BBQ Lovers Agree, These Are 15 Of The Best Pork Ribs In The US

For barbecue lovers, heaven isn’t harps and clear skies — it’s a BBQ joint filled with a blues and honky tonk soundtrack and the tantalizing smell of woodsmoke. Your platter is piled high with sliced meats, delicious sides, and, most importantly, a rack of freshly-smoked ribs ready to slide off the bone and melt in your mouth.

As it turns out, you don’t have to reach the pearly gates to experience all this. Outrageously good ribs — glowing pink, with a red and peppery bark and a smoke ring you can see, smell, and taste from space — can be found all across the country, often times in places without anywhere to sit. They’re seemingly ubiquitous, in the Southern and Midwestern barbecue capitals of the U.S. like Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri, but can also be found in California and the Northeast — all of which contribute flavors and cuisines to the many styles of American BBQ. 

Good ribs take time, but they aren’t fussy. Some sweetness, some vinegar, some smoke, occasionally some spice — that’s what you get after hours and hours of smoking. If you are a little patient, you’ll end up with something divine — particularly if you head to these places.

When hunting for some dynamite ribs, a little simplicity goes a long way. Maybe there’s a vintage, ever-so-slightly run-down sign out front, or unfussy tables spread throughout the place. Perhaps the food is served on basic white Styrofoam plates. But when you enter, you’re met with an almost spiritual air that’s indicative of excellent barbecue. Cozy Corner in Memphis, Tenn., basks in its glorious indelicacy, and you will too once you try its ribs. Founded by barbecue hall-of-famer Desiree Robinson in 1977, Cozy Corner dresses everything with a top-secret family dry rub recipe.

The pork ribs get a heavy dusting of this mysterious, delectable substance, which clings to the meat like spicy sweet armor. Cornish hens, bologna sandwiches, and barbecue spaghetti are underdog gems on the menu, but the barky, saucy ribs are the true bestsellers; they are an absolute barbecue dream that sell out much faster than it takes for them to marinate, brown, and smoke.

cozycornerbbq.com

735 North Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38105

(901) 527-9158

Since 2008, Pappy’s Smokehouse has been blessed (or cursed, depending on which side of the counter one is on) with lines of people down the street, drooling for these Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs. It’s no wonder — the restaurant has gained a reputation for the best ribs in the country. Rather than the usual barbecue sauce, these dry-rub ribs have been slathered with accolades upon accolades. Like all great rubs, this one is a chef’s secret, but the high quality cut of the ribs and the apple and cherry wood they’re smoked with help make these ribs what they are.

That being said, things can still get saucy. Like three precious wishes granted by a smoky genie from a bottle, the restaurant provides a trio of barbecue sauces, each limitless in their potential: original, sweet, or hoodoo. The last of these has a bit of a savage heat, a zinger of a final word in the epic that is Pappy’s.

pappyssmokehouse.com

3106 Olive St, St. Louis, MO 63103

(314) 535-4340

If there were a culinary equivalent of waiting in line in the dead of night for a megastar’s concert tickets, it would be the ribs at B’s Barbecue in Greenville, N.C. These elusive buggers warrant, and indeed require, a pre-dawn trip to ensure you get them — for the next day, to be clear. The restaurant has no phone, sending the message that good barbecue is something you have to get on your feet for.

Whole hogs get smoked all through the night, and by the time the restaurant opens at nine in the morning, there will be lines of salivating customers waiting for these tender, smoky rods of meat. Many who travel to this leaning, charming shack (both locals and out-of-owners alike) swear to it the kind of allegiance you might promise at your wedding: no other barbecue place will be the same after this, till death do you part. B’s hot and sour pepper vinegar is a special addition to these tender ribs. If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some, barbecue will only ever mean B’s.

751 State Rd 1204, Greenville, NC 27858

The ribs at Stiles Switch in Austin are frequently cited as some of the best ribs in Texas by its devoted fans, and if you’ve got the best ribs in Texas, there’s a good chance you have the best ribs in the country too. While many of the other entries on this list will have lines and lines of people waiting down the street, a good indicator of their craveable quality, Stiles Switch has no line. Rather than running the pit until selling out, Stiles has a 24-hour crew making sure you’ll get your plate at any hour of the day, lunch or dinner.

Besides the equity of its business model, Stiles Switch serves up remarkably delicious ribs with a spicy serrano glaze. Most of its meats, however, get smoked with a simple salt and pepper rub. Stiles Switch, which has a satellite Cajun-inspired restaurant called The Switch, is living proof that the best barbecue is done with intentional hands in an intentional community.

stilesswitchbbq.com

6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752

(512) 380-9199

Simply as a phrase, “the best BBQ in NYC” might elicit dismissive shrugs in the least discerning barbecue fans and spit takes in the harshest. How “best” can it really be, so far from where good barbecue really comes from? If it is Hometown Bar-B-Que in Brooklyn, the answer is very very good. Its classic spare ribs are smoky and succulent, with an almost mossy crust of salt and pepper that defies expectations of those simple seasonings completely.

