🥩 2025’s Best BBQ Cities in America 🍗

A person holds a tray piled with barbecue ribs and sausages, topped with containers of barbecue sauce.

Which U.S. cities are cooking up the best BBQ scenes?

To find out, LawnStarter looked at 13 metrics across nearly 500 of the biggest U.S. cities to rank 2025’s Best BBQ Cities in America.

Update your barbecue bucket list with help from our ranking and local tips below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.

Contents

Top 5 BBQ Cities in America

Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 BBQ cities.

A line forms outside of Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue in Kansas City, Missouri
No. 1: Kansas City, Missouri | Overall Score: 52.02

Number of BBQ Establishments: 32 | Rank: 36
Average Number of Reviews per BBQ Establishment: 604 | Rank: 4
Number of Top-Rated (4.5+ Stars) BBQ Establishments: 7 | Rank: 14
NBBQA Award-Winning Cooking Teams in Past 5 Years: 15 | Rank: 1
Number of KCBS 180 Club Members: 21 | Rank: 1

Local tips: With a history going back to the early 1920’s, the self-proclaimed BBQ Capital of the World continues to smoke all contenders from the restaurant scene to the competitive sphere. 

Highlights range from legendary Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque to locally loved Q39 to Char Bar — a spot for both vegans and carnivores.

Taste the best of the best by exploring the city’s BBQ Trails or attending the largest BBQ contest in the world.

Photo Credit: Dave Herholz / Flickr / License
The storefront of Bludso’s BBQ in Los Angeles
No. 2: Los Angeles | Overall Score: 49.43

Number of BBQ Establishments: 162 | Rank: 1
Average Consumer Rating for BBQ Establishments: 4.2 | Rank: 120
Number of Top-Rated (4.5+ Stars) BBQ Establishments: 20 | Rank: 2
Number of KCBS 180 Club Members: 3 | Rank: 26
Number of KCBS 700 Club Members: 3 | Rank: 8

Local tips: You can literally order “The Meat Sweats” from Moo’s Craft Barbecue, which received a Bib Gourmand distinction from the Michelin Guide.

Hit up Bludso’s BBQ for Texas-style meats from a James Beard Award-winning chef. 

Photo Credit: Julian / Flickr / License
A glowing sign welcomes hungry guests to Pappas Bar-B-Q in Houston
No. 3: Houston | Overall Score: 48.64

Number of BBQ Establishments: 160 | Rank: 2
Number of Top-Rated (4.5+ Stars) BBQ Establishments: 10 | Rank: 7
NBBQA Award-Winning Cooking Teams in Past 5 Years: 5 | Rank: 4
Teams in Top 25% of Past 3 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest: 59 | Rank: 1
Number of KCBS 180 Club Members: 8 | Rank: 6

Local tips: Truth Barbeque and Brisket & Rice are 2 smoking spots recommended this year by both Texas Monthly and inspectors from the Michelin Guide.

Pinkerton’s Barbecue boasts many accolades, including a Bib Gourmand and two-time Beef Champion at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. 

Pappas Bar-B-Q is another local BBQ staple that got its start in Houston in 1967 and has since expanded as a chain of restaurants to over 90 locations across 8 states.

Photo Credit: Denis Barthel / Wikimedia Commons / License
The storefront of Pappy’s Smokehouse in St. Louis
No. 4: St. Louis | Overall Score: 46.75

Number of BBQ Establishments: 72 | Rank: 12
Average Consumer Rating for BBQ Establishments: 4.3 | Rank: 66
Number of Top-Rated (4.5+ Stars) BBQ Establishments: 15 | Rank: 3
Winners in Top 25% of Past 3 Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Contests: 2 | Rank: 4
Number of KCBS 180 Club Members: 12 | Rank: 2

Local tips: The stars of St. Louis’ BBQ scene are Bogart’s Smokehouse and Pappy’s Smokehouse.

