These Are the Best Texas-Style Barbecue Joints in America

Phoenix

Little Miss BBQ

Scott Holmes had a culinary-school education, but he left the restaurant industry when, on a visit to the parents of  his soon-to-be wife, Bekke, he tried the Salt Lick in Driftwood, thirty minutes southwest of Austin, for the first time. He was hooked, and he and Bekke entered several barbecue competitions. After some success, they decided Phoenix needed a Central Texas–style joint. First they had to convince reluctant city authorities to allow the use of offset smokers. A health department official also said they needed more cooler space for the leftovers—but they weren’t going to have any leftovers. In 2014, Little Miss BBQ was one of the first joints outside Texas to go all in on the Texas craft barbecue model: smoke only the amount of meat you can do incredibly well, slice it fresh for each customer, and put up a Sold Out sign when it’s gone. Besides the great brisket and ribs, Little Miss BBQ has been making its own sausages since day one. And don’t miss the smoked pecan pie for dessert. You can also find Little Miss BBQ at a second location, in Sunnyslope, twenty minutes north of downtown Phoenix, which opened in 2018.

Pro tip: Little Miss BBQ recently opened sister restaurant Full Speed to focus on ribs and Nashville hot chicken.

Russellville

Ridgewood Brothers BBQ

Robert Couser and Grant Hall aren’t brothers, but they’ve been friends since fourth grade, growing up on Ridgewood Drive in Russellville, Arkansas. A shared love for barbecue convinced them to open a food truck together in 2017, and the Ridgewood Brothers BBQ brick-and-mortar followed in 2022. The menu is written in Sharpie on butcher paper, and so are a few history lessons about the German and Czech influences on the Central Texas–style of barbecue the friends serve. Brisket is the prize here, but don’t sleep on the juicy turkey. Smoked sausages are made in-house, and the bacon burnt ends are perfectly tender. Several desserts are always available, but look for the orange creamsicle pie on the specials board.

Pro tip: The Cheesy Jalapeño Rice Grits (similar to corn grits, but smoother) are a must-order.

Little Rock

Wright’s Barbecue

Jordan Wright had his first bite of juicy brisket at the Salt Lick, in 2014, and was immediately hooked on barbecue. After moonlighting as a food truck operator, Wright was ready to make the jump to a permanent building. His banker father considered his business plan too shaky to give him a loan to renovate an old house in Johnson, outside the college town of Fayetteville, so he got the capital from a different bank. The location opened in 2017. Three more have followed, including one in Little Rock that opened last year. That’s where I’ve had my best meal at Wright’s Barbecue. The chicken bacon ranch sandwich, with sliced smoked chicken, bacon burnt ends, and house-made ranch, is a revelation. The ribs are peppery, sweet, and tender, and even the lean brisket is juicy. Mashed potatoes are an unusual barbecue side, but they don’t disappoint, and the shells and cheese are something special too.

Pro tip: There’s just one dessert option, but thankfully, it’s one of the best banana puddings you’ll ever eat.

El Granada

Breakwater Barbecue

El Granada is right on the Pacific, and pitmaster Wyatt Fields loved surfing those waves long before he found barbecue. Just before the pandemic, in 2020, he opened Breakwater Barbecue in a renovated house with a view of the water. Takeout orders sustained the new business, and it’s now a community staple that’s easy to spot thanks to the offset smokers parked out front. The jet-black bark on the brisket brings a clean, smoky flavor to the juicy slices. The massive spareribs are smoked to just the right tenderness before getting a sweet glaze, and the coarse-ground smoked sausage, made with mostly brisket trim, is juicy with a great snap. The rest of the brisket trim goes into the praiseworthy burger, which is covered with grilled onions, shredded lettuce, pickles, sauce, and more chopped, smoked brisket under a blanket of American cheese. Brighten up that smoke bomb with the unconventional slaw, made with slivers of green apple and cilantro.

Pro tip: The cornbread is so sweet and buttery, it can double as dessert.

Alameda

Fikscue

“Indo-Tex” is how Reka and Fik Saleh describe the style of barbecue they sell at their joint, Fikscue. It began as two separate takeout businesses the couple operated out of their home kitchen in 2020. Reka focused on Indonesian cuisine and Fik sold his smoked meats. They combined both when their restaurant opened just south of Oakland last year. Expect a line down the block when they open, at noon on Saturdays and Sundays, for Texas classics like fatty brisket, massive beef short ribs, and smoked jalapeño-cheese beef sausages. The last are thinner than usual due to the lamb casings. The Salehs are Muslim and keep the menu halal, so don’t look for pork ribs. Instead, try the signature brisket rendang, a spicy Indonesian stew made with tender chunks of smoked brisket and coconut milk. The kale curry, seasoned with lime leaves and served alongside, is spectacular, as are sides of cabbage-and-cucumber slaw in a peanut dressing and creamy potato salad with green onions and fried shallots.

Pro tip: Kopiko Coffee Candy, a caffeinated Indonesian hard candy, is available by the register.

San Juan Capistrano

Heritage Barbecue

Ranking: No. 5

Seven years ago, Daniel and Brenda Castillo were already gaining fans at their weekend backyard pop-ups. By 2020 they had their first brick-and-mortar, Heritage Barbecue. A second location that included a brewery followed in Oceanside last year. The couple worked to clarify state laws that eventually allowed the use of wood-burning offset smokers at California restaurants. A fleet of Texas-built smokers from M&M, Mill Scale, and Cen-Tex are fueled with California white oak to produce stunning brisket, sweet-glazed pork ribs, and house-made smoked sausages that vary from classic Texas style to red coconut curry. Look for specials like smoked brisket birria tacos, the pastrami Reuben, and smoked chicken quarters with mole. It’s all good enough to have garnered a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide.

Pro tip: After your meal, tour the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, across the street.

Fresno

Mega Texas Barbeque

Since 2018, Anthony and Tasha Vallejo served their Texas-style barbecue out of a gas station in Fresno. Late last year, they moved into a restaurant space of their own. The menu has some California flair—as evidenced in the pork ribs slathered in a salsa verde while being smoked and some of the best smoked tri-tip I’ve ever eaten—but the inspiration is all Texas. Even the bright red “Mega Texas BBQ” sign painted on the building has some H-E-B vibes. Barbecue basics like smoked turkey breast and skin-on chicken thighs are done well, and the specialty bacon-wrapped chicken-leg “lollipops” and stuffed jalapeños are equally impressive.

