OK, no nice guy stuff. Let's have a battle royale on whcih state/region/city has the best BBQ.

Vermont! Mmmm, mapley!

Golden Rule BBQ, Irondale, Alabama!

Memphis, Tennessee! Home of Corky's, The Rendezvous, and the World Championship BBQ Contest (www.memphisinmay.org)

How can we even have a debate on this? Everyone already agrees that the winner is Kansas City, hands down. Aurthur Bryant's and Gate's. Smokestack and Heyward's. KC wins.

Next topic!

Everybody knows it Texas, of course.

Another vote for Kansas City. Gates...yummy!

Texas has the best, by far!

What? Pig pickins' originated here in the Granddaddiest location for BBQ on the planet -- Eastern NC. These celebrations started hundreds of years ago after the fall harvest and they have been perfected over generations by the likes of Parker's, Jimmy's, and the most sensational of them all, Lexington BBQ on Hwy 29-70 South. Like my Grandma said, "don't you city folk open your mouth on things you don't know about."

I'm sure it's tasty and all in Vermont and the beef ribs are excellent in Texas, but there is nothing that conjures up bbq like a whole hog over a hickory fired cooker...

Best I ever had, or would wait over an hour for was at Ted Gregory's Montgomery Inn, or his Boathouse restaurants in Cincinnati OH! Bob Hope had them flown to CA quite often. Yummy!

It has to K.C. No doubt. There is a Gates in most areas of town to try out. But the best and most pristine is Bryants downtown. Even the mediocre BarBQue around town is great by any other standard.

The Rendezvous? Please...

Kansas City. Definitely. Rosedale fan here...

Ate at Arthur Bryants in KC a couple of years ago and love it, but everybody said I should have gone to Gates. This summer went throught KC again, and this time ate at Gates. Wish I had returned to Arthur Bryants. Much better in my opinion.

To add another level to the conversation..... What's your favorite type of BBQ sauce? Thin, tomato-y, thick, spicy...

yes for KC ARTHUR BRYANTS!!!!!!
I like a thickish , not too much tomato
taste sauce.
In fact I do not like a lot of sauce.
Memphis is a close 2nd.

NC

1. Bryants (KC)
2. Gatesw (KC)
PS: Haywards (KC) is in the bottom 10 of any list

I have eaten BBQ in many places, and my favorite is still Kansas City, my home town. Authur Bryants and Gates are good, but we really like the Smokehouse, across from Independence Ceter. The beans and burnt ends are to die for!

Pierce's Pit Cooked Barbeque in James City County, Virginia - off Interstate 64 near Lightfoot exit, close to Williamsburg. Only BBQ place in state with official state health dept permit to REALLY pit cook their BBQ outside. Ugly yellow building, wait at the counter to put in your order, sit outside at the picnic tables in nice weather.

Runner-up: Ralph's BBQ near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, off Interstate 95 just south of the Virginia-NC line.