Mighty Quinn’s: The East Coast’s Biggest Hidden Barbecue Gem
Have you ever heard of Mighty Quinn’s? If not, you’re in for a treat. This New York-based chain with locations up and down the East Coast – and, umm, Dubai, has been quietly making waves among barbecue experts who short-list it as the best barbecue chain in the nation. Started in 2011 near Baltimore, it’s been dubbed the “fastest-growing chain you might not know about” with locations as far and wide as Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey, seeing sales growth continue year over year since 2017, when annual sales leapt by a whopping 61%. All locations are spacious, sleek, and patriotic, outfitted with proud patriotic ephemera and vintage photography and posters, creating a consistent ambience of warmth, nostalgia, and welcome, while the menu features oak-smoked brisket, hand-pulled pork, snappy jalapeño sausage, and St. Louis-style spare ribs.
What’s remarkable is that experts praise the chain for upping the stakes with fresh-cut fries and huge beef ribs, which one pitmaster describes as “a high-cost item in any quick-service context, yet was tender, delicious and a decent value compared to others in the market”. Without overextending itself, Mighty Quinn’s maintains a “quality over quantity” ethos, as evidenced by its mission statement of sourcing the best quality ingredients, taking the time to cook the old-fashioned way, and serving it in a quick-service format that’s at once comfortable and affordable.
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q: Where Legends Are Made in Gas Stations
In the land of hallowed barbecue, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q is veritable holy ground as one of the most iconic and bucket list-worthy barbecue mini-chains in the country that all started from a frills-free vintage gas station in 1996. Food Republic has rated Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q as the best barbecue chain in the United States, with three outlets in Kansas that ship items like sauces and rubs across the country. The original location proves that great food can come from unexpected places.
The Z-Man sandwich became legendary for good reason – tender smoked brisket topped with melted provolone and crispy onion rings creates the perfect bite, while their burnt ends, which helped put Kansas City on the barbecue map, remain consistently excellent, with long lines forming regularly at this tiny spot that are worth every minute for authentic KC barbecue history. Kansas City has earned a reputation as a top barbecue destination because of its signature sauce and legendary burnt ends, with restaurants like Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que boasting more than 3,500 5-star reviews for serving their meats with that signature tangy-sweet Kansas City-style sauce.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit: The Giant That Started Small
Truly a Texas institution, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was founded by Travis Dickey who originated the concept in Dallas, Texas in 1941 because of his love for slow smoked barbecue, with sharing that love with the public being the inspiration to open Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant. Since Travis Dickey established the restaurant in 1941, it has become the largest barbecue franchise in the United States and worldwide. Born in Dallas in 1941, and swiftly expanded throughout the state by brothers Roland and T.D. Dickey, franchising began in 1994 to meet customer demand, with the company known for its hickory-smoked meats now having more than 650 locations – making it the most widespread barbecue chain in the country.
In keeping with Texas barbecue tradition, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit slow smokes their humanely raised meats on site over hickory wood, with prices ranging from combos starting at $10.99 to catering offers of a buffet style option for $165 serving up to 10 people, while the chain offers high quality, no hormones added meats. Despite the fact that Dickey’s has grown exponentially, the company still cooks the low-and-slow way, smoking all meats – like St. Louis-style ribs, beef brisket, and spicy cheddar sausage – on-site with care and palpable passion. Dickey’s Barbeque Pit is all about family, offering complimentary ice cream and rolls, with 550 locations across 44 states making Dickey’s Barbecue Pit a force of barbecue that’s hard to miss.
4 Rivers Smokehouse: Florida’s Surprising Barbecue Star
It might surprise you to learn that one of the top barbecue chains isn’t located in BBQ hot-spots like Texas or Kansas, but if the popularity of 4 Rivers Smokehouse has anything to say, it’s that a barbecue chain based in Florida can rival joints in Memphis, Kansas City, or Dallas, with founder John Rivers launching 4 Rivers Smokehouse in 2009 with a simple goal of serving delicious, de-regionalized BBQ. While Mighty Quinn’s only recently made inroads into Florida, another prolific chain has emerged as the barbecue star in the Sunshine State at 4 Rivers Smokehouse, where the “Art of Cooking” is what fuels success and reputation, adhering to a quality ethos that emphasizes 30-day wet-aged beef brisket, smoked chicken, and classic pulled pork made from bone-in pork shoulder.
Florida-based 4 Rivers Smokehouse has 15 locations scattered throughout the state and is best known for its Angus brisket and its house-made sauces, while 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. His restaurant is a passion project that he only launched after leaving behind a successful 20-year career as the president of a billion-dollar healthcare company.
Terry Black’s BBQ: Texas Tradition with Modern Excellence
Terry Black’s was designated as one of Texas Monthly’s 2017 Top 50 BBQ joints in Texas, which is no small feat, and while Black’s Barbecue may be the original, they are not the best between the two – that designation belongs to Terry Black’s BBQ. Terry Black’s BBQ is among the best barbecue chains in America, operating across three locations in Dallas and Austin, with customers ordering their meat street-style by lining up across the counter and seeing their meat being cut and prepared, and has been rated as the third best barbecue chain in the US by Food Republic.
Terry Black’s knows how to tempt your taste buds with customers ordering meat-market style, meaning you get to watch as your food is generously piled on parchment paper, with everyone lining up across the counter to choose desserts and sides then over to the butcher block where the fun really begins as you watch your meat being cut and piled on your tray. The inviting aroma of slow-smoked meats fills the air, creating a lively atmosphere where barbecue enthusiasts gather to indulge, with an unwavering commitment to quality and tradition cementing Terry Black’s place as a staple in the barbecue community, delivering on every level for those seeking a true Texas barbecue experience.