Pro tip: Place a pin on the map of the United States on the wall that shows where customers hail from.

Los Angeles

Moo’s Craft Barbecue

Ranking: No. 4

Andrew and Michelle Muñoz evaded the health department for a couple years by selling their barbecue by word of mouth before getting a spot in Smorgasburg, an open-air food market, in 2019. Two years later, Moo’s Craft Barbecue opened a permanent location in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. For California, this is the closest you’re going to get to the experience of eating craft barbecue in Texas. Impeccable smoked brisket, sausages, and spareribs are sold by the pound and served on butcher paper–lined trays. Pork belly burnt ends are smoked until the meat is tender and the fat gushes. The smoked burger is impressive on its own, but it’s even better with a scoop of smoked brisket chili, made the Texas way—without beans. The quality has made Moo’s another California barbecue joint on Michelin’s Bib Gourmand list.

Pro tip: The rich bread pudding topped with fresh strawberries is a must for dessert.

Los Alamos

Priedite Barbecue

When his hospitality job evaporated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicholas Priedite turned to entrepreneurship. He sold takeout meals until the first official pop-up for Priedite Barbecue, on Labor Day 2021. He and his business partner, Brendan Dwan, served as many customers as they could from folding tables under a tent. Earlier this year, they parked their new food truck in the back lot of wine shop Bodega, in Los Alamos, a small town in California cattle country an hour northwest of Santa Barbara. Sundays are reserved for burgers, and the Thursday feature is the tri-tip sandwich, but Saturdays are when you’ll find the full Texas-style spread. Whether you order the juicy Ranchero Sausage, the sweet and salty pork ribs, or the supple brisket slices, add a few made-in-house beef-fat tortillas. Better yet, find simple bliss with the bean-and-cheese taco. Pinquito beans are part of central California’s barbecue tradition, and a bowl from Priedite, made with onions, garlic, tomato, and a puree of ancho and morita chiles, is legume perfection.

Pro tip: The buttermilk pudding dessert is paired with jam made from local in-season fruits.

Huntington Park

Ray’s Texas BBQ

The Ramirez family carries on the legacy that the late Rene “Ray” Ramirez started back in 2014 with the opening of Ray’s Texas BBQ. After Ray passed away two years ago, his widow, Anabell; sons Sebastian and Raul; and longtime employee Laura Sandoval decided that continuing to serve barbecue would be their therapy, and they closed for only one day. Sebastian and Raul took a crash course to learn what Ray hadn’t yet taught them about smoking meat, and they continue to work as a pitmaster team in the small Huntington Park storefront. The house-made jalapeño-cheese sausage is better than ever, and the pork ribs have a unique flavor from the balance of vinegar and sugar in the glaze. Brisket slices from the lean or fatty side stand on their own, though it’s hard to resist the signature Pitmaster Sandwich, piled high with sliced brisket, roasted jalapeños, slaw, pickles, and barbecue aioli topped with two slices of melted pepper jack cheese.

Pro tip: The 10 a.m. opening time means items can run out earlier than a typical joint.

Waterbury

Hindsight BBQ

With Christmas coming up in 2012, Jeff Schmidt didn’t know what to get his dad. He found a heavily discounted smoker and bought it on a whim. The two became obsessed, and they took turns choosing the next meat to smoke. Schmidt’s first pop-ups were in his mother’s restaurant, before he converted an old diner into his Hindsight BBQ in 2020. Two massive, Texas-built smokers fill the pit room. Pitmaster Jay Rosko and his team keep them full of house-made sausages that vary from week to week. I wished I could have tried the mushroom Swiss version, but the blueberry gouda was a surprising triumph. A stout bark on the brisket brings plenty of smoke and seasoning with every bite, and the large spareribs are plenty tender. Side options change regularly, but I loved the pumpkin honey cornbread and the onion rings drizzled with hot honey. I could drink the gravy that comes with the mashed potatoes.

Pro tip: Adventurous eaters will enjoy the creativity behind the wing flavor of the week.

Ridgefield

Hoodoo Brown BBQ

Owner Cody Sperry and manager Chris Sexton helped change perceptions about what barbecue could be in Connecticut when they opened Hoodoo Brown BBQ in 2015, in Ridgefield, not far from the New York state line. Since then, they’ve added to the roster Tyler Hodge, the self-titled “Sausage King of Connecticut,” who produces link variations that include turkey shawarma, Viet-Cajun boudin, and a concoction that mimics the hashbrown casserole from Truth Barbeque, in Houston. Pulled pork was the original customer favorite, but brisket is now the well-deserved top seller. The Cracklin’ Pork Belly—a signature item—has a glassy skin that shatters under the knife, and the fresh tomato relish served alongside is the perfect complement.

Pro tip: Don’t miss the desserts, such as chocolate chip bread pudding and banana bourbon cream pie, which are made by Sperry’s mother.

Orlando

Smokemade Meats + Eats

The smell of fat dripping onto coals was in the air when I pulled up to Smokemade Meats + Eats. Beautifully charred half chickens were coming off the direct-heat pit just before opening time, and next to the pit was an offset smoker full of briskets for the following day. Inside, as owner Tyler Brunache, who started the joint as a pop-up in 2021, manned the cutting block, Brunache confirmed that Goldee’s Barbecue had influenced his freshly baked white bread, golden barbecue sauce, and spectacular sides of pork hash on rice and creamy cheese grits. The half chicken tastes as good as it looks. The bark on the pork ribs glistens from a sweet glaze, and the casing on the beefy hot-gut sausage is plenty snappy. Savory collard greens and pinto beans studded with brisket are pure comfort. Freshly baked dessert options abound, as at many barbecue joints, but since I was in Florida, I had to get the key lime pie, its tangy filling balanced by the sweet, buttery graham cracker crust.

Pro tip: Buy a loaf of the house-made white bread to take home.

