Must-Try Types of BBQ: Your American Barbecue Guide

Is there any aspect of American cuisine more red, white, and blue than barbecue? If there is, it’s hard to imagine what.

We certainly have a voracious appetite for tender, delicious meat prepared in one of the most basic ways possibles: introducing it to fire and giving the two time to get acquainted, knowing that something wonderful will result.

But don’t let that simplicity fool you. American barbecue is as diverse as it is delicious, with a wealth of popular styles, cooking methods, favorite meats, and barbecue sauces.

I love barbecue, I’ve incorporated a lot of it in my clients’ menus in my personal chef service over the years, and I’ve crisscrossed the country numerous times searching out the best BBQ experiences I could find. I always love talking to pit masters and learning as much as I can about their styles, techniques, and secrets. So, I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned along the way.

In this article, we’re going to explore the rich tapestry of American BBQ. We’ll explore the 4 most dominant regional types of BBQ and discover what characteristics define each and distinguish them from all the others.

Then, we’ll dip into some lesser known but richly rewarding types of BBQ that are not only beloved in their regions but have enriched our national barbecue culture and overall American cuisine.

But first, let’s dig into what makes barbecue barbecue.

What Is Barbecue?

Different types of BBQ sauces for different types of BBQ — Many barbecue establishments offer several types of BBQ sauces.

We love barbecue so much in America that we have expanded its meaning to include virtually any cooking process that involves an open flame being used to prepare food—especially in outdoor cooking.

But in its purest sense, the term “barbecue” in North America should be reserved for using burning wood or charcoal to prepare food by roasting or smoking it over indirect heat at relatively low temperatures for an extended period of time.

This is the quintessential “low and slow” style of cooking that is perfect for turning even the toughest cuts of meat into tender, juicy masterpieces.

Although it can also produce delicious results, cooking at high temperatures for a short time close to a direct flame should really be considered “grilling.”

Food historians tell us that the word “barbecue” originates with Native Americans who used the term barabicu to describe their means of cooking with fire.

This term was picked up by the Spanish who later arrived in the Americas and came up with their own version of the word: barbacoa. Today, the terms barbecue, barbeque, bar-b-que, bar-b-q, que, cue, ‘cue, and even just Q are all used to describe this same way of cooking delicious food.

The 4 Capitals of Que

Although we’re blessed with a wide variety of American barbecue styles, there are 4 that dominate the country. And it is these 4 regional BBQ styles that have been heavily adopted and adapted elsewhere in the 50 Nifty to give us the plethora of choices that makes up today’s United States of Barbecue.

For each of these types of BBQ, I’ll give you a quick cheat sheet roundup of what the chief characteristics are and then take a closer look at what makes them great.

Texas BBQ

What’s Cooking: Beef & Pork
On What: Mesquite or Post Oak
What Sauce Is Boss: Beer Mop
Crucial Seasoning: Salt & Pepper
Signature Dish: Beef Brisket
Sideshow Surprise: Hot Links & Brontosaurus Ribs

Barbecue is one of the most iconic foods of Texas. But with the state encompassing almost 270,000 square miles, it’s no surprise that Texas-style BBQ is a combination of types rather than one monolithic whole. Here are the 4 types of BBQ in Texas that together make up barbecue Texas style.

Central Texas BBQ: This style originated with Czech and German settlers arriving in the 1800s. They brought their expertise in meat smoking and preservation, which resulted in a BBQ style focused on slow-cooking meats over indirect heat, seasoned only with salt and pepper, to let the meat speak for itself.

Central Texas is where you’ll find the king of Texas BBQ, beef brisket, and the rest of the royal court, hot link sausages made from both beef and pork.

Among a crazy number of other accolades, Snow’s BBQ and Franklin Barbecue in Central Texas are among the Top 10 BBQ spots in all of Texas on the sacred list kept by Texas Monthly.

South Texas BBQ (Barbacoa): Drawing from earlier elements of Mexican cuisine and Spanish culinary traditions, barbacoa involves wrapping meat and cooking it in a pit of hot coals. This low-and-slow technique creates tender, flavorful meat and has become a hallmark of the region.

B-Daddy’s BBQ is a fun place to try barbacoa just outside of San Antonio.

East Texas BBQ: African-American barbecue traditions are strong in East Texas, where BBQ is often slow-cooked until it falls off the bone and gets covered in a rich, tomato-based barbecue sauce.

Pork shows up here more than elsewhere in Texas, and sides more associated with America’s southeast, like okra, mac & cheese, and boudin sausage, are common too.

Pat Gee’s is a great place to try East Texas BBQ.

