Which Are the Best BBQ Cities in America?

Home cooked barbecue is not just a holiday tradition. Barbecuing has rapidly become a popular American pastime. Surveys suggest 80% of American homeowners own a grill or smoker.

In fact, it is estimated that Americans spent $6.1 billion on grills and grilling accessories in 2021. Much of that is due to the growing popularity of barbecue contests. The world’s largest competition is “The World Series of Barbecue,” held in Kansas City, Missouri, with 500 teams competing and 70,000 spectators.

Which cities have the best barbecue? The answer depends on who you ask, and two recent rankings provide different results.

Last year Food & Wine magazine crowned “Austin and the surrounding hill country” as America’s best barbecue. In fact, Food & Wine’s top three destinations were in Texas, with Dallas at #2 and Brownsville #3. Two Missouri cities, Kansas City and St. Louis round out Food & Wine’s top five.

But a more recent ranking, by LawnStarter, finds a different result with an apparent snub to Texas barbecue. Kansas City, MO, barbecue is #1, according to LawnStarter’s rankings, with St. Louis #2. And, interestingly, Kansas City, KS, came in at #3.

Memphis ranked #4 by LawnStarter, with Houston at #5 as the only Texas barbecue in the top 10. Austin, which topped Food & Wine’s list, was ranked #12 by LawnStarter.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

During my career, I traveled all over the U.S. and the world for business. Every chance I got I sought out a local BBQ place. And, oh my, there are some great ones out there. It appears this article got it pretty much correct as to where the best ones really are located. Personally, and I’ll admit right up front that I might be a little biased, but since I live in St. Louis – I would move a couple of our barbecue hot spots to the top of the list and, consequently, also put St. Louis at the top overall! I suspect some of you might disagree…. Email me with your nominations for the top spot – paul@certifiedagdealer.com. Besides, I’m always looking for a great BBQ spot when I travel!