Florida: Shiver's Bar-B-Q, Homestead
Serving the Homestead community for over 70 years, Shiver’s Bar-B-Q is frequented by customers who’ve been coming back for its hickory-smoked goodness and cozy, indoor picnic table dining since they were kids. On its menu are pork spare ribs and beef ribs, but it's the baby back ribs customers rave about – some people say they’re the best they’ve eaten.
Georgia: Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Atlanta
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q sure knows how to do ribs. It serves tender, saucy whole and half racks, white bread spare rib sandwiches, and crunchy chicken fried ribs, which have been breaded and deep fried. Try them with white barbecue sauce or the restaurant's much-loved, sharp but sweet vinegar sauce.
Illinois: Smoque BBQ, Chicago
There are many things to love about the rib dinners at BYOB spot Smoque BBQ in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. First, the racks are prepared with a spicy dry rub. Then, once cooked, they’re served with a sweet Memphis sauce or a spicy sauce that works in perfect harmony. Portions are huge, so make sure you bring your appetite.
Iowa: Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack, Iowa City
It’s the barbecue sauce at Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack that takes already excellent, slow-smoked St. Louis racks and makes them out of this world. If you like smoky flavors, go for Cowboy (sweet and smoky); if you like spicy foods, try Chicago Fire (sweet and hot); and if you like honey mustard, check out the Carolina Mustard (honey mustard, but better). You can also buy bottles of sauce to take home.
Kansas: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City
Everyone who has visited Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que says it serves the best ribs in Kansas City, which shouldn’t be a surprise since its owners Jeff and Joy Stehney have been involved on the competition circuit since the 1990s. It offers full slabs, short ends, and long ends, and customers say the smoky flavor is terrific. It has four locations in the state.
Minnesota: StormKing Brew Pub, Minneapolis
StormKing Brew Pub is an especially good spot for Texas-style barbecue in Minnesota. The St. Louis ribs are very meaty and smoky with absolutely no fat, according to customers. You can order them as a half rack or a whole rack, with two sides, or as a sandwich. Whatever you decide, it's imperative you accompany it with one of the beers brewed on site.
Missouri: Pappy's Smokehouse, St. Louis
Get your napkins ready, because Pappy’s Smokehouse’s sticky, candy-like ribs come with an array of super-delicious sauces, and you’re going to want to get stuck into them all. Sweet Baby Jane is on the sweet side, Original is thin and tangy, and Hoodoo is ultra-hot. There's another location in St. Peters.
Nebraska: Smokin Barrel BBQ, Omaha
The pork spare ribs from old-fashioned and rustic Smokin Barrel BBQ are coated in a bourbon sauce that’s so intensely flavored and complementary that it receives rave reviews. The restaurant also occasionally runs succulent-sounding rib specials, such as deboned pork belly ribs in a mango habanero glaze.
Texas: Terry Black’s Barbecue, Austin
For the best beef ribs in town, make a beeline for Terry Black’s Barbecue, a family-run affair with locations in Austin, Dallas, and Lockhart. The fatty, juicy hunks of meat are expensive, but truly unmissable, and the pork ribs are also delicious if you’re looking to save a penny or two. So who is Terry Black? He used to compete on the barbecue scene and passed down everything he knew to his twin sons, Michael and Mark Black, who own the joint.
Serving the Homestead community for over 70 years, Shiver’s Bar-B-Q is frequented by customers who’ve been coming back for its hickory-smoked goodness and cozy, indoor picnic table dining since they were kids. On its menu are pork spare ribs and beef ribs, but it's the baby back ribs customers rave about – some people say they’re the best they’ve eaten.
Georgia: Fox Bros Bar-B-Q, Atlanta
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q sure knows how to do ribs. It serves tender, saucy whole and half racks, white bread spare rib sandwiches, and crunchy chicken fried ribs, which have been breaded and deep fried. Try them with white barbecue sauce or the restaurant's much-loved, sharp but sweet vinegar sauce.
Illinois: Smoque BBQ, Chicago
There are many things to love about the rib dinners at BYOB spot Smoque BBQ in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. First, the racks are prepared with a spicy dry rub. Then, once cooked, they’re served with a sweet Memphis sauce or a spicy sauce that works in perfect harmony. Portions are huge, so make sure you bring your appetite.
Iowa: Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack, Iowa City
It’s the barbecue sauce at Jimmy Jack’s Rib Shack that takes already excellent, slow-smoked St. Louis racks and makes them out of this world. If you like smoky flavors, go for Cowboy (sweet and smoky); if you like spicy foods, try Chicago Fire (sweet and hot); and if you like honey mustard, check out the Carolina Mustard (honey mustard, but better). You can also buy bottles of sauce to take home.
Kansas: Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City
Everyone who has visited Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que says it serves the best ribs in Kansas City, which shouldn’t be a surprise since its owners Jeff and Joy Stehney have been involved on the competition circuit since the 1990s. It offers full slabs, short ends, and long ends, and customers say the smoky flavor is terrific. It has four locations in the state.
Minnesota: StormKing Brew Pub, Minneapolis
StormKing Brew Pub is an especially good spot for Texas-style barbecue in Minnesota. The St. Louis ribs are very meaty and smoky with absolutely no fat, according to customers. You can order them as a half rack or a whole rack, with two sides, or as a sandwich. Whatever you decide, it's imperative you accompany it with one of the beers brewed on site.
Missouri: Pappy's Smokehouse, St. Louis
Get your napkins ready, because Pappy’s Smokehouse’s sticky, candy-like ribs come with an array of super-delicious sauces, and you’re going to want to get stuck into them all. Sweet Baby Jane is on the sweet side, Original is thin and tangy, and Hoodoo is ultra-hot. There's another location in St. Peters.
Nebraska: Smokin Barrel BBQ, Omaha
The pork spare ribs from old-fashioned and rustic Smokin Barrel BBQ are coated in a bourbon sauce that’s so intensely flavored and complementary that it receives rave reviews. The restaurant also occasionally runs succulent-sounding rib specials, such as deboned pork belly ribs in a mango habanero glaze.
Texas: Terry Black’s Barbecue, Austin
For the best beef ribs in town, make a beeline for Terry Black’s Barbecue, a family-run affair with locations in Austin, Dallas, and Lockhart. The fatty, juicy hunks of meat are expensive, but truly unmissable, and the pork ribs are also delicious if you’re looking to save a penny or two. So who is Terry Black? He used to compete on the barbecue scene and passed down everything he knew to his twin sons, Michael and Mark Black, who own the joint.
