Brisket Battle: Which One Looked Better? The Internet Has Spoken.

When you throw two briskets into the arena of public opinion, you never know what’s going to happen. This week we posted a simple question:

“Which brisket looks better — #1 or #2?”

What followed was pure barbecue chaos in the best way possible.

Hundreds of comments poured in across Reddit and Instagram, and after removing duplicates, jokes, and “I’d eat both” comments (fair point)… we ended up with a clean vote tally.

And yes — there was a winner.

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FINAL RESULTS: ALL PLATFORMS COMBINED

After counting verified, unique votes:

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Brisket #1 — 63 votes

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Brisket #2 — 52 votes

Brisket #1 wins by 11 votes.

But the story behind the votes is what makes this fun.

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What People Saw — And Why They Voted the Way They Did

Even though both briskets looked solid, voters picked up on four major differences between the slices.

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Why Brisket #1 Won

1. It Looked Juicier

This was the #1 reason across every platform.

People repeatedly said it had:

• more moisture

• better fat rendering

• a softer, more supple texture

Barbecue folks know the truth:

Juicy brisket almost always wins in a head-to-head battle.

2. It Looked More Tender

Several comments said #1 “looked like it would pull apart easily but not crumble,” which is exactly what you want.

On social platforms, “bite appeal” matters — and #1 nailed it.

3. Better Overall Eating Potential

Even voters who preferred the look of #2 admitted:

“#2 is prettier, but #1 probably tastes better.”

Flavor perception wins over photo perfection nearly every time.

4. Balanced Bark and Fat Render

People loved the bark on #1 because it wasn’t too charred or too soft. The fat layer looked properly rendered, not stiff or undercooked.

This is classic “Texas barbecue judge brain.”

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Why Brisket #2 Still Put Up a Serious Fight

Despite losing by 11 votes, Brisket #2 had some real advantages.

1. A Killer Smoke Ring

Over and over again, the comments said:

• “Amazing smoke ring.”

• “Best smoke ring I’ve seen.”

• “#2 wins smoke ring all day.”

Does smoke ring affect flavor?

No.

Does it win photos?

Absolutely.

2. Cleaner, More Photogenic Presentation

People said #2 had a:

• tighter slice

• cleaner line

• more uniform structure

If this was a turn-in box photo, #2 might’ve taken first.

3. Better Lighting & Camera Angle

Surprisingly, several voters admitted #2 might have won simply because it was photographed better.

The lesson:

Lighting wins… even in barbecue debates.

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The Big Takeaway

In the end, the majority of voters believed that:

Brisket #1 may not have been the prettiest, but it looked like the one that would TASTE better.

And barbecue is — and always will be — about taste.

Brisket #2 was the “competition-style” beauty queen.

Brisket #1 was the “I want that on my plate right now” champion.