Pork spare ribs, Hill Country jalapeo cheese sausage, fried chicken sandwiches and sides like Campfire Baked Beans with burnt ends, and potato salad will complete an already hearty meal. Theyre only open Friday to Sunday, from 11 am until they sell out or 3 pm, whichever comes sooner (psst, its usually the sellout that happens first). Cooking teams have even won competitions with our ribs.". B.T. And all that time perfecting his Tennessee-style barbecue craft has certainly paid off. Austin, TexasIs the best brisket of your life worth a three-hour wait? To learn more about Hometown Bar-B-Que, click here >. Austin, TexasThe innovative dishes served up at LeRoy and Lewis will make you rethink all your preconceived notions about what barbecue should be. To learn more about Herman's Ribhouse, click here >. To learn more about Gates Bar-B-Q, click here >. Fugitt, a St. Louis native, describes the dish as"a transcendent pork experience." This joint is so old school that when Ricky Parker purchased the business that B.E. Four whole hog pits contribute a hickory-smoked incense that draws tourists and locals alike into the pitmaster playground for an evening of fun. To learn more about Allen & Son Bar-B-Que, click here >, Puckett's Grocery is a feel-good, Southern-hospitality kind of placewithlivecountry music. To learn more about Skylight Inn BBQ, click here >. Try a Berwyn-Style Super Deluxe BBQ Board, an ever-changing chefs choice of smoked meats, fixins, and sides, and wash it down with their own Babygold branded brews. With credit due to many storied foundations of. To learn more about Central BBQ, click here >. But don't cross it off your list. Husband and wife chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee helm Heirloom Market and its offerings like smoked brisket injected with miso, gochujang-marinated pulled chicken, and spicy pork. Fugitt's favorite item here is thepork with slaw and hush puppies. And dont forget a good hunk of decadent Crack Cake for dessert. These mad scientists of smoked meat serve unique dishes you cant find anywhere else such as bacon ribs, a burnt ends and pork belly combination youll dream about for months after devouring, and some fantastic burgers. Hill Country specializes in Central Texas barbecue with meats smoked in post oak wood from the Lone Star State.

Also, you cannot leave without an order of the banana pudding. Former President George W. Bush declared this his favorite barbecue spot. Whether you like it orginal, mild, sweet and mild, or extra hot, definitely order an extra side of sauce with your 'cue. Iron Star Urban Barbecue, open since 2002, pays homage to Oklahomas most notorious outlaw, Belle Starr, with a polished saloon motif that looks like the kind of place for an old-timey bar brawl. Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaFette Sau, which is German for fat pig, is the place to go with a big crew when you want to settle in for an evening of rowdy drinking and lots of smoked meats.

The dry-rubbed brisket at La Barbecue is smoked from 12 to 15 hours at a low temp; when its sliced, you can see the distinct pink ring that indicates a textbook smoke and melt-in-your-mouth moisture.

In his self-published book, "The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America,"he details his journey and homes in on what he believes are the best 'cue joints in the country. The pork is delicious, but dont sleep on the sides: A to-go container filled with meat, collard greens or cabbage, black-eyed peas, hush puppies, lightly seasoned boiled potatoes, and sweet potato pie is a perfect meal to eat in the car. Charleston, South CarolinaFew have done more to celebrate whole-hog barbecue than James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott. Pro tip: do not, under any circumstances, skip dessert. To learn more about John Russell's Kansas City Barbeque, click here >. "We use our own special rub.

He and his wife Gerri run this down-home restaurant in eastern North Carolina, where theres room for about 16 diners and plenty of parking. Even with his mastery of Texas technique, Rodriguez also nods to local cuisine with Brisket and Queso Empanadas and a standout Tres Leches for dessertthat is, assuming youve still got room.

