Top Barbecue Styles in the United States
Texas BBQ: Where Brisket Reigns Supreme
Texas is known for its big, bold flavors and unwavering devotion to beef, especially brisket. But even within Texas, there are regional varieties of barbecue, too.
Central Texas-style barbecue, popularized in places like Austin and Lockhart, focuses on slow-cooked, dry-rubbed meats, with a simple salt and pepper seasoning that allows the quality of the meat to shine.
East Texas BBQ offers saucy and tender meats, often pork ribs and pork shoulder, slow-cooked with a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce.
South Texas BBQ incorporates Mexican influences, utilizing barbacoa-style cooking and serving meats in tacos or standalone dishes with salsas and Mexican sides. West Texas BBQ, or “cowboy style” BBQ, involves cooking large cuts of beef over direct heat, often on open pits, with basting marinades.
Texas BBQ offers mouthwatering sausages, juicy pork ribs and even smoked turkey and chicken, typically served with little or no sauce (relying on the incredible flavor of the meat itself). Don’t miss out on sides like tangy coleslaw, buttery cornbread and savory pinto beans to complete your Texas BBQ experience.
Kansas City BBQ: A Melting Pot of Flavors
Kansas City is a true haven for barbecue lovers, as it combines elements from various regions—resulting in a unique and diverse barbecue culture.
Kansas City-style barbecue is all about the sauce: a rich, sweet, thick, tomato-based concoction that perfectly complements smoked meats.
Kansas City is also famous for its burnt ends, which are crispy, flavorful chunks of meat cut from the point end of a smoked beef brisket. You’ll also find succulent pork ribs, tender pulled pork and smoked sausages on the menu.
St. Louis BBQ: Ribs with a Tangy Twist
St. Louis BBQ has its own distinct style, characterized by its love for pork ribs and a tangy, slightly sweet sauce.
St. Louis-style ribs are known for being meaty, tender and typically cooked with a dry rub before being slathered in sauce. The sauce in St. Louis is thinner than the thick, tomato-based Kansas City sauce, and it carries a tangy and vinegary kick. The rub usually includes paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and various other spices, giving the ribs a flavorful crust.
Alongside ribs, St. Louis BBQ joints also serve other slow-cooked favorites like pulled pork, smoked chicken and beef brisket. Sides such as baked beans, mac and cheese and potato salad are popular accompaniments that round out the meal.
I don’t understand the statement about KC ribs being slathered in sweet sauce. our ribs come out dried with some rub and they don’t come out of the oven all slathered with barbecue sauce. They are kept in bottles of different types just like everywhere else. Kansas City also has ribs that are pork ribs and they also have baby back ribs, and beans and macaroni and cheese just like all the others. All ribs that fall off the bone are good. I like all of our rib places, and we have many many barbecue joints all around town.