Summer’s the perfect time to savor the never-goes-out-of-style taste of barbecue. Try these favorite spots across the U.S.
Even if you're sipping an ice-cold summer beer, there are still some days when it's just too hot to tend to the grill. Thankfully, there are multitudes of restaurants ready to serve up a platter of ribs or put together a pulled pork sandwich to satisfy your 'cue craving. For the best of the best, try one of the smokin' spots we consider to be the top 10 barbecue restaurants in America.
City Market -- Luling, Texas
Roll down your windows and let the aroma of smoldering mesquite guide you to some of the best barbecue in the Lone Star State. Texans don't mess with a good thing, and this one's been smokin' steadily since 1958. A dimly lit institution of barbecue fame, City Market boasts an indoor pit and breathtaking, mesquite-burning aromas that never cease, even when they close on Tuesdays. Town locals mosey in first thing for breakfast. No, not for eggs, just for the sausage: all-beef with rib trimmings, perfectly seasoned and never greasy. The rest of the barbecue is outstanding, too, like tender meaty ribs or melt-in-your-mouth brisket, slapped between slices of white Mrs. Baird's and drizzled with tart, slow-simmered sauce. We practice our patience here, since the cafeteria-style line is always long and City Market just plumb runs out of food every day -- even the Texas fave fruit cobbler. Despite the deeply satisfying food, try to stay alert for celebrity sightings. Read more at City Guides.
Daisy May's BBQ USA -- New York
The West Side's best (and only) take-away barbecue stand.
What do you get when you mix a Daniel Boulud-trained chef and down-home treats like mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar or Tennessee Whiskey beer can-style half chicken and a take-away counter? One of the best 'cue restaurants to hit Midtown in ages. Adam Perry Lang mans the stoves at this popular barbecue restaurant. On offer are Memphis dry rub ribs, Kansas City sweet and sticky ribs, and pulled pork sandwiches topped with coleslaw. Wash it all down with a Sam Adams or with sweet tea served in a 32 oz. mason jar. If you find yourself in the Theatre District and hunger pangs strike, you can skip the trek to Daisy May's and seek out the restaurant's chili and sandwich street cart at 50th Street and 6th Avenue. Read more at City Guides.
Everett & Jones Barbeque -- Oakland, Calif.
If you could have one last soul food dinner, you should choose E&J. Opening in 1973, succeeding generations of the family have carried on and spread the 'cue throughout the East Bay. (Their signature Super-Que barbecue sauce is in such high demand that the restaurant bottles it for retail and online purchasing.) The family specialty is brisket, but you won't be unhappy with the ribs, the potato salad, the sweet-potato pie and the lemonade. The heart of the room is the grill, barbecue smokers and prep area, and a small corner is reserved for a blues combo to play on the weekends. On Friday and Saturday, they serve everyone who arrives by midnight, and soul food fans can always get it to-go. Read more at City Guides.
