There’s no shortage of opinions when it comes to great barbecue, but the Deep South is where the real arguments start. Whether it’s slow-smoked ribs over hickory, pulled pork slathered in white sauce, or brisket that practically melts before it hits your plate, this region has been perfecting the craft for well over a century.
Here is a list of the 16 BBQ joints across the Deep South that are absolutely worth the detour — and in some cases, the long wait in line.
Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q – Decatur, Alabama
Big Bob Gibson’s has been operating since 1925, making it one of the oldest BBQ restaurants in the South. What started as Robert ‘Big Bob’ Gibson cooking pork shoulders in his backyard eventually grew into a full restaurant on Highway 31, still run by his family today with fifth-generation pitmaster Chris Lilly at the helm.
The joint is best known for its Alabama-style white barbecue sauce — a tangy, mayonnaise-based creation that Big Bob invented to dress his smoked chicken, and one that has since become a staple of the state’s BBQ identity.
Archibald’s BBQ – Northport, Alabama
Archibald’s has been cooking out of the same cinderblock building since 1962, and that kind of consistency is hard to argue with. The ribs here are cooked hot and fast over a hickory fire on brick-and-cinderblock pits, giving them a firm, meaty texture with satisfyingly charred edges.
They come doused in a spicy, orange-hued vinegar sauce with slices of white bread laid over the top — a move that’s equal parts practical and brilliant, since the bread soaks up every last bit of that sauce.
Dreamland Bar-B-Q – Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Dreamland opened in 1958 and built its entire reputation on one thing: ribs. Founder John ‘Big Daddy’ Bishop kept the menu intentionally tight — just ribs, white bread, and sauce — and for decades, that was all anyone needed.
Today the restaurant has expanded to multiple locations across Alabama and into Georgia, but the original Tuscaloosa spot remains a pilgrimage site for anyone serious about Southern barbecue.
SAW’s BBQ – Homewood, Alabama
SAW’s BBQ, whose name is short for ‘Sorry Ass Wilson’ — the nickname founder Mike Wilson earned during his high school days — serves Carolina-style pulled pork alongside ribs and smoked chicken with white sauce. The place has grown significantly since its Homewood beginnings, with multiple locations across Alabama, but the food still hits the same way it always has.
The loaded baked potatoes, piled with smoked meat and toppings, have developed their own loyal following.
The Joint – New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans isn’t exactly famous for barbecue the way it is for gumbo and beignets, but The Joint has been quietly changing that conversation since it opened in 2004. Brisket, ribs, pork, and sausage are cooked low and slow on big metal pits, then served on paper-lined platters or piled onto locally baked Gendusa French bread buns.
Rotating specials like pastrami sandwiches and barbecue tacos on housemade flour tortillas keep things interesting, and Southern Living readers have repeatedly voted it the best BBQ in Louisiana.
Wright’s Barbecue – Johnson, Arkansas
Wright’s started as a food truck and grew into one of the most talked-about BBQ spots in the state, with multiple locations now operating across Arkansas. The pitmaster has earned James Beard Award semifinalist recognition, and Yelp named Wright’s one of the best barbecue joints in the country in 2024.
The brisket is the headline act, smoked over pecan wood in the Texas craft tradition, but the bacon burnt ends and barbecue nachos are the kind of thing you’ll find yourself thinking about on the drive home.
McClard’s BBQ – Hot Springs, Arkansas
McClard’s has been feeding people since 1928, founded by Alice and Alex McClard, and it’s now run by the second, third, and fourth generations of the family. That kind of legacy doesn’t happen by accident — the recipes and methods have stayed remarkably consistent over nearly a century, and the restaurant’s reputation for quality ingredients and carefully sourced meats has kept it packed for decades.
Bill Clinton was a known regular, which either adds to or detracts from its appeal depending on your politics, but the food speaks for itself regardless.
Central BBQ – Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is synonymous with dry-rubbed, slow-smoked ribs, and Central BBQ is one of the city’s most celebrated destinations for exactly that. The restaurant has multiple locations across the city and has become something of a Memphis institution, drawing both locals and out-of-towners looking for the real deal.
The smoked chicken wings have developed a particularly devoted following, and the pulled pork sandwich is the kind of thing that makes you reconsider every other version you’ve had before.