For a bit of a jazzier option, try the Korean Sticky Ribs — three words you always want to find together. These porky beauties are under a skin-tight sheen of sweet hot gochujang, just about the sexiest item on an exceedingly sexy menu.

The restaurant opened in Red Hook in 2013 with a mission to adhere to classic oak-smoked Southern barbecue tradition. With its fusion-y menu, however, it still feels authentically New York, an enticing and lively mix of old-school tradition and exciting possibilities of flavor.

hometownbarbque.com

454 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

(347) 294-4644

If there is a single, all-star, definitive barbecue restaurant in the country, it is Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. Few other restaurants have had visits from presidents, world-class actors, and athletes peppered about its celebrity visit wall. The legendary pizzazz is something you feel even in its old-fashioned, relatively modest ambience; you can tell that the mind-melting smells of barbecue have been cooking since 1930 and are probably somehow integral to the structure of the building.

Arthur Bryant himself, who passed away in 1982, has the well-deserved moniker of the King of Ribs, and even this title is underselling it. Eaters of these magnificent ribs can’t help but say they are the best ribs they have ever had. A smoky dry rub is a perfect crust for these leaner ribs, which come out so dark, tender, and lacquered that you’ll think it’s a painting. The company sells its sauces and dry rubs online, proving the best barbecue can come from your own kitchen too.

arthurbryantsbbq.com

1727 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, MO 64127

(816) 231-1123

In Memphis, there are two dueling factions in the war of the rib: Wet, which involves slathering barbecue sauce on the ribs pre-smoking, and dry, which describes a rib smoked in its dry rub; the latter is more of a Memphis-born practice, while the former is more associated with Kansas City. The astutely named Bar-B-Q Shop, another stand-out Memphis joint, bucks from the usual binary of dry or wet ribs with its signature glazed ones.

Since 1987, the old-fashioned restaurant has been serving ribs with a sheen of its citrusy glaze, along with its signature Dancing Pigs brand of sauce and dry rub. The bones are more or less there for show; the delicate pork slides off with the slightest breeze, a beautiful indication of buttery-soft but still toothsome meat. Frequently cited as not only the best ribs in Memphis but in the country, The Bar-B-Q Shop’s racks are worth drooling over. 

thebar-b-qshop.com

1782 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104

(901) 272-1277

Serving unadulterated, purely porky ribs, Smokey Joe’s BBQ in Dallas is lighting the barbecue world on fire with its mind-blowing simplicity. You’ll be faced with an intimidating platter of woody, pink, shattering-skin ribs that are treated with no rub or glaze to speak of. Instead, when your teeth arrive at their meaty terminus, you get smoke, and you get pork. These two flavors, when handled with the level of mastery at Smokey Joe’s, unite for perhaps the purest distillation of barbecue there is.

For more than 40 years, these ribs have been a highlight of the menu. Since then, they have stayed true to themselves  even as the restaurant and city at large have changed. Barbecue heavyweights in the city and newcomers as well agree that Smokey Joe’s is the place to be for unfussy but unspeakably delicious ribs.

smokeyjoesbbqdallas.com

6403 S R L Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75232

(214) 371-8081

You hear the name “Hoodoo Brown,” and you picture a ranch style restaurant, with a corrugated-metal sheeted bar, cowboy hats pinned to the walls, and theme-park level attention to detail that makes you think you’re stepping right into an old west saloon. But the Old West this is not: you’re in Ridgefield, Conn., an affluent town that would be a barbecue desert in any other universe. Hoodoo Brown Barbecue fills that would-be void with ribs that’ll impress even the most die-hard southern barbecue truthers.

These ribs are cooked low for about six hours, then glazed with Hoodoo’s sticky sauce and then left in the smoker to get a crust that straddles the rare gooey-crispy boundary. It’s a rib that’s as sweet and rich as the atmosphere of the joint. If you’re already in your car on the way over there, pick up some of the signature jalapeño cheddar sausages as a side to your glazed rack of ribs.

hoodoobrownbbq.com

967 Ethan Allen Hwy, Ridgefield, CT 06877

(203) 438-6033

It’s easy to follow the 3-2-1 rule for BBQ ribs that are fall-apart tender at home, but why not go to Georgia’s Heirloom Market BBQ, which gives you some even better Korean-inspired ribs in a jiffy? The husband and wife chef team behind the outdoor eatery have roots in Seoul and Atlanta, which means they are no stranger to cooking succulent, smoky ribs. These ones take a turn from classic barbecue tastes with gochujang (the spicy Korean upgrade perfect for a homemade barbecue sauce), which lends a dark, peppery flavor to the usual proceedings and a delightful stickiness.

