Texas BBQ Joints Never Offer Seafood – Why Not?

Texas has a almost 3,400 miles of coastline and easy access to a zillion types of fish and other seafood. You never see it offered at Texas BBQ joints though. Why not?

With almost as much coastline as California, (3,427 miles for them vs 3,359 for Texas), seafood is readily available and served in restaurants all over the lone star state. Not all of 'em though.

Why don't you ever find fish at Texas BBQ joints?

The reasons are actually pretty simple and they boil, (no pun intended), down to these 4: Cost, Flavor, Cooking Style and the Law.

How Do Cost And The Law Play Into This?

Steaks, seafood and barbecue are among the most expensive types of food products. It's not a good idea to combine those costs in a restaurant. - chron

READ MORE: Don't Use These Recalled BBQ Seasonings

On top of that, seafood comes with other conditions. For example, fish and shellfish that are caught in the wild have to have tags showing where, when, and how it was caught. The law also requires documentation on how it was preserved. Where and when certain types of seafood, (tuna for example), can be caught is also sometimes regulated.

What About Flavor And Cooking Style?

BBQ pits form a mix of flavors, created by EVERYTHING that's cooked in them. If you cook a fish in there, your meats will carry a fishy smell and taste which we carnivores don't like. It's just weird.

If you want to smoke fish, (by itself), go for it ...

Cooking Style

Fish and meat are 2 very different animals, (literally and figuratively), when it comes to how you cook them. Beef and pork are tough and can "take the heat". Slow cook a fish, especially on a cast iron grate, and when you take it off it gets really dry and flaky. That, in turn usually results in it breaking into pieces.

You also can't store fish in a warmer until it's needed. Unlike meat which can sit awhile, fish has to be eaten right away. Otherwise, it gets too dry and/or goes bad.