A quintessential American food, barbecue ribs usually refers to racks of St. Louis or baby back pork ribs, or sometimes beef ribs. At their best, the meat is seasoned to perfection, slowly smoked until a dark crust forms, and then smothered in a sweet, sticky glaze. Here’s where to find the very best in your state.
Our selections are based on genuine user reviews, awards, and accolades, and the first-hand experience of our team. They're also regularly checked and updated.
At hole-in-the-wall joint Saw’s BBQ, you won't see profits put into the decor. Every bit of energy and passion goes into barbecuing. The resulting ribs are so meaty and tender that customers have said they’re the finest they’ve eaten. A half rack (five ribs) is usually more than enough for one person. Fans also recommend checking out the white barbecue sauce, which is on another level.There are six locations in Alabama.
For a taste of Texas barbecue in Alaska, be sure to stop by Big Daddy's BarB-Q. There's plenty of meaty goodness to tempt you here, from a tasty prime rib sandwich to a loaded St. Louis plate, which comes with half a rack of slow-cooked spare ribs, served with your choice of two sides and Texas toast. Customers say they're so tender, the meat falls off the bone.
There's no shortage of great rib joints in Arizona, but steak and barbecue restaurant Bobby Q stands out. This place is consistently praised for its baby back ribs, which are smoked for 22 hours over almond and mesquite wood before being finished on a wood-fired grill. Though they're not cheap, they’re worth the price tag.
Prior to opening Whole Hog Cafe, husband and wife Rich Cosgrove and Nancy Green were competing on a world-championship barbecue team, so you already know their food is going to be ridiculously good. Ribs come as a half slab, full slab or in fours, with two sides, a dinner roll, and a variety of sauces. The restaurant is cafeteria-style, but the friendly waitstaff are a prime example of Southern hospitality.
The best baby back ribs in California come from Phil’s BBQ, a joint that’s been here since the 1990s. They’re seasoned with a seriously tasty dry rub to amplify the flavor, then grilled over mesquite wood until tender and tasty. In fact, this place is so good it has been able to expand to five other locations.
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Succulent ribs with crunchy ends can be found at Smokin’ Yards BBQ on a mixed-use development between Santa Fe and Kalamath. Swing by on Monday and you can make the most of its outrageously good all-you-can-eat ribs for $20 offer. It has another location in Idaho Springs.
At Old Westernthemed barbecue restaurant Hoodoo Brown BBQ, you can get fall-off-the-bone pork spare ribs and beef ribs that have been wood smoked for up to 14 hours. It’s on the expensive side, but customers say the serving sizes are so huge they'll break the table! It’s also a nice place to have a few craft beers or a cocktail.
You'll need to order your ribs a day in advance at welcoming Wilmington joint Locale BBQ Post – which featured in Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives – but boy, are they worth it. Extremely tender and delicious, customers describe them as "perfection". The sides and sauces are said to be incredible too.
Serving the Homestead community for over 70 years, Shiver’s Bar-B-Q is frequented by customers who’ve been coming back for its hickory-smoked goodness and cozy, indoor picnic table dining since they were kids. On its menu are pork spare ribs and beef ribs, but it's the baby back ribs customers rave about – some people say they’re the best they’ve eaten.
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q sure knows how to do ribs. It serves tender, saucy whole and half racks, white bread spare rib sandwiches, and crunchy chicken fried ribs, which have been breaded and deep fried. Try them with white barbecue sauce or the restaurant's much-loved, sharp but sweet vinegar sauce.
Originally a food truck, Sunset Texas BBQ, run by Texas native James Kim, is now a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Kaka’ako. It smokes its pork spare ribs and beef ribs with hickory and mesquite for 12 to 14 hours until they’re perfectly charred and tender. The beef ribs are a little more expensive than the pork, and they’re both exceptional.
