# The best American barbecue styles

The regional barbecue traditions of the United States, each with its own meat, wood and sauce, according to barbecue guides from Goldbelly, All Things Barbecue and pitmasters.

- 1854 votes · 11 items
- Jun 28, 2025 · Amber Watson
- https://even.best/en/l/398/the-best-american-barbecue-styles

## Top 10

1. **Kansas City burnt ends** (202 · ▲226 ▼24) — The fatty brisket point cubed and re-smoked, glazed in thick sweet tomato sauce.
2. **Central Texas brisket** (195 · ▲238 ▼43) — Beef brisket rubbed with salt and pepper, smoked low and slow over post oak, served without sauce.
3. **Memphis dry ribs** (159 · ▲172 ▼13) — Pork ribs coated in a spice rub, sauce on the side.
4. **Eastern North Carolina whole hog** (158 · ▲170 ▼12) — Whole pig cooked over coals and chopped, with vinegar-pepper sauce.
5. **Lexington (Western NC) pork shoulder** (139 · ▲154 ▼15) — Hickory-smoked shoulder with a vinegar sauce touched with ketchup, and red slaw.
6. **South Carolina mustard barbecue** (108 · ▲130 ▼22) — Pulled pork with tangy yellow 'Carolina gold' mustard sauce.
7. **Alabama white sauce chicken** (84 · ▲109 ▼25) — Smoked chicken dunked in mayonnaise-vinegar-pepper sauce, created at Big Bob Gibson in Decatur.
8. **Kentucky mutton** (77 · ▲102 ▼25) — Smoked mutton with a Worcestershire 'black dip', from Owensboro.
9. **East Texas chopped beef** (74 · ▲102 ▼28) — Chopped pork or beef in sweet tomato sauce on a sandwich.
10. **Santa Maria tri-tip** (72 · ▲103 ▼31) — California tri-tip grilled over red oak, with pinquito beans.
11. **St. Louis-style spare ribs** (58 · ▲84 ▼26) — Square-trimmed spare ribs, grilled and sauced.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.