Youll find meats that have been cooked over hickoryget it by the pound or on white sandwich bread, a vinegar-pepper sauce, handmade slaw, maybe some links if its on offer. While the meats are the headline-grabbers, the half-pound Pit-smoked Burger incorporates brisket scraps, creating some of the more unique flavors youll find squished between a bun. The jalapeo-cheddar grits, ranch-style beans, spoonable mac and cheese, and personal smoked pecan pies are undoubtedly worth saving room for, too. Oklahoma City, OklahomaAny barbecue joint named after a renegade Bandit Queen is bound to intrigue. The charms of their messy, saucy, bark-heavy plates are immediately obvious. We know, purists think sauce belongs on the side (or not on the table at all), but Jabos sauces are a treat on their own. This Kansas City stalwart's secret tosuccess is its signatureGates BBQ sauce, which Fugitt describes as"black pepper-heavy [and]tomato-based." Fort Worth, TexasA quintet of pitmasters craft succulent pork ribs and juicy brisket whose crisp bark might bring you to tears. Now, Arizona cue fans can get a taste of Central Texas-style barbecue with proteins like sliced and chopped brisket, pulled pork and pork spare ribs, sausage, turkey breast, and beef short ribs, all of which are available by the pound at Little Miss. The restaurant is sandwiched between a highway and an apartment building that made a cameo in"Catch Me If You Can. Owensboro, KentuckyDebates have raged for years about whats the superior regional barbecue styleis it Memphis or Kansas City?

The restaurantspecializes in pit-smoked meatsand makes everything (except the locally sourced pickles) in-house. Decatur, AlabamaOn the one hand, the barbecue boom has fueled enough interest in regional variations that its not remotely uncommon anymore to enter a recently opened barbecue establishment anywhere in the country and encounter the distinctive vinegary, mayo-based sauce that Bob Gibson first created generations ago. Must-eats include the Texas Nail, a sandwich made with slow-smoked Prime brisket, cheddar cheese from brewery darling Revolver Blood & Honey, smoked mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted green chiles, lime crema, and jalapeo-barbecue sauce.

Check out the best barbecue joints in Seattle. Want to go hog wild? Murphysboro, IllinoisFew figures in barbecue are as revered as the late Mike Mills and as respected as his daughter Amy, the driving forces behind 17th Street Since the early 90s, 17th Streets cherry- and applewood-smoked, magic-dusted baby back ribs have been winning world championships accolades and breaking competition circuit records. To learn more about Black's Barbecue, click here >. Owner John Rivers fell in love with brisket (and his wife) in Texas, and he ultimately decided to travel around the country to create the perfect brisket recipe. They run the gamut, from choices like smoky mango and pecan to mustard-based. Barbecue crisscrosses cultures like grill marks on a marbled rib-eye steak. To learn more about Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, click here >.