Atlanta

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q

Georgia’s barbecue culture runs deep, particularly when it comes to dishes such as chopped pork and Brunswick stew. Brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox found plenty of that when they moved from Fort Worth to Atlanta—Jonathan in 1998 and Justin in 2000—but they missed Texas barbecue. Homesick and hungry, they started smoking briskets in their backyard, which led to pop-ups and eventually to the opening of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q with partner Beau Nolen. In 2007, Fox Bros. was one of the few barbecue joints outside Texas making smoked brisket, and it took years for the cut to outsell pulled pork and chicken. These days Atlanta is a brisket town—the cut is featured at nearly every local joint, including the five locations of Fox Bros.

Pro tip: The only location where the meat is sliced in front of the customer is in Brookhaven, twenty minutes north of downtown Atlanta.

Smyrna

Owens & Hull

Ranking: No. 3

Atlanta restaurateur Robert Owens, who previously owned several Grand Champion BBQ locations, teamed up with local pop-up barbecue phenom Bryan Hull, of Secret Pint BBQ, to rebrand his joint. The new Owens & Hull is tucked behind an apartment complex, next to a brewery, at the southern tip of Smyrna, and it goes against the table-service model of most Atlanta barbecue joints. Orders are taken at the counter, where Hull slices meats pulled from the Primitive Pits smoker that sits just outside the front door. The Prime-grade sliced brisket (Fridays and Saturdays only) is the best I’ve had in Georgia, but the juicy, peppery smoked turkey breast might be the best protein on the menu. Every week brings a new sausage variety, such as the garlicky Portuguese linguica calabrese I enjoyed. The side of shells and cheese is a standout, as was the special of Cajun rice with brisket gravy.

Pro tip: Visit on a Thursday if you want to try the smoked burger with onion jam.

Savannah

Slow Fire BBQ

When I first found Slow Fire BBQ, last year, the brand-new barbecue bus was in a food truck park in Savannah. Now you can find it in front of its future brick-and-mortar every weekend. Owner Terren Williams spent years working as a chef in Texas and his native Savannah before buying a smoker in 2021. He wanted to re-create his favorite food memories from Smitty’s Market, in Lockhart, and Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington. While Williams smokes a fine brisket, the substantial, pull-apart-tender beef ribs with a stout bark are the specialty. The sliced pork belly is lusciously fatty, while the spareribs are perfectly tender, and the house-made sausages are all impressive. The sides show a chef’s touch, with the drizzle of chile crisp over the slaw and creamy mac and cheese topped with crushed Ritz crackers and chili cheese Fritos warmed in brown butter. Williams’s take on esquites blends mayo and cotija cheese with pureed preserved lemons, parsley, and harissa.

Pro tip: Order the Smokegasbord for a sample of every meat besides the beef rib.

Chicago

Green Street Smoked Meats

When pitmaster Dave Bonner offered me a head-to-head tasting of his double-patty smokehouse burger and the far more famous one from Au Cheval, across the street (both are owned by the Hogsalt restaurant group), I couldn’t say no. My two tablemates and I declared Green Street’s the winner. The barbecue joint, which opened in 2014, is also serving the best beef rib I’ve had in Chicago, and the brisket isn’t far behind. You’ll find picture-perfect pork ribs and slices of pork belly so tender they struggle not to fall apart. While Chicago is a sausage town, you don’t often find a Texas hot link of this quality in the city. A bite from the colorful array of pickled vegetables helps cleanse the palate. The underrated star of the menu is the smoked chicken quarter, with luscious meat beneath a crisp mahogany skin, made even better with a dunk in the white barbecue sauce.

Pro tip: The line can be long, but you’ll stand next to a bar serving excellent cocktails for most of it.

Ruston

Bad Wolf BBQ

Louisiana native Andrew Caskey found his calling after a two-week trek through Texas. He launched his Bad Wolf BBQ truck in Ruston, about an hour east of Shreveport, in 2019, then used a pandemic hiatus to build a commissary kitchen before moving into the Heard Freighthouse food truck park, which backs up to railroad tracks. Brisket is the best-seller here, and for good reason. The fat cap is well rendered beneath a peppery bark, and the slices pull easily without falling apart. The shimmering brisket burnt ends are one-bite treats, and Caskey makes a banger of a brisket boudin that oozes with melted pepper jack. Rather than going traditional with his ribs, Caskey smokes and fries his baby backs, then tosses them in a sweet chile glaze before adding sesame seeds and green onions as garnish. I couldn’t resist the Chimi sandwich, with sliced beef and chimichurri aioli on a jalapeño-cheddar bun.

Pro tip: Ask for a side of the chimichurri aioli, because it goes well with everything.

Lafayette

Blanchard’s BBQ

Matt and Christy “Kissy” Blanchard fell in love with barbecue in Memphis, but they knew they’d be serving Texas-style brisket at their food truck when it opened in 2014. A brick-and-mortar location of Blanchard’s BBQ followed in 2018. The menu reflects the Blanchards’ efforts to differentiate their cooking from classic southern Louisiana cuisine. There is no rice dressing or boudin, and the sauce comes on the side, though the Creole mustard sauce is a dead giveaway of the locale. Try it on the house-made smoked sausage, which is incredibly juicy, with a bold mix of Cajun spices. Save the espresso sauce for the brisket (not that it needs any). The thick slices pull apart easily, while well-rendered fat moistens every bite. A generous handful of the chopped brisket comes atop the house-specialty poutine, made with fresh-cut fries, a rich brown gravy of smoked brisket drippings, and queso fresco.

Pro tip: Too many sauces at a barbecue joint can be a red flag, but all the ones here are excellent.

Luling

Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ

Smoked boudin has become a favorite at plenty of Texas barbecue joints, but I’ve never had one as good as the brisket boudin Jason Gonzalez makes at Gonzo’s Smokehouse & BBQ. It’ll take some planning to try it. The location, which opened in 2020, offers its full barbecue menu on Fridays only, and the line forms long before the 11:30 a.m. opening time. If the boudin sells out, the consolation prizes aren’t bad. Excellent slices of smoked brisket are just the start—the joint is a burnt-end paradise. Depending on the weekly special, you’ll find brisket, pork belly, beef belly, or pork-jowl burnt ends. The pork jowl comes with a sticky char siu glaze that is the perfect marriage of Louisiana ingredients and Texas cooking methods. Or just fill up on sides, such as the smoked gouda grits and the dirty rice topped with shredded smoked beef cheeks. Don’t miss the pickled pineapple garnish.