Recipient of the Michelin Bib Gourmand, which often goes out to casual restaurants and lower fare street food, Heirloom Market’s ribs have a bite that’s hard to ignore. Besides the knockout ribs, Heirloom Market BBQ serves spins on classics like miso collard greens, a funky kimchi slaw, and spicy Korean pork that takes Korean barbecue to new frontiers.

heirloommarketbbq.com

2243 Akers Mill Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

(770) 612-2502

Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati is the type of institution you would be happy to visit even if it didn’t have some of the best ribs in the country. It’s a sweeter type of place, in every sense of the word. It was founded in 1951 by Ted and Tula Gregory (known as the Ribs King and Mom, respectively), a year after they married. Through a series of unlikely events, Tula developed a barbecue sauce whose syrupy depth so easily won over their friends and family that they put it on the menu at the Inn. It leans sweeter rather than the usual smoky, vinegary sauces you see further south. It shouldn’t work, but it does.

It is this sauce that treats the fall-apart ribs, a match so well made that the whole operation becomes a sort of barbecue pudding. If a caramelized, melty rib is what you’re looking for, there’s no better place than Montgomery Inn.

montgomeryinn.com

9440 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45242

(513) 791-3482

While waiting in line at Heritage BBQ in San Juan Capistrano and studying the chalkboard menus and custom built smokers, you may also witness someone having nothing short of a religious experience as they glide a barky hunk of a rib into their mouth. This is run of the mill here, where spare ribs are smoked over white oak for six hours before being drizzled with maple syrup. Visually, they offer a masterpiece of color, black, pink, brown, and reds, all glowing from the ribs’ juices and the glaze they are drenched in. These are an event, a spectacle unlike any other even before you start eating them. When you do, you’ll be blessed with a pork candy, equal parts tender, chewy, and rich.

Pitmaster Daniel Castillo immediately debunks any California-barbecue skeptics with his focus on Central Texas-style smoking as well as the local tastes of SoCal. Heritage has got a winner of a Texas chili, as well as a chicharrón-topped mac and cheese. It’s a masterclass in doing things right while pushing them forward into delicious new directions.

heritagecraftbbq.com

31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Inquiries@heritagecraftbbq.com

You probably shouldn’t eat at a BBQ restaurant in a shopping mall, but a gas station is highly encouraged, especially if it holds such a lovable and industrious joint as Joe’s KC BBQ. This place is one of the definitive Kansas City barbecue restaurants (though this one is on the Kansas side), not the least because of the unbeatably grungy, low-key vibes. The ribs, saturated with smoke, could break apart without your moving a muscle. They have an almost jammy bark, which keeps the meat unbelievably juicy.

Though Joe’s has two other locations, the original gas station set up from 1997 is the place to be: long lines are part of the roadside stop appeal, giving you plenty of time to dream about those ribs. The reality will still surely surpass your expectations. There is homemade barbecue sauce that you can dip the ribs in (if they don’t fall in off the bone by themselves), as well as a zippier Rocket Pig version, for those cut from a wilder cloth.

joeskc.com

3002 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS 66103

(913) 722-3366

New Orleans has no shortage of excellent food: po boys, beignets from Café Du Monde, both gumbo and étouffée. Why on earth would you spring for barbecue when surrounded by such gastronomic greatness? Well, you can take that up with The Joint, a barbecue place so incredible it earns an essential place in the ranks of the city’s storied cuisine. It’s a place that might present itself to you when you need it most: a bony sign on the outdoor shack reads “Carnivorous Cuisine,” a promise of a meaty oasis that it delivers on tenfold.

The ribs in particular come out nearly pitch black, almost like they were left in the smoker too long. But once you break open that bark, you’ll find a tender pork rib worth dying for coupled with a beautiful charred undertone. These easily hold their own against the benchmark St. Louis style ribs, with smoke you can practically touch.

alwayssmokin.com

701 Mazant St, New Orleans, LA 70117

(504) 949-3232

It wouldn’t be a barbecue list without a little nod to Chicago, a city that sort of acts as a mouth-watering nexus of regional barbecue styles. At Smoque, standard baby back ribs are dry-rubbed (Memphis style), but you can also order the St. Louis-cut, a baby back alternative that comes from the belly of the animal and is flatter rather than rounded. If you get a combo platter, you can get a half rack of both.

You’d be wild not to get the brisket at Smoque, but the ribs are the underdog hero of the menu. The oak and applewood used to smoke the meat lend a subtle sweetness perfect for pork, and a delicacy to the bark despite its deliciously woody appearance. There are more than a few people out there who have been touched in their soul by these ribs, so scurry on out there and get yourself a platter.

smoquebbq.com

3800 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60641

(773) 545-7427

The restaurants on this list were compiled by consulting numerous consumer ratings and comments online, as well as reviews from local newspapers, magazines, and professional barbecue experts. Accolades from trusted sources were also taken into account.