InterStellar BBQ opened in 2019 and is located in a strip mall near Cedar Park in Austin.

It had its large smoker in the parking lot near the main entrance, so I could smell delicious smoked meats before I even went inside.

InterStellar BBQ's menu was quite small, with seven meat selections, six options for sides, and four sandwich choices: pulled lamb, sausage, brisket, or turkey.

When I arrived at 2 p.m. on a Thursday, the restaurant had a sign on its front door listing sold-out items. I was bummed the brisket was gone, but I appreciated the clear communication, which made ordering more efficient.

Had I read the restaurant's online FAQ before I arrived, I would've planned to arrive earlier. Apparently, customers start lining up as early as 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Since I couldn't get brisket, I ordered a smoked pork spare rib and pulled lamb shoulder, the restaurant's spin on pulled pork.

For sides, I chose BBQ beans, beet salad, pickles, bread, and pink onions.

Overall, my meal was tasty. Seasoning can make or break barbecue, but InterStellar had expertly handled its pork rib and pulled lamb.

The rib's dry rub sustained a subtly sweet flavor even after it had cooled, and the lamb's gaminess was expertly balanced out with a blend of flavorful spices.

I enjoyed the sauces and sides of beans, but they didn't stand out much, and the meats were tasty enough on their own.

La Barbecue was first established in 2012 as a food trailer, and it moved to a storefront in East Austin in 2021. Over the years, celebrities like Dua Lipa, Prince Harry, and Megan Markle have been photographed visiting the famous eatery.

When I arrived at la Barbecue on a Thursday afternoon, there was already a line out front.

The line moved slowly since the restaurant only lets one group in at a time to order — probably because the space between the main counter and the front door is so small.

After about a 40-minute wait, a server inside la Barbecue waved at me to come inside.

As I walked in, I saw one employee taking orders, a second preparing the meats, and a third cashing each guest out.

La Barbecue's menu seemed fairly standard with meats like brisket, beef/pork ribs, turkey, pulled pork, and classic sides like pickles, beans, and potato salad.

I also liked that a whole section is dedicated to signature sandwiches, including huge ones topped with Fritos, slaw, and multiple meats.

I'm allergic to dairy and eggs, but brisket and pulled pork have always been safe bets for me at the numerous barbecue joints I've visited in Texas.

However, the employees helping me told me the brisket here contained butter. One explained they use butter to keep the brisket moist throughout the day (because if there's one thing Texans don't approve of, it's dry brisket).

Fortunately, though, they said the pulled pork was a safe bet.

I ordered the pulled pork with a side of black beans and house-made garlic pickles.

The pork was cooked quite nicely with a strong pepper seasoning, and the garlic pickles tasted fresh and had a nice kick.

The beans were perfectly fine, but didn't strike me as a side I'd order again. I'd definitely order the pulled pork again, though.

LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue was a popular food truck for seven years before its first brick-and-mortar opened in South Austin in February.

I loved how large the space felt, from the long order counter to the full bar and ample seating space. I arrived on a Wednesday at 3 p.m. and only had to wait about five minutes to order.

LeRoy and Lewis had the largest menu out of all four Michelin-starred restaurants I visited.

I loved seeing unique vegetarian options on the menu, including miso-glazed carrots and cauliflower burnt ends.

Plus, the creative side dishes stood out to me. I'd never seen beef-fat potato chips, pork hash and rice, and chori-papas (a dish with potatoes and chorizo) at a barbecue joint.

I also appreciated that the restaurant had an allergy menu posted inside.

I got pulled pork, brisket, beef-tallow chips, and kimchi, with jalapeños, pickles, and a side of house-made mustard and beet-barbecue sauce.

The meat was enjoyable, but LeRoy and Lewis's creative sides and sauces stole the show. The beef-tallow potato chips were also delicious and crisp, and the kimchi was pleasantly tangy.

Most of the other spots I visited had fairly standard sauces, but the ones here seemed so unique I had to try them. I was impressed — I never anticipated enjoying brisket with savory beet-barbecue sauce quite so much.

To get to CorkScrew BBQ, I drove four hours from San Antonio to Spring, Texas.

The downhome barbecue joint has been around since 2011, and when I arrived at 1:30 p.m. on a Thursday, there was already a long line out front.

I was given a menu to look at while waiting in line, which helped speed up my ordering process. I also appreciated that a server asked if I wanted to buy something to drink while I waited.

CorkScrew's menu had all of the barbecue basics: sliced brisket, pulled pork, turkey, pork ribs, and sausage links.

It also had several unique sandwich choices, like the Whole Hog, which is ¼-pound of pulled pork, a ¼-pound sausage, and a pork rib on a bun.

I also appreciated that the eatery had two taco options using corn tortillas from Tortilleria Zacatecas, a fellow Spring establishment.

I ordered brisket, pulled pork, and pit-smoked beans.

Much to my surprise, I enjoyed the pulled pork more than the brisket, though the latter was nice and juicy. In my experience, pulled pork can be a hit or miss — an afterthought on a barbecue menu that requires copious amounts of sauce to make it enjoyable and less dry.

Here, though, the pork wasn't dry at all, and I didn't feel the need to add any sauce to it. I loved how bite lent a subtly sweet aftertaste that enhanced the natural flavor of the meat itself.

The pit-smoked beans were tasty and had a nice smoky flavor, too.

After visiting all of these Michelin-starred barbecue joints, CorkScrew was my favorite.

Although it took me a long time to get there, the quality of my order and the excellent service I received made my driving and waiting in line well worth it.

The barbecue I tried was excellent, with every single meat and side so perfectly smoked that my only regret was driving home without ordering more.

Had I been a Michelin inspector, I would have awarded CorkScrew BBQ the star based on its pulled pork alone.