Pro tip: Preorders for Friday go live the Sunday prior at 10 a.m.

Riverdale Park

2Fifty Texas BBQ

Fernando González had never heard of Franklin Barbecue until he was stuck in Austin on a business trip. He loved its brisket so much, he brought a whole one back to his native El Salvador, handed it to his wife, Debby Portillo, and told her it was their future. She thought it looked more like a rock than beef, but by 2020, four years later, the couple had moved to the Washington, D.C., area and opened 2Fifty Texas BBQ. González attended a barbecue class at Goldee’s Barbecue, in Fort Worth, and brought in consultant Mauro “Max” Chiefari to learn the finer points of sausage making, which are evidenced in the poblano and the spicy cheddar links. 2Fifty offers Wagyu and Prime-grade briskets, and both are smoked until juicy. The tender ribs are well seasoned. Sides are categorized as “Traditional,” such as potato salad and slaw, or “Heritage,” a grouping that includes Salvadoran touches, like in the red beans slowly simmered in beef fat and the golden fried plantains.

Pro tip: Order the sweet potato mash if you love roasted marshmallows.

Stevensville

Bark Barbecue Café

Boris Ghazarian and his son Berj run the food-flavoring business Itaberco on Kent Island, about an hour outside Washington, D.C. They lacked good restaurants near the facility, so Berj used his passion for Texas barbecue to solve the problem. In 2021 he parked a couple offset smokers under a canopy in the parking lot and opened Bark Barbecue Café. It almost immediately gained fans from farther afield thanks to its masterful brisket, smoked and seared pork belly, and juicy smoked chicken. The spareribs don’t adhere to any barbecue style—they’re separated before being smoked, for extra bark; braised in a Korean-influenced barbecue sauce; smoked again; glazed with honey, ginger, and gochugaru (red chile flakes); and broiled to caramelize the sauce just before serving. The process for the Laser Potatoes is just as rigorous, and the finished product is akin to a fried cube of scalloped potatoes. A side of red rice made by Berj’s Armenian mother is based on a recipe for karmir pilaf, a dish in which beef fat, onions, and tomatoes flavor the rice as it cooks.

Pro tip: The $39 Pitmaster Platter comes with three meats and three sides and is the best deal on the menu.

Michigan

Ann Arbor

Ricewood

A rice bowl doesn’t sound like a traditional Texas barbecue offering, but at Ricewood, Gabe Golub and his half-brother, Frank Fejeran, have made it so by topping it with half a pound of smoked meat. What began as a food truck in 2015 moved indoors in 2019 and added a second location across town in 2022. Sliced brisket is the most popular topping for the rice bowls, but I preferred the slices of pork belly so tender they melted in my mouth, along with some lightly pickled cucumbers and house-made kimchi. Each bowl is drizzled with a sweetened vinegar habanero sauce available in three levels of heat and based on a recipe from Fejeran’s mother.

Pro tip: Specials, such as smoked and fried chicken wings and the smoked cheeseburger, aren’t always the same at both locations, so pay attention to social media.

Minneapolis

Animales Barbeque Co

Jon Wipfli has parked his Animales Barbeque Co food truck, which opened in 2018, outside Bauhaus Brew Labs for the last three years. He closes it for a few months every year due to the brutal Minnesota winters. Next year Animales will be moving into its own permanent spot, which will allow it to stay open year-round. Brisket isn’t always on the menu at the current food truck, though beef ribs, smoked beef cheeks, and smoked birria tacos are popular specials. The smoked sausages are always impeccably made. The pork ribs get a good dose of dry rub before smoking and a sweet glaze after. It’s hard to top the pork belly burnt ends, which are smoked until the layers of meat and fat condense to become a smoky gusher. And as a beef lover, I was surprised by how much I obsessed over the smoked chicken Caesar sandwich.

Pro tip: Animales uses locally made bread, so don’t sleep on the barbecue sandwiches.

Kansas City

Chef J BBQ

The West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas City is full of old-school brick buildings. Inside one of them, you’ll find a barbecue counter that looks like it came straight out of Texas. That’s how you’ll know you’re at Chef J BBQ, established in 2020. Order directly from owner and pitmaster Justin Easterwood, who slices fatty brisket so tender it wobbles. Most KC joints use brisket for burnt ends, but the burnt ends here are of the pork belly variety. Jalapeño-cheese sausage is a staple, but look for whatever link is on special, too. The pork ribs are savory and sweet because of the thin glaze. Share a photo of your barbecue tray—with the slaw, pickles, onions, esquites, and banana pudding—and it’ll be hard convincing folks it wasn’t built in Texas.

Pro tip: You can find Chef J BBQ at Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals, on select dates through the rest of baseball season.

St. Louis

Fourth City Barbecue

At the back of Fortune Teller Bar, you’ll find the counter for Fourth City Barbecue, helmed by married couple Greg Mueller and Erica McKinley since 2023. They’re trying to create a barbecue style unique to St. Louis, with Texas brisket as the foundation. Both the lean and fatty slices of brisket were the best I’ve had in St. Louis, a town better known for its ribs. The beef rib here doesn’t disappoint either; it’s brined like pastrami and served with house-made mustard sauce. The star of the sides is the savory bacon fried rice, studded with lardons and garnished with green onion. Creamy macaroni salad paired well with the crunch of the broccoli salad that incorporated almonds, raisins, and apples. Rather than serving white bread, McKinley bakes a sweet and buttery cornbread that comes with every plate along with hot honey butter.

Pro tip: Order a cocktail from Fortune Teller Bar while waiting for your order.