Other favorites include Stellar Hog, Adam’s Smokehouse, and Salt + Smoke

Photo Credit: John H / Flickr / License
Hungry folks wait in line at the Leroy and Lewis food truck in Austin
No. 5: Austin, Texas | Overall Score: 46.54

Number of BBQ Establishments: 109 | Rank: 7
Average Consumer Rating for BBQ Establishments: 4.2 | Rank: 108
Number of Top-Rated (4.5+ Stars) BBQ Establishments: 21 | Rank: 1
Teams in Top 25% of Past 3 Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Contests: 4 | Rank: 5
Teams in Top 25% of Past 3 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest: 2 | Rank: 5

Local tips: Austin is home to 3 barbecue spots with a 1-star Michelin rating and 6 more with a Bib Gourmand.

Leroy and Lewis Barbecue and InsterStellar BBQ both boast Michelin stars and appearances in Texas Monthly’s Top 10 BBQ Joints in 2025. The city’s 3rd Michelin-starred spot is female-owned La Barbecue.

Line up early for beloved BBQ staple Franklin Barbecue.

Photo Credit: Phil Whitehouse / Flickr / License

BBQ City Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Key Insights

Reigning BBQ cities like Kansas City, Missouri (No. 1), Houston (No. 3), St. Louis (No. 4), and Austin, Texas (No. 5), sear the top of our list, alongside unexpected standout, Los Angeles (No. 2). 

Los Angeles cooks up the best access to BBQ establishments and the 2nd highest number of top-rated BBQ spots, behind Austin. To some, it might seem like BBQ is suddenly trending in LA. However, the tradition has a rich history in the region, influenced by access to cattle and a fusion of multiple culinary cultures. 

Regional Standouts

  • North Carolina offers two different takes on a vinegar-style sauce. Charlotte (No. 54), Asheville (No. 59), and Raleigh (No. 61) offer the best access to North Carolina ‘cue. 
  • Their neighbor, South Carolina, offers a mustard-based sauce, with Charleston (No. 53) and Columbia (No. 72) standing out in the top 100. 
  • Fans of Alabama-style white sauce BBQ can get their fix in Birmingham (No. 71), Mobile (No. 85), and Huntsville (No. 87).

Meaty Mentions

Of the 50 most populous U.S. cities, the following claim among the best average consumer ratings across all BBQ establishments:

  • Portland, Oregon (No. 16) | 4.3 stars
  • Wichita, Kansas (No. 35) | 4.3 stars
  • Fresno, California (No. 84) | 4.3 stars
  • Austin, Texas (No. 5) | 4.2 stars
  • Nashville, Tennessee (No. 9) | 4.2 stars
  • Los Angeles (No. 2) | 4.2 stars
  • Miami (No. 29) | 4.2 stars
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma (No. 48) | 4.2 stars

Offbeat Cities With BBQ Hot Spots

Metric Highlights

Ask the Experts

We turned to a panel of culinary experts and BBQ masters to learn more about the art of smoking meat. Chew through their insights below.

  1. What makes a true barbecue city for aficionados?
  2. Which non-iconic BBQ cities, if any, can fans expect to emerge in the national barbecue scene in the next few years? What makes those cities stand out?
  3. What are some non-traditional barbecue dishes (such as BBQ tacos) that every serious fan must try?
  4. What are some fresh barbecue side-dish ideas to try this Fourth of July?
  5. Barbecue vs. barbeque: Apart from spelling, is there a difference?
  6. Besides visiting the top BBQ cities in the country, what’s the best way to discover one’s favorite style of ’cue?
Carola Grebitus
Dr. Carola Grebitus
Associate Professor of Food Industry Management, W. P. Carey School of Business, Morrison School of Agribusiness
Tyler White
Tyler White
Culinary Institute Program Manager
Jeffrey Miller
Jeffrey Miller
Certified Executive Chef, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Carola Grebitus
Dr. Carola Grebitus
Associate Professor of Food Industry Management, W. P. Carey School of Business, Morrison School of Agribusiness
Arizona State University

What makes a true barbecue city for aficionados?

A city that offers fresh and local ingredients to shoppers, providing high-quality meat to customers, as well as high-quality ingredients for side dishes.

Equipment is, of course, just as important, and places where the community can gather. Barbecuing next to a community garden where you can pick some fresh veggies to put on the grill — what can be better?