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que: The Texas Cowboy Experience
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que is one of the best barbecue chains in America, with its chain of restaurants found across Texas having a higher standard of BBQ compared to several other restaurants in the country, specializing in ribs, ribeye, briskets, and jerky, and founded in 1962, the chain has become so popular that it now even has its own mail-order business. A barbecue chain in Texas is held to a higher standard than in the rest of country, with this 56-year-old family-owned chain based in Llano with additional locations in Fort Worth, Austin, and New Braunfels having such a following that the owners have developed a healthy mail-order business, with meats hot-smoked “cowboy-style” over smoldering mesquite embers.
No visit is complete without ordering Cooper’s signature Big Chop, a huge pork chop seared over a hot fire then slow-roasted for an hour over the coals; it’s such a masterpiece that even in beef-centric Texas it accounts for about 20 percent of Cooper’s sales. The usual ribs and brisket are joined on the menu by harder-to-find items like cabrito (baby goat), jerky, ribeye, pork loin, prime rib, and sirloin, making it a true cowboy-style barbecue experience.
Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q: Gas Station Greatness
Their sign says “the worst Bar-B-Q in Texas,” but at Rudy’s Real Texas Bar-B-Q, the food is anything but the worst, with people loving Rudy’s fattier brisket or their baked potato with brisket as an indulgent meal, and you have not lived until you eat Rudy’s creamed corn (no, seriously). Part gas station, country store and restaurant, Rudy’s always delivers quality, lip-smacking slow smoked meats with a pile of soft white bread and drool-worthy sides, with Rudy’s dry rubbing their meats with their own blend and not using mesquite wood but instead using 100% oak due to its longer burning time, allowing for a longer, slower cooking time and the “oaky” smoky flavors to infuse into every bite.
If real Texas barbecue is what you’re after, Rudy’s is the place to go, with the menu staying 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, and unlike other barbecue restaurants, Rudy’s offers breakfast options with the spicy chop, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos being to die for. Founder Max Aue started Rudy’s as a gas station, grocery store, and garage in Leon Springs, Texas in the 1800s, with the chain adding Bar-B-Q in 1989 and never looking back, and the combination gas station, convenience store, and restaurant is still one of the awesome things about Rudy’s – one stop gets you gas, snacks, and some of the best brisket you’ve ever had!
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ: Memphis Magic Made Real
Unlike some of the other chains on this list, Corky’s Ribs and BBQ has its roots in real Memphis-style barbeque, with the first Corky’s opening in Memphis, Tennessee in 1984 and being far from a copy of authentic Memphis-style barbeque but instead one of the restaurants that pioneered it, introducing the world to the Birthplace of Rock and Roll’s unique and smoky cuisine, and despite having expanded beyond Memphis and even beyond Tennessee, it remains popular among locals and has been voted the #1 barbeque joint in the city a whopping 22 times. Hickory-smoked ribs are the claim to fame at Corky’s, a 34-year-old Memphis institution that boasts six Memphis-area locations, two in Little Rock, one near Nashville, and one in Pigeon Forge, with Corky’s ribs being rubbed, basted, and smoked for 18 hours and available dry or wet, while pork shoulder, smoked chicken and turkey, and smoked sausage are also worth the visit.
Showcasing the rich flavors of Memphis barbecue, Corky’s Ribs and BBQ specializes in succulent ribs and tender pulled pork, smoked to perfection, with their signature smoky-sweet profile reflecting a deep commitment to authentic barbecue traditions, and what sets Corky’s apart is its expertly crafted sauces catering to both sweet and spicy preferences, elevating every bite, while the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere makes it a go-to spot for barbecue lovers looking for a true taste of Memphis, with patrons appreciating the consistency and quality that keep them coming back for more.
Mission BBQ: Patriotic Pit Masters with Purpose
Launched on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack, Mission BBQ is serious about its support of the heroes who protect our country, having donated more than $20 million to various service organizations, plus at any one of its nearly 150 locations in the United States, active service members and veterans can pick up a free sandwich during Armed Forces Week. Northeast-based Mission BBQ has locations across 29 different states, with two things the restaurant chain takes seriously: barbecue and American pride, supporting nonprofits that focus on veterans and law enforcement and making every effort to hire veterans – it even opened the first restaurant in the chain on Sept. 11, 2011.
All locations are spacious, sleek, and patriotic, outfitted with proud patriotic ephemera and vintage photography and posters, creating a consistent ambience of warmth, nostalgia, and welcome, while the menu features oak-smoked brisket, hand-pulled pork, snappy jalapeño sausage, and St. Louis-style spare ribs. About that barbecue – after tasting the menu at the Towson, Maryland location, reviewers walked out the door fully ready to launch their own franchise. This isn’t just good barbecue; it’s barbecue with a mission that goes beyond profit.
City Barbeque: The Gluten-Free Champion
Next up on sixth spot is City Barbeque, which is a great option for those who follow a gluten-free diet as all of its meat is 100% gluten-free. City Barbeque is a well-loved smaller chain that has several locations in 10 different states that features heaping portions, homemade side dishes and the best brisket, per diners. According to City Barbeque, “We don’t limit ourselves to any particular region or style, but instead try to showcase the breadth and depth of barbecue found across the country,” and it is also one of the reasons they rank at this spot, though their flavors don’t stand out, having a more franchise or corporate feel instead of smaller, craft-style barbecue, and you’ll get good quality, but not the best flavors.
One customer reported getting the brisket sandwich and it “blew me away” with “so much flavor,” while another shared that “City BBQ has some of the best brisket you will ever have,” always ending up getting the brisket sandwich with a side or two, with the brisket being “cooked perfectly with still having a nice soft bark and amazing flavor”. For anyone with dietary restrictions, this chain offers a safe haven where you can enjoy authentic barbecue without worry.
