Jack’s BBQ
Owner Jack Timmons, a Texas native, went above and beyond to bring the Central Texas barbecue experience to Jack’s BBQ. His meats are dry-rubbed, slow-cooked, and served with sauce. The brisket is smoked over Texas-imported hardwoods for more than 14 hours. Even better, the Texas institution known as Frito Pie, which consists of a packet of Fritos topped with brisket chilli, cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos, is made using the same brisket. Its pecan pie is modelled after a champion from the Texas State Fair. Save the date for Thursday beef ribs, which are exclusively available at the SODO, South Lake Union, and Algona restaurants on Thursdays and are expected to be in high demand.
The Barbeque Pit
This barbecue institution is so prized and cherished that when Barbecue Pit lost its storefront in the Central District, a group of Seattle University students worked to revive the business in the former location of R and L Home of Good BBQ. There, the owner, “Pookie,” as he is known to his regulars, continues the legacy of serving high-quality barbecue in a location that has done so since the 1950s. Get the rib tips, which are succulent, lavishly sauced, and have a satisfying crunch around the edges. The somewhat sour, bacon-rich collard greens aren’t forgotten along with the gumbo and mac & cheese that go swiftly.
Famous Kitchen
Issaquah’s Famous Kitchen is a newcomer to the Cantonese BBQ scene. One may overlook the hanging varieties of meats inside if it weren’t for the nondescript signage and strip mall location. Char siu pig and BBQ duck from Famous Kitchen are served with a broad selection of soups, congee, rice dishes, and noodles in genuine Cantonese barbecue style. For variety, ordering one or both with fried rice with egg whites and dried scallops and braised beef brisket with radish is a wise move. Although Famous Kitchen is known for its honey-glazed barbecued pig or spareribs and salted duck, customers typically fight over the pork belly with its bone-crunchingly crispy skin.
Wood Shop BBQ
Owners Matt Davis and James Barrington brought their Texas and Central Kansas barbecue traditions to Wood Shop BBQ. Unforgettable brisket that is roasted for 12 to 14 hours and pulled pork that is seasoned with their exclusive “Sawdust Rub” and smoked over a combination of Texas hickory and post oak are the results of this partnership. These meats are available to be ordered by the pound or heaped high in a sandwich on a soft brisket bread that soaks up juice and sauce. It wouldn’t be complete without a little dish of creamy jalapeo mac and cheese and beef chilli.
Pecos Pit BBQ
From its first location on 1st Ave South in 1980, Pecos Pit expanded to become a significant franchise with shops and food trucks all throughout Seattle. You may order any of their traditional slow-cooked meats, including the shredded pork or the sliced beef brisket, as a burrito on Mondays and Tuesdays. Do as the professionals do and order the “Burrito Willie,” which consists of grilled meats wrapped in a huge flour tortilla with pinto beans, tomatillo salsa, cheese, and sour cream. Using the Pecos menu requires learning their slang. To add a hot link to anything on the menu, ask them to “Spike It.”
Carolina Smoke BBQ
David Hayward’s Charleston heritage is evident in some of Carolina Smoke’s products, but it is apparent that he is doing barbecue his own way and to his preferences. He claims that the mesquite, alder, hickory, and cherry wood pellets he uses to smoke his 12-hour brisket assist to regulate the heat and taste. The meats at Carolina are served with a variety of sauces. The XXX barbecue sauce, which utilises the trio of Scoville greats, scotch bonnets, ghost peppers, and the Carolina Reaper, is on the hot end of a range of barbecue sauces that tops out with the noteworthy sweet apple butter sauce with mustard and apple butter.
Lil Red Takeout and Catering
In his book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, renowned barbecue judge and author Adrian Miller listed Little Red’s as one of the top 20 black-owned barbecue restaurants in the US after visiting over 200 barbecue locations around the country. Owner Erasto “Red” Jackson’s love of bbq and Leleith’s Jamaican ancestry combine to create Lil Red. Red’s is known for its burned ends and pig ribs with jerk sauce, but it would be hard to suggest the restaurant without mentioning their escovitch fish, curry goat, and jerk chicken dishes as well. The only BBQ joint in town serving these island tastes is here.
Lady Jaye
The Lady Jaye in West Seattle provides chef-driven barbecue meals together with all the greatest barbecue-related amenities, including a butcher shop, an excellent whiskey bar, and a large patio with fire pits and a view of their smoker. Because of their constantly changing menu, every day is a special occasion, such as Burnt Ends and Biscuit Wednesday or Smoke Tomahawk Saturday. The Smoked Bologna sandwich and the Bulgogi short rib melt demonstrate the diverse variety of tastes and influences that may be blended into barbecue. You won’t be able to get these basics anyplace else. Since the team uses entire animals, you may stop by their butcher shop on your way out to pick up some specialty meat cuts or broth and sauces. Sara Rosales, a co-founder of Lady Jaye and a former beverage director at Radiator Whiskey and White Swan Public House, creates some delicious drinks that you shouldn’t miss.
