A Look at the Top BBQ Joints In Each State

In the world of BBQ, pitmaster Mike Mills was a legend. He won countless BBQ contests before he passed away, and chefs from all over flocked to restaurants to learn from him. One of those chefs was Jack Goodsell, who eventually left and opened his own restaurant in Anchorage, Alaska. His restaurant serves up all the staples, including ribs, chicken, and pork, but he also serves smoked fish as a nod to local tastes.

Usually, the best BBQ joints are off the beaten path, which is true of Jones Bar-B-Q Diner in Marianna, Arkansas. This place might be small, but it’s legendary in the food world. They’ve been open since 1910, and according to the James Beard Away, the place is an “American Classic.” The diner is known for its pulled pork sandwiches, but you really can’t go wrong no matter what you order.

If you know a bit about BBQ, then you’ve probably heard of Franklin BBQ. It’s a popular restaurant in Austin, Texas, where a lot of chefs go to learn the trade. Karl Fallenius was one such chef, and after learning all he could, he went back to Denver, Colorado, to open up his own restaurant, Owlbear BBQ. They serve up pork belly, brisket, and many other staples, along with some vegan options.

Locale BBQ Post actually started out as a pickling location. That was until chef Daniel Sheridan found Mike Gallucio and Justin Mason, and the three decided to open up a BBQ restaurant to go along with the picking business. The pairing turned out to be perfect, and today, Locale BBQ Post is one of the best restaurants in Delaware. The three also opened up a couple of more locations in South Carolina and Kansas.

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q in Atlanta, Georgia, has long been rated one of the city’s best BBQ joints. And considering all of the different options throughout the state, that’s really saying something. The ribs are a top choice, but ordering pretty much anything on the menu is going to leave you satisfied and glad you stopped by. However, the lines are usually long and expect to wait for a while if you want to eat at this legendary restaurant.

Grandpa’s Southern BBQ in Idaho Falls was set up by Lloyd Westbrook, who himself is actually from Kentucky. This small restaurant is often billed as the best in the state by locals and as some of the best BBQs outside of the South by those traveling from out of town. The restaurant serves the usual staples, like ribs and chicken, along with traditional sides, like mac and cheese and smoky baked beans.

Many of the best BBQ restaurants are little more than holes in the wall, and that’s also true of Hank’s Smoked Briskets in Indianapolis, Indiana. The owner is from Texas and cooks the brisket over mesquite he gets from back in his home state. Obviously, the draw here is the brisket, but the sides and other meats are well worth a try if you happen to be in town.

Despite being out West, Kansas City has a long history of serving up tasty BBQs. The city’s BBQ is known for the sweet and thick sauce that’s usually used. At Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, you’ll also want to try the burnt ends, which are just as delicious as they sound. The restaurant started off serving fried chicken in a gas station, which is how you really know it’s good.

While southern Louisiana is known for its cajun and creole cooking, northern Louisiana serves up traditional Southern BBQ. Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette, Louisiana, is a local favorite that serves slow-smoked sausage, pulled pork, and ribs, along with traditional sides like mac and cheese and green beans cooked with bacon. They also serve the state’s famous boudin, which is a sausage filled with rice and other bits, along with other specialty meats.

Chaps Pit Beef in Baltimore, Maryland, is a little different than the other BBQ restaurants on this list. At Chaps, it’s all about the sandwiches. They’re best known for their roast beef sandwich, which is piled high with thinly sliced roast beef and served alongside baked beans. They cook their roast beef over an open flame, which gives it a slightly smoky flavor. They also serve ham and turkey sandwiches with hearty portions.

At Slows Bar-B-Q in Detroit, you’ll find a lot to love, including a pulled pork sandwich stacked high with slow-smoked pork, bacon, pickles, and slaw. That’s not even mentioning the other menu items, like the jambalaya, smoked turkey, ribs, and brisket. The place opened in 2005 and has since expanded to a couple of more locations, not to mention vastly expanding its beer offerings with around 36 taps on hand.

The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is a local favorite with live music and outdoor seating. While those are some good reasons in and of themselves, they also serve up some great BBQ. Their pulled pork sandwich is a must-order with a side of fried okra. However, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here. After you grab your plate, head dockside to have your meal next to the water.

Follow Yer’ Nose in Emigrant, Montana, might just have the best name on this list. But don’t let that distract you; they also serve up a mean plate of BBQ. Their huge slab of smoked ribs is a local favorite. And just as the name suggests, there’s nothing better than passing by a BBQ joint and smelling all of the meats being slowly cooked in huge smokers out back.

