The key to great barbecue is to keep it simple: meat slow-smoked over wood. America’s barbecue scene is diverse, ranging from roadside shacks to full restaurants serving craft beer and brisket. Many barbecue joints create an admixture of styles from key cities like Memphis, Kansas City, and St. Louis, and states like Texas and the Carolinas. And even though the meat is the star of the show, what would a good barbecue meal be without a few solid sides? Here’s our roundup of the best barbecue joint in every state.
1. ALABAMA // SAW’S BBQ
Location: Homewood, Alabama
Last year, Men’s Journal highlighted Alabama barbecue, including Saw’s. In fact, Saw’s has garnered a lot of acclaim since opening in 2009. Newcomer Saw’s Soul Kitchen opened in 2012, and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks co-owns a third location, Saw’s Juke Joint. They serve barbecue with Alabama’s signature white sauce—made with mayo—and a baked potato stuffed with pork, which the Alabama Tourism Department proclaimed as one of the top 100 dishes in the state to try before you die.
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2. ALASKA // BLACK JAXX BBQ
Locations: Soldotna and Homer, Alaska
Their remote location in Alaska may lead some to think of exotic meats, like moose, but Black Jaxx’s weirdest offering is bologna. Their menu is fairly minimal: spiced meat sandwiches like pulled pork and brisket and traditional sides, served out of a food truck. Because of Alaska’s weather, they’re only open during the temperate spring and summer months, which makes their offerings even more special.
3. ARIZONA // BIGFOOT BBQ
Location: Flagstaff, Arizona
As their website reads, “Nothin’ fancy, just thoughtful consideration.” That consideration entails a good combination of fire, smoke, and spice. Try the BBQ Tour (pulled pork, beef brisket, short rack of ribs) or the Bigfoot Steak and Cheese (brisket, onions, cheese, and peppers). They also have some things for meat-averse vegetarians: “Everybody is welcome at Bigfoot, and to prove it we got non-meat bbq.” Finally, an inclusive addition to the barbecue kingdom.
4. ARKANSAS // SMOKIN’ BUNS
Location: Jacksonville, Arkansas
Arkansas’s Smokin’ Buns’s menu runs the gamut, from traditional meat to pig skins (potato skins with pulled pork) and piggie pie (Fritos topped with smoked beans and pork). Catfish, shrimp, and blackened salmon platters are also available, served with hush puppies, battered fries and coleslaw. An Arkansas Times review stated Smokin’ Buns has the best brisket in the state, and that some Texans even compared it to the famous barbecue found in Austin.
5. CALIFORNIA // COPPER TOP BBQ
Location: Big Pine, California
The Golden State’s barbecue claim to fame is the Central California Santa Maria-style of barbecue: tri-tip. The best is located inside a window-serve joint in Big Pine, nestled in a valley between the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains. Copper Top smokes tri-tip, St. Louis-style pork ribs, and chicken, and was named the best restaurant in the U.S. last year according toYelp, so there must be something good in that mountain air.
6. COLORADO // GEORGIA BOYS BBQ COMPANY
Locations: Longmont and Frederick, Colorado
In order to smoke the highest quality of meats, Georgia Boys purchased a XLR 1600 Southern Pride Smoker—“the finest and most advanced wood-burning barbecue pit available,” reads the website. The restaurant’s divided into two locations: The Shack, in Longmont, focusing on a small barbecue menu, and The Smokehouse, in Frederick, which has a bigger menu, draft beers, and the Barnyard Challenge: six pounds of meat in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t finish it, you’ll be memorialized on their wall of shame.
7. CONNECTICUT // PIG RIG BBQ
Location: Wallingford, Connecticut
The Pig Rig uses an Ole’ Hickory Smoker and their motto is “Go Pig Or Go Home.” They coat a secret dry rub on the meats, and offer Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, the Jamaican topped with homemade jerk bbq sauce, and the PigMac topped with smoked macaroni and cheese. If you’re not in the mood for pork, they also have chicken thighs, baby back ribs, and beef brisket platters.
8. DELAWARE // BETHANY BLUES BBQ
Locations: Bethany Beach and Lewes, Delaware
Barbecue joints aren’t typically found within a stone’s throw of the ocean, but you can walk there from Bethany’s. The home of what they call Delmarva Penisula barbeque, named for the restaurant’s location, was lovingly formulated after researching famous smokehouses in Austin, Texas, New York, and ones all across Tennessee. Everything is wood smoked between four and 16 hours, but try their signature St. Louis ribs, all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch, and non-barbecue East Coast favorites like crab dip.
9. FLORIDA // AL’S FINGER LICKING GOOD BAR-B-QUE
Location: Tampa, Florida
Menu items like Terrance’s chopped beef, Aunt Nita’s black-eyed peas, and of course Al’s ribs give this family-run barbecue joint a personal touch. It all started as a concession stand in 2003, but now Al’s is housed inside a bungalow in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood. Al’s expertise centers on Tennessee-style dry rub and tomato-based sauce, good enough to be named one of Yelp’s top 10 best restaurants in Tampa Bay. Try Tia’s TGIF Mac and Cheese, named after Al’s daughter and served Fridays only.
10. GEORGIA // SOUTHERN SOUL BARBECUE
Location: St. Simons Island, Georgia
Another coastal location that would make more sense for a seafood restaurant, Southern Soul promises the aura of oak-smoked meats near a scenic locale. They smoke their pork, turkey, chicken, and brisket for at least 12 hours, and pit-fire their prime rib. Brunswick stew and Hoppin’ John—traditional southern dishes—are also presented on the menu.