Which non-iconic BBQ cities, if any, can fans expect to emerge in the national barbecue scene in the next few years? What makes those cities stand out?

The Phoenix metro area offers great variety with fresh and local ingredients putting a spin on things with unique flavor, such as prickly pear.

What are some non-traditional barbecue dishes (such as BBQ tacos) that every serious fan must try?

  • Being from Germany, I would go with some German-style brats that will taste delicious if made on a charcoal grill. Simply pair it with a bun and some mustard, or go all out by adding German-style potato salad. You can find original brats at Trader Joe’s or Aldi.
  • Wrap small sausages in bacon, and grill them until crisp (if you can find cheese-filled sausages, all the better).

Meatless alternatives:

  • Fish packs: Fish of choice (e.g., salmon), add spices or fresh herbs to taste, top it with some butter, wrap in foil, and grill until tender.
  • Tofu packs: Same as fish packs but with tofu

What are some fresh barbecue side-dish ideas to try this Fourth of July?

  • Veggie packs: Cut up your favorite produce (think bell peppers, tomatoes, squash), add some spices/herbs and butter, wrap in foil, and grill until tender.
  • Stuffed mushrooms: Prepare butter spread (mix well soft Irish butter, parsley, garlic, onion, pepper, salt, paprika powder, Worcestershire sauce — all to taste), remove stems from mushrooms and fill with butter, and grill until butter has melted.
  • Grilled bread: Make butter spread, get a big loaf of white bread with a nice crust (think oversized baguette), cut the whole bread in slices (cut about two-thirds through, leaving the bottom of the bread intact), slather on the spread in between the slices, wrap in foil, and grill until butter has melted and bread is crisp and toasty.

Barbecue vs. barbeque: Apart from spelling, is there a difference?

As a German native, I would say no.

Besides visiting the top BBQ cities in the country, what’s the best way to discover one’s favorite style of ’cue?

Gather family and friends for a cookout, and enjoy spending time together while indulging in great food.

Tyler White
Tyler White
Culinary Institute Program Manager
University of Tennessee Knoxville

What makes a true barbecue city for aficionados?

Authenticity and history are key components in identifying a true barbecue city. Aficionados should look for cities and regions that have a history of great pitmasters and family-owned businesses. The best barbeque cities have plenty of independently owned barbeque restaurants.

What are some non-traditional barbecue dishes (such as BBQ tacos) that every serious fan must try?

  • Barbeque breakfast hash is a great way to incorporate barbeque into every meal of the day.
  • Barbeque tamales are an amazing way to combine smoked meats, masa, and your favorite sauce and cheese.

What are some fresh barbecue side-dish ideas to try this Fourth of July?

Summer vegetable salads pair perfectly with barbeque. It is easy to create salads with just about any type of vegetable or greens, and using a vinaigrette dressing, you can complement the sweet flavors that are associated with many barbeque seasonings and sauces. This is why you traditionally see coleslaw as a staple side with barbeque.

Barbecue vs. barbeque: Apart from spelling, is there a difference?

There is no difference in the cooking techniques for either version of the word “barbeque/ barbecue.” The spelling of the word is more related to the region you live in, similar to debate over “pop or soda.”

There is, however, a difference in how the word is used. Many will use the term “barbeque” as a gathering of friends for a meal that consists of various grilled items, whereas the verb meaning of “barbeque” relates to the actual cooking process of foods.

Many people use “grilling” and “barbequing” interchangeably, but that is incorrect — grilling is a fast cooking technique that uses more direct heat, and barbequing uses slow and low indirect cooking.

Besides visiting the top BBQ cities in the country, what’s the best way to discover one’s favorite style of ’cue?

A great way to discover your favorite style of barbeque without traveling is to cook barbeque yourself! Smokers are easily accessible now, and the internet is full of recipes to guide you on your barbeque adventure.

Try cooking with different woods, cuts of meats, marinades, rubs, and sauces to determine what works best for your palate. Many of the best barbeque restaurants started off with someone creating a great barbecue item at home and then turning it into a business.

Jeffrey Miller
Jeffrey Miller
Certified Executive Chef, Associate Professor, Hospitality Management, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Colorado State University

What makes a true barbecue city for aficionados?