John Mull’s Meats & Road Kill Grill was opened in 1954 and predates a lot of the development that has happened on the Las Vegas Strip. The small restaurant still serves up BBQ in much the same way it always has. Their BBQ chicken, burnt ends, and hot links have been leaving customers satisfied ever since the place opened. They also operate their own butcher shop since that was the original profession of the restaurant’s founder.

Henri’s Hotts Barbeque offers an all-you-can-eat buffet that you’re going to want to take advantage of. They serve barbecued chicken and ribs slow-smoked using hickory and oak. The restaurant originally opened up as a food truck, but demand proved to be too much, and they moved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant around 2009. Today, their homestyle cooking has won over the community, and their collard greens and made in-house pies are a must-try.

In recent years, pitmasters have taken their talents and opened up a number of great BBQ restaurants in New York City. One of the best is Hometown Bar-B-Que in Brooklyn. They serve healthy portions of ribs, brisket, and pork, besides traditional staples like cornbread and mac and cheese. They slow smoke their meats using oak and have garnered quite a following since they first opened their doors back in 2013.

Despite its long history of cattle drives, North Dakota isn’t exactly known for BBQ. At least, that was until Daniel Montgomery founded Monty’s BBQ. Now, the place is a local favorite that serves pulled pork, burnt ends, and brisket. The restaurant is basically just a kitchen inside a camper park, but the food is so good that it’s become somewhat of a go-to place if you’re in town or passing nearby.

Jamil’s Steakhouse is a unique BBQ restaurant that pairs traditional BBQ with Mediterranean favorites like hummus and trouble. It might sound a bit weird at first, but the acidity of the Mediterranean dishes pairs perfectly with the heavy BBQ ribs, brisket, and steak. However, you don’t have to take our word for it; the restaurant has been serving locals for more than half a century, so you know it has to be good.

Federal Hill Smokehouse is often voted as the best BBQ restaurant in the state of Pennsylvania, and for good reason. Their deep-fried pulled pork is unique and tasty, as are the more traditional dishes, like sausage, brisket, and pork. The menu isn’t overwhelming but has a little something for just about any taste, and what they do have, they make well. The restaurant was opened by Ryan and Autumn Atzeret.

Nearly since it opened, Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina, has attracted lovers of BBQ from both near and far. Pitmaster John Lewis slowly cooks his pork for around 18 hours in order to get the flavor he wants. The restaurant also serves up other Southern staples like mac and cheese and collard greens. Reportedly, they also do a really good brisket due to the fact that Lewis is from Texas.

In our opinion, Cozy Corner Restaurant is the perfect name for a BBQ place, and it doesn’t hurt that this eatery in Memphis, Tennessee, offers up some of the best BBQ in the state. They opened back in 1977, and their offerings are pretty traditional when it comes to Memphis-style barbecue. However, their Cornish hen and hot BBQ sauce have attracted diners from nearly every corner of the world.

Utah is another state that wasn’t really known for its BBQ. So, when chef Peter Cole opened Torrey Grill & BBQ, he must’ve seen an opportunity to bring a great BBQ joint to the state. The restaurant serves ribs, pulled chicken, and steak alongside sides like cornbread and collard greens. They also have a pretty good dessert menu with dishes like their old-fashioned peach cobbler and ice cream.

Unlike a lot of places on this list, ZZQ Texas Craft Barbecue in Richmond, Virginia, was opened by a chef with little prior experience. Chris Fultz and his wife opened the restaurant after Chris developed an affinity for Texas BBQ. He must’ve had a knack for it because today, they serve some of the best BBQ in the state, and their ribs, sausage, and brisket are to die for.

Dem 2 Brothers And A Grill BBQ was founded by former football player Adrian Wright after he moved back home to Charleston, West Virginia. The restaurant uses a slightly spicy and tangy sauce that pairs really well with the beef ribs and other offerings. The place itself is pretty unassuming on the outside, but it didn’t take long for it to quickly rack up awards and recognition after it opened back in 2013.

Fat Rack’s BBQ originated in a food truck run by chef Mike Mitchell. However, they have since moved into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, most likely due to the high demand they were seeing. The BBQ here is traditional Texas style, but they also make a really mean turkey sandwich. In addition, you’ll find all your traditional staples here, like ribs, brisket, and smoked sausage, along with mac and cheese and baked beans.

