May is for Smoked Meats and Sauces
As the weather warms up and summer approaches, it’s the perfect time for some delicious barbecue. While you’re prepping your grill for Memorial Day and those epic cookouts, don’t forget to support the pros who have mastered the art of BBQ. Black-owned barbecue joints are serving up some of the best smoked meats and soulful sides across the country. Check out our list of 24 top Black-owned BBQ restaurants in America, perfect for your summer travels or local foodie adventures. These spots are must-visits for anyone craving authentic, mouth-watering BBQ. You can consider it your own Barbecue Travel Guide. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our great listings and find yourself more great black owned businesses to visit during your summer travels, or to support before you even hit the road.
Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack is one of the great places to get some Texas barbecue if you’re visiting one of the hottest travel cities around, Houston, TX. In Business since 1984, it has long been known as one of the best local spots, but it was even called the best in the Nation from the NY Times in 2023. Make your way to their location when you visit H-Town.
We are going to stick in Houston with this next Black Family Owned barbecue restaurant. Gatlin’s is one of the larger BBQ restaurants you’re going to find and they offer two different kinds of ribs as well as a host of sides that are Creole influenced.
We gonna head up to Chicago for our next featured restaurant. Lexington Betty Smokehouse is owned by Chef Dominique Leach, who is notable for both her restaurant’s flavors and her success as a barbecue champion from Food Network. This restaurant’s specialty is a Chicago barbecue staple, rib tips so make sure that you grab those when you visit and order. You can also get fresh grilled Wagyu Hot Dogs and if you enjoy them enough, grab a pack to take home with you.
Soul and Smoke is one of the newer icons that are on this list. This Chicago restaurant started as a food truck and pop up during the pandemic of 2020. Since then they have grown to operate three separate locations serving up high quality ribs, brisket, pulled pork and sausages to hungry patrons. You can also find seasoning, sauce, and pre-seasoned ribs in locations around the area.
Parks Old Style Bar B Q is a classic barbecue “shack”. This staple of Detroit has been cooking up meat for customers since 1964. This a barbecue restaurant with a strong and long heritage in barbecue and their own special recipes including their house barbecue sauce.
In San Diego, Bowlegged BBQ is bringing home the tastes and barbecue style of East Texas to SoCal. Just over 6 years old, this family owned business is bringing their backyard feel to all of the San Diego patrons. All of their food is made with love and respect for the art of barbecue and everyone who steps through their doors for a meal.
Another Detroit institution is Vicki’s Bar-B-Q. Vickis’s is also over 50 years old this year and until 2020 was completely family owned. Restaurant Owner Barry Winfree took over then but has kept the staple going so Detroiters can still get their grilled chicken, ribs and fried shrimp.
Like every other BBQ joint in Detroit, Nunn’s has been around for a while. This restaurant was built in 2004 to carry on the legacy of Wiley Nunn by his son Al. Al’s menu features barbecue classics like ribs, rib tips and pulled pork along with sides such as greens and a zesty potato salad. Check out this Detroit mainstay today.
Pollard’s BBQ is a Memphis, TN black owned barbecue restaurant that started in 1995 as just a little takeout joint. in 2011, Pollard’s moved to a larger location but growing pains hampered them just a bit. with the help of Food Network, this barbecue restaurant was able to right the ship and continue its mission of serving up tasty smoked ribs, pulled pork and smoked sausage to patrons who visit them on Elvis Presley Strip.
Cozy Corner BBQ has a place secure in Memphis’ heart. This Barbecue restaurant is beloved for its authentic Memphis ‘cue featuring the usual selection of smoked and pulled meats. But this staple of the community also has its own special items like a barbecue bologna sandwich and barbecue spaghetti.
This family owned barbecue restaurant in Memphis has perfected the art of barbecue. From their ribs to pulled pork A&R Barbecue gets rave reviews from customers for the entire menu which includes pork nachos, delicious smoked slabs of ribs and fried catfish as well.
North Carolina is the home to a lot of great barbecue, one of them, Lawrence and Perry is truly an event. These BBQ pros don’t operate a shack or brick and mortar location, instead, sticking to their food truck which you will find bouncing all around Central and Northern North Carolina. Yes, you can get their ribs, and exclusive “Que Fries” from Raleigh, to Durham, and even more locations and they have a helpful map and calendar on their website so that you can keep up and make a plan.
The DMV isn’t known as a barbecue hot spot but don’t tell that to Smoke N The City. Located in Accokeek, MD, about 25 minutes South of the Nation’s Capital, This black owned restaurant is bringing the flavor with moist and meaty ribs as well as smoked wings and more. Being that it is a Maryland restaurant, you know there is a crab bisque on the menu and don’t forget to choose from their array of desserts.
