Here Is the (Controversial) List of Best Cities for BBQ

New Orleans tops the list from Chef's Pencil
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 15, 2021 1:29 PM CDT
Best US Cities for Barbecue? Not Everyone Agrees
Where do you get your ribs, brisket, and pulled pork?   (Pexels/Min An)

Have a hankering for brisket? Pining for pulled pork? We can't blame you, because May is National Barbecue Month, and the smell of smoky, meaty goodness may already be drifting around your neighborhood. Chef's Pencil wanted to see which states can claim their own mini barbecue crowns, and so the site conducted an analysis of Tripadvisor ratings of barbecue joints in 75 major US cities, ranking the cities based on the number of barbecue eateries per capita and by those receiving the highest rankings. New Orleans topped the list, but the rankings are already receiving pushback from barbecue fans across the country, per USA Today. Some wanted to know why Kansas City or any Texas cities didn't make the top 10, while others were left scratching their head over top-ranking Miami and Newark, NJ. "Throw the whole map away," tweeted chef and food blogger Angela Davis. Here, the controversial top 10:

  1. New Orleans
  2. Oklahoma City
  3. Charlotte, NC
  4. Wichita, Kan.
  5. Virginia Beach, Va.
  6. Columbus, Ohio
  7. Seattle
  8. St. Louis
  9. Miami and Newark, NJ (tied)

Check out the list for more cities that offer lip-smacking barbecue, at least in the view of Chef's Pencil. (Here are the healthiest cities in America.)

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