This article is part of “New School Barbecue,” our list of 25 barbecue joints worth the drive around the state.
Since first appearing at Southern barbecue joints in the early 1970s, banana pudding has become the de facto sweet sidekick to a three-meat plate. Whether because of its ability to complement decadent cuts of beef, its large-batch capability, or a Nabisco-size marketing budget, the Nilla Wafer-layered dessert has had a stranglehold on the category. But recently, pitmasters have begun looking beyond the American spin on an English trifle, with more singular treats that better capture the spirit of today’s ’cue.
The triple-layer cakes at Truth Barbeque in Houston and Brenham are one distinguished example. Created from recipes passed down by the grandmother of owner Leonard Botello IV and refined by head baker Kiki Wilkins, they weigh in at a hefty pound per slice. Available in flavors like coconut cream, carrot, German chocolate, red velvet, and banana caramel, the towering cakes are now as much of a draw as Truth’s thick-barked brisket. “We wanted to do something different, to make dessert feel as intentional as the rest of the meal,” Botello IV says. “Cake is also a natural extension of the barbecue experience because it adds to that feeling of gathering and celebration.”
Elsewhere, Burnt Bean Co.’s dessert doyenne, Belinda Servantes, has transformed the ordinary in Seguin by injecting tres leches with Big Red soda, turning peach cobbler into a taco, and utilizing freshly baked conchas on a pulled pork sandwich. And at Micklethwait Barbecue in Austin, owner Tom Micklethwait has been dreaming up sweet alternatives for years, from Twonkies (his take on the Hostess Twinkie) to mesquite bean cookies that mimic the flavor of pecan pie. “Banana pudding has always fit barbecue because it’s nostalgic,” Botello IV says, “but tastes have evolved.”