West Texas BBQ (Cowboy BBQ): Unlike the case in other regions, West Texas BBQ is cooked over an open flame. It’s a rustic style, born from the cattle drives and ranching culture where meats like beef and goat were—and still are—grilled quickly rather than smoked.

So, yes, although this is an integral part of Texas style barbecue, it is technically grilling. What are you gonna do?

Evie Mae’s is one of the preeminent West Texas BBQ destinations.

With cattle so big a part of Texas history, lore, and culture, it’s no surprise that beef is such a key part of the local style of barbecue.

The star of the show, beef brisket, is a notoriously tough and chewy cut of meat. That’s why it is allowed to smoke in a Texas offset smoker at lower temperatures for a long, long time—16 hours or more. It emerges transformed into an incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth marvel. It’s no wonder beef brisket is on the ultimate U.S. food bucket list!

And whereas many other parts of the country specialize in pork ribs, in the Lone Star State beef ribs rule. Pitmasters often use a mop sauce (a sauce literally applied with a mop because the portions are so huge and numerous) to keep the ribs moist while they smoke.

However, it may come as a surprise that barbecue sauce at the table is not a big deal in Texas.

The thin, flavorful, and sometimes hot sauce that is used in Texas is inflected with peppers, and it helps to lock in the smoky goodness imparted by the cooking process. And because everything is bigger in Texas, it’s absolutely on brand that their beef ribs are so big, the locals refer to them as brontosaurus ribs.

Kansas City BBQ

What’s Cooking: Everything
On What: Hickory or Missouri White Oak
What Sauce Is Boss: Tomato & Molasses
Crucial Seasoning: Pepper
Signature Dish: Burnt Ends
Sideshow Surprise: Z-Man Sandwich

Kansas City Burnt Ends — A burnt ends sandwich at legendary Arthur Bryant's Barbeque in Kansas City

Kansas City barbecue is renowned for a number of contributions to American BBQ. For starters, it was once a Midwestern meatpacking hub, so Kansas City BBQ is still characterized by the wide variety of meats that are prepared, consumed, and beloved in the city.

Unmatched for its diversity among Barbecue’s Big 4, today’s KC lineup includes pork ribs, pulled pork, brisket, beef ribs, chicken, turkey, lamb, and even fish.

But even with all these delicious meats on offer, it was another cut that became synonymous with Kansas City: burnt ends. Surprisingly, these fatty ends of brisket were once routinely cut off and discarded.

That was before famed KC BBQ legend Arthur Bryant started tossing them in sauce and smoking them along with his other offerings. He began handing out these rich succulent morsels to customers while they waited for their orders to be ready. The tasty bits were a big hit, and they soon became the most sought-after types of BBQ treats in KC.

Burnt ends have now spread far beyond their hometown. In fact, I first came across them half a continent away from KC at both a famous Portland BBQ spot and Thai restaurant during the same trip.

KC’s local style of barbecue also gave birth to Kansas City barbecue sauce. The dark, thick sauce is lauded for its blend of sweetness and smokiness. It’s so thick it actually sits on top of meat without being absorbed, but its caramelization lends another layer of yummy to everything it touches.

It is this tomato-based, red barbecue sauce with heaps of molasses or brown sugar that was the basis of the recipe for KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce. And it’s thanks to the success of the Masterpiece brand that so many Americans think of the Kansas City style of barbecue sauce as the textbook BBQ accompaniment.

Kansas City is also famous throughout the U.S. BBQ community as the hotbed of barbecue competitions. The big daddy of them all is the World Series of Barbecue, which brings barbecue enthusiasts from around the globe to KC to both compete and enjoy amazing Q.

Lastly, here’s a facet of KC barbecue culture that is little known outside of Chiefs Country: the Z-Man sandwich. This sandwich features thinly sliced slow-smoked brisket, smoked provolone, onion rings, and Kansas City BBQ sauce on a toasted Kaiser roll.

It was the idea of a regular customer of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, a famous local restaurant. The customer, Mike Zarrik, asked the owner of Joe’s to make it, the restaurant complied, and then Zarrik, a DJ who went by the name “Z-Man” on the air, talked up what a great sandwich it was. It became locally famous—and remains so to this day.

Memphis BBQ

What’s Cooking: Pork
On What: Hickory
What Sauce Is Boss: Huh?
Crucial Seasoning: Paprika & Garlic
Signature Dish: Dry Rub Ribs
Sideshow Surprise: Pulled Pork

Memphis Dry Rub Ribs — Heaven in Memphis: Rendezvous dry rub ribs with slaw and baked beans

Memphis barbecue is not only one of the iconic foods of Tennessee, it is a style of BBQ that is famous among barbecue aficionados across America. And Memphis dry rub is a critical element in authentic Memphis style BBQ, known for its unique balance of flavors and emphasis on seasoning over saucing.

