The Best Barbecue in America Was Just Revealed, and You May Be Surprised By Where It's Located

Barbecue

It’s officially barbecue season, and we can already taste the sticky, sweet, cherry wood-smoked baked beans, ribs, and juicy pulled pork sandwiches. Whether you prefer flavorful, marbled brisket, lean smoked turkey, bacon burnt ends or just show up for the sides, it’s impossible to resist the beckoning call of sizzling, hot grilled anything. Of course, everyone has their favorite go-to spot to grab a slab or two, and odds are you have a favorite style of barbecue, too.

But if you’re out of town or traveling to another state where the regional style is more Carolina Gold than Kansas City, it can be hard to find the best place, let alone one that caters to your advanced palate and preferred style of mop sauce. Thankfully, Yelp did the hard work of hunting down the Top 100 Barbecue Spots for 2024, and we think it might be time for a summer barbecue tour. From coast to coast, Yelp aggregated the highest-rated brew and 'que joints, and while they’re all equally smokin’, there was a clear winner among the crowd—and it might not be the one you expect.

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While most of us associate barbecue with Texas, Nashville or even Kansas City, it’s not often that we think of Arkansas as the grillin’ and chillin’ capital of the USA—at least not until now. That’s right, folks; the number one rated barbecue restaurant of 2024, according to Yelp, is none other than the critically acclaimed Wright’s Barbecue located in Johnson, Arkansas.

Known for its traditional open flame, 100-percent wood-fire-on-a-pit style of cooking, the chain delivers a culinary experience that looks to preserve one of the oldest forms of cooking while turning out some seriously delicious eats. From barbecue mainstays like brisket, smoked sausage, chicken,and pulled pork to inventive offerings such as their signature bowl, the Rocket Man—a heaping mound of mashed potatoes, bacon and brisket—it’s safe to say the highly lauded smokehouse knows their way around an open flame.

In fact, Wright’s Barbecue took home the top spot on Yelp’s list in 2020, so you know when fans say, “This is my favorite BBQ place,” they’re telling the truth. Prices typically range anywhere between $11 to $23 and you can even take home a bottle of their signature house made sauces if you just can’t get enough. It’s hard to argue with results and it looks like Wright’s might be putting Arkansas barbecue on the map. Look out Texas.

But don't think that means the results weren't close for other states. According to Yelp, Arizona-based Eric's Family Barbecue and the Texas-based CorkScrew BBQ came in at the second and third spots, respectively. Texas also took home the fourth spot byway of Tyler's BBQ, while fifth place went to a Nevada restaurant by the name of Fox Smokehouse BBQ.

Want to see more of the results? Check out Yelp's list here.

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