Raytown

Harp Barbecue

Tyler Harp and his father, Bob, took their first trip to Texas expecting the barbecue to pale in comparison to Kansas City’s. Instead, they found the best barbecue they’d ever eaten at Austin’s la Barbecue and many other Central Texas stops. Less than three years later, in 2019, Tyler started Harp Barbecue as a pop-up in KC to share Texas-style barbecue with the locals. He moved the operation to a brick-and-mortar in Raytown, about ten miles southeast, two years ago, and another move to a larger location in Overland Park, Kansas, is scheduled for next month. Harp has made its name on smoked brisket, but the ribs are also stellar and offered fresh during the weekends; smoked-and-fried ribs are available during the week with different sauces. Rotating sausage flavors, such as pepper jack boudin and maple blueberry, never fail to impress.

Pro tip: Get whole slabs of pork ribs on Saturdays for just $25.

Alliance

Golden Hour Barbecue

Ranked No. 10

Flor and Fletcher Sheridan left Houston, where Fletcher got his barbecue education, for Flor’s hometown in western Nebraska. Their Golden Hour Barbecue, which opened in March, is a classic small-town barbecue joint in a historic building (constructed in 1914) along the main drag. Fletcher mans the counter and the smokers out back that burn post oak trucked in from Texas. You’d have to drive all day to find another spot with brisket this good. The luscious, fatty slices are dripping with well-rendered fat, and are encircled with a smoky bark. I loved the bold flavor of both the jalapeño cheese sausage and the garlicky beef sausage that would be right at home in Texas. Even the pulled pork is impressive, especially with a splash of the golden barbecue sauce. Look for specials like pork belly burnt ends, and year-round favorites such as the crunchy slaw and homey banana pudding.

Pro tip: This being Nebraska, there are amazing corn dishes to be had, including the smoked corn on the cob (summer only) and the rich corn casserole.

Las Vegas

Soulbelly BBQ

I don’t know of another barbecue joint that makes its own pasta for mac and cheese, and this one’s a stunner. Bruce Kalman made his name as a chef at several popular red-sauce Italian restaurants in California and moved to Las Vegas to open his own. When that fell through, he pivoted to a cuisine that food-loving Vegas was light on: barbecue. The pair of Mill Scale offset smokers in front of Soulbelly BBQ let you know this place is serious about cooking with wood. Kalman and his team’s barbecue skills have developed since the joint was founded in 2021, and they’re now serving impressive sliced brisket, savory pork ribs, and house-made green chile and cheese sausages. Other Texas touches include the chile con carne—made from smoked brisket chunks and barbacoa—served on corn tortillas. The smoked burger on a house-made bun is pure pleasure.

Pro tip: The mac and cheese is great, but the deep-fried mac and cheese balls are even better.

Cloudcroft

Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue

James Jackson’s first foray into barbecue was with a food truck in his native Lockhart, also known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas. The mountain town of Cloudcroft, in southern New Mexico, had far less competition, and Jackson found a building for sale there for the right price. He opened Mad Jack’s nine years ago and drives back and forth from Lockhart to haul the loads of post oak he insists on using in his Oyler smokers. I first tried his barbecue six years ago, and it has gotten markedly better since. The fatty brisket is great but it doesn’t compare to the beef short rib, with its deep smoke ring and a jet-black bark. One could make a meal of just a bowl of the savory pinto beans and sweet slab of buttery cornbread, though I wouldn’t skip the green chile sausage with a snappy casing that gleams with beef fat.

Pro tip: Ask Jackson about the jars of cash on display and you’ll get a great story.

Brooklyn

Bark Barbecue

The sign above Bark Barbecue’s stall (not to be confused with Bark Barbecue Café in Maryland, also on this list) that opened at the Time Out Market food hall in 2020 reads “Dominican-Texas Style.” Owner and pitmaster Ruben Santana blends the flavors of his heritage with Texas barbecue he smokes offsite in a fleet of offset smokers. The rub on his tender and smoky brisket has a traditional base of salt and black pepper but gets Dominican flair with oregano and dried ancho powder—both seasonings show up in most of the meats and sides. While smoked sausage and pork ribs are on the menu, the Dominican-style smoked chicharron is the must-order. The skin-on pork belly is smoked until tender, then fried so the skin puffs up like crackling. A bite isn’t complete without a squeeze of lime. Rice and black beans are mixed and stewed in beef broth for arroz congri. Other sides include fried sweet plantains called maduros and deep-fried batons of white cheese—try them both with chopped pork on the Tres Golpes sandwich.

Pro tip: When you order a “torta” here just know that it looks more like what Texans would consider cornbread. It’s seasoned like a spice cake and served with honey butter.

Brooklyn

Hometown Bar-B-Q

Billy Durney became enraptured with the meats at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, about thirty miles north of Austin, in 2007. He was working in private security for celebrities at the time, but discovered then that barbecue would be part of his future. Six years later, Durney opened Hometown Bar-B-Q in a secluded corner of his native Red Hook neighborhood. The menu was an homage to the foods he grew up eating prepared with Texas barbecue techniques. Instead of pork belly burnt ends, Durney serves a thick slice of pork belly pastrami smoked in a Texas-built, wood-fired Oyler rotisserie. Baby back ribs get a char siu glaze, and a jerk marinade spices up the rib tips. The Texas basics are equally impressive, such as the hearty pork spare ribs, the peppery brisket, and one of the few beef short ribs I’ve found outside of Texas that can rival Louie Mueller’s.

Pro tip: Don’t plan on making it to New York anytime soon? A second location of Hometown Bar-B-Que opened in Miami in 2019.

Buffalo

Southern Junction

Ranked No. 6

Ryan Fernandez was born in Kerala, India, and went to high school in Plano. He has combined cuisines from both places into his ground-breaking barbecue joint in Buffalo. Southern Junction was first housed in a restaurant incubator in 2020. Fernandez opened the brick-and-mortar last year, and received a James Beard Award nomination for the Emerging Chef Award this year. Expect a line outside before the late afternoon opening. A classic Texas barbecue tray can be had with glistening slices of brisket, maple-glazed pork ribs, a Texas hot link, mac and cheese, and brisket beans. That’s all great, but the real reward is in items like brisket biryani and the barbecue foldie, a paratha (Indian flatbread) filled with smoked and pulled beef shoulder, mixed with caramelized onions, garam masala, and a coconut curry sauce. The shatteringly crisp skin of the juicy smoked chicken is coated in a combination of garlic, ginger, shallots, and curry leaves toasted in coconut oil. The honey butter cardamom cornbread is sweet enough for dessert, but I licked the banana pudding bowl clean.

