Building the Dream Four-Meat BBQ Platter

We went off the beaten path to put together a combination plate that will have your mouth watering

Jeff Tomik,

AARP

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En español

Published July 06, 2023

a barbecue platter including meats and vegetables and bread

Horn Barbecue Platter

Horn Barbecue

When it comes to hotly debated topics in this country, barbecue ranks right up there with politics and religion. Personal preferences and regional allegiances are a recipe for passionate opinions.

Once state lines are crossed, the meaning of “barbecue” changes. Texas’ melt-in-your-mouth smoked brisket, or Kansas City’s crunchy burnt ends, or Memphis’ creamy coleslaw-topped pulled pork sandwiches, or the Carolinas’ vinegar-mopped whole hogs can each be considered the Holy Grail of barbecue — depending on whom you ask and where.

But you don’t have to travel to one of those U.S. hot spots to find quality ’cue. Pitmasters from around the country are putting their own twists on those regional styles. And with summer cookouts in full swing, we’ve put together a dream meat platter of pulled pork, brisket, beef ribs and sausage from eight BBQ joints outside of Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and the Carolinas.

Pulled pork

the exterior of big bob gibson barbecue in alabama

Exterior view of Big Bob Gibson’s in Decatur, Alabama.

Art Meripol/Alabama Tourism Department

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama

This barbecue landmark, which opened in 1925, has racked up a bunch of awards, and its sauces and rubs may be sold at a store near you. The menu at Big Bob Gibson’s says it all. Under “World Championship Bar-B-Q Plates,” it reads: “Take your pick, they are all winners.” And of all the medal-worthy options on this menu, the pulled pork is their Michael Phelps of meats.

What the experts say: “The beef brisket is succulent, but the pulled pork is the true winner (a five-time grand victor at the May’s World Championship BBQ Cook-Off in Memphis),” Tasting Table’s Ryan Unger wrote.

exterior seating area of bbq smoque in chicago

Exterior view of Smoque BBQ, Chicago, Illinois.

Cragin Spring/Flickr

Smoque BBQ in Chicago

The only barbecue connoisseurs who are harder to please than picky pitmasters? Yelpers. And they absolutely love Smoque, which was labeled Yelp’s best BBQ joint in Illinois with more than 4,600 reviews and a 4½-star rating. The pork shoulder is smoked for over 12 hours and pulled apart by hand to create a perfect mix of juicy inside meat and crusty outer bark.

What the experts say: “The half-and-half sandwich, piled with pulled pork and brisket, is the best of both worlds, with chunky shreds of tender pork and spice-rubbed slices of pink-rimmed beef spooned with vinegary barbecue sauce,” according to the Michelin Guide.

Beef brisket

Spread of food from 2Fifty BBQ in Riverdale Park, Maryland.

Rey Lopez Photo/Courtesy 2 Fifty BBQ

2Fifty Texas BBQ in Riverdale Park, Maryland

Ranked as The Washington Post’s top regional barbecue spot in 2020 and 2022, 2Fifty has brought Texas barbecue to just outside the nation’s capital. The Salvadoran owners’ low-and-slow approach to their tender Wagyu brisket starts at around 6 a.m. and takes 12 to 14 hours in an offset smoker to produce a “silky, moist, accordion texture,” as described by pitmaster and co-owner Fernando Gonzalez.

What the experts say: “This is Central Texas barbecue with a Central American soul,” Washington Post food reporter Tim Carman wrote.

a man sits next to a tank at horn barbecue in oakland, california

Owner and Chef Matt Horn with a smoker named Lucille. Oakland, California.

Andrew Thomas Lee/Quarto Publishing Group

Horn Barbecue in Oakland, California

Rising chef Matt Horn has quite the résumé, with his West Coast barbecue joint being recognized by the Michelin Guide (as one of California’s best affordable eateries in 2021) and the James Beard Foundation (as a national finalist for best new restaurant in 2022). As the accolades have come pouring in, so have the customers. And the smoky and moist beef brisket, which takes at least 15 hours of love to cook, is worth the wait in lines that often wrap around the restaurant.

What the experts say: “The brisket [is] cut to order so it’s still hot and steamy, the fat soft and sweet and gelatinous, the meat itself a little wobbly,” New York Times critic Tejal Rao wrote.

Beef ribs

a burger from hometown barbecue in brooklyn

The brisket sandwich on a sesame roll.

Hometown Barb B Que

Hometown Bar-B-Que in Brooklyn, New York

Billy Durney has gone from bodyguard to the stars to James Beard Award semifinalist. With jerk rib tips, char siu baby back ribs, Korean sticky ribs, Oaxacan chicken and Vietnamese hot wings, Durney’s menu is as eclectic as his background. But Hometown’s hallmark is its dinosaur-sized beef rib that could feed a small army.

What the experts say: “His ginormous beef ribs, rubbed simply with salt and pepper and smoked for hours? Forget a drive. They’re worth a plane ticket,” wrote Andrew Knowlton, restaurant editor at Bon Appétit magazine.

Bludso’s Bar & Que in Los Angeles

Chef Kevin Bludso’s smoking expertise is so in demand that Netflix came calling. Bludso — who has been a judge on multiple TV shows, including Barbecue Showdown — was born and raised in Compton, California, but his barbecue expertise came from summers spent in Corsicana, Texas. The beef ribs at Bludso’s Bar & Que were ranked one of LA Weekly’s 100 favorite dishes.

What the experts say: “Those thick cut beef ribs in particular, crusted with black char and beautifully tender, are a must order,” LA Weekly’s Garrett Snyder wrote. “This temple of meat, smoke, and fire deserves regular pilgrimages.”

Sausage

the interior of zzq barbecue restaurant in richmond, virginia

Interior view of the dining room, ZZQ in Richmond, Virginia.

Kate Thompson

ZZQ in Richmond, Virginia

The biggest barbecue badge of honor for this Richmond establishment might be the glowing 2018 review in Texas Monthly with the headline “ZZQ Brings Flawless Texas Barbecue to Virginia.” Since then, ZZQ’s popularity has only grown, even earning a date with Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The smoked habanero fontina sausage has a crisp bite and a spicy kick, and it’s featured in ZZQ’s Tres Hombres sandwich, along with chopped brisket and pulled pork.

What the experts say: “This casual joint is proof positive you don’t have to be in Texas to score some seriously solid barbecue,” Forbes contributor Katie Chang wrote.

various meats and other foods associated with barbecue on a platter

Spread of food including corn, brisket, red onions, potato salad, ribs, and coleslaw.

Post Oak Barbecue

Post Oak Barbecue in Denver

Post Oak has introduced Central Texas barbecue tradition — as well as its namesake smoking wood that’s delivered directly from Austin — to the Rockies. The relatively new go-to spot (it opened in 2019) features all the Texas barbecue staples, from juicy brisket to fall-off-the-bone beef ribs, and the sausage is made in-house with their brisket and pork shoulder.

What the experts say: “When a friend from home comes to visit, the first spot on our itinerary is Post Oak Barbecue, my favorite overall spot in Denver,” wrote the Denver Post’s Lily O’Neill, a Kansas City native who is a “huge fan” of the jalapeño-cheddar sausage.

Share your experience: Where’s your go-to joint for barbecue that should be world-famous? Leave a comment so others can try it.

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Jeffrey Tomik graduated from James Madison University with a B.A. in journalism and has worked for publications in the Washington, D.C., area since 2007. He is currently a multiplatform editor at The Washington Post.