The key components of a Memphis dry rub typically include paprika and garlic powder, but each pitmaster makes his or her own blend, and there can be as many as 40 different seasonings in any particular blend.

The dry rub is generously applied to the meat of choice before it is smoked. During the smoking, the ingredients come together to create a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and spicy notes that elevate the taste of the meat. The absence of sauce allows the flavors from the rub to shine through, giving each bite a rich and robust taste.

Dry rub ribs are the specialty in the Memphis type of BBQ, with the rub providing a flavorful crust that perfectly complements the tender meat. Ironically, the most famous Memphis BBQ joint of them all, The Rendezvous, waits until after their ribs are smoked to pour on their famous seasoning. It hasn’t hurt their business one bit.

Pulled pork is another popular Memphis specialty. Pork shoulder is smoked until the finished product is ready to be pulled apart and served. The juicy, flavor-packed pulled pork can get piled onto your plate or made into pulled pork sandwiches, often topped with coleslaw.

If you get to visit Memphis, don’t be shocked if you find some BBQ sauce at your table. It’s not that barbecue sauce is unheard of in the city, it’s just that dry rub is the real driver of flavor in the local style of BBQ.

Carolina BBQ

What’s Cooking: Pork
On What: Hickory or Oak
What Sauce Is Boss: Vinegar/Vinegar & Tomato/Mustard
Crucial Seasoning: Cayenne Pepper
Signature Dishes: Pulled Pork/Whole Hog
Sideshow Surprise: Brunswick Stew

Carolina-style BBQ — Carolina cue with plenty of pork 3 ways and tasty sides

Although it’s geographically accurate to call this regional style “Carolina BBQ,” it covers a wide area: two states and three distinct regions.

Although there is no dispute that barbecue is one of the beloved foods of North Carolina and one of the culinary treasures of South Carolina, there is a lot of rivalry between the states and within them as to who makes the best Q. So, let’s pick things apart.

Although both eastern North Carolina and the western part of the state have great barbecue, their styles differ. The only things about NC barbecue the entire state can seem to agree on is that pork is the meat of choice, it must be barbecued over a hardwood fire, the barbecue sauce that accompanies the pork must be a vinegar-based sauce, and Brunswick Stew makes a fine appetizer for a BBQ meal.

Eastern Style BBQ

Eastern-style barbecue is whole hog barbecue, meaning the entire hog is basically split in two and barbecued at the same time.

The hog is seasoned with black pepper and cooked low and slow over hardwood or hardwood coals for between 12 and 24 hours. A deep, rich, smoky flavor permeates the meat as it becomes oh-so-tender after all that exposure to low heat.

Once done, the meat is pulled, mixed, and chopped to provide a symphony of flavors and textures that include bits of the crackling skin.

The resulting Carolina pulled pork is usually accompanied by slaw if served on a plate, or topped with slaw if piled into pulled-pork sandwiches.

The barbecue sauce is a vinegar-based sauce with a bit of a bite; it NEVER contains ketchup or tomato sauce.

Skylight Inn BBQ and Bum’s are two of the most beloved purveyors of Eastern style BBQ.

Lexington-Style Barbecue

Lexington-style barbecue, Lexington barbecue, or western style barbecue are all names for the style of barbecue favored in western North Carolina. The style was born in the town of Lexington, which is still the capital of this type of ‘cue.

Unlike Eastern barbecue, Lexington barbecue uses only pork shoulder, not the whole hog. This means the meat cooks for a shorter period of time, but it still comes out incredibly delicious.

Lexington adds ketchup to a vinegar-based barbecue sauce that then gets blended with a mix of proprietary seasonings that varies from pit master to pit master. This results in some typically tangy sauces whose rough edges get smoothed out by the sweetness of tomato.

The Lexington sauce—sometimes referred to as “dip”—is also used in place of mayo in the making of the local slaw, which carries a reddish color due to its unique preparation.

Two of the biggest legends of Lexington-style barbecue are Bar-B-Q Center and Lexington Barbecue.

South Carolina BBQ

Like eastern North Carolina, South Carolina goes full bore for whole hog barbecue. And like its northern neighbor, South Carolina favors pulled pork as its favorite way to enjoy the local cue.

But what sets apart the South Carolina style of cue is the diversity of its barbecue sauces. Across the state, there are four distinct styles. These include a light tomato base, a heavy tomato base, a vinegar and pepper combination, and the state’s most unique version: Carolina Gold.

Some people think of this mustard-style barbecue sauce as South Carolina's unofficial sauce because the Palmetto State is the only place you'll find it. However, it’s really just the most popular style in the middle of the state, in communities once heavily populated by German settlers.

