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Food & Drink / Restaurants & Dining

17 Barbecue Chains Across America That Are Actually Worth Visiting

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Platter of barbecue food
Anne A./Yelp

There are tons of incredible hole-in-the-wall barbecue joints across the country, but some of the best barbecue chains in America will have your mouth watering from the moment you step out of your car in the parking lot. While those gas stations and mom-and-pop restaurants certainly have allure, there are plenty of worthwhile barbecue chains to choose from too. These must-try restaurants offer tons of delicious menu options and feature the added bonus of quick and convenient ordering and dining.  

Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ

A red, rustic barbecue restaurant with a yellow sign listing brisket, sausage, turkey, ribs, chicken, and pork loin. There are benches outside and signs about social distancing near the entrance.
Belly G./Yelp

If real Texas barbecue is what you’re after, Rudy’s is the place to go. The menu stays true to the foundations of barbecue with a variety of meats and traditional sides, plus there are a variety of old-fashioned, southern dessert options like peach cobbler, banana pudding, and buttermilk pie. 

Unlike other barbecue restaurants, Rudy’s offers breakfast options and the spicy chop, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos are to die for. Originally a country store, Rudy’s still has a storefront where you can find all kinds of unique merchandise including barbecue-scented candles. With a huge presence in Texas, the chain boasts some 50 locations in at least six states.

Full Moon BBQ

A wooden board holds sliced barbecued ribs, a bowl of coleslaw, a bowl of beans, sliced pickles, two lemon halves, and a large meat cleaver with a white handle, all arranged on a wooden table.
Full Moon BBQ/Yelp

Alabama-based Full Moon BBQ is a small but mighty chain dubbed “the Best Little Pork House.” While you can indulge in plenty of freshly smoked meats at Full Moon, the real show-stopper is the vinaigrette slaw.

Famous Dave’s

A tray with barbecued ribs, a cornbread muffin, coleslaw in a wooden bowl, and baked beans in a metal container, set on a burlap cloth with pepper shaker and sauce in the background.
Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que/Yelp

With locations in at least 30 states, Famous Dave’s is a perfect barbecue chain to visit for dinner with family. On the menu, patrons can grab family meal deals that allow for build-your-own style combination meals allowing customers to try all of the staple dishes. But what are the hidden gems of Famous Dave’s? The Devil’s Spit pickle chips are packed full of heat and flavor and are so good you can buy them by the jar. 

City Barbeque

A tray with barbecue meats, two cornbread muffins, baked beans, coleslaw, applesauce, and two slices of toasted bread on a wooden table. The meats include ribs, brisket, and chicken.
Brittany C./Yelp

City Barbeque originated in Ohio and has since spread across 12 different states. The menu is a melting pot of different regional barbecue styles, offering pulled chicken with Alabama white sauce, two types of pulled pork, Nashville hot chicken, and 18-hour smoked brisket. All meats are smoked on-site each day and anything left over at the end of the day is handed out to the less fortunate.  

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

A gloved hand holds several thick slices of smoked brisket on a skewer in a commercial kitchen, with stainless steel kitchen equipment and more brisket pieces visible in the background.
Chris G./Yelp

While barbecue might have southern roots, it isn’t exclusive to the region. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has establishments scattered across New York and New Jersey and offers some of the most sought-after barbecue in the Northeast. The restaurant began as a honky tonk-style rib joint and has since expanded into a booming chain. 

Some of the most popular menu items include the tender brisket which is pit smoked for 14 hours, slow smoked St. Louis ribs, and Carolina-style pulled pork. Not only is the menu at Dinosaur incredible, the atmosphere is next-level with live music and a bar. 

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Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q

Single-story restaurant with brick and cream siding, wood beams, and a peaked roof. "BONO'S" sign is above the entrance. There are glass doors, windows, and a sidewalk with some landscaping in front.
Caroline C./Yelp

Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q is a staple in Florida, where it has at least 18 locations. Bono’s is best described by their slogan: “If you don’t see a pit, it ain’t legit.” The barbecue joint smokes all of their meat over a pit, making it one of the most authentic restaurants of its kind. With a jam-packed menu, there are so many incredible options to choose from, but Bono’s is best known for their fall-off-the-bone St. Louis style ribs.

Corky’s Ribs and BBQ

Exterior view of Corky’s Ribs & BBQ restaurant with a large roadside sign and a brick building under a partly cloudy sky. Several other businesses and cars are visible in the background.
@TripAdvisor

You can enjoy all of the best barbecue staples at Corky’s, but their claim to fame is definitely the hickory-smoked ribs, which you can order with or without sauce. The restaurant has stayed true to its Memphis roots even as it spread to Mississippi and Arkansas, offering local favorites like fried catfish and smoked sausage. You can also find some more out-there options at Corky’s, like chili-topped hot tamales.

Bodacious Bar-B-Q

A takeout container with sliced brisket, a slice of toasted bread, a small cup of barbecue sauce, and a foil-wrapped item, with clear plastic wrap partially covering the meat.
Picha M./Yelp

Bodacious Bar-B-Q has been around since 1960 and has always stayed true to its Texas roots. All of the restaurant’s meats are smoked over mesquite wood, filling them with unique, robust flavors. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure you check out the homemade pies, too.

