134 Best Restaurants in USA

What was once a vintage gas station has been reborn as a casual dining spot with a Texas vibe. Moist, smoked barbecue is the star here, with offerings including brisket, pulled pork, and pork and beef ribs. The menu also includes tacos, sandwiches, pizzas, soups, and salads. Great specials amp up the selection even further. Sunday brunch features country-fried steak and eggs or biscuits and gravy; sometimes jalapeño cheddar grits or lobster johnnycake with champagne beurre blanc make an appearance. Like most everything else here, the sauces are made from scratch, and you can even buy a bottle or two to take with you. Save room for the yummy cheesecake, whose flavor changes frequently. The bar mixes creative cocktails, including weekly margarita specials, and there's draft Maine beer, wine, and plenty of nonalcoholic choices. There's frequent live music, too.

A popular choice for locals, this barbecue joint is known for brisket, daily specials, and some of the best happy hour deals in town. If you're visiting for lunch, get there either on the earlier or later side to avoid the business crowds. When the weather is fine, enjoy a cocktail on their pup-friendly sidewalk patio.

"SOB" dishes out a mean pulled-pork sandwich, but it's not your typical barbecue joint—the varied menu also includes grilled salmon with chimichurri and an array of gourmet burgers. Tables out front fill up on weekends—it doesn't hurt that it shares a wall with Brown Truck Brewery, whose fresh IPAs and lagers are a perfect accompaniment to the elevated pub grub.

L.A. may not be known for barbecue but this no-frills saloon-inspired joint delivers juicy carnivore cuts like brisket, ribs, and sausage, plus southern sides (corn muffins, potato salad, and mac and cheese!) for when you feel like eating until the meat sweats kick in. The giant double-barreled smoker greets guests before they're even through the door. Try the wide variety of hot and barbecue sauces and finish with fried Oreos or Twinkies. You might just think you've died and gone to Texas though tri tip's roots are firmly planted on the Central California coast.

A relatively recent addition to Austin’s barbecue scene, its newcomer status is bolstered by generations of pitmasters hailing from the famed BBQ epicenter of nearby Lockhart. The laid-back Barton Springs location and cafeteria-style service keep things casual, with diners picking out their sides (all the classics, from mac 'n' cheese to potato salad) before selecting their cut of meat. The brisket is impeccably juicy and tender, ribs (pork and beef) are colossal, and the jalapeño sausage is a crowd favorite. Prices are higher than the average barbecue joint, but the merit is there. Don’t expect a Franklin-type line, but they do occasionally sell out of meat, so call ahead if you’re hungry for anything in particular near closing time.

Big portions of dripping barbecue are dispensed at this chill spot for eat-in or take-out. Dinners come with two sides from a list that includes baked beans, collards, and mac and cheese. For lunch, Tom's pork, beef, and catfish sandwiches are a shortcut to satisfaction. Leave room for sweet-potato pie or peach cobbler. Heading to a park or the beach? Tom Jenkins's family samplers have enough ribs, chicken, beef, and sides to feed six hungry people.

Formerly known as Honky Tonk BBQ, the twang of country meets the tang of barbecue sauce at this lively spot that’s decked out in vintage Americana. The environment sets the scene for a down-home meal of award-winning, Memphis-style barbecued meats, either on a platter or stuffed into sandwiches, along with classic sides.

You can usually smell the delicious aroma before you see the line snaking around this outdoor pit stop right off Victory Drive. Using mouthwatering smoke techniques and a secret golden mustard sauce recipe, Tricks serves up to-go containers of the finest ribs around. Snack-sized portions are perfect for a taste, or try a slab dinner to feed the fam. Get there by early afternoon—they close up shop at 4 pm but often sell out earlier.

If you can drag yourself away from the pulled pork, smoked out back and served on a potato bun, this inviting new downtown joint offers a full menu that includes house-made smoked sausage and fried catfish. Two dozen beers and ciders are sold by the ounce from a pour-it-yourself wall of taps.

If Cooper's is the big-name barbecue spot in town, Tumlinsons is the understated gem that the locals love. Order by the pound and load up a tray of meat or choose the famous 3 Meat Combination to enjoy in the pared-down dining room.

With family-style food that's a notch above most, this is a kid-friendly place that's easy on the wallet. Try baby back ribs or "pulled pig," slow-cooked, hickory-smoked pork pulled from the bone. Brisket and barbecued chicken are served, too, all with house-made sauce. Baked beans, broccoli salad, and macaroni and cheese are among side dishes. Dine by the fireplace in winter or on the porch when the weather warms.

The hulking metal smoker outside this Old West–inspired tavern with high pressed-tin ceilings, chandeliers, and red Victorian wallpaper hints at the delicious barbecue served inside. Plates heaped with ribs, beef brisket, pulled chicken, and smoked bratwurst reveal the considerable skill of Wildwood's pit master, and plenty of tasty sides are offered, too, from mac and cheese to dirty rice. It's a short walk from Lake Sunapee Harbor.

Order any one of just seven menu items and then dig into mouth-stretching sandwiches on the small patio with communal picnic tables. The turkey with Swiss comes on perfectly toasted sourdough, while the Philly cheesesteak is heaping with shaved New York strip and pickled peppers; just about everything pairs well with their selection of beers on tap, and of course the beef-fat fries. As many customers who roll in for the food, there are just as many coming to grab cuts off the block from the butcher. 

One of the city's best Wagyu beef briskets is served in an unassuming (from the exterior) former factory in trendy Dogpatch. Several American styles—Kansas City, Texas, and the Carolinas—are showcased on an extra-large chalkboard that lists daily specials, priced by the pound. The 10,000-square-foot warehouse has been strikingly redone by New York design firm Nothing Something, which has thoughtfully elevated the old in a steampunkish vibe. The lion’s share of footage is for Magnolia Brewery, with tanks in the back room. When the tech set descends, the volume cranks, which can be a plus for families—frankly, a tantrum would probably go unnoticed.