These newcomers brought with them a love of mustard that went hand in glove with a love of pork. Today’s Carolina Gold is a spirited mix that typically contains yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and assorted seasonings that vary from maker to maker.

Bessinger’s Barbeque is a great choice for checking out South Carolina Q served up in Charleston with the state’s signature Carolina Gold sauce.

Other Noteworthy Types of BBQ

Although lesser known than the Big 4 styles of American barbecue, there are some additional regional BBQ styles that have made unique contributions of their own to our national barbecue culture.

Alabama BBQ

Another southern state with a proud barbecue history, Alabama is most famous for its own unique style of barbecue sauce: white sauce.

This was created at the legendary Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q restaurant, which has been operating in Decatur, AL, since 1925. The white sauce was originally used as a dipping sauce for the famed whole smoked chickens served at this old-school shrine to ‘cue.

Today, it’s used on every element of Alabama BBQ, including the state’s favorite meat: pork.

What gives white sauce its signature color is the sauce’s base: mayonnaise. Lemon juice, salt, black pepper, horseradish, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, and hot sauce are then typically added. The result is an incredibly creamy texture with plenty of flavor and a touch of tang.

St. Louis BBQ

Though not as famous as cross-state BBQ behemoth Kansas City, St. Louis style barbecue is still one of the favorite foods of St. Louis. The city is also famous for a cut of pork ribs that was developed there.

In the middle of the last century, local butchers started removing the sternum, cartilage, and tips at the pointy end of a rib rack. The new cut eliminated a lot of fat and gristle, and the resulting cut of ribs also had a higher meat-to-bone ratio than other ribs. Butchers could then charge a premium for these St. Louis–style ribs easily identified by their rectangular shape.

To see how they stack up against other cuts, check out my article on St. Louis Ribs vs Baby Back Ribs.

But while you’re in St. Louis, Pappy’s Smokehouse is, in my opinion, hands-down the best place to indulge in crazy good St. Louis BBQ.

Kentucky BBQ

Although barbecue joints across Kentucky smoke a lot of pork, what distinguishes the state from most of the nation’s barbecue hotspots is the prevalence of mutton as a favorite smoked meat.

Mutton has a unique flavor profile that has long been part of Kentucky cooking, especially in western Kentucky.

In the Bluegrass State, mutton is typically basted while slow cooking over hickory coals. When ready, it’s sliced paper-thin and served with a variety of “dips”—what we would call BBQ sauce in many other areas of the U.S.

A common option is a Worcestershire sauce–based dip, as black as night and made with vinegar and spices like black pepper and allspice—although chili powder and cayenne pepper sometimes make it into the mix as well.

Owensboro, in the western part of the state, is the barbecued mutton epicenter of Kentucky, and the region’s most famous BBQ house is Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. The legendary establishment has been delighting diners since 1963.

Santa Maria–Style BBQ

This style of barbecue is a famous food of California found far from the usual suspects in the heart of barbecue country. But as a longtime Californian who has eaten the Santa Maria style of BBQ many, many times, I can tell you that this type of BBQ is dear to my heart and a real pleasure for the palate.

Santa Maria–style barbecue traces back to the early 1800s and the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County on California’s Central Coast.

There, barbecue feasts put on by local ranchers were a way to feed large groups of cowboys and their families, while also promoting a sense of community.

The star of the show was always beef tri-tip, seasoned with salt, black pepper, and garlic and grilled over coals made from local Coast Live Oaks. The beef was served with such side dishes as pinquitos beans, salsa, salad, and grilled bread.

By the late 1950s, four Santa Maria–style barbecue restaurants had sprung up, including The Hitching Post, which was featured in the surprise blockbuster movie Sideways. The eatery is still a local favorite and an excellent choice for trying the famous BBQ of the Santa Maria Valley.

Final Thoughts on the Best Barbecue in America

Lexington BBQ — Pulled pork sandwich topped with slaw and dripping with luscious BBQ sauce

I hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration of the diverse and delicious world of American barbecue. I love how each region's unique approach has made an important contribution to our nation’s culinary tapestry of barbecue styles, techniques, ingredients, and flavors.

If you’re ever traveling in any of these barbecue hot spots, do yourself a favor and make time to dig into as many tasty results of low-and-slow pit master expertise as you can.

And as you indulge your pursuit of the best in barbecue, consider experimenting with these regional techniques in your own backyard or kitchen. Embrace the art of BBQ and let your taste buds travel across America with every juicy bite.

If you’re eager to get started, here’s my own secret for making delicious barbecue ribs without having to build your own BBQ pit.