The best barbecue spots in America

What is it? When it comes to barbecue in Austin, Franklin Barbecue remains the gold standard. What started as a humble trailer operation off the interstate has become a world-renowned smokehouse that draws locals and visitors into three-hour lines. The vibe is casual, but the smoked eats here might just qualify as fine dining. 

Why we love it: The brisket is one of the first to sell out; however, you can’t go wrong with anything else on the menu: jalapeno cheddar sausage links, turkey, pulled pork and pork spare ribs. Swing by Friday through Sunday to try the coveted beef rib.

Time Out tip: Avoid the lines and pre-order your meal for pickup at least three days in advance. When you get there, you can let them know that you’d prefer to dine in.  

Address: 900 E 11th St, Austin, TX, 78702

Opening hours: Fri–Sun 11am–3pm

Expect to pay: $32-$44 per pound of meat; $7-$18 for sandwiches.

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A post shared by Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que (@joeskc)

What is it? Consistently ranked among the nation’s top BBQ joints, this smokehouse epitomizes the Kansas City style of slow-smoked meats slathered in a thick, sweet, tomato-and-molasses-based sauce. Kansas City—on both its Kansas and Missouri sides—is chockablock with excellent BBQ spots, but Joe’s is a two-state favorite.

Why we love it: You can’t go wrong with a pulled pork sandwich or by opting to go big with a combo plate filled with ribs, plus your choice of pulled pork, brisket, turkey, ham, sausage or a quarter of a chicken. Just make sure the onion rings are at least one of your side dishes and don't go conservative when dressing your meat.

Time Out tip: Don’t miss the iconic Z-man sandwich: sliced brisket, smoked provolone, a couple of onion rings and barbecue sauce on a Kaiser roll.

Address: 3002 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103

Opening hours: Mon-Thu, 11am-9pm; Fri, Sat 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: Dinner platters run from about $16-$24; sandwiches go for $10-$12

What is it? At this Michelin-starred East Side spot, Ali Clem is the chef and owner behind the Texas-style smoked brisket being served up here. The eats are 100% hormone-free, grass-fed beef that’s been sourced locally, and that comes right through in the flavor. The quality and popularity of La Barbecue have led to a glow-up—the former trailer is now a full-service restaurant. 

Why we love it: Come for the essential brisket, pork ribs and sausage, but stay for the sides. The chipotle coleslaw is zestier than most, with a kick to match the house-made chipotle sausage. Add to that the fresh black bean salad, which raises the total package bar at La Barbecue to the next level.

Time Out tip: Schedule your order for pickup ahead of time on their site to avoid the line. 

Address: 2401 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11am- 6pm

Expect to pay: $31-$36 per pound of smoked meat

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A post shared by Pappy's Smokehouse (@pappyssmokehouse)

What is it? Another important capital in the nationwide BBQ scene, St. Louis cooks up a sauce-heavy style of barbecue glossed with a light, tangy, tomato-based sauce.

Why we love it: In a city full of excellent smokehouses, Pappy’s is a local legend, garnering fans with its genre-defining pork ribs: dry-rubbed then slow-smoked over apple and cherrywood until crispy on the outside without melting within. Honorable mention goes to the burnt ends, the rich, tender points of a beef brisket.

Time Out tip: Pappy's is popular, so arriving before the usual lunch or dinner rush can help you avoid long waits.

Address: 3106 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103

Opening hours: Sun-Mon 11am-4pm; Wed 11-4pm; Thur 11am-6pm; Fri, Sat 11am-7pm

Expect to pay: $17-$22 for platters; $14-$18 for sandwiches

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What is it? A Birmingham institution since 2009, Saw’s serves up some of the state’s best smoked meats and Southern sides. The original location is in Homewood, but you can find several outposts throughout Alabama. 

Why we love it: Throughout the state of Alabama, cuts of pork are barbecued over hickory, oak and pecan wood until smoky, tender and infused with spice. Pulled pork typically defines the genre but gets a unique spin from a local condiment: white sauce, a tangy whip of mayo, cider vinegar and lemon juice that adds acidity and richness to the soft meat. At Saw’s, this meat-sauce combo is perfection on a bun.

Time Out tip: Don’t sleep on the stuffed potatoes, loaded with hearty fillings such as bacon, green onions and cheddar.

Address: 1008 Oxmoor Rd Homewood, AL 35209

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-8pm

Expect to pay: Barbecue plates fall under $20, while the stuffed taters can run between $8-$19

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A post shared by Central BBQ (@centralbbq)

What is it? Heavy on pork, with ribs and shoulder taking center stage, Memphis-style BBQ is one of the country’s four predominant types. There’s nowhere better to sample it than at ground zero, downtown’s Central BBQ.

