Houston’s Truth BBQ Still Among The Best In Texas Monthly’s Top 50 BBQ

Ten years ago, Leonard Botello IV stoked the fire for his first paying customer at a modest shack off a rural highway in Brenham, Texas, just hoping they’d like his food and that he’d break even. This year, as the original Truth BBQ marks its 10-year anniversary, Botello is celebrating with another Top 10 place in Texas Monthly’s coveted list.

This comes in the wake of a Bib Gourmand designation in the inaugural Michelin Guide for Texas, a rare honor in the world of barbecue. Recently, the brand landed a concession at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Clearly Botello is doing something right.

The Rise Of Truth BBQ Among The Best In Texas

With no formal training or restaurant experience, the 26-year-old idealist embarked on a smoky journey armed with raw passion, relentless determination, and a clear vision of the barbecue experience he wanted to create. That unassuming shack, wedged between the smoked meat empires of Austin and Houston, quickly became a dining destination. Word of Botello’s supple brisket and meticulous approach spread like wildfire.

In less than two years, Truth BBQ cracked the top 10 on Texas Monthly’s vaunted list of best barbecue joints, which is considered the definitive ranking of Lone Star State barbecue. By 2021, it surged to the No. 3 spot, making Botello the youngest pitmaster and fastest riser ever on the list.

What followed was a full-blown barbecue phenomenon. The Texas barbecue community is still talking about the unprecedented manner in which Botello ripped through the smoke ceiling. And how, from out of nowhere, Truth landed in the stratosphere, a smoked meats supernova among barbecue royalty.

Texas BBQ – From Smoke Shack To Michelin Lists

Ever since Aaron Franklin propelled barbecue into the spotlight by winning the first James Beard Award ever given to a pitmaster in 2015, Texas barbecue has undergone a seismic shift. Botello was among the young guns who contributed to the ’cuequake, blending tradition with ambition, craft with creativity. His philosophy is as straightforward as he is: keep it simple. But, as any great pitmaster knows, simplicity is deceptively difficult.

He went from smoking three briskets a day to more than 700 a week, and from a two-person team to a staff of roughly 65 across three locations: the original Truth in Brenham, a second one in Houston, and Merritt Meat Company in Round Top. Botello and his wife Abbie reopened the latter — formerly Round Top Smokehouse — as a tribute to their late friend and restaurateur Lee Merritt Ellis.

Once a self-described “barbecue nobody,” Botello is now an internationally recognized pitmaster and respected business owner navigating the realities of running a modern restaurant empire: supply chain headaches, employee retention, healthcare, and growth strategy, all while preserving the soul of Truth.

Fostering More Than A BBQ Joint

Helping steer the mission is his wife and business partner, Abbie Byrom-Botello, whom he met in New York in 2014. A former marketing executive for Samsung, Abbie brought media savvy and a strategic vision that elevated Truth from a beloved joint to a powerful brand. The couple married in 2021 and now run operations together, working tirelessly to create a company that fosters growth, gives back, and creates meaningful experiences for employees and customers alike.

Together, they’ve made Truth more than a restaurant. From second-chance hiring —including formerly incarcerated individuals — to supporting local nonprofits like The Beacon, Sky High for Kids, and the Southern Smoke Foundation, they’ve built a company grounded in inclusion, impact, and community.

“It cost me a lot. I missed weddings, holidays, trips with family and friends. There were years I barely slept,” he says. “People think life is in the bag once you get noticed, but the grass isn’t always greener. You have to be ready to give everything to get here. There were days in the beginning when I lost faith and thought we’d have to shut down. Nobody knew who we were and the whole thing seemed like a complete gamble. But I had a very clear vision of the barbecue experience I wanted to create. And I was stubborn enough not to give up.”

That unshakable persistence not only changed his life; it changed Texas barbecue. “We don’t thump our chest but there’s a reason people keep coming back to Truth,” Botello says. “It’s in the details, in the effort we put into the food we make, and in the way we treat every person stepping through the door.”

The modern landscape of Central Texas style barbecue burns brighter than ever, and Truth BBQ stands as one of its most important, game-changing luminaries.