Located at the intersection of Old State Street and Eagle Road, Bodacious Pig Barbecue is a smart barbecue joint run by husband and wife team Joel and Tricia Anderson. Get the St. Louis ribs barbecue plate, which comes with two sides and garlic bread, for a dry rubbed, slow-smoked rack customers call the best they’ve had. Just make sure you get there early before it runs out.
There are many things to love about the rib dinners at BYOB spot Smoque BBQ in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. First, the racks are prepared with a spicy dry rub. Then, once cooked, they’re served with a sweet Memphis sauce or a spicy sauce that works in perfect harmony. Portions are huge, so make sure you bring your appetite.
Looking for ribs on the go? Drive-through barbecue joint King Ribs Bar-B-Q has you covered. Sometimes the wait is a little long, but the smoky, charred, and meaty ribs you will be rewarded with are worth it. The rib dinner comes with two sides plus two sauces – hot and mild which are the perfect spiciness when mixed together.
It’s the barbecue sauce at Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack that takes already excellent, slow-smoked St. Louis racks and makes them out of this world. If you like smoky flavors, go for Cowboy (sweet and smoky); if you like spicy foods, try Chicago Fire (sweet and hot); and if you like honey mustard, check out the Carolina Mustard (honey mustard, but better). You can also buy bottles of sauce to take home.
Everyone who has visited Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que says it serves the best ribs in Kansas City, which shouldn’t be a surprise since its owners Jeff and Joy Stehney have been involved on the competition circuit since the 1990s. It offers full slabs, short ends, and long ends, and customers say the smoky flavor is terrific. It has four locations in the state.
The baby back ribs from Blue Door Smokehouse receive outstanding reviews. They’re cooked until the meat's ready to slip straight off the bone, and the sauces, Sweet, Spicy, and Tangy, are allegedly good enough to drink. Occasionally, you'll find giant beef ribs on offer too.
Lively and atmospheric, The Joint, with its wooden panelling and colorfully decorated interior, might be a nice place to grab a frozen daiquiri, but it also serves brilliant baby back and St. Louis rib plates with sumptuous sides. Customers say the dry rub it uses is delicious, and the meat is always cooked to perfection.
At Wilson County Barbecue, the cooking is done in the Eastern North Carolina tradition, which means it’s a whole hog barbecue, and the baby back ribs come accompanied by hush puppies and a sweet, vinegary red sauce. In terms of the decor and vibe, it’s a modern, hip spot with Mimosas and craft beers on draft.
Well-smoked spare ribs are what keep visitors to Heritage Smokehouse coming back for more – though sometimes this spot adds ridiculously big beef ribs to the menu, which always get a good response too. Customers say they had almost given up looking for good barbecue in Baltimore before they stumbled upon this buzzy establishment.
Regularly topping 'best of' lists, B.T.’s Smokehouse is known for its juicy beef ribs as well as its huge, high-quality pork ribs, which are dry rubbed and smoked until a perfect crust forms. What’s more, it’s BYOB, so grab your favorite bottle of beer and head on down.
Halal barbecue Ab’s Amazing Ribs is all about tender and tasty beef back ribs – you definitely won’t find pork here. The barbecue sauce isn't too overpowering, which is great because the meat barely needs it at all. The restaurant gives customers plastic gloves to eat with, which is a trend we can get on board with.
StormKing Brew Pub is an especially good spot for Texas-style barbecue in Minnesota. The St. Louis ribs are very meaty and smoky with absolutely no fat, according to customers. You can order them as a half rack or a whole rack, with two sides, or as a sandwich. Whatever you decide, it's imperative you accompany it with one of the beers brewed on site.
Though Clay’s House of Pig, a barbecue restaurant inside a bait and tackle shop, is known for its pecan-smoked pork, it also serves unforgettable pork ribs and tips (meaty chunks from the underside of spare ribs, which contain cartilage but no bone). Customers say they have just the right amount of pull, and a great flavor. The Memphis-style tomato and vinegar sauce is also a must.
