Barbecue in United States
35 venues across 23 cities.
Franklin Barbecue
Austin, USA
Franklin Barbecue is Aaron Franklin’s legendary Central Texas joint on Austin’s East Side, where USDA Prime brisket and other meats are smoked low and slow over post oak until they sell out daily. The menu centers on sliced brisket, pork spare ribs, pulled pork, house and jalapeño cheddar sausages, turkey, and weekend beef ribs, paired with simple sides like coleslaw, potato salad, pinto beans, pickles, and onions, plus house sauces and pies. Guests line up early (or pre-order) for the Tuesday–Sunday lunch service that typically wraps by mid-afternoon. The spot also offers private events at Franklin Backyard, merch, sauces, and nationwide shipping.
Louie Mueller Barbecue
Taylor, USA
Family-run since 1949 in a century-old brick pit house. Beef ribs and fatty brisket smoked over oak with no shortcuts.
Skylight Inn BBQ
Ayden, USA
Whole-hog chapel of barbecue with cracklin'-crisp skin and vinegar-pepper sauce. A James Beard American Classic.
Micklethwait Craft Meats
Austin, USA
Trailer-turned-institution with house-made sausages, beef cheeks, and some of Austin's finest bark on brisket.
Sam Jones BBQ
Winterville, USA
Third-generation whole-hog pitmaster serving Eastern NC barbecue with cornbread sticks and slaw.
Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ
Charleston, USA
Pitmaster Rodney Scott's whole hog with mustard and vinegar sauces. The skin is the star.
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
Decatur, USA
Bob Gibson started this in Decatur with hickory, brick pits, and a mayonnaise-based sauce nobody else was using. The chickens get split, seasoned, smoked for three hours, then dunked. Pork shoulders smoke overnight — seventeen hours, dry rub, carved to order. It's Alabama barbecue done the way it was done, and the family hasn't seen a reason to change it. Chris Lilly runs the pits now — great-grandson-in-law, head pitmaster, and the man behind five Memphis in May Grand Championships and enough trophies to fill a shed. The white sauce still goes on chicken. The red sauce exists for people who need convincing. Both ship nationwide, along with the rubs, because some things travel. They're open six days, closed Sundays. There's a drive-thru if you're in a hurry and pies if you're not. Chocolate, pecan, lemon icebox — made in-house, same as the Brunswick stew. A hundred years in, they're still smoking meat the slow way and selling it by the pound. It works.
Hutchins BBQ
Frisco, USA
DFW favorite with moist brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage, and a welcoming sit-down dining room.
Scott's Bar-B-Que
Hemingway, USA
Rodney Scott's original pit — whole hog over coals with a vinegar-pepper sauce that cuts the richness.
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que
Kansas City, USA
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que made its name serving championship Kansas City-style barbecue out of a working gas station at 47th & Mission since 1996. The original location is famous for slow-smoked brisket, burnt ends, ribs, pulled pork, and the signature Z-Man sandwich of brisket, smoked provolone, and onion rings on a Kaiser roll. Sides like BBQ beans, creamy or spicy coleslaw, potato salad, mac & cheese, fries, street corn, and cornbread round out plates, with banana pudding for dessert. Walk-ins only, with nationwide shipping, catering, sauces, rubs, and merch available.
Kreuz Market
Lockhart, USA
No sauce, no forks — just oak-smoked sausage and brisket on butcher paper. A Lockhart institution since 1900.
Southern Soul BBQ
St. Simons Island, USA
Coastal Georgia smokehouse with Brunswick stew and pecan-smoked pork.
2M Smokehouse
San Antonio, USA
San Antonio's finest with perfect bark, house-made chorizo, and brisket that rivals the Hill Country greats.
Cattleack Barbecue
Dallas, USA
Friday-Saturday only Dallas destination with prime brisket and beef ribs.
Cozy Corner BBQ
Memphis, USA
James Beard winner Desiree Robinson's corner joint with smoked Cornish hen and pork rib tips.
Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ
Austin, USA
Brisket breakfast tacos and smoked carnitas bridge Texas BBQ and Tex-Mex in one irresistible menu.
Pinkerton's Barbecue
Houston, USA
Houston heavyweight with fatty brisket, beef ribs, and a full bar. The pit crew knows smoke.
Heim Barbecue
Fort Worth, USA
Bacon burnt ends and craft beer in Fort Worth's BBQ renaissance.
Bum's Restaurant
Ayden, USA
No-frills Eastern NC whole hog with fried chicken and hush puppies on the side.
Pecan Lodge
Dallas, USA
Deep Ellum smokehouse famous for the Hot Mess — a loaded sweet potato topped with brisket, butter, and cheese.
Central BBQ
Memphis, USA
Memphis-style dry rub ribs with wet and dry options. BBQ nachos and smoked bologna are cult favorites.
Terry Black's BBQ
Austin, USA
Family pit with beef ribs, turkey, and sides that hold their own against the meat.
Grady's BBQ
Dudley, USA
Family pit since 1986 serving Eastern NC chopped pork with sweet tea and hush puppies.
Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
Llano, USA
Pick your meat straight from the open pit. Big beef ribs and goat are specialties at this West Texas legend.
Lexington Barbecue
Lexington, USA
Western NC style with pork shoulder and red slaw. A Lexington landmark since 1962.
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Memphis, USA
Dry-rubbed ribs in a basement alley since 1948. No sauce on the meat — just paprika, garlic, and legend.
The Bar-B-Q Shop
Memphis, USA
Spaghetti with BBQ sauce and smoked bologna sandwiches. Memphis soul food meets the pit.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Syracuse, USA
Blues bar meets BBQ joint with St. Louis ribs and pulled pork in upstate New York.
The Salt Lick BBQ
Driftwood, USA
Open-pit barbecue in the Hill Country with family-style platters of brisket, ribs, and sausage under the oaks.
La Barbecue
Austin, USA
East Austin trailer with fatty brisket and house-made sausage on Cesar Chavez.
Pecos Pit
Santa Fe, USA
Santa Fe's open-pit barbecue with green chile brisket and Southwest smoke.
A&R Bar-B-Que
Memphis, USA
Late-night Memphis institution near Graceland. Bologna sandwiches and rib tips feed the city after dark.
Hog Wild Pit BBQ
Berkeley, USA
Bay Area pit with tri-tip, ribs, and a sauce bar spanning regional American styles.
Melvin's Legendary BBQ
Charleston, USA
Mustard-based SC sauce on pulled pork and ribs. A Charleston staple for locals and visitors alike.
Arthur Bryant's
Kansas City, USA
KC institution with thick tomato-molasses sauce and sliced brisket on white bread.