Phoenix native Scott Holmes' barbecue journey began with an impromptu visit to The Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood in 2005. While attending a wedding in nearby Fredericksburg with his girlfriend and future wife, Bekke, they joined her family in a classic Texan rite-of-passage: take out-of-towners to eat barbecue.

The Salt Lick is an ideal spot to do this. The rural setting features a rambling wood-and-limestone building with a big patio filled with picnic tables under expansive oak trees. The fragrance of burning live oak wafts through the grounds as visitors take obligatory photos next to the brick-walled, direct-heat grills piled high with sausage and brisket.

GUIDE: Houston's best barbecue joints

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Holmes was hooked. After settling back in Phoenix with Bekke, he started researching the traditions and techniques of Texas barbecue. These were........

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