Best BBQ Cities List Surprisingly Doesn't Include 2 Major Texas Cities

Some Texans have a bone to pick with a new list that highlights the best cities in the U.S. to grab some barbecue.

Clever just released its Best BBQ Cities in America list and the top 10 is causing a stir in the Lone Star State. Before we get into the results, here's how Clever compiled its list:

"These claims to the BBQ throne are tough to settle without hard data. So we've cooked up a new ranking of the 50 best BBQ cities — based on research on prices, restaurants, BBQ events, and search activity — to provide evidence-based answers. We ranked the 50 largest metro areas in the U.S. using several metrics."

San Antonio takes the throne for No. 1 BBQ city in America. The list says San Antonio has the fourth-most BBQ joints per capita and is also the "cook-off capital" of the country. At No. 2 is Austin, a city known for boasting about barbecue. Google search activity shows Austin is home to some of the "biggest BBQ fans in the country."

As far as the top 10 goes, Houston (No. 18) and Dallas (No. 12) have been left off the list — and locals are outraged. Dallas news outlet WFAA says it makes sense, in part, that the list shook out the way it did since it doesn't "have anything do with taste," but how prevalent BBQ is in the area. The Houston Chronicle says it's a "silly list filled with somewhat silly conclusions."

Here's a look at the top 10 BBQ cities in America:

1. San Antonio, TX
2. Austin, TX
3. San Jose, CA
4. Nashville, TN
5. Las Vegas, NV
6. Birmingham, AL
7. Tampa, FL
8. Oklahoma City, OK
9. Jacksonville, FL
10. Kansas City, MO

Here's the full list.