The best American barbecue styles
The top 3 according to 1,854 votes from people: Kansas City burnt ends · Central Texas brisket · Memphis dry ribs. (Updated Aug 23, 2026.)
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.
Top 10
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1
Kansas City burnt ends
The fatty brisket point cubed and re-smoked, glazed in thick sweet tomato sauce.
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2
Central Texas brisket
Beef brisket rubbed with salt and pepper, smoked low and slow over post oak, served without sauce.
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3
Memphis dry ribs
Pork ribs coated in a spice rub, sauce on the side.
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4
Eastern North Carolina whole hog
Whole pig cooked over coals and chopped, with vinegar-pepper sauce.
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5
Lexington (Western NC) pork shoulder
Hickory-smoked shoulder with a vinegar sauce touched with ketchup, and red slaw.
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6
South Carolina mustard barbecue
Pulled pork with tangy yellow 'Carolina gold' mustard sauce.
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7
Alabama white sauce chicken
Smoked chicken dunked in mayonnaise-vinegar-pepper sauce, created at Big Bob Gibson in Decatur.
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8
Kentucky mutton
Smoked mutton with a Worcestershire 'black dip', from Owensboro.
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9
East Texas chopped beef
Chopped pork or beef in sweet tomato sauce on a sandwich.
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10
Santa Maria tri-tip
California tri-tip grilled over red oak, with pinquito beans.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 10… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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11
St. Louis-style spare ribs
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.
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Comments (20)
Lexington-style shoulder with red slaw is my favourite.
Burnt ends at Joe's KC still my #1.
Santa Maria tri-tip over red oak with pinquito beans, perfect.
East Texas chopped beef sandwich, the underdog of Texas BBQ.
Mutton in Owensboro at Moonlite, so unique.
Memphis dry rub > wet ribs, always
Went to Franklin last month, 3-hour wait, best brisket of my life.
Eastern NC whole hog with vinegar sauce, the original American barbecue.
Texans will fight you if brisket isn't #1 😂
Carolinians will fight you if it is 😂
South Carolina mustard sauce is underrated
Central Texas brisket at #1, Franklin in Austin is worth the 4-hour line.
Memphis dry rub ribs at Rendezvous, iconic.
White sauce at Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, where it was invented.
Kentucky mutton is so niche, nice to see Owensboro represented
Kansas City burnt ends are the best bite of BBQ in the world.
Alabama white sauce on smoked chicken, don't knock it till you try it.
Santa Maria tri-tip is California's best kept secret.
St. Louis-style ribs with sweet sauce, a classic backyard style.
Kansas City burnt ends at Joe's, bucket list.