2M Smokehouse — Restaurant in San Antonio

MANNNNNN I REALLY WANTED TO LIKE THIS PLACE! Like my expectations were high, but not through the roof.

For context, my rankings for top BBQ are: #1 Little Miss BBQ, Tempe, AZ (iykyk) #2 Valentina’s, Buda, TX #3 Terry Black’s, Austin, TX.

To say I was SUPREMELY disappointed with 2M Smokehouse BBQ would be an understatement. Let’s start with the good:

We got there around 2:30pm with a small line out the door. Not too bad, no biggie. Took about 30 min to order. The staff were very professional and pleasant, but you could tell they were EXHAUSTED since the doors opened at 11am. There’s no “relief” staff to keep the energy/speed/momentum going so the staff line was dragging considerably. For food, we ordered their brisket nachos which were good, but honestly, pretty salty, 6.5/10. The Mac n cheese was solid, 7.5/10. The baked beans were a standout for sure, 8/10. The dill pickles were incredible, 8.5/10. And that would be the extent of the good things to be 100% completely honest (TRUST ME, I SOOO WANTED TO LOVE THIS PLACE!)

Additionally, we ordered the the medium family meal ($135+tax) which comes with 3lbs of meat and 5 (16oz) sides. We ordered 3lbs of brisket, 3 orders of baked beans, 1 order of coleslaw, and 1 order of pickled nopales. They were sold out of every meat except brisket (which is TOTALLY FINE, because we ordered 1hr before close, so no knock on them). They were also sold out of every side except the 3 we ordered (baked beans, coleslaw, and pickled nopales) for the medium family meal — again TOTALLY FINE, because we came before they closed — ALL GOOD!

Here’s the issue: IN TEXAS, YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE BRISKET THAT STANDS OUT OR AT LEAST, STANDS IN BETWEEN THE OTHER GREAT TEXAS BBQ SPOTS! I don’t know if we came in on an off day, but the brisket was DRY & TOO DAMN SALTY! The bark and smoke rings were there, but damn, the rub was too salty. So much so, that I removed bark (second pic), so that the brisket was at least edible/bearable. The coleslaw was straight up SPOILED and in-edible (we ended up throwing it away). It had some kind of cream/dairy mixed with it, but it tasted rancid, sour, and pickled (???). Not good at ALL y’all (I SWEAR IM NOT A HATER!!!). Lastly, the pickled nopales were SOOOO slimy, overcooked, and SOUR LIKE A PIECE OF WARHEAD CANDY! Their “BBQ Sauce” tasted like sweet teriyaki sauce, but more watery.

Overall, my message to management for FOH/BOH, would be to go back to what put y’all on the map to begin with! When I heard about this spot back in 2019, it was an ANAMOLY to have GREAT TEXAS BBQ IN SATX! Idk what happened along the way, but something has gone awry at 2M and they need to figure it out! If y’all are gonna be charging Texas BBQ prices, y’all better make sure it hits EVERY time and the people get what they pay for. Straight up! Only saving grace was the exhausted and overwhelmed staff, but they...

2M Smokehouse BBQ – A Hidden Gem Serving Up World-Class Brisket

If you’re serious about barbecue, 2M Smokehouse in San Antonio needs to be on your radar. I made the trip and walked away beyond impressed. Here’s the full rundown of my experience:

The Food: I ordered 1.36 pounds of brisket and a bottled water, which came out to about $50—and let me tell you, worth every penny. This wasn’t just good brisket… this was elite brisket. Easily among the best I’ve ever had—and I’ve had a lot of BBQ.

The brisket was incredibly juicy and bursting with flavor, with a beautifully rendered fat cap that melted in your mouth. The bark was spot on—rich, peppery, and packed with that deep smoky flavor that true BBQ lovers chase. What really set it apart was the balance: the fat-to-protein ratio was just right, making each bite tender without being greasy or dry.

There was no need for sauce, but if you’re a sauce person, they’ve got options that complement the meat without masking it. That’s how you know a BBQ joint is doing it right—they don’t need to hide behind anything.

The Atmosphere: This is truly a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s unpretentious, authentic, and all about the food. Seating is outdoor picnic-style, so come prepared for the elements. It’s laid-back and local, the kind of place where BBQ is still made with love and patience.

The Parking Lot: Now let’s talk about that parking lot—honestly, it’s part of the charm. You’ll want to drive carefully because there are some pretty serious potholes. But once you’ve parked and taken that first bite of brisket, you won’t care one bit. It’s a small price to pay for BBQ at this level.

The Service: The staff was super friendly—helpful, welcoming, and clearly passionate about what they do. You can tell this isn’t just a job for them; they take pride in serving up something special. Despite being a busy place, I felt taken care of and appreciated as a customer.

Recognition: If I’m not mistaken, 2M Smokehouse has made it onto several top BBQ lists, possibly even the Michelin Guide’s list of top barbecue spots in Texas, and it shows. The quality here isn’t by accident—it’s intentional, consistent, and clearly award-worthy.

Final Thoughts: Whether you’re a local or just passing through San Antonio, do not miss this place. The brisket alone is worth the trip—and that’s before you get into the rest of the menu (which I’ll definitely be back to try). Yes, it’s a little off the beaten path, and yes, the parking lot is rough. But the food is phenomenal, the people are great, and the experience is authentic Texas BBQ at its finest.

Would I go back? 100% yes. No hesitation. Already...

I really struggled between giving this place 4 or 5 stars. As a regular BBQ joint, the food was good. For a nationally renowned place, I expected better. My party of 7 came here after a local football game. We ordered the 6-meat, 5-quarts of sides family meal plus some pork ribs.

They only serve beef ribs on Saturday, but they had already run out so we got the pork ribs instead which was liked by those who ate them. In addition, they were out of cole slaw so our options for sides were beans, corn, and mac and cheese. Buttttt then they also ran out of mac and cheese while we were there so we only got 1 and just ended up 3 quarts of beans which was probably the least favored side in my group. I'm not a huge fan of chicharrones myself so the mac and cheese didn't do much for me, but the rest of my party enjoyed it. I found the corn to be impressively delicious, very different from the typical street corn I'm accustomed to.

Onto the meats. The pulled pork didn't have BBQ sauce which again is very different than I'm used to. It also came with a green sauce, maybe tomatillo? Unsure, but it wasn't bad. Overall, decent pulled pork. We also got a few links of sausage, some regular, some the serrano & oaxaca cheese. Both were pretty damn tasty. Would order these again for sure. But let's get down to the main event, the meat everyone cares about: the brisket. Juicy, great smoke ring, the bark on it was fabulous. Everything about it was tasty. Makes sense why their brisket became famous .

While we didn't use any BBQ sauce on the brisket, it was used for the pulled pork and sausage. A note on the sauce: it's like none I've ever tried. Definitely not ketchup or mustard based. Perhaps vinegar? To be honest, it looked like hot chili oil like what you get in Chinese restaurants. It was a tasty sauce, very sweet. The consensus was it did not go well with BBQ though.

The staff? Soooo incredibly friendly. Everyone we spoke to/encountered was so nice. Staff gets an A++ atmosphere...there's only outdoor seating that I saw so be prepared for that with the weather. Part of it is inside a screened in patio which is nice, but very tiny and crowded with maybe 6 tables in it.

If this place didn't have the reputation it did, I might've given it 5 stars, but admittedly, I probably judged it more harshly than most because of that. Worth visiting if you're...