Peg Leg Porker – Nashville, Tennessee
Carey Bringle opened Peg Leg Porker in Nashville in 2013, and the restaurant has earned national recognition on a near-annual basis since. The dry-rubbed ribs are the main event here, cooked over hickory in the West Tennessee tradition, and the kitchen takes a firm stance on using wood-fired pits rather than electric or gas alternatives.
The Nashville location sits in The Gulch neighborhood and has become a go-to for visitors who want something authentically Southern in a city that’s increasingly full of out-of-state transplants.
Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint – Nashville, Tennessee
Pat Martin built his reputation on whole-hog barbecue, a tradition that’s far more labor-intensive than most restaurants are willing to take on. His 200-pound pigs cook for a full day before they’re served, coming out of custom-built brick pits right in the dining room.
The Redneck Tacos — cornbread hoe cakes topped with slaw, sauce, and your choice of meat — have become almost as iconic as the whole hog itself, and the restaurant now has several locations across Tennessee.
Southern Soul Barbecue – St. Simons Island, Georgia
Harrison Sapp and Griffin Buffkin turned an old island service station into a barbecue destination in 2006, and Southern Soul has been one of Georgia’s top-ranked BBQ spots ever since. The restaurant was part of an early wave of new-school joints that gave contemporary twists to old Southern classics without abandoning the craft foundations that make the food worth eating in the first place.
It’s the kind of place that feels genuinely local while consistently showing up on national best-of lists — a balance that’s harder to maintain than it looks.
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q – Atlanta, Georgia
Texas natives and brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox moved to Atlanta and decided to do something about what they felt was a missing-in-action barbecue scene. They opened Fox Bros.
Bar-B-Q and have been steadily expanding their presence across the city ever since. The brisket plate is the obvious draw, but the brisket tater tots — smothered in melted cheese — have taken on a life of their own, and the spare ribs hold their own against anything you’d find in a Texas roadhouse.
Wiley’s Championship BBQ – Savannah, Georgia
Wiley’s opened in Savannah in 2005 and spent the better part of a decade winning national titles in barbecue competitions. The menu covers the full spectrum of smoked meats and sausage, alongside pulled pork, stuffed baked potatoes, and banana pudding that regulars treat as non-negotiable.
It’s the kind of place where the competition trophies on the wall are actual proof of something, not just decoration.
Heirloom Market BBQ – Sandy Springs, Georgia
Heirloom Market BBQ does something genuinely original: pitmaster Cody Taylor and his wife Jiyeon Lee combine Tennessee-style barbecue with Korean flavors in a way that sounds experimental but tastes completely inevitable. The spicy ribs are marinated in gochujang, and the beef brisket gets injected with fermented soybean broth before it hits the smoker.
It’s a genuinely singular experience in the Georgia BBQ scene, and the fact that it works as well as it does is a testament to how much both traditions have in common at their core.
Corky’s Ribs & BBQ – Memphis, Tennessee
Corky’s has been perfecting its hickory and charcoal-smoked ribs for more than 30 years, and locals have voted it the top BBQ joint in Memphis 22 times. Full slabs of ribs are served family-style, and the restaurant has expanded into Arkansas and Mississippi while maintaining its Memphis roots.
The fact that Corky’s ships its baby back ribs nationwide tells you something about the demand — and the confidence the kitchen has in how their product travels.
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q – Birmingham, Alabama
Jim and Nick opened their first restaurant together in Birmingham, building a menu around pulled pork, ribs, and brisket that has kept people coming back for decades. The chain now has locations across multiple Southern states, but its Alabama roots remain central to everything on the menu.
The cheese biscuits — served with every meal, housemade, and practically impossible to stop eating — were named one of the 100 dishes you must eat before you die by the Alabama Tourism Department, which is a bold claim that the biscuits more than back up.
Where the smoke still rises
The Deep South’s BBQ joints aren’t just restaurants — they’re institutions, many of them family-run for generations and stubborn in the best possible way about how things get done. Whether you’re tracking down a cinderblock shack in Northport or a converted service station on a Georgia island, the through line is the same: good wood, good meat, and people who take their time.
The next time a road trip takes you anywhere near this part of the country, follow the smoke.
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