Smokey Bones

A plate piled high with glazed, barbecue chicken wings, glistening with sauce. A glass of beer is blurred in the background, suggesting a casual dining setting.
Smokey Bones/Yelp

If you love beer and barbecue, Smokey Bones is right up your alley. With 60+ locations in the Midwest, the Northeast, and Florida, the restaurant has an extensive menu and a full bar. Customers especially love the smoked chicken wings which are available in dry rubs and a variety of sauces.

Mission BBQ

A tray with sliced smoked sausage, shredded beef brisket, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, coleslaw, shredded carrots, pickles, and sliced tomatoes, arranged on brown paper in a basket on a wooden table.
Demond S./Yelp

Northeast-based Mission BBQ has locations across 29 different states. There are two things the restaurant chain takes seriously: barbecue and American pride. Mission BBQ supports nonprofits that focus on veterans and law enforcement and makes every effort to hire veterans — it even opened the first restaurant in the chain on Sept. 11, 2011.  

4 Rivers Smokehouse

A barbecue sandwich on a bun topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sliced smoked meat, and barbecue sauce, served on brown parchment paper on a metal tray with a stamped cow logo.
4 Rivers Smokehouse/Yelp

Florida-based 4 Rivers Smokehouse has 16 locations scattered throughout the state. The 4 Rivers Smokehouse is best known for its Angus brisket and its house-made sauces. Patrons can also enjoy some less traditional dishes including a barbecue quesadilla and cheese grits loaded with pulled pork, coleslaw, jalapeños, pickles, and barbecue sauce.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

Two trays of barbecue food, including sliced brisket, grilled chicken, smoked sausage, pulled pork, pickles, onion, coleslaw, pinto beans, jalapeños, macaroni and cheese, a dinner roll, and barbecue sauce on a rustic wooden table.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit/Yelp

With more than 450 locations, Dickey’s is one of the most well-known barbecue chains there is. Dickey’s offers an array of pit-smoked meats and plenty of sides to choose from. The no-frills menu stays true to good, old-fashioned barbecue, which is what makes Dickey’s so well-loved.

Dreamland

Barbecue ribs served on paper with a small bowl of baked beans and a small bowl of macaroni and cheese on the side.
Richard R./Yelp

If you’re in Alabama and have a hankering for good barbecue, eating at Dreamland is a must. The restaurant, which also has locations in Georgia and Florida, has followed the same tried-and-true recipes since 1958 with some tasty new additions along the way. If you want to know what really makes the chain so successful, all you need to do is try the ribs — they’re truly dreamy. 

Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse Barbecue restaurant sign stands on a grassy area near bushes, with a blurred black car driving past in the background.
Josh T./Yelp

Looking for a barbecue joint that has all of the traditional favorites? Dallas’ Sonny Bryan’s embraces all that is Texas barbecue, offering ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken, smoked sausage, and plenty of scrumptious side dishes. If you visit a Sonny Bryan’s, you can’t miss out on the award-winning Frito pie or the giant onion rings.

Mighty Quinn’s BBQ

A slate platter with smoked chicken, ribs, brisket slices, pickles, coleslaw, pickled onions, and a dish of baked beans on a wooden table.
TripAdvisor

Born in New York, Mighty Quinn’s BBQ has locations sprinkled along the East Coast. The chain says they approach barbecue the old-fashioned way with plenty of wood and smoke, using high-quality ingredients. Patrons also appreciate how Mighty Quinn’s switches the sides menu up seasonally and offers contemporary menu items like rice bowls.

L&L Hawaiian BBQ

Three white plates with Hawaiian-style meals, each served with rice and macaroni salad, on a light wooden table with tropical leaves and flowers for decoration. One plate has grilled chicken, another fried fish, and another shredded beef.
Yelp

Yes, barbecue was born in the South, but don’t pigeon hole your thoughts of the cuisine to states like Texas and Tennessee. If you’re into Hawaiian BBQ, L&L is the chain that should be sky-high on your radar, offering a variety of meats and, of course, Hawaiian macaroni salad.

RibCrib BBQ

A tray of barbecue food including ribs, sausage, pulled pork, toast slices, seasoned fries, pickles, peppers, onions, with a side of macaroni and cheese, and a glass of ice water in the background.

dguey/TripAdvisor

With more than 50 locations across the Midwest and South, RibCrib serves up hickory-smoked ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and smoked sausage in a laid-back, roadhouse setting. The chain is known for its tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs and house-made sauces, along with hearty sides like fried okra, mac and cheese, and baked beans that make it a dependable stop for classic, no-frills barbecue.

Meet the Writer


Rachel Schneider

Rachel is a Michigan-based writer who has dabbled in a variety of subject matter throughout her career. As a mom of multiple young children, she tries to maintain a sustainable lifestyle for her family. She grows vegetables in her garden, gets her meat in bulk from local farmers, and cans fruits and vegetables with friends. Her kids have plenty of hand-me-downs in their closets, but her husband jokes that before long, they might need to invest in a new driveway thanks to the frequent visits from delivery trucks dropping off online purchases (she can’t pass up a good deal, after all). You can reach her at [email protected].

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