The best (and cheapest) barbecue destinations in the country

Barbecue during the summer is as much an American pastime as baseball, apple pie and non-functioning government. And claiming that your hometown does the best-gosh-darn ’cue on the face of this planet is even more American than that. (We've already waded into the sticky sauces of this debate with our comprehensive list of the best barbecue restaurants in the country.)

A new study is staking its own claim on the BBQ wars, and giving it a travel-y twist, ranking the best cities for BBQ and how easy they are to travel to. The date data from CheapTickets.com details the site's 10 best cities for barbecue, scoring them against the cost of flights to those cities and accommodation once you're there. 

The result is a bucket-list for BBQ fiends, rated by how cost effective it is to actually get to them and wrap your mouth around some ribs. 

Austin came in as the best destination for money-conscious ’cue lovers, and travel costs to the city run at an average of $159 for a hotel and $355 for airfare. So if you're looking to gnaw on some tasty animal flesh this summer, Texas’s hippest city is a great bet (I mean, the barbecue options there know no bounds). Memphis came in a second (but traveling there is a smidge cheaper than Austin), with San Antonio, Kansas City and Nashville coming in at third, fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Check out the full list below and start planning your next meat sweat-inducing trip.