Texas Pride Barbecue

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a business that's better than the oil business. Get some land, drill deep, and if you're lucky, rake in the millions. Sure, it's a bit more complicated than that, but oil remains a dominating presence in Texas business, politics, and culture. And while it wasn't the biggest oil company out there, the Wyoming-headquartered Sinclair Oil was perhaps the most distinct in the Lone Star State.

That's partially due to its colorful branding, which featured a big green brontosaurus as the logo. Sinclair Oil filling stations dotted the state, and sometimes featured a smaller-scale replica dino that families could take a photo in front of. It was an old company, founded in 1906. It ranked 21st on the Fortune 500 list in 1955 and 58th in 1969. In 2022, it sold to HollyFrontier and merged into the HF Sinclair Corporation, based in Dallas.

Drive around Texas long enough and you'll likely run into Sinclair Oil somewhere—whether it's a still-working gas station or a barbecue joint showcasing some old collectibles. Texas Pride Barbecue happens to be the latter. You'll find the familiar lineup of texas BBQ staples here, but the biggest reason to visit is the distinct building that the restaurant resides in.

A former filling station, it's adorned in old signage and relics of a bygone era. After chowing down some brisket, you can spend a good chunk of time simply checking out the space and imagining the type of barren landscape each rusty sign came from. No wonder Texas Pride Barbecue appeared on an episode of 'Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives'.

It's not very often that you can recommend to travelers a gas station located on the side of a dusty gravel lot. But in this case, it's a certified blast from the past that'll also serve you a good meal. Fill 'er up.⛽️