(PRWEB) 2013, Another summer is upon us, and it’s been exactly a year since we at LocalEats released our inaugural list of the country’s 20 Best Barbecue Restaurants. Though we feared backlash, outrage and menacing letters written in BBQ sauce from the passionate online barbecue community, the response was by and large positive and the discussion civil and thought provoking. We went back for seconds and are proud to announce the 2013 edition of America’s Best Barbecue Restaurants.
For the 2013 list, we’ve broadened our scope – within reason, of course. As much as we’d like to explore the countless styles of international smoked meats, from churrascarias of South America to the stone-fired meats of Mongolia, we’ve confined our list to the continental U.S. There are more than enough wonderful barbecue variations to explore between state and even county lines. Of course, prominent on the list are heavy hitters from Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina and Texas. But also represented are fantastic smoke shacks from Louisiana, New York, Detroit, Southern California and even the Pacific Northwest. From timeless institutions run by old-school pitmasters who rarely sleep to the innovative, newer joints building on family and regional traditions, these establishments embody the passion and patience required to produce outstanding barbecue.
In addition to the Top 20 barbecue restaurants in America, we’ve compiled a list of 80 more excellent barbecue restaurants, “Honorable Mentions,” all with sterling reputations and rabid fan followings. Altogether, that’s a rib-sticking lineup of 100 of the country’s best barbecue restaurants – a smoky, saucy bucket list for those who know the difference between lump and briquette charcoal.
The winning selections represent the opinions of LocalEats’ editorial staff, which has spent months in smoke-filled rooms relentlessly researching, compiling, and drawing from their personal experiences and collective barbecue fascination. There are no national chains listed, and restaurants cannot pay for inclusion.
To view a slideshow of the winners: http://www.localeats.com/20-best-barbecue-restaurants-in-america-2013/slideshow/
Download a PDF version:http://www.magellanpress.com/PR/LocalEats%202013%20Best%20Barbecue%20Winners.pdf
A sample of barbecue award winners:
Louie Mueller Barbecue – Taylor, TX
“Rubbed with salt and pepper then slow cooked four to six hours in 50 year-old pits, the brisket at Louie Mueller’s is legendary. This iconic Texas eatery also serves up sausages by the link and meat by the slice or pound, while a thin, tomato-based sauce is meant to ‘complement, not coat.’”
Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue, Raleigh, NC
“One step through the door verifies the appeal and popularity of this downtown Raleigh darling, with old-timey photographs, a buzzing service counter and the sweet aroma of down-home cooking.”
Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX
“From its humble beginnings — a trailer in a parking lot — to its current brick and mortar store with a line that’s always a mile long, Franklin Barbecue is the crown jewel of Austin’s flourishing barbecue scene.”
Smoque BBQ, Chicago, IL
“Smoque celebrates the varying styles of our nation’s most noteworthy barbecue regions. But it’s their Texas-style brisket (which they nearly left off the menu) that keeps the place consistently packed.”