Pro tip: Skip the line by ordering at the bar if a seat is available.

Cary

Dampf Good BBQ

In 2021, the first few barbecue pop-ups of Dampf Good BBQ, operated by brothers Nick and Bryce Dampf, didn’t go so well. Folks in Smithfield, North Carolina, came seeking inexpensive pork sandwiches, but found pricey sliced brisket instead. The brothers found their sweet spot in 2022 after moving their truck north to Cary, an affluent suburb of Raleigh. The peppery brisket is the best-seller—one bite of the boldly flavored burnt end will tell you why—but the pastrami is hot on its heels. Spare ribs often get a sweet glaze these days, but the Dampfs keep it simple with a simple dry rub and plenty of oak smoke. The sausages are well-crafted, and sliced pork belly is meltingly tender. Sweet and salty Brussels sprouts are roasted until just tender, and meaty beans, creamy mac and cheese, and loaded mashed potato salad round out the side options.

Pro tip: The pork belly is listed on the menu as “bacon brisket.”

Peachland

Jon G’s Barbecue

Ranked No. 8

The line gets so long on Saturday mornings at Jon G’s—the only day it’s open—that workers offer customers sausage klobasniky from a food truck outside the restaurant to munch on while waiting. Garren and Kelly Kirkman have turned this joint outside of Charlotte into the Snow’s BBQ of North Carolina. Anticipation builds among the diners, many of them with a free beer in hand from the community cooler, as opening time approaches. They’re here for brisket unlike what you could find in the state just five years ago. The smoked turkey and bacon burnt ends are pretty impressive as well. I love the local touches like using Cheerwine soda in the smoked sausage. A few sides, such as brisket fried rice and spiced corn esquites, have international flair. If it’s on special, get the batata salad, which is smashed potato with lemon, garlic, cilantro, and crushed red pepper.

Pro tip: Jon G’s also has a food truck that roams the Charlotte area, so check its social media for the schedule.

Edenton

Old Colony Smokehouse

When Adam Hughes left his job as a general contractor to open Old Colony Smokehouse in small-town North Carolina in 2019, he took a risk serving lots of beef in this pork-loving state. Luckily, locals loved the brisket, and he opened a new, larger location earlier this year. The sweet and savory St. Louis–cut pork ribs have the perfect tenderness and a candylike bark;  smoke and pepper clings to the edge of each juicy turkey slice; and the butter-brushed cornbread is moist and sweet. Even an item as simple as pulled chicken is divine, especially when it gets a dip in clarified butter and a sprinkle of lemon-pepper seasoning before it goes onto a tray or in a sandwich. I got all that and some juicy sausage and smoky brisket on the Solo Sampler tray for just $35. The dessert offerings are also extensive— sometimes a dozen choices—but you won’t think about ordering anything else once you’ve had a bite of the banana cream pie.

Pro tip: For a true taste of North Carolina, try the hot dog covered in brisket chili and slaw.

Knightdale

Prime Barbecue

Ranked No. 2

In Knightdale, just east of Raleigh, the building that’s housed Prime Barbecue since 2020 is as immaculate as the barbecue trays at the counter. It’s like the cutter has a blueprint for where to place each protein based on how much the customer orders. Get one—or get them all—and you won’t be disappointed. The bark is picture perfect on the tender pork ribs. Each bite of sausage brings a pleasing snap as the juices drip down your chin. It’s hard to pick a favorite between the pull-apart tender beef ribs or the peppery brisket because both are executed with precision. Chris Prieto’s Puerto Rican roots are on display daily in the side of barbecue rice cooked with onions and bacon fat, and on Saturdays with a whole pig done lechon-style. The fruit for the Texas cobbler changes daily, but it always includes a small cup of Blue Bell homemade vanilla.

Pro tip: Prime serves one of the finest pastrami Reubens you’ll find anywhere every Wednesday.

Oklahoma City

Edge Craft Barbecue

Ranked No. 9

Zach Edge has come a long way from his time as the pitmaster at the now-closed Maples BBQ in Oklahoma City. The place never lived up to its potential, but Edge kept pushing, and his barbecue gets better by the year at Edge Craft Barbecue, which he opened in 2021. Even the lean brisket has a sheen to it from all the juiciness, and the only bite better than a brisket burnt end was the smoky bark on a flawless beef rib. In a state known for smoked bologna and commercially made hot links, the house-made sausages shine. For sides, it’s hard to choose a favorite between the savory collard greens or the sweet Brussels sprouts, so get both, along with some soulful red beans and rice. Edge switches out bananas for fresh peaches in the pudding when the season is right.

Pro tip: Ask Edge which seat Glen Powell sat in to record a promotional video for Twisters.

Tulsa

Oakhart Barbecue

Chris Emmons and Brian Hodges held out as long as they could without putting smoked bologna on the menu at Oakhart Barbecue, but their Oklahoma customers demanded it. However, Texas barbecue lovers can still get smoked sausage—they serve both a classic beef link seasoned with garlic and black pepper and another with jalapeño and cheddar. Huge spare ribs get a sweet glaze that melds well with the peppery rub. Since opening in 2021, the joint’s brisket is some of the best in Oklahoma. The fat cap on the lean side is nearly melted, and the slices stay juicy well after slicing. All the sides are carefully prepared classics such as creamy shells and cheese, savory pinto beans, crunchy slaw that’s made fresh daily, and pillowy soft cheese grits dotted with black pepper.

Pro tip: Filming locations for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 movie, The Outsiders, are less than a mile north of the restaurant.

Idabel

Phat Tabb’s BBQ

Of all the spots on this list, none are closer—physically—to Texas than Phat Tabb’s. Tabb Singleton returned to his hometown of Idabel, Oklahoma, just fifteen minutes from the Red River, after leaving his executive sous chef position in New Orleans. These days he’s smoking enormous spare ribs that have plenty of spice beneath their honey glaze. Slices of fatty brisket and smoked beef sausage are flawless. The chef’s sensibility shows through in the Nashville hot turkey sandwich, which is made with breaded slabs of his sweet tea–brined smoked turkey in a sauce amped up with Korean chile flakes and fish sauce. Look for it and other specials unusual for small-town Oklahoma such as barbecue gyros, smoked chicken tinga, and poke bowls made with cold-smoked tuna.

