These 4 barbecue joints across NC rank among the nation’s best
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North Carolina takes its barbecue seriously, and our taste buds are forever grateful.
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Now, four barbecue joints in the state rank among the nation’s best places to savor smoked meats. Here’s where the restaurants landed on the top 100 list from the review website Yelp:
Yelp published the list in mid-May after it studied barbecue joints across the country. It then “ranked those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews” left over time from Elite users, those who are active on the platform.
Here’s what we know about the most-loved barbecue joints in North Carolina.
Though our state has longstanding barbecue traditions, all of its top-ranked restaurants have ties to Texas.
Of the North Carolina barbecue joints that earned spots on the list, The Smoke Pit ranked the highest at No. 16. The restaurant has six Charlotte-area locations, but the one in Concord received the honor as several Yelp users said it was worth the visit.
“Guests pile their plates high with tender brisket, pulled pork, and fall-off-the-bone ribs, each smoked low and slow for that signature flavor,” the review website wrote in its report, which also praised the restaurant’s “lively, casual” atmosphere.
Landing at No. 50 on the list was Jon G’s Barbecue in Peachland, a roughly 40-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte. The restaurant, which also serves Texas-style favorites such as sausages and beef ribs, received nods from Yelp for its “creative sides like jalapeño cheese grits, street corn salad, and brisket fried rice, making every plate a nod to tradition with a playful twist.”
But plan ahead if you want to visit. Jon G’s Barbecue is only open on Saturdays and always sells out, its website says.
Rounding out the list of North Carolina fan favorites were Prime Barbecue in the Raleigh suburb of Knightdale and Haywood Smokehouse in the Western North Carolina town of Dillsboro. Pulled pork and burnt ends were listed among the most popular dishes on both of the restaurants’ Yelp pages.
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The results are sure to re-stoke the longstanding barbecue debate in North Carolina, where pit masters are known for making two different styles of smoked meat.
For years, Southern Living magazine readers have voted Lexington Barbecue No. 1 in North Carolina. The restaurant is in Lexington, a city known for the “Piedmont” or “Western” style of barbecue, which uses meat from the pork shoulder and sauce with ketchup.
Meanwhile, Eastern-style barbecue uses the “whole hog” and skips tomatoes in its sauce, The News & Observer previously reported.
On the latest Yelp list, it might not come as a surprise that some of the other top-ranked restaurants are in the U.S. barbecue hubs of Kansas City and Texas.
But the nation’s No. 1 barbecue joint is in a more unexpected location. Little Miss BBQ-University in Phoenix was crowned the winner, results show.
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This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 3:12 PM with the headline “These 4 barbecue joints across NC rank among the nation’s best.”
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