Get your napkins ready, because Pappy’s Smokehouse’s sticky, candy-like ribs come with an array of super-delicious sauces, and you’re going to want to get stuck into them all. Sweet Baby Jane is on the sweet side, Original is thin and tangy, and Hoodoo is ultra-hot. There's another location in St. Peters.
Hidden gem Blue’s BBQ is attached to a gas station, so some might assume the food isn’t going to be much good. However, it’s actually the locals' go-to place for epic barbecue. The baby back ribs, which come plated up with sides or on their own, have the perfect meat-to-fat ratio and have been described by customers as "to die for".
The pork spare ribs from old-fashioned and rustic Smokin Barrel BBQ are coated in a bourbon sauce that’s so intensely flavored and complementary that it receives rave reviews. The restaurant also occasionally runs succulent-sounding rib specials, such as deboned pork belly ribs in a mango habanero glaze.
The extremely popular Rollin Smoke Barbeque offers spare ribs, baby back ribs, and beef ribs that are smoked until the meat is crispy on the outside but still juicy within, and pairs them with a selection of mustardy, spicy, and vinegary sauces. If you can’t choose a meat, get the rib platter for a taste of each. There are five locations in total.
Bringing the flavor of the Lone Star State to New Hampshire, Smokeshow Barbeque specializes in Texas-style barbecue. The joint serves nicely rubbed and smoked pork ribs alongside brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, and sausages. Note that the meat is sold in half pounds, so for six ribs, you want to order one pound.
Recently relocated Red White & Que Smokehouse used to be in Kearny, but you now have to go to Green Brook to get its hickory smoked St. Louis pork ribs and beef ribs (which get hundreds of great reviews for their juiciness, smokiness, and complementary sauces). Customers particularly love the beef paired with the habanero barbecue sauce.
Mighty Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue calls its beef ribs, which it serves on Saturdays and Sundays, 'Dino' ribs, because they’re so big. Join the crowds at its log cabin restaurant in the Lincoln National Forest – but remember it’s not fast food, so expect to wait to be served.
Local chain Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, which first opened in the 1980s, is a destination as well as a rib restaurant. Besides excellent, dry-rubbed, slow smoked St. Louis ribs that are lightly brushed in sticky barbecue sauce, it has a full bar, root beer on tap, and an upstairs outdoor patio.
A true North Carolinian barbecue joint, Midwood Smokehouse uses hickory to smoke its St. Louis pork ribs. Here the meat is nicely seasoned, then served dry or sauced, depending on your preference. On the table you'll find South Carolina Mustard, Eastern North Carolina Vinegar, and Cola Barbecue Sauce, which you can help yourself to. If you have any queries, the friendly waitstaff will help you order.
The competition-winning team at the homely Spitfire Bar & Grill aren’t afraid to experiment if it means achieving irresistible results, and its Gourmet Raspberry Ribs – slow smoked St. Louis ribs coated in a slightly sweet raspberry glaze – are a resounding success. The meaty dish is huge and comes with a choice of two sides.
After a successful run as a food truck, Eli’s BBQ set up permanently on Riverside Drive, and the way it prepares its ribs is really different from other places. First they’re hickory smoked, then they’re crisped up and dusted with seasoning. They’re so great as they are, they don’t even need sauce – just order Eli’s tasty cheesy grits and jalapeño cornbread as sides.
The folks at King’s BBQ, a laid-back spot in Oklahoma City, really know how to barbecue. The racks of ribs are seasoned with rub, and there’s the option to have them covered in barbecue sauce as well – or you can have the sauce on the side for dipping. Not in the mood to get your fingers sticky? There’s a rib sandwich on the menu too.
At tiny Botto’s BBQ, the focus is 'craft barbecue', which means its meats are all-natural and cut to order, and its sauce flavors are experimental. Pork ribs pair well with its sweet and sour Tamarind BBQ and its Spicy White (smoked habanero with mayo vinegar). Meanwhile, its tender beef ribs, available on Fridays, go best with the buttery, sweet, sour, and savory Texas sauce.