A true barbecue city has a respect for the traditions. BBQ is an old and honorable art. Serious BBQ people want pitmasters who understand what it takes to make the classics correctly; pitmasters who are willing to spend the time to do it right — there is no “hurry up” shortcut to great BBQ.

A city also needs a critical mass of people who love BBQ. I’ve seen some great barbecue joints close because the locals didn’t support it with their wallets.

Which non-iconic BBQ cities, if any, can fans expect to emerge in the national barbecue scene in the next few years? What makes those cities stand out?

It is really more regions that are coming on than individual towns. BBQ has always been associated with the South in general, the Carolinas and Texas, and few great cities like Memphis and Kansas City.

But great BBQ can be had in a lot of places now. Some great BBQ is coming out of the Midwest. Oklahoma has always had a great BBQ tradition that is just now getting recognized. The whole belt across southern Kansas, southern Missouri, northern Oklahoma, and northern Arkansas is growing great BBQ traditions.

What are some non-traditional barbecue dishes (such as BBQ tacos) that every serious fan must try?

While the classics are hard to beat, there are a few outliers to try:

  • If a place has a bologna sandwich on the menu, try it. There is some great BBQ bologna in Oklahoma.
  • BBQ corned beef can be really good.
  • I wish there was more BBQ lamb. The place I miss the most is the late, lamented Prospect BBQ in Kansas City. They had BBQ lamb shanks and lamb riblets that I still dream about.

What are some fresh barbecue side-dish ideas to try this Fourth of July?

  • Anything with dark leafy greens like collards: They pair perfectly with the smoke of real BBQ.
  • Try some really sweet watermelon with feta cheese crumbles. You can never go wrong with sweet and salty.
  • Hawaiian-style mac salad is always great with ribs.

Barbecue vs. barbeque: Apart from spelling, is there a difference?

It’s not the spelling; it’s the process. A steak on the grill is a treat, but it’s not BBQ. Low and slow wins the race.

Besides visiting the top BBQ cities in the country, what’s the best way to discover one’s favorite style of ’cue?

One thing the pandemic did was blow food delivery wide open. You can order BBQ from nearly anywhere. You can enjoy most of the great BBQ styles of America from the comfort of your own patio.

BBQ By the Numbers and Fun Facts

bbq by the numbers infographic
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Infographic by: Juan Rodriguez

More Fun Facts

  • Grilling ≠ Barbecuing: Grilling requires direct heat from a flame, while barbecuing draws heat from circulating air.
  • Baby Got Back: Baby-back ribs don’t come from baby pigs. They’re just shorter than spare ribs.
  • Follow the BBQ Trail: North Carolina’s barbecue trail leads hungry visitors to the top ’cue across the state.
  • In a Word: “Barbecue” comes from barbacoa, meaning “a framework for supporting meat over a fire.”
  • There’s an App for That: You can buy a meat thermometer that lets you monitor your ’cue remotely via smartphone.

Research by: Sarah Bahr

Methodology

First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best BBQ Cities in America. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 4 categories: Consumer Satisfaction, Access, Competition Awards, and Elite BBQ Memberships. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.

For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table. We eliminated 24 cities lacking sufficient data in a single category, resulting in a final sample size of 476 cities.

Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 476).

Notes:

The “Number of BBQ Establishments” and “Number of Top-Rated BBQ Establishments” includes both BBQ vendors and smokehouses. 

The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 476 due to ties.

Sources: American Royal, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Jack Daniel’s, Kansas City Barbeque Society, The Lynchburg Times, Memphis in May, National Barbecue & Grilling Association, TripAdvisor, and Yelp

Cue an Outdoor Kitchen Upgrade

Show your smoker some special treatment and sauce up your outdoor space with some upgrades to accommodate your BBQ obsession.

Hire a local LawnStarter crew to get your lawn and landscape ready for entertaining while you perfect your meat smoking techniques ahead of July 4th.

Media Resources

Quotes From LawnStarter Editor-In-Chief Jeff Herman

Main Photo Credit: Luis Santoyo / Unsplash / Unsplash License

Staff Writer