From Houston to Henrico, these innovative places are making the South proud.
Peter Frank Edwards
The world of Southern barbecue may move slowly, but it moves forward nonetheless.
First, some definitions.
Credit:Peter Frank Edwards
What do we mean by a new joint?
That can be a relative term in a region withiconic restaurantsdating back a century or more.
It needs to be a truly new restaurant, too.
Credit:Atlas Branding
Plenty of successful restaurateurs have opened new locations in recent years, and some are building sprawling multi-state empires.
A cook with a mobile pit who occasionally posts up at a gas station certainly wouldnt qualify.
A restaurant with an enclosed pit house, indoor dining, and restrooms definitely would.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
But rules are meant to be broken, or at least bent a little.
So what do the top new places have in common?
For starters, most are traditionalists in at least some sense.
Credit:Courtesy of Slow Fire BBQ Platter
Most cook on wood-fired pits, and many have embraced and championed the long-running specialities of their particularly regions.
There are no score sheets or empirical grading systems employed.
1 Page Ave Suite 150, Asheville, NC 28801;hulisuesbbq.com
21.
Credit:La Verdica
5959 Triangle Town Blvd Ste.
2121, Raleigh, NC 27616;lechonlatinbbq.com
20.
1902 Waters Ave, Savannah, GA 31404;slowfirebbq.com
19.
Credit:Courtesy of Owens & Hull
610 W 29th St, Hialeah, FL 33012;laveridica.us
18.
6255 Riverview Rd.. Building 4000 STE 100.
Smyrna, GA 30126;gcbbq.com
17.
Credit:Reese Brothers BBQ
906 Hoefgen Ave, San Antonio, TX 78210;reesebrosbbq.com
16.
111 W Main St, Spartanburg, SC 29306;smokingbuttheadsbbq.com
15.
Tropical Smokehouse takes staples like slow-smoked brisket and chicken and gives them a distinctive Caribbean spin.
Credit:Robert Moss
Pulled pork is laced with tangy mojo sauce.
Empanadas brim with brisket and cheese inside their crisp brown shells.
3815 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33405;eattropical.com
14.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Each seven-bone slab is cooked overnight in a vertical mesquite pit and then finished on a wood-fired grill.
1503 King St, Charleston, SC 29403;rancholewischs.com
13.
The pit room has four times the capacity of the trailer, and the menu is larger too.
5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745;leroyandlewisbbq.com
12.
300 E Edenton St, Raleigh, NC 27601;longleafswine.com
11.
Its pretty good brisket, but even better is the thick-sliced pastrami, which pulls into magenta-hued strands.
Credit:Wynn Myers
4901 Centennial Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209;bringlessmokingoasis.com
10.
3420 Lauderdale Drive, Henrico, VA 23233;redemptionbbq.com
9.
13111 FM 529, Houston, TX 77041;brisketnrice.com
8.
Neither is the namevarious owners have operated a barbecue restaurant in that spot for some 70 years.
When Zach Parker, who owns B.E.
The key change happened out back.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
10 TN-22 Alt, Jacks Creek, TN 38347; (731) 989-4140
7.
Blakes is a full-service restaurant with a private event space and a cocktail bar.
109 S Lindell St, Martin, TN 38237;blakesatsouthernlilling.com
6.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Guests line up for Texas Trinity platters of brisket, ribs, and sausage links.
Even in a state overflowing with good brisket, Daynes thick, peppery slices stand out.
100 S Front St, Aledo, TX 76008;daynescraftbarbecue.com
5.
For their second act, they have created a unique culinary experience.
The results are remarkable.
Meaty pork ribs are lacquered with red char siu glaze.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Five spice duck legs deliver silky, luxurious dark meat beneath a crisp skin prickling with floral flavors.
2029 Carver Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405;eatkingbbq.com
4.
The real showstoppers, though, are the pork ribs.
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Thick slices of Texas-style brisket are piled alongside savory rice-filled boudin links.
Virginia barbecue is enjoying a remarkable 21st-century resurgence, and spots like Mama Jeans are leading the charge.
3404 Brandon Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24018;mamajeansbbq.com
2.
Peter Frank Edwards.
102 E Market St, Lockhart, TX 78644;barbsbq.com
1.
Palmira Barbecue
The bright yellow-and-red mural outside Palmira Barbecue welcomes guests to Whole Hog Country, USofA.
Instead of brisket, Palmira serves smoked beef cheeks so tender they almost melt on the tongue.
Credit:Peter Frank Edwards
House-ground sausages are infused with everything from allspice and cinnamon to plantains and chunks of Gouda.
Most impressive of all is the chopped whole-hog barbecue.
2366 Ashley River Rd Building 1, Charleston, SC 29414;palmirabarbecue.com
Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Chuck Charnichart aims to help create a more inclusive scene for female pitmasters like herself.Credit:Robbie Caponetto
Credit:Peter Frank Edwards
