People don’t typically think of Fresno as a place where chefs and restaurateurs go to win awards and be named on lists of the world’s best restaurants. Michelin doesn’t even cover Fresno, with its closest starred restaurants being in Paso Robles and Sacramento.
That dearth of hype may be a benefit, according to some, though in any case, it means that the list of be-accoladed chefs in the area isn’t a long one. Arguably at the top of this short list stand a pair of pitmasters: Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue and the Vallejos (Anthony and Tasha) of Mega Texas Barbeque.
Horn, a Fresno native and Edison grad, was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs in 2021, a year after opening Horn Barbecue in Oakland. He was recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand (awarded to “restaurants worldwide that serve exceptional food at great value”) the same year, and in 2022, was a James Beard Award semifinalist for best new restaurant. Following his success up north, Horn returned to Fresno in January to open a new Horn Barbecue at Granite Park, behind Club One Casino on Cedar and Ashlan (meaning Fresno does have some Michelin representation, if only in a roundabout way).
Anthony and Tasha Vallejo’s Mega Texas Barbeque, meanwhile, started in 2013, serving out of an Arco gas station on McKinley for its first four years of existence. Gradually building a grass-roots following (a gas-roots following, one might say) they were nonetheless named one of Texas Monthly’s 50 best Texas-style barbecue joints in the whole country in 2024. They’ve since received high-profile praise from no less luminaries than comedian Bill Burr (a lesser accolade than Beard or Michelin to be sure, but arguably one reaching a broader audience). Mega Texas has been going strong ever since, with long lines and a crowded dining room basically standard at their Calwa location on Butler and Orange in southeast Fresno. (Anthony Vallejo, an objectively large man, says “Mega” was his nickname during a stint living in Texas, hence the name).
Horn, on the other hand, lately has faced a rash of restaurant closures – SFist reported in February that he had closed all of this Bay Area locations, though the downtown Oakland restaurant has since reopened – not to mention having been dogged by lawsuits, as well as a Fresno Bee exposé published in mid-March, detailing allegations of bounced checks and unpaid wages at his Fresno location. Through it all, Horn Barbecue Fresno is, as of this writing, still operating.
Without getting too deep into speculation, we weren’t sure how much longer we’d have these two famed Fresno meat meccas to pit against one another; so we figured we’d better strike while the smokers were still hot.
Points of comparison
Burr in particular praised Mega Texas’s “Texas Twinkies,” a special consisting of a jalapeno stuffed with brisket, cream cheese and spices. Specials change and both places boast slightly different offerings, so in the interests of not trying to compare apples to oranges, we chose the most “standard” of three meats: brisket, tri tip, and ribs, along with some sides. Plus an a la carte chile verde rib at Mega Texas, since the specials there seem to be a point of differentiation.
Price
Horn: Horn’s menu keeps things simple with a rib plate, brisket plate, and chicken plate, with an option to buy each by the half pound. I asked if they had a sampler and they said no, but they do offer meats by the quarter pound (not on the menu), and so we got a quarter pound each of brisket, ribs, and tri tip, for $8, $8.50, and $8, respectively. Plus a $5 side of collared greens for a total of $29.50 plus tax.
Mega Texas: Mega Texas offers meat by the whole and half pound, plus 1-4 meat sample plates with two sides (along with bowls, specials, and loaded baked potatoes, among other things). We got a three-meat plate with two sides for $36, plus two chile verde ribs for $7.50, for a total of $43.50.
The prices seem comparable, and yes, a little pricey for a weekday lunch. But hey, have you seen meat prices lately? It’s hard to find ground beef at the supermarket for less than $10 a pound these days.
Brisket
Horn: Beautiful, moist, pull-apart brisket, albeit slightly under seasoned. The meat is slightly dry, but the ribbon of fat left on the outside and middle is enough to balance the moisture. 7.5/10.
Mega Texas: Very moist, with a decent amount of residual fat (a plus, for this taster). The exterior is heavily peppered, in the Texas fashion, and seasoned well – leaning more towards salty, but not overly so. It pulls away limply without breaking. Honestly wonderful, very few notes. 9.5/10.
Tri Tip
Mega Texas: Thicker sliced, almost the width of a pinky, clearly moist on the outside and nicely pink in the center, with a little fat left on the outside. The taste is prominently smoky and again, very peppery. Not as salt-forward as the brisket on first bite, but the seasoning is there and you end up wanting more. Texture perfect, much less chewy than a lot of tri tip can be. Melts in your mouth. 9/10.
