Best U.S. Cities For Delicious Barbeque And Meaty Festivals

Do you seek out barbeque when you travel? Would you detour for great smoked brisket? Do you palpitate for juicy pulled pork? Smile wide for a sensational side? Then this one’s for you.

LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Best BBQ Cities in America, comparing the 200 biggest U.S. cities based on five categories: access to tasty barbecue vendors, consumer ratings, competition awards, and the number of barbecue festivals, among 20 total metrics.

“Authenticity and history are key components in identifying a true barbecue city,” according to Tyler White, Culinary Institute Program Manager, University of Tennessee Knoxville.

“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 makes a true barbecue city for aficionados? “Respect for the traditions,” says Jeffrey Miller, Certified Executive Chef, and Associate Professor at Colorado State University.

“Barbeque is an old and honorable art. Serious barbeque 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 shortcut to great barbeque”

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,” says Dr. Carola Grebitus, Associate Professor of Food Industry Management at Arizona State University.

Other factors: Fresh and local ingredients; providing high-quality meat as well as high-quality ingredients for side dishes; top equipment; and places where the community can gather. Some venues even have barbecuing next to a garden where you can pick fresh veggies to put on the grill.

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

“It’s really more regions that are coming on than individual towns. Barbeque has always been associated with the South in general, the Carolinas and Texas, and few great cities like Memphis and Kansas City,” says Jeffrey Miller.

“But great barbeque is coming out of the Midwest. Oklahoma has always had a great barbeque tradition that is just now getting recognized. The whole belt across southern Kansas, southern Missouri, northern Oklahoma, and northern Arkansas is growing great barbeque traditions.”

So here are the current rankings:

Best Cities for BBQ

Rank/City: 1, Kansas City, MO; 2, St. Louis, MO; 3, Kansas City, KS; 4, Memphis, TN; 5, Houston, TX; 6, Orlando, FL; 7, Springfield, MO; 8 Omaha, NE; 9, Nashville, TN; 10, Richmond, VA

Worst Cities for BBQ

Rank/City: 1, (Tie) Yonkers, NY; Paterson, NJ; 3, Lancaster, CA; 4, Miramar, FL; 5, Ontario, CA; 6, Surprise AZ; 7, Providence, RI; 8, Chula Vista, CA; 9, Irving TX; 10, Aurora, IL

• Top (BBQ) Chefs : Kansas City, Missouri (No. 1), smoked the competition with the most barbecue festivals and the most 180 Club and 700 Club members, followed by St. Louis (No. 2). St. Louis stands out with the 2nd-highest number of BBQ vendors per capita and the most National Barbecue & Grilling Association (NBBQA) members.
• The Battle of Kansas Cities: Kansas City, Missouri (No. 1), and Kansas City, Kansas (No. 3), tied for the most cooking teams in the top 25% of recent open contests for the American Royal World Series of Barbecue. They also took 2nd and 3rd places, respectively, for teams in the top quarter of the Series’ invitational contests.
• Texas Takes It: Houston (No. 5) is Texas’ BBQ star, with the 2nd-largest number of top-rated BBQ vendors and the most cooking teams in the top 25% of the World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Houston tied with San Antonio (No. 31) for 2nd place in top-rated smokehouses. Meanwhile, Austin (No. 12) and Dallas (No. 36) claimed the 5th- and 6th-highest numbers of top-rated BBQ vendors, respectively.
• Don’t Flyover These Midwest Meats: Chicago (No. 19) took 6th place in overall Consumer Satisfaction, and Joliet, Illinois (No. 166), boasts the highest average consumer rating for BBQ vendors. Superb pitmasters also can be found in Omaha, Nebraska (No. 8), which is home to five 180 Club Members.
• Nothin Could Be Finer — Carolina Cuts: North Carolina is known for its distinct BBQ style, but some Tar Heel cities fell behind in both barbecue Access and pitmasters with Elite Memberships. Raleigh (No. 25) pitmasters have been recognized by the NBBQA, American Royal World Series of Barbecue, and World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (WCBCC).
• Southern Smoke: Many Southern cities grill up impressive barbecue Access. Orlando (No. 6) offers the most barbecue vendors and smokehouses per 100,000 residents. Tennessee cities Memphis (No. 4), Nashville (No. 9), Knoxville (No. 16), and Chattanooga (No. 28) are among the top 16 cities for BBQ vendor access, alongside Atlanta (No. 23) and Richmond, Virginia (No. 10).

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