Pro tip: The white trash potato salad, garnished with Bac-Os, is a tribute to the pitmaster’s humble upbringing.

Portland

Bark City BBQ

When I wrote that Portland had the best barbecue scene outside of Texas five years ago, Bark City BBQ, which opened in 2017, was part of that equation. But after that story came out, owner Michael Keskin decamped to Flagstaff, Arizona, to be closer to family. The high altitude messed with his smoker performance, so he returned to Portland earlier this year, bringing a much-improved brisket. A thick, fatty slice was an exemplary specimen of his cooking acumen. Although the rub looks too heavy on the ribs, Keskin manages to create a perfect bark with great spice and pork flavor coming through. A bite through the jalapeño cheese sausage released juices that stained my shirt so noticeably that Keskin gifted me a Bark City BBQ one.

Pro tip: Pickled cucumbers and onions will feel like child’s play once you’ve tried the pickled avocado here.

Hood River

Grasslands Barbecue

The beautiful drive from Portland along the mighty Columbia River to its namesake town is reason enough to head out for the hour-long weekend barbecue trek. At the end, you’ll find Grasslands Barbecue, a truck started by a trio of out-of-work buddies during the pandemic. The truck is open alongside a few other vendors on the edge of a grassy park near the waterfront. A line forms about thirty minutes before opening, and many customers dine at shaded picnic tables. They enjoy brisket that would hold its own in Texas, and masterfully crafted sausages, such as the signature green chile and cheddar variety. I love the pork belly burnt ends tossed in a ginger, soy, and serrano vinaigrette. All the sides are freshly prepared, so expect bright and crunchy slaw along with elote made with corn shucked fresh off the cob and mac and cheese topped with a crunchy layer of garlic bread crumbs.

Pro tip: Before visiting, check the calendar on Grasslands’ website for an up-to-date schedule.

Portland

Matt’s BBQ

When Matt Vicedomini first opened his food truck in 2015 in the back of an empty parking lot, he oversaw all operations. He was fresh off his barbecue education in Australia, of all places. Nine years later, instead of just watching one pit, he has multiple restaurants to tend to, including the Thai-influenced smokehouse Eem he’s a partner in. Matt’s BBQ now sits in a bustling food truck park. Order at a kiosk with a credit card and wait for your name to be called. The half-pound minimums make it hard to try a variety of smoked meats, so focus on the glistening slices of tender brisket and the sweet-glazed pork ribs.

Pro tip: Be sure to try the array of excellent and unique barbecue sauces, such as the cherry chipotle and peach mustard.

West Columbia

City Limits Barbeque

 The James Beard Awards have paid more attention to barbecue recently, and Robbie Robinson, pitmaster at City Limits Barbeque, was part of that wave when he became a finalist for Best Chef: Southeast this year. His barbecue joint, which opened in 2016, blends Texas and South Carolina traditions. Spare ribs are cooked over coals like South Carolina whole hog, but you can taste the Texas influence in the smoked hot link and garlicky Hill Country sausage. The Palmetto State is known for its hash made of stewed pork and rice, and Robinson adds chopped brisket in his. There are proteins aplenty but be sure to try the smoked chicken wings or pork belly burnt ends. Don’t miss the fresh peach cobbler when it’s on the menu, and take home a tub of jalapeño pimento cheese to let your experience linger.

Pro tip: The full barbecue menu is only available on Saturdays.

Anderson

Fork Grove Barbecue

Dylan and Tiffani Cookes’ mentor wasn’t a Texas pitmaster, but a North Carolinian with a love for brisket. After Dylan watched videos and read cookbooks, he turned to Garren Kirkman of Jon G’s Barbecue (also on this list)  for advice on transitioning his barbecue pop-up to a full-on restaurant. Dylan was so sure his barbecue would be accepted in rural South Carolina that he bought four 1,000-gallon offsets before the doors of Fork Grove even opened in 2023. And his confidence was paid off with his thick-sliced fatty brisket, smoky spare ribs, and house-made sausages. You’d never guess that the Cookes haven’t even visited Texas for a barbecue crawl yet. The smoked turkey and pork belly burnt ends are a nice addition to the Texas Trinity. The elote side has a great char on the corn kernels; the mac and cheese is pleasantly gooey; and the slaw is the perfect marriage of a KFC-style fine dice and vinegar-based dressing.

Pro tip: Every Saturday, there’s a new flavor of pork belly burnt ends.

Charleston

Lewis Barbecue

John Lewis wasn’t sure how folks in Charleston would receive his style of barbecue when he first opened. Barbecue in the state meant pork, and Lewis had spent years perfecting his brisket and sausage techniques in Austin. He worked the pits at Franklin Barbecue as it rose to stardom, then helped Ali Clem and the late LeAnn Mueller open La Barbecue. Lewis wanted his own place, but not in brisket-saturated Austin. He figured South Carolinians had a love for barbecue, and that he could foster their acceptance of something other than pork. The motto at Lewis Barbecue is “beef is king,” and since opening in 2016,  it’s proven in the impeccable sliced brisket; the juicy, beefy hot guts; and specials like Saturday’s massive beef ribs and Friday’s sandwich piled high with smoked prime rib and cheddar. These days, standing in line for smoked beef in South Carolina doesn’t seem out of place, whether it’s at the Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, or the location in Greenville, about two hundred miles northwest, which opened in 2022.

Pro tip: The Friday-only beef and cheddar sandwich might be the best menu item.

Charleston

Palmira Barbecue

Ranked No. 1

 It could be hard to balance the flavors and techniques of South Carolina, Texas, and Puerto Rico in one restaurant, but that’s exactly what Hector Garate is doing at Palmira Barbecue. To prepare for opening this year, he took advantage of pop-ups to perfect his whole-hog method, which uses the direct-heat process preferred by South Carolina pitmasters along with seasoning and sauce inspired by Puerto Rico. You’ll also find offset smokers at Palmira for the very beefy Texas portion of the menu. Beef cheeks are offered daily—and melt in your mouth without being mushy—while beef ribs and brisket are featured on the weekends. Tender, smoky spare ribs with a slightly sweet, thin glaze are always available, as are the house-made smoked sausages, which vary weekly. Garate’s wife and parents work with him, so thank his mother, Marisol, after taking a bite of the guava cheesecake.