Smokestack Lightning Bbq
Chef Darrel Sawyer runs his barbecue pop-up at multiple locations throughout the city, knowable only by following him on Instagram. The brisket sandwich at Smoke Stack Lightning BBQ is the finest way to experience all of the freshly prepared goods that Smoke Stack has to offer since everything there, from the buns to the sauces and desserts, is cooked from scratch. Darrel often works alone at Smoke Stack, painting lines down the block. Just as rapidly as his meats, desserts like his chocolate cake with peanut buttercream and toasted marshmallow are expected to sell out.
Jeff’s Texas Style BBQ
Jeff Texas Style in Marysville is only open on the weekends, from Friday through Sunday, until all of the food is gone. Sell out also always happens. Pre-ordering from Jeff’s website for pick up is the best method to get his well-liked Brisket Birria or Texas Twinkies (brisket, cheddar, and cream cheese filled jalapenos wrapped in bacon). Order the Rodeo Fries, which are brisket birria on waffle fries with queso and lime crema, if you want to eat brisket Jeff’s way. Don’t get too attached to any one thing, however; tune in every weekend to taste them all. His menu is always changing to welcome new specialities like a smoked prime rib with dipping au jus and melting Swiss cheese or a Mother’s Day smoked Tomahawk Ribeye.
Brileys BBQ & Grill
Briley’s barbecue combines a variety of regional influences, such as those from Texas, Kansas City, and the South. Due to this, the restaurant also offers sliced brisket prepared in the Central Texas manner, gumbo, hush puppies, and Brunswick Stew as sides. Regulars at Briley’s often choose the baby back ribs, which are smoked with a dry rub and coated with glaze upon request. Even though Briley’s has a nice range of sweets, the cinnamon and powdered beignets are the obvious pick. At any other ‘cue place in the city, you’d be hard-pressed to locate them.
NWTXBBQ
If you ask NWTXBBQ, they’ll tell you that South Texas style refers to the flavorful mesquite smoke and the direct flow from a Moberg smoker that produces the black dalmatian bark (the term “dalmation” refers to the salt-and-pepper rub used to season meats). Additionally, it implies that NWTXBBQ serves tamales with brisket, of course. The tamale is filled with your choice of brisket red chilli, pig, or turkey green chilli. They smoke their Milpa Masa masa to produce light crisp edges on the top. They have a finite number of tamales.
Drunky Two Shoes BBQ
It’s obvious that Drunky is humorous from the façade, which has a funny, cartoony BBQ shack. Messy sandwiches are a big part of the Drunky mood, but if you want to skip the bun, the BBQ Parfait with your choice of meat atop layers of cornbread, coleslaw, and baked beans with barbecue sauce could be the most straightforward way to have every component of the barbecue platter in one bite. Too far or brilliant? Most likely both. Ordering the smoked bone marrow with saltines, however, is an absolute need. When you need some roughage, there is something on the menu for everyone, including a wide range of salads. Adding meat to any salad is always an option, so don’t worry.
Emma’s BBQ
Tess Thomas, the proprietor of Emma’s BBQ in Hillman City, only uses traditional family recipes that have been handed down through the years. They provide a limited cuisine with a lot of heart. In addition to sweet cornbread or sliced bread, popular options like pork ribs and brisket also come with a choice of sides, with collards that have been cooked with pieces of chopped brisket ends being a must-have. A more cosy barbeque experience wouldn’t be complete without the sweet potato pie to conclude and a blackberry lemonade to wash it all down.
Wake N Bacon BBQ
Wake N Bacon’s food lives true to its moniker. For its Munchies menu, where you may have their meats and barbecue sauce over a baked potato or fries, large stomachs are necessary. The Dogg Father, a quarter-pound beef frank stuffed with bacon, smoked pulled pork, Carolina Gold barbecue sauce, and slaw, is one such barbecue hot dog version that Wake N Bacon offers. Using white bread, bread and butter pickles, pickled red onion, and a side of Reuben’s red barbecue sauce, its pulled pork is a more classic choice. It is created with a well-seasoned pork butt that is smoked overnight.
Kau Barbeque Market
Many generations of Seattle residents remember fondly going to Kau Kau to get a box of char sui and fried rice. It’s difficult to miss its dangling pork ribs, roasted duck, and char sui as you pass by its venerable King Street site in the International District. The entire roasted pig is the star dish at Kau Kau; it’s fantastic for big parties and get-togethers and is perfectly justifiable for one since there are many leftovers to last for weeks. Along with its grilled duck, Kau Kau is widely renowned for its plum sauce, which goes well with the duck’s salty, crisp skin.