Why we love it: Consistently ranked among the city’s best smokehouses, Central BBQ’s 24-hour-marinated ribs are rightfully revered: dry-rubbed, smoky and oh-so-tender, they all but fall apart in your hands.

Time Out tip: Want more pork? Go for a pile of Central’s soft, juicy pulled pork, anointed with mild, hot or vinegar-based sauce.

Address: 147 E Butler Ave, Memphis, TN 38103

Opening hours: Wed-Fri 7pm

Expect to pay: A pulled pork plate will run you $14.50, while a half rack of ribs is closer to $30

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What is it? A Texas-style barbecue joint right outside of Nashville that isn’t shy about its heritage—you’ll find Lone Star state paraphernalia plastered all over the place. But the Texas pride doesn’t stop at the decor. The food takes its cue from the state, too. Especially the brisket and ribs, which are smoked over white oak and pecan wood. 

Why we love it: Yes, the tender-as-all-get-out brisket is a huge draw, but the cheddar jalapeno Texas Hill country sausages are a juicy revelation. Paired with the dill pickle potato salad, and you’ve got the platonic ideal of a barbecue meal. 

Time Out tip: Get there early if you want brisket. The sell-out risk is high. 

Address: 1500 Gallatin Pike S, Madison, TN 37115

Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11am-3pm

Expect to pay: About $100, including tax and tip, for a platter that feeds three to four people

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What is it? Lewis Barbecue might be one of the most slept-on BBQ joints in the country. This lowcountry joint is helmed by pitmaster John Lewis, who helped Aaron Franklin open his legendary place in Austin. Barbecue enthusiasts have flocked to Lewis’s pits for years, waiting in long lines to get a taste of his expertly smoked pork spareribs, beef ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage, oxtail, and his legendary beef brisket.

Why we love it: While the brisket is the star of the show (those smoke rings!), the mac and cheese is the silent workhorse here. Thick and creamy without a sign of grit, its the side you’ll deeply regret not ordering. 

Time Out tip: There’s usually a line at Lewis’s, but it moves quickly. Get there early to save a spot closer to the front.  

Address: 464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC 29403

Opening hours: Tue-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun, Mon 11am-9pm

Expect to pay: About $19 to $32 per pound of meat. Sandwiches run about $13 to $16. 

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A post shared by Edley’s Bar-B-Que (@edleysbbq)

What is it? It's Memphis that gets all the attention for barbecue in Tennessee, which is maybe why Edley's decided that the city needed its own proper barbecue and set out on inventing it. And so, Nashville-style barbecue was born—a selection of low and slow smoked meats coated in a pleasantly blistering dry rub that uses cayenne pepper and a habanero mash among other spices. 

Why we love it: Edley's doesn’t feel like it needs to stick to the barbecue old standards. This much-loved Nashville mini-chain loads nachos and fries with smoked meats, slathers smoked wings in white barbecue sauce and dreams up composed dishes like the Tuck Special: smoked brisket with an over-easy egg, pickles, pimento cheese and red and white sauce.

Time Out tip: Wash your meal down with a Bushwacker, a frozen boozy milkshake made with rum, cream of coconut and swirls of chocolate fudge. 

Address: 2706 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37204

Opening hours: Sun-Thu 11am-9am; Fri, Sat 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: $75 for the Smoker Sampler, which feeds four. Individual platters run about $21.

What is it? Bark Barbecue has been a movable feast in NYC since pitmaster Ruben Santana first started serving his low-and-slow, white oak-fueled recipes at outdoor markets and pop-ups citywide (and beyond!) in 2020. Now, Bark’s beautiful brisket, ribs and pulled pork by the pound are available every day at its first permanent outpost inside the Time Out Market.

Why we love it: The Dominican flavors that infuse Santana’s barbecue plates add another layer of flavor to these dishes. Caramelized plantains, crispy chicharron and Dominican longaniza sausage are all love letters to Santana’s culture. 

Time Out tip: Don’t skip out on dessert here—order the torta, a cakey Dominican cornbread with a warm spice-infused honey syrup.

Address: 155 Water Street, New York City, NY 10038

Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11am-8pm; Fri, Sun 11am-9pm

Expect to pay: Around $18 for a sandwich or $24 to $38 per pound of meat

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What is it? Some of Southern California's best BBQ can be found just next to the historic mission in San Juan Capistrano. Heritage Barbecue's 1,000-gallon offset smokers turn out succulent brisket, plump sausage and tender pork and beef ribs to the waiting masses. Grab a beer or wine from the neighboring Capistrano Brewery. 

