134 Best Restaurants in USA

Located in the funky Plaza Midwood neighborhood (and with satellite locations now in Ballantyne and Park Road Shopping Center), this barbecue joint carries a full range of sauces and meats and keeps its wood-fired smoker burning 24/7. This is no hole-in-the-wall joint but instead a fun and modern-looking place with something for just about every kind of barbecue lover. The beef brisket is excellent, especially with a half-lean, half-fatty plate. For a special treat, order the banana pudding; it's some of the best in the state.

True barbecue aficionados know that the country's divided into four territories: North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas City, and Texas, each renowned for its own barbecue style. Mojo's, as the locals call it, honors all four traditions—and throws in some Deep South sides, like garlic cheddar grits and black-eyed peas, as well as sweet tea and banana pudding. The whiskey menu is as impressive as the food. There's also good recorded blues playing at all times, and on occasion, some great live blues, too.

Order a platter of pulled pork with slaw, baked beans, or mac and cheese to enjoy while a bluegrass band plays mountain music on the rustic stage at this classic roadside barbecue joint. Bands play both the lunch and dinner shift, and local folk artists display their work in the gift shop and at the museum-like 87 Ruffin Street Gallery next door.

This barbecue joint has an upbeat atmosphere, multiple flat-screen TVs, and an outdoor patio with a big brick fireplace. With baby back ribs, award-winning pulled pork sandwiches, great burgers, and a fun kids' menu, you should expect to bring your appetite to One Hot Mama's. There is a location on the south end of the island, and also one in Bluffton.

Simple food and hearty portions are the draw at this casual family-owned restaurant offering ranch-style cuisine. Choose from steak or fish sandwiches, taco or chicken salads, burgers, grilled fish, and plates piled high with chicken, steak, or ribs, along with house-made chili and salad. Though they specialize in BBQ meats, vegetarians will find some options. The rustic decor is cozy and casual, with plastic chairs and ranch memorabilia. Nightly live music adds to the fun.

This old-fashioned roadside eatery on the Tamiami Trail near Krome Avenue was opened in 1965 by the late Tommy Little, who wanted to provide easy access to cold drinks and rib-sticking fare for folks heading to and from the Everglades. Now spiffed up, the backwoods heritage vision remains a popular, affordable family option for lunch and dinner. Specialties include barbecued chicken and ribs with a tangy basting sauce, fries, coleslaw, and biscuits, plus burgers, fish sandwiches, and wings. The whopping double-decker beef or pork sandwich with slaw requires multiple napkins. Latin specialties include deep-fried pork and fried green plantains. Beer is by the bottle or pitcher. Chow down inside or outdoors.

You can smell the smoke pit for miles before you pass this '50s-style drive-in. Seating at this seasonal local favorite just south of Spa State Park on U.S. 9 is either under a roof shared with the kitchen and order counter or at outdoor picnic tables; a small section has table service. Chicken, ribs, and beef brisket are the specialties, but you can come just to have ice cream, listen to the DJ spinning oldies, and gaze at the classic cars that congregate in the lot on Saturday night.

Firing up the smoker at 5 every morning, the pit crew at Podnah's spends the day slow cooking some of the best Texas- and Carolina-style barbecue in the Northwest, including melt-in-your-mouth, oak-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, whole trout, and lamb, all served up in a sassy vinegar-based sauce. Some sides rotate on and off the menu, but the collard greens, barbecue baked beans, and the iceberg wedge, topped with blue cheese and a punchy Thousand Island dressing, are excellent mainstays.

It's well worth driving the 15 miles northeast out of Wichita in order to step into the Wild West era, with a cowboy supper followed by a staged musical performance hosted by the Prairie Rose Rangers. The all-you-can-eat dinner includes smoked brisket and sausage, baked beans, roasted potatoes, and homemade biscuits, followed by apple crisp topped with ice cream. Arrive early to explore the 77-acre grounds, where activities include a horse-drawn wagon ride and free cowboy movies (with popcorn) in Hopalong Cassidy Hall. This is also home to the Silver Screen Cowboy Museum, exhibiting movie props, posters, and other memorabilia from the golden age of westerns.

Get ready for savory perfection with a concept built around locally sourced ingredients from ranchers, fishermen, and farmers who are dedicated to their harvest and sharing the beauty of their bounty. While the breakfasts (until 3 pm) are a hit, it’s what’s between the bread that matters, like Brandt beef patty burgers, smoked tri trip sandwiches, and beef sliders with homemade chips. Order at the counter for breakfast and lunch, or take it up a notch after 4 pm with full-service dinners offering dry-aged Brand beef with organic greens. The chef’s daily Brand Beef Tasting menu is what keeps customers loyal. If you fall in love with a cut, simply order any steak from the on-site butcher with a bottle of wine from the in-house market.

Given New Mexico's deep ties to its easterly neighbor, the Lone Star State, it's hardly surprising that the region has some top-notch barbecue joints, including this spacious, contemporary adobe building with two large patios. It turns out superb, fall-off-the-bone barbecue brisket, baby-back ribs, pulled pork, and smoked half-chicken. Fish tacos, steaks, burgers, and traditional New Mexican dishes round out the extensive menu. The Ranch House is about a 15-minute drive from the Plaza and a great option for visitors staying in hotels along Cerrillos Road.

