The 5 BBQ Stops You Need to Make Across The U.S. in 2021
Texas + Kansas + Tennessee BBQ
Terry Blacks - Austin, TX
Texas is the land of Brisket, I am a Brisket girl, and Austin cranks out some of the best Brisket in Texas. Facts.
This joint is run by twin brothers, Mark and Michael, who are 4th generation pit masters, and now have 2 locations (Austin, Dallas). The method is the same though; Post Oak to ensure loww and sloww cooking. Just the way it should be!
The intense flavor coming from these thick cut strips of meaty heaven is absolutely overwhelming, the first time you take a bite no other brisket will ever live up. The bark…oh the bark.
Q39 - Kansas City, Kansas
Every other bbq place on this list lives up to the idea of a bbq shack, the old school pits, smoke billowing in the air, the old school charm, low and slow, simple and rustic.
Q39 is NOT that.
This is high end bbq, plated beautifully, sauced precisely and tastes like nothing you’ve eaten before. The hype is real at this one. If you are in Kansas City, make sure you stop by 1 of their 2 locations (Overland Park or W 39th)
Pictured: Smoked and Grilled Pork Belly w/ bacon-onion marmalade • apple slaw
The Rendezvous - Memphis, TN
If you are a fan of dry rub Ribs then Rendezvous is your spot! Aside from having the coolest cobble stoned back alley entrance (with string lights hanging above), you then descend into the undergrounds of Memphis BBQ history and feel like you’re stepping back in time.!
Let it be said, these are NOT slow smoked fall off the bone ribs slathered with a great homemade sauce (Ill let you know where you can find those). These ARE covered in the most delicious dry bbq rub I have ever tasted. Then cooked over charcoal that gives a wonderful taste and tenderness. Definitely not what I expected or am used to, but I would drive hours to eat these again in a heartbeat.
Central BBQ - Memphis, TN
If you are one of those who is only looking for that true fall of the bone fatty porky ribby deliciousness, than Central is it! These guys have opened up a few locations around town, we went to the one closest to the Loraine Motel, where MLK was shot, and now the location of the Civil Rights Museum. We made a day of it all and had a really special time, I would highly recommend.
The two items to order here are their pork ribs and the pulled pork sandwich. Both were absolutely delicious!
Pro Tip: Head 1 block down to Makaedas Cookies for dessert. Unreal good butter cookies!
Franklins BBQ - Austin, TX
Eating at Franklins is a religious affair, something you dream about, because it just might be one of the best bites of food you will ever eat. There are meals out there that change it all, and then there are singular entities, a single bite that stand alone as a beacon of flavor blasted light. Yes, brisket from Franklins may be the best BBQ in America.
Aaron Franklin and the hype are real at this Austin showstopper. Be prepared for a wait, but trust me it is always worth it!