Brownwood isn’t a place most Dallas or Fort Worth diners think to plan a trip around, but come October, it might be worth the three-hour drive. Feels Like Home Festival has announced the first wave of barbecue joints joining its third annual return on Saturday, October 3, 2026, and the lineup reads like a highlight reel of what’s happening in Texas barbecue right now, not just the usual suspects.
Ten pitmasters are confirmed so far, with more still to be announced. Two of them come from right here in North Texas. Hurtado Barbecue, born in Arlington, has built its name on a bold Tex-Mex spin on Central Texas-style smoked meats, brisket and birria tacos and house-made sausage, and it’s since expanded across the Metroplex while serving as the official barbecue restaurant of the Texas Rangers. Olmos BBQ out of Fort Worth carries a more personal story. Founder John Paul Govea built the concept as a tribute to his late grandfather, a mariachi musician and backyard pitmaster, reviving that family tradition through Fort Worth pop-ups before it grew into the operation it is today.
The rest of the lineup pulls from every corner of the state. Schoepf’s BBQ in Belton has roots going back to 1993 and was just ranked the number one barbecue joint in Texas by TexasBarbecue.com in 2026. Pody’s BBQ, way out in Pecos, has picked up statewide recognition twice over for a low-and-slow, mesquite-and-post-oak approach that represents West Texas barbecue at its most stubborn and rewarding. Brantley Creek Barbecue started as an Odessa food truck in 2017 and has since become one of that city’s most talked-about smokehouses, known for its brisket and its Texas Twinkies.
Victorian’s Barbecue, out of the tiny town of Mart, comes from a pitmaster known as the Texas Tri-Tip King, who competed on Netflix’s Barbecue Showdown before opening his own brick-and-mortar inside a 1901 café. Rounding out the group are Hill City Chop House in Tolar, Bosque River Taphouse in Stephenville, Rossler’s Blue Cord Barbecue in Harker Heights, and The Original Roy Hutchins Barbecue in Trophy Club, the last of which traces its own barbecue lineage back to 1978 and now serves as an official BBQ partner of Texas Motor Speedway.
Barbecue has been part of the festival’s identity since it launched in 2024, and organizers have restructured how it works this year to give people more room to actually enjoy it. Complimentary BBQ sampling runs from noon to 4 p.m., and the barbecue setup itself is moving to the festival’s Grass Lawn, positioned next to the main stage so guests can eat within view of the live performances rather than choosing between the two.
Country headliners this year include Gary Allan, Scotty McCreery, Mark Chesnutt, and Jack Ingram, along with rising Texas singer-songwriter Caroline Hale. Beyond the music and the meat, the day includes mechanical bull riding, axe throwing, and the kind of small-town hospitality that’s become the festival’s actual selling point rather than a marketing line. Last year’s edition sold out and drew attendees from more than a dozen states.
Tickets, including general admission, VIP, and premium packages, are on sale now at FeelsLikeHomeFest.com. For anyone who’s already worked through the usual DFW barbecue rotation, this is a reasonable excuse to see what the rest of the state has been doing.