Wisconsin isn’t known for its BBQ, but thankfully, it is home to Speed Queen Bar-B-Q, which has been serving the local community there for decades. Their ribs are covered with their signature sweet and slightly tangy BBQ sauce, but that’s not the only thing they offer. You can find Southern-style catfish, cornbread, and collard greens. They also serve red beans and rice, making this place a must-try if you’re craving not only BBQ but other Southern dishes, too.

Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill isn’t exactly a BBQ place in the American sense, but it does serve up great grilled chicken and beef that might taste a bit familiar to BBQ fans. The restaurant was opened all the way back in 1976, and its teriyaki sauce provides an excellent flavor that pairs well with the smoky offerings. The restaurant and chef, Toshi Kasahara, has been featured in a number of publications and on TV.

When Prohibition Pig opened in Vermont, it brought great BBQ to a state that traditionally didn’t have many options to choose from. It’s now known far and wide, and as the name suggests, their pork dishes are the main attraction. They have more than 20 craft beers to choose from and even operate their own brewery on-site. However, a BBQ place wouldn’t be anything without actual BBQ, and Prohibition Pig excels here.

When talking about BBQ in a state like Texas, it’s tough to pick just one place. There are a lot of great BBQ joints in the state, but Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas, has been doing it longer than most. They serve the state’s signature smoked brisket and ribs, and among the many accolades they’ve racked up over the years, The New York Times once called them “the epitome of Texas barbecue.”

Like North Dakota, South Dakota didn’t really have a tradition of BBQ before J. R.’s Rhodehouse BBQ PIT opened in Summerset. He brought his Texas-style barbecue to the state, and locals have been flocking there ever since. The sausage, brisket, ribs, and traditional sides are all done really well here. If you happen to visit on a friday, make sure and order a helping of the beef rib special.

Johnny’s Victory Diner is a classic American diner during the week and a great BBQ joint on Fridays. They serve pulled pork, brisket, ribs, and other fare from a barrel smoker out back. The place has been open since the 1930s, and it’s been voted Rhode Island’s best BBQ despite only serving Southern barbecue on Fridays, which should tell you all you need to know about this local favorite.

Holy Trinity Barbecue brought Texas-style barbecue to Portland, Oregon. The owner and chef, Kyle Rensmeyer, quickly earned a reputation as one of the best pitmasters on the entire West Coast. He served spare ribs, sausage, and, of course, Texas-style brisket. Hence, the name Holy Trinity refers to the combination of brisket, ribs, and sausage in Texas. However, pretty much everything on the menu here was worth a try.

Ray Ray’s Hog Pit has grown to expand to six locations since it first opened, and it’s racked up a ton of awards in that time. They serve some of the best barbecue, if not the best, in all of Ohio. Portions are healthy and include ribs, sausage, and pork covered in their homemade sauce, which is both sweet and tangy. They smoke their meats using hardwood for around 16 hours, depending on the cut.

You know you’re walking into a great barbecue joint when there is a pile of hardwood out back and two to three people chopping pulled pork right behind the counter. That’s pretty much Skylight Inn, and this place has been serving the local community since 1947. Their brisket sandwich is a local favorite, but they also do really good pork dishes, and sometimes, you’ll find a whole hog on the smoker.

Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue was opened by Mr. Jackson, and it serves Texas-style BBQ. That means a lot of beef ribs, sausage, and slow-smoked brisket. However, they also do a really good turkey leg. Since opening, the restaurant has become a local staple, and things tend to sell out quickly, so it’s worth getting here early if you want to pay them a visit. The beef rib is absolutely huge and worth a try.

Matt Gfroerer transitioned from the world of software and opened Smokeshow Barbeque in Concord, New Hampshire. Today, the place is known for its smoked turkey and pork, but it also does a really great brisket. The restaurant is rooted in Texas-style BBQ, which means the portions are big, and the brisket is cooked for hours on end to make sure it has that signature smoky flavor that melts in your mouth.

Owner Terry Rupert opened Grandpa’s Ribs and Secret Sauce in the 1980s, and it has since become a cherished local eatery. The brisket is, without a doubt, the most popular item on the menu, but they also serve really great ribs. Terry has since semi-retired, but the restaurant is in good hands and still going strong, and Terry can sometimes still be found there if you want to have a chat with the person behind this great local restaurant.

Missouri has a long tradition of BBQ, but Arthur Bryant stands out from the crowd. Arthur himself has passed away, but the new owners still use the original recipes, and they still have their iconic BBQ sauce, which is made in-house. There have been a couple of updates, but it’s still an old-school barbecue joint that serves great big portions of smoked meats with a side of white bread to soak up all that BBQ goodness.

