Daniel Vaughn: The Texas Monthly BBQ Editor Whose Top 50 List Changes Lives Overnight

Daniel Vaughn has spent more than a decade doing the work nobody else does: driving every corner of Texas, eating at thousands of BBQ joints, and telling the world where the great ones are. When his Texas Monthly Top 50 list named Goldee's the best in Texas, they went from smoking 5 briskets a day to selling out 50 before the doors opened. The barbecue was always that good. The list made sure everyone knew.Daniel is the first barbecue editor in the country, covering BBQ full time for Texas Monthly since 2013. His book, The Prophets of Smoked Meat, was the first title in Anthony Bourdain's publishing line. He once booked a flight to Buffalo just to eat at one BBQ joint. This is a man who takes smoked meat seriously.In this episode he gets into what he has learned from a front row seat to hundreds of BBQ businesses: what separates the joints that make it from the ones that close, the weight of responsibility that comes with the list, and the hospitality lessons every operator should steal.What we get into:The Goldee's story and what happens when the world finds out about great barbecueDaniel's advice for anyone opening a BBQ joint: start small, be your own laborWhy barbecue is a gamble every single dayHow he approaches the list: firsthand opinions, fairness, and the work behind itSnow's BBQ and the raffle ticket trick that turns a line into an experienceHis friendship with Anthony Bourdain and the interview he still regretsThe walkout song he is bringing to the BBQ World Cup stageAbout Daniel Vaughn: Daniel Vaughn is the barbecue editor at Texas Monthly, the first position of its kind in the country. He is the author of The Prophets of Smoked Meat and the voice behind the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list.Texas Monthly BBQ: texasmonthly.com/bbq Instagram: instagram.com/bbqsnobBBQ Boardroom is the podcast about the business behind barbecue, hosted by Scott Erdmann and Shannon Pruitt, co-founders of BBQ World Cup & Expo and BBQ United. New episodes every other week.Follow BBQ World Cup: Instagram: instagram.com/bbqworldcupFacebook: facebook.com/bbqworldcupTikTok: tiktok.com/@bbqworldcupBBQ United Instagram: instagram.com/bbqunitedYouTube: youtube.com/@BBQUnited