Weekend lines out the door of Redbones can only mean one thing: you're about to hit the epicenter of barbecue in Somerville. Piled high on plates since 1987, Redbones's meat-heavy menu has a dedicated following for its pulled pork and chicken, sliced brisket, and chopped burnt ends. Ribs are a triple threat, with pork in St. Louis or sweet and tangy styles, as well as Texas dry-rubbed beef. While the fried chicken doesn't get as much fan fare, it should. Sides are what you would expect, including baked beans, collards, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, dirty rice, and corn bread.

This all-American smokehouse offers barbecue from Texas, Kansas, Memphis, and the Carolinas. Although some aficionados might find it sacrilegious, consider having everyone in your party order a different type of barbecue and then decide which region should reign supreme. The beer-battered onion rings are the perfect side, and the Tennessee lemonade, made with Jack Daniel's, finishes the meal.

Serving a wide variety of barbecue, burgers, Tex-Mex-inspired appetizers, and some of the best catfish in Nashville, this counter-serve spot is a great place to watch a game or celebrate happy hour. Located in a converted Sylvan Park house, the restaurant's excellent down-home cuisine is backed by its many cooking competition accolades that adorn the walls; don't miss a stop in The Attic Bar for a cocktail or two.

What looks like an old gas station is actually home to some of San Antonio's favorite barbecue. The wait to place your order is worth it once you bite into some tender brisket (their original "sause" is on the side) or smoked turkey dry-rubbed with flavor and cooked in wood-fired pits.

Many local barbecue snobs turn up their noses at Rudy's because it's a chain (albeit Texas-based) with hokey interiors, but plenty of Austinites count this as their "go-to" choice for a laid-back barbecue lunch. And this location near the Domain provides an ideal pit stop for hungry travelers to refuel after a day of shopping. Three kinds of brisket—regular, extra moist, and extra lean—are cooked with dry spices over oak wood (not mesquite). Sides are uniformly good, especially the creamed corn, which has a cult following. Take-out is brisk (and popular with large groups), but many diners chow down at the vinyl-covered picnic tables.

Pig-themed bric-a-brac indicates the specialty at this casually hip neighborhood joint, known for its fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs, but there's also beef, poultry, seafood, and smoked tofu dishes on the menu. Big eaters might consider the meat-a-palooza tray, with your choice of three meats, including one ribs option (beef, back, or spare). The candied yams, barbecue baked beans, hush puppies, mac and cheese, and braised mess o' (collard) greens make excellent accompaniments.

Trays heaped with St. Louis–style ribs and brisket fly around Salvage’s expansive room, as diners wait for orders to arrive at communal or dinette tables. The deep-flavored meats benefit from time in the outfit’s smoker, custom-built from an old propane tank and fueled by Maine red oak, and sides like collard greens, delicious cornbread, and hush puppies round out the Southern-style feast. The adjoining bar and live music keep things hopping.

The Jones family have been smoking whole hogs in the Carolina Piedmont for three generations, so Raleigh urbanites greeted Sam's chopped pork and slow-cooked ribs with open arms. Order a platter and a craft cocktail (rare for a barbecue restaurant) and grab a seat in the light-filled dining room or at a picnic table in the yard.

This big red food truck is a constant along Old Santa Fe Trail, serving up quick and delicious BBQ sandwiches, coleslaw, beans, and all the fixins. It's the perfect break from typical New Mexican food while still experiencing some unique local flavor.

Piggin' out since the 1950s, Shiver's BBQ is celebrated near and far for its slowly smoked pork, beef, and chicken. Be forewarned as you settle in at the communal tables; this spot is no place to cut calories. Barbecued cheese fries, potato skins, fried mac and cheese, fried mushrooms, and fried okra are staples for sharing. People rave about the cornbread soufflé. For feasting in the Everglades, you also can order takeout by the pound.

House-made bold and tangy, thick and sweet, and smoky and spicy sauces on every table add extra flavor to the traditional barbecue dishes, perfectly prepared in an open kitchen at this casual restaurant with neutral-hue booths, wood tables, and a wall of windows. Try the mac and cheese topped with smoked pork or load up on southern sides. Unique cocktails complement the hearty entrées.

This good ole' family BBQ offers an alternative to the East Hampton scene. Barbecued ribs and chicken are the big draw, but the quesedillas, wraps, and salads are also quite popular. Enjoy a beer or scoop of Hershey's ice cream at the outdoor picnic table seating or dine indoors year-round at this family-friendly spot. It's outside the village with its own lot, so parking is easy here. Catering is available for events and house parties, and you can call ahead for take-out.

The sweet, smoky aroma wafting out of this casual barbecue spot always attracts a crowd, and although the line to order at the counter extends out the door on weekends, it moves quickly. Smoque covers a range of barbecue styles, from St. Louis ribs to 14-hour-cooked Texas-style brisket. If you can't make up your mind between brisket or shredded pork shoulder, order the half-and-half—a sandwich with half of each. It's BYOB, so pick up a beer or two before arriving if desired.

The original location has been dishing up smoky brisket and fall-off-the-bone pork ribs from the same ramshackle digs since 1958, attracting fans ranging from President George W. Bush to director Steven Spielberg. Locals know to get there early—when Sonny's is out of barbecue, you're out of luck. The restaurant is a good option for folks who are near the medical district.

The soul in the belly here comes courtesy of James Beard–nominated chef Bruce Kalman, who might be recognizable on sight to viewers of foodie faves Top Chef, Chopped, and Beat Bobby Flay. Bringing the barbecue flavors of central Texas to Vegas, this atmospheric venue adds cocktails, local beers, and live entertainment to the mix to turn what might have been just a barbecue dinner into a barbecue experience and a night on the (Down)town.