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You can and should argue as much as you need to when it comes to choosing the best barbecue joint in the Las Vegas Valley. But if we’re getting specific and searching for the best Texas-style ‘cue, we’re definitely talking about Big B’s, which recently opened a second location near Summerlin after closing a shop in the southwest last year.
Husband-and-wife team Brian Buechner and Natalia Badzjo opened their first restaurant in Henderson nearly 10 years ago, dedicated to smoking meats the way they do in the Texas Hill Country, where Buechner grew up. Back then, that meant driving back and forth to the Rio Grande Valley every few weeks to bring the perfect mesquite wood to Las Vegas, and smoking beef brisket overnight for 12 hours to achieve ideal tenderness, flavor and that rugged outer bark.
Today, they’re still doing it the same way, at both restaurants. “We stick to our guns,” says Badzjo. “We’re still driving the truck over there and bringing 10 cords of wood back. That’s how we started and it makes us different and special. If you like that flavor of barbecue, there’s no other place you can get it here right now.”
The brand-new Sahara Avenue spot has the same family-friendly, backyard cookout feel of the original Big B’s, as well as a much larger parking lot than the former southwest location and plenty of TV screens for sports. For happy hour and football season fun, new cocktails and special dishes will be added, including brisket tacos, sliders, chicken wings and three different burgers.
But you can’t eat here without sampling a hearty portion of the brisket ($13 for a half-pound), also available in a sandwich or different combo plates, or the equally popular tri-tip, which is not a Texas specialty but adds yet another unique twist at Big B’s. Of course, chicken, ribs, pulled pork and hot links are also readily available.
“Brisket is still king in Texas and every pitmaster is always judged on their brisket,” Badzjo says. “We offer lean or moist, so guests can choose between the point or flat.” Texas tip: Go with the point, which is more marbled with fat and flavor.
The couple started the restaurant as a side project while working in Vegas nightlife, but it quickly became a full-time endeavor, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. “It started as a passion project and has grown into kind of a massive business, and we are still fully involved. A lot of people open a restaurant thinking it’ll be a passive investment, but it can’t be,” Badzjo says. “If you have a passion for it, you want to be there.”
BIG B’S TEXAS BBQ 8125 W. Sahara Ave. #300, 702-846-6635; 3019 St. Rose Parwkay #130, 702-260-6327, bigbztexasbbq.com. Daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
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