Chicago - The Smoke Daddy
1804 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone:
773-772-MOJO (6656)
It may look like a just neighborhood diner, but this BBQ restaurant serves up live music nightly along with smoky ribs and pork. Another thing that make Smoke Daddy’s special is the choice of Carolina, Memphis or Kansas City BBQ sauces. The Smoke Daddy Sampler lets you try St. Louis style spare ribs, baby back ribs and beef back ribs plus two sides.

Atlanta - Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
1238 DeKalb Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-577-4030
Fans of this ‘cue spot call it “the best in Atlanta,” with special raves going to the ribs, pulled pork, wings and mac & cheese. All meats are cooked over hickory wood at 200-230 degrees daily. To get the most from your visit, order the BC Platter with three meats and two sides. For a BBQ joint, Fox Bros. is a bit on the pricey side, with combo plates going for as much as $24.95.

Tuscaloosa, AL - Dreamland
5535 15th Avenue, East
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
205-758 8135
If your college football team is playing Alabama’s Crimson Tide, good luck—you’ll need it. Fortify yourself for a hard-fought game with some tasty meat from this legendary ‘cue spot that has been a legend in Alabama since 1958. Dreamland has expanded to eight locations in Alabama and Georgia, but this is the original and the flagship location. The interior is homey, with a pot-bellied stove surrounded by a few tables and booths, and your fellow diners will include families that have flocked to Dreamland for generations to sample their ribs with sliced white bread. You can also feast on the pulled pork, hickory smoked sausage and BBQ ribs, all liberally doused with the signature Dreamland BBQ sauce, which can be purchased in quart jars on your way out.

NYC - Hill Country BBQ
30 West 26th Street

New York, NY 10010
212-255-4544
If you’re in the Big Apple and craving some good BBQ, this is the place to go. Hill Country gets raves for its moist, juicy brisket, jalapeno sausage and tasty sides like mac and cheese, as well as the free live country/roots music. The BBQ is dry-rubbed, slow-smoked over post oak wood and hand-carved by pitmasters by the slice, rib or link. Hill Country isn’t cheap, but hey, this is New York City.

Austin - Franklin Barbecue
900 E. 11th St.
Austin, TX 78702
512-653-1187
Texas’ capital city is renowned for its mouth-watering choice of BBQ places, but it was Franklin Barbecue that was chosen by Bon Appetit magazine as the best in the USA. Ravenous customers start lining up out front at least an hour before the 11 a.m. lunch opening, so be prepared to wait. The lure of Franklin is easy to see—delicious BBQ at reasonable prices, like $13 for a two-meat combo with bread and two sides. Franklin used only Meyer Angus meat and seasons it with a secret blend of spices before smoking for up to 18 hours. The brisket is so tender, it falls right off the bone!

Memphis - Central BBQ
2249 Central Ave.
Memphis, TN, United States
901-272-9377
This place has been rated as one of the top BBQ spots in Memphis since opening in 2002, and wins raves for both its food and its fun atmosphere. The secret to Central’s delicious meats is the way they rub them with a special combination of spices and marinate 24 hours before slow-smoking them over a combination of hickory and pecan woods. Bring a big appetite and order the combo plate of ribs and two other meats, like pulled pork or beef brisket.  Try to get a table on the outside patio if the weather permits.

Los Angeles – Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ
8136 Sepulveda Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91402
818-782-2480
This place is a bit off the beaten path, way out in the San Fernando Valley, but totally worth the trip. This down-to-earth, rather divey little place wins raves for its brisket, baked beans and secret sauce so good you’ll want to sop it up with the white bread. Also recommended are the baby back ribs, beef ribs and hot links. Be warned that the combo plates are so huge, you’ll probably wind up taking leftovers with you. If you have a dog at home, your server will happily package up the bones for Fido.