Top American City BBQ Breakdown

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Top American City BBQ Breakdown

While every American city is sure to have a barbecue pit or two preferred by the locals, only a few have gone on to define their own nationally renowned style. Contenders are plentiful, but four cities come to mind when the subject is how to heat and treat meat on the street. The following is a brief rundown of the flavors one can find there.

Austin, TX

The hub of Texas state government is also where one finds representatives of every form of Lone Star BBQ that exists. More than 60 individually owned restaurants of that sort litter the metro area, and serve up virtually every form of meat you can imagine. The signature sweet-tangy taste of Texas-style sauce is almost as varied, with Franklin BBQ generally considered Austin's best.

Saint Louis, MO

Many BBQ enthusiasts snub the Gateway to the West on their top spots lists because a) the majority of barbecue joints there grill instead of coal heat and smoke, and b) the local preference is to drown the meat in sauce. Be that as it may, Pappy's Smokehouse gets so backed up with locals and out-of-towners alike that customers can be sure to have a emergency food supply in case they run out of ribs.

Kansas City, MO

Kansas City is perhaps most celebrated for its BBQ, with Gates Bar-B-Q and Oklahoma Joe's becoming household names among enthusiasts. The city's style makes for great long-term food in the fridge, as "thick" is the defining word for Kansas City barbecue. The cuts are thick, the sauce is thick, and the wad of napkins you'll go through will also be thick.

Memphis, TN

While KC has an established BBQ history, it ultimately traces its roots back to Memphis, which has lately seen a resurgence in national attention paid to its favorite barbecue pit stops. This is in part due to the current preference for a less-is-more approach to the sauce in combination with fall-off-the-bone tenderness, which many Memphis establishments that serve barbecue are noted for following. Out of some 80 restaurants, Central BBQ and Corky's are the two head honchos, but expect to pay a little extra for the top-rated grub.

Not all American barbecue is created equal. As the aforementioned list demonstrates, each city has its own style and preferences. This list is by no means complete; it's merely a breakdown of the top four major cities noted for their particular brand of barbecue. Hopefully, it encourages you to journey to these places for the experience, or remember to pop in to a preferred establishment if you ever find yourself visiting, but above all to pay close attention to what makes the BBQ of each region of this country its own distinct creation.

An April Fool's Day Comesticonundrum: Was the foregoing penned by Comestiblog or by a "green" guest blogger?

My name is Amanda Green and I'm a guest writer. I contacted this site after visiting. I'm a big time foodie and love Comestiblog's humorous, insightful, and passionate approach to food. Keep this blog in mind for informative and timely tips on all of your personal journey to foodie enlightenment.