Why we love it: While the smoked meats are the main show, the kitchen serves up classic and Latin-inspired sides that stand on their own, such as choriqueso mac and cheese or the beer-and-brisket–simmered borracho beans.

Time Out tip: While Heritage doesn’t take reservations, you can reserve food before you go through the same-day order option on their site. 

Address: 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Opening hours: Wed, Thu 11-6pm; Fri-Sat 11am-8pm; Sun 11am-6pm

Expect to pay: Pork spare ribs and brisket run around $37-$40 per pound; sides are between $8 to $9. 

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What is it? Situated on a brick-paved alley in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood, Green Street Smoked Meats is known for its house-smoked, Central Texas-inspired BBQ served at a counter in a warehouse-style restaurant. String lights warm up the room as people wait in line to order their chopped brisket, pastrami and elote. 

Why we love it: The fat, juicy slices of pork belly, the thick and slightly spicy sausage, the satisfying smoky chicken legs and a vinegar cole slaw freshened up with cilantro that scratch our barbecue itch for weeks. 

Time Out tip: Ask for the “Chicago Twinkie,” a jalapeño stuffed with brisket, cream cheese, and giardinera, wrapped in bacon and smoked. It’s not always on the menu, but worth inquiring after. 

Address: 112 N. Green Street, Chicago, IL 60607

Opening hours: Sun-Thur 11am-10:30pm; Fri, Sat, 11am-11pm

Expect to pay: $13-$19 per pound of smoked meat; $6 sides. 

What is it? A pandemic pop-up that went from a renovated caddy shack smack in the middle of a golf course to a permanent brick-and-mortar in Kendall. There, Apocalypse slings something still fairly unique: Miami-style barbecue using ingredients and styles familiar to Latinos in South Florida. Traditional? Not a chance. But Apocalypse nails its flavor combos, feeling very much like the city where this place was born.

Why we love it: The clear influence Miami has on the menu. Apocalypse slathers its ribs in layers of a sticky sauce made from colada with espumita, slow-smokes its meats with a cafecito spice rub that imparts a rich umami flavor, and serves its old-fashioned in a skull hat that holds in a cloud of smoke. 

Time Out tip: It’s not going to be easy to score a meal from Apocalypse BBQ—the line will test even the most patient diner’s will. But the burger, the pork, the brisket, the ribs—it really is all worth the scorching wait outside a former caddy shack.

Address: 8695 SW 124th Ave., Miami, FL 33183

Opening hours: Wed-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-9pm

Expect to pay: Smoked meats are $17 to $34 per pound, sandwiches are $16 and sides clock in between $7 to $8.

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What is it? Skylight Inn, owned and operated by the Jones family since 1947, is a pillar of the Eastern Carolina barbecue. It’s recognized by everyone from the James Beard Foundation to Southern Living to the Travel Channel, and the smokehouse keeps things simple, serving top-notch plates and platters of whole hog BBQ with slaw and bread and not much else

Why we love it: The pitmasters have perfected the ancient and delicate art of smoking a whole animal over indirect oakwood heat for hours and hours—often overnight—until all the cuts yield a smoky, falling-apart mess o’ meat.

Time Out tip: If you can’t get to Ayden and have a craving for their chopped pork, you can order it for nationwide delivery through Goldbelly. 

Address: 4618 Lee St, Ayden, NC 28513

Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm

Expect to pay: Platters of pig and yard bird are $9 to $15, sides are $3, and slices of cornbread are $1 

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A post shared by Red State BBQ (@red_state_bbq)

What is it? Little Lexington, Kentucky, a town of only about 300,00 souls, is nevertheless crowded with excellent BBQ spots: this is a place that takes smoked meat seriously. Locals divide their loyalty among about a dozen top spots, but we head to Red State BBQ, a little roadside joint serving up big, flavorful barbecue.

Why we love it: Pulled pork, beef brisket and pork ribs are dry-rubbed and smoked low and slow, then anointed with Red State’s excellent house-made sauces: Texas Spicy, North Carolina Spicy Vinegar, Memphis Sweet, Kentucky Small Batch, Alabama Show Horse, Taproom Fire and South Carolina Mustard.

Time Out tip: For dessert, don’t miss the homemade peach bread pudding topped with a scoop of bourbon ice cream.

Address: 4020 Georgetown Rd, Lexington, KY 40511

Opening hours: Sun-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri, Sat, 11am-10pm

Expect to pay: Plates with two sides run between $11 to $13; sandwiches are all under $12