There’s more to BBQ than just ribs—every part of the country has its own unique take on this classic, and its own best places to sample some down home cooking!
Nobody knows the true origins of barbecue (or BBQ), but it probably dates back to a very creative caveman putting his freshly killed meat on a stick and searing it over a fire. By the time Christopher Columbus landed on these shores, he found the Taino tribe of Haiti dousing their meat in a hot chili sauce before grilling it on sticks suspended above the flames. As this country became a melting pot over the centuries, each group—Native Americans, African slaves and various European settlers—added its own flavor and style to the art of spicing and grilling meat.

Each area of the country has a slightly different take on BBQ sauces, and there are those who swear by each of them. Carolina sauce is a sharp, thin blend of vinegar with both black and red peppers that is used for basting during cooking as well as dipping afterward. Kansas City BBQ sauce, the most common type in the U.S., is tomato-based with added sugar, vinegar and spices. KC sauce is thick and sits on the surface of the meat. This is what most people think of as “barbecue sauce.” Memphis sauce is similar to Kansas City’s but with the addition of molasses for sweetness. Texas sauces get more of a Mexican flavor from the addition of chili peppers, chili powder, cumin, onions and smoke flavor. You may also run across the more regional specialties like South Carolina mustard sauce and Alabama white sauce, which is made with mayonnaise and vinegar.

There’s nothing ore primal than a big slab of spicy, saucy barbecued ribs, chicken or sausage. Don’t even bother dressing up to eat ‘cue, because you know you’re going to get messy! This is not the time for elegant cuisine, because the best spots for BBQ tend to look kinda timeworn and have been around for a while, not always in the classiest parts of town. Here are some of the most loved BBQ restaurants from around the country.

Kansas City - Arthur Bryant’s The Original
1727 Brooklyn Avenue, K.C., MO
816-231-1123
Be prepared to wait in a long line to get into this local favorite, but you’ll be entertained by the spectacle of the blackened whole briskets being pulled from the brick smoker. Since 1930, celebrities and common folk alike have flocked to this rib joint for meat that’s smoked in a combination of hickory and oak woods before being doused with the restaurant’s famous Original or Rich and Spicy sauce.

Chapel Hill, NC  - Allen & Son Barbecue
6203 Millhouse Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

919-942-7576
One sign of a “real” BBQ joint is having a smokehouse on the premises, one that belches out delicious aromas of smoky, savory meat. Like many choice BBQ eateries, Allen & Son has an unpretentious interior, with cinder block walls and wooden tables covered in checkered oilcloth. But the real story is in the huge brick barbecue pits on either side of a firebox burning freshly-split hickory logs. Your meat will come chopped, slow smoked and flavored by a tart, vinegary red sauce. Be sure to get a side of Allen & Son’s tangy homemade slaw.