Southern Living - Best BBQ Joints

[jlazar]

The South's Best Barbecue Joint In Every State 2025

[LA Pork Butt]

I used to use their list as a guide, but I was mostly disappointed. In fact one of the places on their list was the worst BBQ I ever had.

[jlazar]

Sometimes, I think these lists of reader favorites represent names folks have heard of but not necessarily gone to. I would go by AR member recommendations before these lists.

[captainlee]

I've eaten at Lexington and thought it was great. Got a tour of the pits too.

[Dan Deter]

Lexington is at least in the running for best in NC, along with a number of others. It is at least a worthy choice. And at least Tenn has a Memphis joint instead of a Nashville place.

[Panhead John]

Well, Franklin’s BBQ for Texas sure ain’t a bad choice, but I’d say that one’s more of a popularity contest. I’ve never eaten there so I can’t vouch for the food, but according to Texas Monthly, they’ve slipped from a number one spot several years ago to a current number 7. Not bad at all, but there’s a few other spots who seemed to have passed em by.

[Lynn Dollar]

It appears to me, that Texas Monthly changed their criteria. Instead of ranking the best Texas Trinity, they've included sides.

At one time, I tuned into the Tales From the Pits podcast. And those guys got bored with brisket. They started looking for more and they started raving about sides at joints, or if they baked their own bread. At that point, they lost me.

John Lewis left Austin for Charleston in 2016. He said there's 50 other people doing brisket like I do in Austin.

[randy.56]

I live about twenty miles from Moonlight BBQ in Owensboro KY. Don't go for the BBQ. I give it a 2 out of 10. But the deserts and sides are good.

[LA Pork Butt]

I’ve always been intrigued by mutton Q. Is there any good Mutton Q in Owensboro? Is the problem the cook or mutton?

[randy.56]

It's been 10 years or more since visiting there, cannot remember, sheep.

[Bkhuna]

I don't think Southern Living knows much about the South, and even less about BBQ. They're about as trustworthy as Yelp.

[Lynn Dollar]

Oklahoma Joes is not the best barbecue in Tulsa, much less the state of Oklahoma. Most Tulsans I know, like Burn Co or Mac's in Skiatook.

OKC has two joints that are better, Edge Craft and Clarks Crew. And then there's Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston, on Route 66.

[Lynn Dollar]

This may very well be the best barbecue in Oklahoma, Clark Crew

[mgaretz]

I’ll be in Greenville for a week next month so I will try to check out Lewis’.

[klflowers]

I have been to the shed in NO, and I wasn’t that impressed. It was awhile back though, so maybe they have gotten better.

[fzxdoc]

To me, this is such a perfunctory list. It just grazes across the more well-known places, from the looks of it.

We enjoy discovering the rare remarkable BBQ joint tucked away in the middle of nowhere, either in the urban landscape or down a lonely country road. First of all we drive around to the back of the joint to see if there are stacks of wood and smokers churning out good food. Then we go inside, fingers crossed, and when we hit the jackpot we talk about it for weeks afterwards.

Kathryn

[surfdog]

Well, it’s certainly a list.

Did Franklin in fact launch the “craft barbecue movement?” Seems to me that true barbecue has always been a bit of a craft movement. Dreamland in Alabama certainly garners at least a mention IMO. Yes, they cook their ribs all ‘wrong” (read: hot & fast) but they’re still tasty. (I’ve only been to the one in Mobile.) The “Shed” is good but the atmosphere is probably a contributing factor.

That said, my experience with the others is nonexistent. So, who knows, perhaps I’m wrong or they just went with the players du jour.

[Lynn Dollar]

IMO, no Franklin did not launch craft barbecue. He's responsible for the popularity of Texas barbecue across America and globally right now, however.

Greg Rempe interviewed Daniel Vaughn and asked him if Franklin was the most important person in Texas barbecue, ever. And Vaughn, in a round about way, said yes.

Go to 51 minute mark here

https://blubrry.com/bbqcentral/143484935/melissa-cookston-stops-by-daniel-vaughn-explains-msg-to-people-like-me/