Pro tip: At the register, ask for an Underberg, a German digestif in a tiny green bottle that helps settle the stomach after large meals. 

Martin

Blake’s at Southern Milling

Moving up from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar joint isn’t uncommon, but Blake Stoker skipped several steps to opening a veritable barbecue palace in 2022. He spent years renovating a historic mill in Martin, 130 miles northeast of Memphis, to turn it into Blake’s at Southern Milling. His love for barbecue was born in his college years at Mississippi State University when he took a weekend trip to the Austin area to visit Franklin Barbecue and Louie Mueller Barbecue. Stoker saw his future in those trays. Now he’s serving a huge menu of Texas classics along with some of his family favorites such as tomato pie, smoked cream cheese, and his aunt’s pimento cheese. The last tops the popular Bubba Cole sandwich, which combines smoky brisket and juicy turkey breast. For a beefier sandwich, try the patty melt with a ground brisket patty and chopped brisket between two slices of griddled Texas toast.

Pro tip: They may not be barbecue, but the masterful hand-breaded chicken tenders are more than just food for the kids.

Madison

Shotgun Willie’s BBQ

No, this isn’t a Willie Nelson–themed barbecue joint, but owner Bill Laviolette did name Shotgun Willie’s BBQ after the Red Headed Stranger’s sixteenth album. Laviolette was missing Texas barbecue after moving from Houston to Nashville, and jumped into food truck ownership in 2016. The business failed in less than a year, and he put aside the dream until he found the right building. Shotgun Willie’s was reborn—but with bad timing—in May 2020. He barely made enough on takeout orders to stay operational, but his perseverance paid off. His joint has become so popular that it demanded a larger space, which opened this year in Madison, just northeast of Nashville. Brisket and ribs are the stars here, but don’t sleep on the smoked half chickens with a heavy rub and plenty of juice. The premade sausage comes from Kiolbassa in San Antonio. The mac and cheese is made with queso, and dessert is Texas sheet cake. There’s so much Texas on the menu that we’ll allow the inclusion of Tennessee-style pulled pork.

Pro tip: The huge beef short ribs are only available on Saturdays.

St. George

Pica Rica BBQ

Ranked No. 7

Jason Neeley and Michael McHenry were looking for the right location for their new barbecue joint. In downtown St. George, they found a building that had been the first bakery in town, originally opened by the grandfather of Neeley’s wife. It seemed like kismet, especially since the joint makes its own bread. At Pica Rica BBQ, which opened last year, cooks work a rotating plancha near the register, heating house-made beef fat flour tortillas for tacos. They also bake telera bread for the signature chopped brisket torta, which gets layers of refried beans, jalapeño slaw, and guajillo and chile de árbol salsa. It’s incredible, but the sliced brisket shines on its own. The beefy house-made sausage has a great snap and seasoning, but the smoked and fried chicken quarter is the star, with crispy skin, dressed with Alabama white sauce, cilantro, and tajin. Neeley is rightly proud of his tres leches cake, but the smoked peach and blueberry pie is one of the best slices I’ve ever eaten.

Pro tip: On Thursdays, Pica Rica serves a smoked brisket burger with hand-cuts fries and fry sauce.

Norfolk

Redwood Smoke Shack

Barbecue was never supposed to be a full-blown business for Bob Roberts. Yes, he sold smoked meats from his driveway in 2017, but it was more of a hobby. Then the compliments poured in, and he was hooked. The first Redwood Smoke Shack opened in Norfolk in 2019, and another followed two years later, twenty miles away, in Virginia Beach. It took a few years for him to get his recipe for smoked sausage down, but I’m glad he did—the jalapeño cheese link was pleasantly plump. The slices of lean brisket glisten with melted fat, and the thick spare ribs pull from the bone with minimal effort. During my visit, I drank the broth from the collard greens after finishing them, and they paired well with the sweet corn pudding. Finish the meal with the bananamisu, a more Italian take on traditional banana pudding.

Pro tip: Check out the huge signpost out front, which shows the distances to different barbecue joints across the country.

Richmond

ZZQ

For a long while, I joked that the best barbecue for visitors to Washington, D.C., was a hundred miles south in Richmond, Virginia. Options in D.C. have improved, and thankfully ZZQ, which opened in 2018, has maintained its high standards. It all started when Texas native Chris Fultz tempted Alex Graf out of vegetarianism with a brisket he’d smoked. Now they’re partners in life and business. Their pit room, equipped with smokers from Austin Smoke Works, is where Fultz spritzes the black bark of the briskets and wraps them in butcher paper—just like a scene right out of Texas. My latest visit was during the midafternoon hours, which can mean the meat is way past its prime, but the house-made sausage was still juicy and the brined chicken halves might as well have been fresh off the smoker. As for sides, the cowboy beans are simple and superb; the slaw is crunchy with a zing; and the Texas caviar will give you a new way for consuming black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.

Pro tip: Want a smoked burger? Visit ZZQ’s sister restaurant Eazzy Burger next door.

Seattle

Jack’s BBQ

Jack Timmons is a Dallas native and Texas A&M graduate who left his position at Microsoft in Seattle to pursue barbecue. His obsession started with the barbecue summer camp, hosted by Foodways Texas, in 2012, and he brought those smoky secrets back to Washington. A year later, Seattle Met magazine dubbed him the Brisket King of Seattle, based only on his monthly pop-ups. The following year, Timmons finally had his own joint, Jack’s BBQ, in brisket-starved Seattle. In the decade since that opening, he has expanded to seven locations in the region, all of which serve a classic Texas menu. At the original, in the SoDo neighborhood, you can gaze at the offset smokers through the back window while dining on the popular Texas Trinity plate with tender slices of brisket, smoky pork ribs, and Texas-style hot links. Add a side of Texas caviar or Texas chili—made without beans, of course.

Pro tip: The pecan pie is made from a recipe that won top prize at the State Fair of Texas in 1996.