Check out the best barbecue joints in Los Angeles. Somehow said brisket isn't the most exclusive beef on the menumassive, beefy short ribs are served strictly on Saturdays. One of the chef/owners grew up eating barbecue in Southwest Texas and the other used to be a Korean pop star. The menu has grown and includes a variety of specials influenced by the flavors of LA like burnt ends with Korean-style glaze, smoked chicken tostadas, mushroom tacos, and a bonkers smoked burger. He started the business with a mere $6,000, and ithas been going strong for 44 years. Order the trio of smoked ribs (theres a short and meaty baby back varietal, a St. Louis-style spare rib, and a megaton beef number) and engage your inner-caveman as you gnaw em straight down to the bone. What about five hours? Whole hog is their award-winning specialty at competitions, but at the ramshackle Ocean Springs restaurant, you cant go wrong with any order. The fried chicken, available on Tuesdays, is another must. Sweet Lews lives inside an old service station in a historically working-class neighborhood, and its exactly what a barbecue joint should beunfussy and homey, with casual counter service and a concise menu of chopped-pork sandwiches with Lexington-style slaw, barbecue spare ribs, smoked chicken, and classic sides (dont sleep on the boiled potatoes) along with a rotating list of daily specials. Check out the best barbecue joints in San Diego. Paynes serves one of the most revelatory sandwiches in the world. Oakland, CaliforniaOaklands Horn Barbecue comes from pitmaster-extraordinaire Matt Horn and, believe us, youll want to get his Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed, West Coast-style barbecue featuring brisket, spare ribs, pulled pork, and more. In the case of Interstellar BBQ, however, this isnt so much a witty, name-based analogy, as it is a (figurative) reality. Its these traditions that keep the barbecue scene in Memphis alive. Pitmaster Fernando Gonzlez and his wife Debby Gonzlez also offer St. Louis-style pork ribs, pulled pork, and mustard-laced potato salad. Youll see the couples Salvadoran heritage reflected in specials like barbecue pupusas. And don't worry, Lewis does plenty of justice to the porcine pursuits like pulled pork and spare ribsthis is, after all, still Carolina. She grew up busing tables at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor and now helms one of Austins finest barbecue operations. Jones, like his forefathers, uphold Arkansas Delta barbecue traditions and keep things simple and fuss free. Check out the best barbecue joints in North Carolina and South Carolina. San Diego, CaliforniaSister restaurant to owner and pitmaster Andy Harriss Grand Ole BBQ y Asado in North Park (currently undergoing renovations), Grand Ole BBQ Flinn Springs has two full bars, plenty of indoor and patio seating, and live music on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. Vietnamese hot wings, Caribbean jerk baby back ribs, Oaxacan chicken, and Korean pork ribs are just some of the items to enjoy along with Texas-style brisket, pulled pork, collard greens, and Hometown slaw. Pappys opened a second location in St. Peters in the fall of 2020 with a very similar menu sans fried food. Las Vegas, NevadaAfter spreading the word with a series of pop-up events around town, Bruce Kalman finally has a permanent brick-and-mortar location for SoulBelly BBQ, making it one of the best restaurants in town. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider

Although, of course, it offers the traditional combo plate fair, the most popular orders are rarer finds: a reverse seared pork steak and Brussels sprouts. Locals call this place "Pete Jones' BBQ" after owner Pete Jones, who opened the spot when he was just 17. through indigenous peoples, immigrants, enslaved peopletodays smoked meats are, in some parts, tried-and-true traditions and, in others, contemporary approaches. A blowtorch helps caramelize hisapricot-glazed ribs, while a rotisserie-style Ole Hickory Pits smoker adds flavor to the beans. A food truck in Austin purveying cue kissed with flavors of the African diaspora. Chicago, IllinoisIf Texas-style is your thing, this venerable smoke shack has your slow-smoked cravings covered.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat. Seattle, WashingtonAfter trying over 200 barbecue places across the country, esteemed barbecue judge and writer Adrian Miller named Little Reds one of the 20 best black-owned barbecue joints in the nation in his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. Today, theyve got another spot in Vegas and a James Beard nom for pitmaster Quy under their belt. The result? The housemade sausage, pulled pork, house vinegar-based sauce, and spicy mac and cheese likewise shine. Along the way hes racked up a kitchen counter worth of local and national awards, as well as a radio co-hosting gig on The Budweiser Big BBQ Show. Atlanta, GeorgiaThrongs of people line up outside the restaurant, waiting for Korean-lilted barbecue and hoping for a covet spot on the patio. Phoenix, ArizonaPitmaster Mark Smith has been skillfully manning the smokers since 1986. Choose wisely then throw your sauce on the super-sized pulled pork sandwichand absolutely opt for Carolina-style which comes complete with slaw on top. The barbecue here is great, but the pulled-pork barbecue nachos are next-level. Check out the best barbecue joints in Austin.

The restaurant's interiors aren't glamorous, but itsmix of charred and tender pork pieces are downright gorgeous.

Arrive early, though:The restaurant is known for selling out sometimes before 3 p.m. To learn more about City Butcher and Barbecue, click here >, Heirloom fuses American and Korean barbecue for a unique and memorable flavor profile.

Wash it down with something cold from their two dozen taps or creative cocktails, including a nearly perfect Topo Chico margarita. Alabama or East Texas?

Unsurprisingly, succulent, perfectly rendered, and bark-topped brisket tops the menu, followed by ribs, pulled pork, and juicy smoked sausages shipped all the way from Taylor, Texas.