This food truck and BBQ joint in Minneapolis, Minnesota has all the typical BBQ fare you’d expect to find, such as Southern sausages, chicken, and pork, but they also serve great tacos. The fresh salads and bright sauces are another clue that this place is partly inspired by cuisine from below the American border. They tend to sell out quickly, though, so you have to get there kind of early if you don’t want to get stuck waiting in line.

Massachusetts usually isn’t the first state you think of when you think of BBQ, but B. T.’s Smokehouse aimed to change that when they opened. While it started out as a food truck started by Brian Treitman and Ken Oringer, the smokehouse quickly turned into a restaurant and what’s now one of the most popular BBQ joints in all of New England. They do a really good brisket and pulled pork.

Maine is another state that’s not really known for its BBQ. However, that just means the fine folks at Salvage BBQ were free to take the best BBQ from every region of the South and combine it in one great restaurant. You’ll find Texas-style brisket prepared beside Carolina-style pulled pork. They also serve St. Louis-style ribs. However, they also added their own spin in using locally grown red oak to fuel their smokers.

Not many know this, but Kentucky has its own style of BBQ, and it revolves around mutton or sheep. The mutton is slow-cooked for around 12 hours and then served with a vinegar-based BBQ sauce. One of the best places to try Kentucky-style BBQ is at Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn found in Owensboro. While you’re there, also check out their assortment of homemade pies, which are a great dessert to finish off your meal.

This award-winning eatery was opened by Darren and Sherry Warth, and the number of competitions they’ve won since opening is really quite astonishing. They have around 700 awards under their belts. You’ll find smoked turkey, brisket, ribs, and pork on the menu, but this isn’t just some traditional BBQ joint (although we also love traditional). They have innovative dishes on offer, like their burnt ends glazed with an Asian-style sauce.

No list of the best BBQ restaurants would be complete without a mention of 17th Street Barbecue. This legendary eatery was started by pitmaster Mike Mills, who placed first multiple times at world-champion BBQ events. The restaurant has also been featured on the Food Network, which isn’t that surprising considering how famous it is. The baby back ribs are the real crowd-pleaser here, but there are also other staples on the menu.

Hawaii is another place that isn’t traditionally thought of when it comes to Southern-style BBQ, but the islands have a style of BBQ all their own. Traditionally, they’d smoke an entire hog underground, and while that certainly sounds tasty, that style of cooking is applied to other cuts of meat as well. Guava Smoked in Honolulu serves up healthy portions of smoked chicken, pork, and even salmon and duck.

The cuts at Jenkins Quality Barbecue are finished with a unique, spiced mustard that really makes their food stand out. Don’t expect anything fancy, as the restaurant itself says, but do expect to be treated to some great BBQ done simply and done right. Everything is slow-cooked in a large brick oven, and they use local oak to cook things like ribs, pork, and chicken. They also have three different locations.

We’ve heard some say that this is one of the best, if not the best, Texas-style BBQs outside the state, which is a pretty big claim to make. However, we’re sure the fans of Hoodoo Brown BBQ In Ridgefield, Connecticut, would gladly back up their local restaurant, considering the great choices of brisket, pork belly, and other Southern staples this place serves up. Expect to find all of the BBQ classics on the menu here.

It didn’t take long for Coppertop BBQ In Big Pine, California, to make a name for itself. The restaurant serves St. Louis-style ribs but with obvious Southwest influences peppered throughout their menu. It looks like any other BBQ joint on the outside, but don’t let that fool you. This is one of the best BBQ joints in the entire state of California and probably one of the best in the entire Southwest.

Little Miss BBQ has all of the things that make for a great BBQ restaurant: slow-cooked, tender brisket, mouth-watering sausage, and fall-off-the-bone ribs. However, they also serve lamb neck, which is said to be worth a trip alone. However, you’ll have to check the schedule because it’s only served once a week, and it tends to sell out very quickly, as do many of the other dishes that make this place a local favorite.

It doesn’t get much more old school than Archibald’s BBQ in Northport, Alabama. The place has been serving pulled pork, chicken, and ribs since 1962, and they have a loyal fanbase from all around the state. Everything on the menu is worth a try, but make sure to also pair it with some sweet tea and fried okra or fried green tomatoes and be prepared to find a nice comfortable bed to take a nap in shortly after.