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Helberg Barbecue is a family-owned roadside barbecue joint in Waco, Texas. Run by a tight-knit crew with a heavy focus on quality, consistency, and customer service. Everything is scratch-made in house and cut to order. You might wait in line a little longer, and you might pay a little extra…but once you’ve had it, you’ll understand.

Helberg Barbecue was established in southern California in 2017 by husband and wife team Phillip and Yvette Helberg. Phillip—a native Texan—has always loved to cook, and after a few attempts at cooking briskets, became obsessed with mastering the craft of Central Texas-Style Barbecue.  After numerous road trips across Texas sampling barbecue and scouting the state for a great city to grow their business and family, they decided it was time to move the business back to Phillip’s home state. Just 3 months after pulling across the cattle guard of their ranch in Crawford for the first time, the Helberg Barbecue food trailer opened on April 27, 2018.

The couple worked tirelessly to make the best barbecue they could, and soon after opening, also got pregnant with their first child, Wayne. 2018 was a very difficult year for the Helbergs, with Yvette being unable to work in the trailer in the Texas summer, and without any real network in the greater Waco area, just getting people to show up to try their barbecue was a serious grind. there were many days when the Helbergs struggled just to serve two briskets. After a visit in late summer from Texas Monthly BBQ editor Daniel vaughn, things started to slowly shift….

In May of 2019, Helberg Barbecue was named a “Top 25 Best New BBQ Joints in Texas” by Texas Monthly Magazine. This midterm list was a huge accomplishment for us since they had been open for only one year. just a few weeks later, the Helberg barbecue team, which had then grown to 12 employees, opened a restaurant on State Hwy 6 just outside of Waco. After a tumultuous first year, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the restaurant industry and it was not looking good for the future of Helberg Barbecue, but thanks to a faithful God who we prayed to constantly to carry us through the lockdowns, owners Phillip & Yvette’s fighting entrepreneurial spirit, and a loyal customer base, Helberg Barbecue continued to grow and flourish in 2020. After the lock downs ended, things really started to gain momentum and further expansion ensued, then came the 2021 Texas Monthly Top 50 list—the most prestigious list in all of BBQ. Once named a Top 50 BBQ joint, the future of Helberg Barbecue has started looking brighter and more exciting than ever. We urge you to come see the amazing things happening in our little bbq joint!

In November of 2023, Helberg Barbecue suffered from a kitchen fire that destroyed most of their restaurant. They are currently operating with a temporary trailer set up like the early days while they build a new restaurant from the ground up. This journey is far from over for the Helbergs, but they continue to persevere as they face this trial head on.