LOCALEATS TOP 20 BARBECUE RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA (listed alphabetically)
The Bar-B-Q Shop – Memphis, TN
BB’s Lawnside Blues & BBQ – Kansas City, MO
Bill Spoon’s Barbecue – Charlotte, NC
Central BBQ – Memphis, TN
Clyde Cooper’s Barbecue – Raleigh, NC
Fette Sau – Brooklyn, NY
Franklin Barbecue – Austin, TX
The Joint – New Orleans, LA
Kreuz Market – Lockhart, TX
Lexington Barbecue – Lexington, NC
Louie Mueller Barbecue – Taylor, TX
Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue – Kansas City, Olathe and Leawood, KS
Pappy’s Smokehouse – St. Louis, MO
Pecan Lodge – Dallas, TX
Phil’s BBQ – San Diego and San Marcos, CA
Podnah’s Pit Barbecue – Portland, OR
Rollin Smoke Barbeque – Las Vegas, NV
Scott’s Bar-B-Q – Hemingway, SC
Slows Bar B Q – Detroit, MI
Smoque BBQ – Chicago, IL
LOCALEATS TOP 20 BARBECUE RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA, HONORABLE MENTIONS (listed alphabetically):
12 Bones Smokehouse – Asheville and Arden, NC
17th St BBQ – Murphrysboro, O’Fallon and Marion, IL
Abe’s BBQ – Clarksdale, MS
Allen & Son – Chapel Hill & Pittsboro, NC
Angelo’s Bar-B-Que – Fort Worth, TX
A&R Bar-B-Que – Memphis
Archibald’s Bar B Q – Northport, AL
Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue – Kansas City MO and KS
BBQ Barn – North Augusta, SC
The BBQ Shack – Dothan, AL
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q – Decatur, AL and Monroe, NC
Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Q – Warrior, AL
Black’s Barbecue – Lockhart, TX
Blue Smoke – New York City
Bobby Q’s – Cookeville, TN
The Brick Pit – Mobile, AL
Brobecks Barbeque – Overland Park, KS
Bunn’s Bar-B-Q – Windsor, NC
City Market – Luling, TX
C&K Barbecue – St. Louis, MO
Community Q BBQ – Decatur, GA
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que – Fort Worth, Llano and New Braunfels, TX
Cozy Corner – Memphis
Craig’s Bar-B-Q – De Valls Bluff, AR
Dreamland BBQ – The original in Tuscaloosa, AL
Edley’s Bar-B-Que – Nashville, TN
Everett and Jones Barbeque – Oakland, Berkeley and Hayward, CA
Fargo’s Pit BBQ – Bryan, TX
Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue – Kansas City, MO and Overland Park, KS
Gatlin’s BBQ – Houston, TX
Georgia Pig – Davie, FL
Germantown Commissary – Memphis
Hickory Hollow Bar-B-Que – Ellenton, FL
Hickory Pit – Jackson, MS
Hill Country – New York City and Washington, DC
Interstate Barbecue – Memphis and Southaven, MS
Jabo’s Bar-Be-Q – Denver, CO
Jack’s Bar-B-Que – Nashville, TN
Jimmy’s Barbecue – Lexington, NC
John Mueller Meat Co. – Austin
La Barbecue – Austin, TX
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue – Austin, TX
LC’s Bar-B-Q – Kansas City, MO
Leon’s World’s Finest BBQ – Galveston, TX
Lem’s Bar-B-Q – Chicago
Little Pigs Barbeque – Columbia, SC
Lockhart Smokehouse – Dallas, TX
Longoria’s BBQ – Fort Worth, TX
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint – Nolensville, TN
McClard’s Bar-B-Q – Hot Springs, AR
Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn – Owensboro, KY
Mumphord’s Place Bar-B-Q – Victoria, TX
Old Hickory House – Charlotte, NC
Papa KayJoe’s BBQ – Centerville, TN
Parker’s Bar-B-Q – Wilson, NC
Payne’s Bar-B-Q – Memphis
The Pit – Raleigh, NC
Pizzitola’s – Houston, TX
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge – Shelby, NC
Ridgewood Barbecue – Bluff City, TN
Roper’s Ribs – St. Louis, MO
Rudolphs – Minneapolis, MN
The Salt Lick – Driftwood and Round Rock, TX
Saucy’s Walk-Up – Petersburg, VA
Saw’s BBQ – Homewood, AL
Scott’s-Parker’s Bar-B-Q – Lexington, TN
Shealy’s Bar-B-Que – Leesville, SC
Sims Bar-B-Que – Little Rock, AR
The Skylight Inn – Ayden, NC
Smitty’s Market – Lockhart, TX
Snow’s BBQ – Lexington, TX
Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Que – Tyler, TX
Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew – Austin, TX
Two Bros BBQ Market – San Antonio, TX
Uncle John’s Barbecue – Chicago
Van’s Pig Stand – Moore, Norman and Shawnee, OK
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que – Brownsville, TX
Wilber’s Barbecue – Goldsboro, NC
Winslow’s BBQ – Kansas City, Mo
Woodyard Bar-B-Que – Kansas City, KS