The spare rib racks from Mike’s BBQ are branded the best in the tri-state area by fans. The delicious finger food is first rubbed, then smoked until the meat cuts like a warm knife through butter. Saucewise, check out Sweet Heat and Mike’s BBQ, and don’t disregard the complementary smoked pickles.
Posh barbecue restaurant Durk’s Bar-B-Q serves out-of-this-world pork ribs, according to satisfied customers. They’re prepared with a dry rub and smoked with a mix of locally sourced woods in the restaurant's beloved smoker, called Stella. Another appeal of the restaurant is that it has a cocktail bar, and the service is really top level.
A cool spot with memorabilia-covered walls donated from a local person’s collection, Railroad BBQ gives customers a look into South Carolina’s Black history. It also serves some of the meatiest, smokiest St. Louis ribs in the state. Order 'The Porter' for a full rack and two sides. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly it all comes to the table.
Customers are effusive about the pork spare ribs from Big J’s Roadhouse, which has two locations – one in Humboldt, and one in Harrisburg. They say they’re smoky and flavorsome, and they’d eat here every night if they could. What's also great is you rarely have to wait for a table.
Old-school barbecue joint Peg Leg Porker is run by experienced pitmaster Carey Bringle, who has more than 30 years of experience and has cooked at the James Beard House. Its dry-rubbed ribs are the star of the show, but the creamy coleslaw, mac ‘n’ cheese, French fries, and barbecue beans are worth a look in too.
For the best beef ribs in town, make a beeline for Terry Black’s Barbecue, a family-run affair with locations in Austin, Dallas, and Lockhart. The fatty, juicy hunks of meat are expensive, but truly unmissable, and the pork ribs are also delicious if you’re looking to save a penny or two. So who is Terry Black? He used to compete on the barbecue scene and passed down everything he knew to his twin sons, Michael and Mark Black, who own the joint.
Rustic Charlotte-Rose’s Carolina BBQ is the place to go for good barbecued meats and sides in Utah. The baby back ribs are particularly praised for their soft, succulent meat, and they come with a killer piece of cornbread, plus a choice of sides. What’s more, there are seven sauces to choose from – the North Carolina Vinegar is the best.
You probably recognize Bluebird Barbecue from Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives – its burnt ends ramen was featured on the show. However, the spare ribs, which are coated in rub, slow-smoked, charred on the grill, then lacquered in a mouth-watering maple syrup glaze, are worthy of an entire TV series.
Another location that earned a feature on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque melds the technique of Texas barbecue with the flavors of Virginia to create something truly wonderful. The meat is juicy and dripping with sauce, and the beef ribs, encased in a beautiful black bark, are as soft as butter in the center.
The home of 'Northwest Barbecue', Brileys BBQ is Seattle's number one spot for incredibly tender, succulent ribs, which – like the other tasty meats on the menu – are fired over local cherry wood for a wonderfully smoky flavor. Customers say that the portion sizes are impressive, with tons of fries on the side, and the sauces are on point.
What started as a streetside stall is now one of the best barbecue restaurants in the east, thanks to owner Adrian Wright’s epic grilling skills. Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill’s pork ribs, which come as whole slabs, half slabs, and tucked into meaty sandwiches, are described as crisp, chewy, and tender. Like your food spicy? The house hot sauce is off-the-scale delicious.
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For meaty baby back ribs and succulent St. Louis ribs flavored with the delicate infusion of hickory smoke and sweet and savory spices, Double B’s BBQ is your spot. It offers a selection of sauces which you can pour over your meat or have on the side. It's also praised for its beautiful, homely decor.
Really decent St. Louis ribs and baby back ribs can be found at Bubba’s Bar-B-Que, a chilled-out, Western brunch and barbecue joint. They’re slowly smoked over applewood, then finished on the charbroiler and coated in sauce. Customers say the portions are huge and taste amazing.