AARP Hearing Center
![a barbecue platter including meats and vegetables and bread a barbecue platter including meats and vegetables and bread](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/home-family/your-home/info-2023/dream-barbecue-platter/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/container_image/articlecontentfragment/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/home-and-family/experience-counts/july-6-issue/1140-barbecue-platter.jpg)
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.
![member card Image Alt Attribute](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/experience-fragments/uxdia-folder-structure/en/features/membership/inline-membership-promo/default/master5/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/container_copy/container/articleimage.coreimg.75.1140.png/content/dam/uxdia/membership-card-d-and-t.png)
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Labor Day Sale!
Join AARP for just $9 per year with a 5-year membership and get a FREE Gift!
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 the exterior of big bob gibson barbecue in alabama](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/home-family/your-home/info-2023/dream-barbecue-platter/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par4/articlecontentfragme/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/home-and-family/experience-counts/july-6-issue/barbecue-insets/1140-BigBobGibsonBBQ.jpg)
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 seating area of bbq smoque in chicago](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/aarpe/en/home/home-family/your-home/info-2023/dream-barbecue-platter/_jcr_content/root/container_main/container_body_main/container_body1/container_body_cf/body_one_cf_one/par7/articlecontentfragme/cfimage.coreimg.50.932.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/home-and-family/experience-counts/july-6-issue/barbecue-insets/1140-SmoqueBBQ.jpg)
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.
More From AARP
They Won Millions Fishing. Yes, Fishing. Here’s How
For these anglers, experience, skill and determination are keys to their good fortunes
5 Old Wives’ Tales You’ve Probably Heard a Million Times Before
We reveal which are true — and which are notIs Bad Music in the Ears of the Beholder?
Why I believe Los Angeles Metro gets it wrong by trying to solve its homeless problem with nonstop classical music