Horn: Sliced very thin, almost like sandwich meat. They either used a deli slicer or someone there has incredible knife skills. Looks very moist, with a small ribbon of fat on the outside. Perfectly seasoned, mild smoke. Noticeably chewier, but so brilliantly favored that it’s hard to mind. A+. 9/10.
Spare Ribs
Horn: Looks plump, with not all of the fat and connective tissue totally rendered away, with a light coating of reddish-brown sauce on the outside. The smokiness of the meat and sweetness of the sauce are balanced beautifully. It doesn’t fall off the bone, there’s still a chew to it, but it bites clean without breaking, leaving clean bone underneath. Tender, but with moisture left in there. Frankly one of the better ribs I’ve ever had. Excellent. 9/10.
Mega Texas: Looks more peppery and less saucy than Horn, with more of a bark than a glaze. It breaks more than it bites, definitely leaning more towards “fall of the bone,” but not in a way that it just falls apart. It tastes peppery, with a nice balance of sweetness (less sweet than horn). The meat is just a touch dry. 8/10.
Sides
Collard Greens from Horn: These are quite possibly the best collard greens I’ve ever tasted, tender and savory, not too smoky. Perfect, no notes.
Cole Slaw and Potato Salad from Mega Texas: Sweet, traditional mayo-based coleslaw, not mind-blowing but solid and refreshing. Potato salad – also mayo-based – is moist and a little sweet, with pickles, which is nice. 8/10 coleslaw, 8.5/10 potato salad.
Extras
Both places offer raw onions, pickled onions, and pickles. Mega Texas (being Texas-style) also includes some bread, in the form of white rolls. Not much to note here, though the pickles at Horn are especially good.
Chile Verde Ribs at Mega Texas: These were the standout the last time I visited, about six months ago. This time around they’re less… sweet? They’re heavy on the tart tomatillo, and indeed taste just like chile verde. The meat is sadly a bit on the dry side this time. 7/10.
The Texas Twinkie: It is, yes, a jalapeno wrapped with bacon and stuffed with cream cheese and brisket. It sounds like it would be incredibly heavy, but it’s actually not. The proportions keep it from being too greasy. It has a kick from the jalapeño, of course, but the heat isn’t overpowering. Oh yeah, that is weird and good. I’m going to have diarrhea tomorrow and it will be worth it. 9/10.
The vibe
Horn: The location isn’t necessarily the most inviting or visible, sort of tucked behind the Club One Casino in a part of town I don’t spend much time in unless I’m visiting Vallarta’s just down the block (which is, in fairness, pretty often). Still, not very neighborhood-y. Nonetheless, you start to smell the smoke when you pull up, and stepping inside, the interior is spacious, comfortable, and clean. The staff were new and clearly in the process of being trained when I visited, but were polite and competent, and familiar enough with the menu to offer suggestions. Not too many other customers. 5/10.
Mega Texas: This part of town is even farther from my usual North Fresno and Tower haunts, and feels almost like a different city altogether. Mega Texas sits there like a welcoming beacon, neighborhood-y in a way that it’s almost a neighborhood unto itself. The inside is a little cramped, and usually a little crowded, though the outdoor patio seating is very welcoming and comfortable (provided it’s not 100 degrees outside that day). You can sit on picnic tables under an umbrella, listen to the street traffic and watch the smoke billow out of the cookers and really feel like you’re at a barbecue joint. The staff are friendly and efficient, clearly having been there long enough to chat up the regulars. Anthony Vallejo himself was there the day I visited, chewing the fat with the locals and wearing a Mega Texas-branded T-shirt like his own mascot. 8/10.
The verdict
Mixed. It’s disappointing not to be able to be more definitive, but the answers are easier when you break things into smaller categories.
Ribs: Horn.
Brisket: Mega Texas.
Tri Tip: Both very good, and distinct in their own way. If you like it cut thick, Mega Texas. Thin, Horn. I call it a tie.
Sides: Horn. I only tried the collared greens, but it was enough for the ref to call the fight after that.
Extras: Mega Texas. For one thing, there are a lot more of them. And they’re mostly great.
Vibe: Mega Texas in a walk. The only caveat is that it means that your wait time will almost certainly be longer, so Horn might be preferable if you’re in a hurry.
Do you agree with our choices? Are there other restaurants that you think should face each other in a showdown? Send your feedback to vince@fresnoland.org.