Charleston, West Virginia isn’t known as being a tourist hotspot but there are people who will be going there to visit the race track and casino. You can also visit just to get a different view of the country and experience the fresh air, and the Barbecue from Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill. Adrian Wright started on the side of the road with his grill and the flavor and char on his meats had lines going well down the road. This led to an official storefront that has gotten the attention of Food Network, Food & Wine Magazine and more because of the quality of the food here.
We have to talk about one of the most well known and revered Pitmaster’s of a generation and his restaurant, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. That’s right, this James Beard nominated chef and finalist for the Barbecue Hall of Fame serves up everything you would want from a pitmaster of his caliber. Get smoked turkey, chicken wings, brisket chili and pulled pork made up of meat from the entire hog. Make yourself stop in Charleston just to try out this award winning spot by one of America’s Famous Black Pitmasters.
Pitmaster Jayme Campbell brings years of practice and dedication to Bar-Q. Combining multiple Southern styles into custom smokers, Bar-q is known for is moist brisket and its meaty ribs. They recently closed their Norfolk location, but never fear, because you can find them at a new space in Richmond, Virginia.
Even when you are known as having some of the best BBQ in a great town like San Diego, you can hit a speed bump. Coops West Texas BBQ was known as one of the best places to get a meal from for over a decade but business was impacted by a slow down and inflation. Fortunately, the community heard the story and returned to Brad Cooper’s restaurant on the weekends for piles of meaty and moist brisket, ribs, and hand made smoked sausages. San Diego is long considered one of the most beautiful cities to visit, so if you’re traveling this year, make sure to carve out some time on your weekends to check out Coops West Texas BBQ.
Texas BBQ isn’t just on the West Coast! You can also get it at Just Q’in, a Cincinnati, Ohio family run barbecue joint. this restaurant features fresh meats smoked daily with home made rubs and sauces. There are two locations for you to pick up your ribs, beef, and moist smoked chicken. Just Q’in also features a charity that is determined to give back with missions to prepare not only their own employees to move forward with a vision and plan in life, but also by partnering with various entities in the city for rent assistance, transportation and life skills training so that they can truly live their motto “Faith,Love, BBQ”.
Jones BBQ in Kansas City is one of the most heralded Barbecue establishments across the country. Mary “Shorty” Jones and Deborah “Little: Jones took over from their father Leavy B. Jones and these female pitmasters have continued to carry on a proud tradition of barbecue that began in the early 1970’s. Simple and timeless home recipes have kept Jones BBQ at the heart of the city and Barbecue tradition for decades.
Like a lot of kids from the city, Kevin Bludso spent a lot of time in the country during the summers to stay out of trouble in his home of Compton, California. That time spent was often at his grandmother’s barbecue stand in Corsicana, Texas. He opened his own stand in 2008 and since then, has been on a roll with multiple locations in California, Texas, and internationally in Australia. Now the James Beard winning cook is seen on TV judging barbecue competitions and even Bar Rescue. The best way to get a taste of his expertise though is to visit Bludso’s BBQ and get a taste of their famous brisket or a “Dinosaur Bone”, a dry rubbed and smoked massive beef rib that’s the size of a forearm.
Sacramento is the capitol of California, but it is often overshadowed by the other large cities in Cali. However, it has its own great culture and food scene which includes Urban Roots Smokehouse and Brewery. This one deserves a spot on this list because it not only features great smoked meats and barbecue, but also great original micro-brews. Back to the food, Urban Roots also has great limited edition menu items as well. Stop in, grab a meal and a brew to pair along with it or an entire flight and enjoy all that Urban Roots has to offer.
With over 60 years in business, Gates Barbecue is one of the oldest and most revered barbecue restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri. It has been a staple with celebrities, politicians,and neighborhood heroes sitting under the distinct red roof for ribs, sausages, burnt ends and more.
A lot of the BBQ that gets featured in California is Texas style. However Jr’s BBQ has been serving up Memphis style Q since 1998. This restaurant is known for its succulent meats and award winning sauce. If you’re in LA and want a taste of the South with a down home feel, fresh food and flavors, then Jr’s BBQ is one of the best places to try on the West Coast.
Horn Barbecue’s owner, Matt Horn believes that “Barbecue is about more than food” and his restaurants reflect that ethos. Each features a menu of barbecue classics that are created and perfected with a passion. One of the best up and coming chefs on the West Coast, Matt Horn channels his ancestors and legacy with his food and you can try the succulent meats and home made sides at one of his three (soon to be four) locations in Oakland, Elk Grove, and Lafayette, California.
