Passport: Track Your BBQ Journey.
