5 Barbecue Restaurants Defining the Future of an All-American Tradition

Across the nation, barbecue is evolving as chefs bring their culinary traditions to the pit.

A tray of barbecue at Fikscue in California, where Texas Barbecue and Indonesian cuisine combine.
Credit: Clay Williams

Smoke plus meat plus time equals magic. I discovered this later in life than many. I didn’t grow up with barbecue. Not “real” barbecue, anyway. I’m from Brooklyn, and while we may have some of the best food in the world, barbecue wasn’t well represented when I was growing up. I was in my 20s when I finally encountered it at the Big Apple Barbecue festival, where competition-level pitmasters paraded through the streets of Manhattan and pulled up smokers along Madison Square Park. It was eye-opening, lip-smacking — and also unexpectedly strict and limiting.

Related: The Most Exciting Dishes at American Barbecue Restaurants May Not Be the Meat

 The elaborate pits were feats of engineering, producing smoked meats that followed specific regional definitions. There were judges who understood all the rules of the different styles and pronounced from on high which was “best.” I was happy just to be there experiencing it all, but I walked away with the impression that American barbecue was static, a fixed collection of styles that had a right way and a wrong way of being prepared. 

In recent years, a new wave of restaurants around the country has proved that impression deeply — and happily — wrong. From coast to coast, chefs and pitmasters of all backgrounds are blending the flavors of their families’ cuisines with those of the barbecue that grew here in the United States, using the rules of American barbecue as a starting point rather than an end goal. 

This flowering of innovative barbecue styles and culture-crossing flavor profiles isn’t really a new phenomenon — it’s actually what barbecue has always been about.

Related: Caribbean Barbecue Is Forged in Fire, Spice, Fruit, Acid, and Heat

In his book Black Smoke, historian Adrian Miller tells us that the cuisine originated from the cooking techniques of Indigenous people in the Caribbean meeting European ingredients brought by colonists; that melding of worlds was then developed and refined by Black hands, who built the tradition we know and love today. Since then, it has been regionally adapted to local tastes and foodways through the South, Midwest, and Texas, growing with the nation and continuing to reflect those who dedicate themselves to the craft. 

Barbecue has always represented a collaboration of cultures. It’s a living tradition, in constant evolution, shaped by the stories and knowledge of the thousands of cooks tending its fires every day.

Smoke ’n Ash BBQ, Arlington, Texas

At Smoke ’N Ash BBQ in Arlington, just outside of Dallas, Fasicka Hicks blends Ethiopian flavors like berbere spice and awaze with the Southern barbecue her husband, Patrick, grew up on.

What to order

• The Tex-Ethiopian Platter: Smoked doro wat (chicken stew), awaze brisket, awaze pork ribs, pork rib tips, Texas toast, injera or rice pilaf, and two sides—misir wat (red lentil stew), berbere mac and cheese, or beefy collard greens.

"“Bringing Ethiopian spices with this Texan style of cooking brings meaning to our marriage, too. It feels like a good example of our relationship.”"

Fasicka Hicks, co-owner

Khói Barbecue, Houston

In Texas, where Czech and German immigrants long ago left their mark on what we consider barbecue, Don Nguyen and his brother Theo bring fish sauce and lemongrass to the table at Khói Barbecue in Houston. 

What to order

• The Viet-Tex Trinity: Phú Quốc pepper brisket, Saigon spares, and bò lá lốt sausages

"“This food represents our experience as Vietnamese refugees and links us back through history to the Czechs and Germans, enslaved Black people, the Taínos — it’s a chance for us to make an imprint. It connects us to the people who came before us. Through barbecue, I feel a connection to the culture in a way that’s truly American.”"

Don Nguyen, co-owner

Fikscue Craft BBQ, Alameda, California

Co-owners Reka (left) and Fik Saleh at Fikscue Credit: Clay Williams	Fikscue's dino beef ribs, brisket, beef cheeks, ayam bakar, jalapeño cheese sausage, and sides Credit: Clay Williams

In Alameda, California, it’s worth standing in line to try Fikscue Craft BBQ, where married couple Fik and Reka Saleh draw on Indonesian traditions: Smoked brisket is used in the beef rendang, and the slaw is dressed with a sweet and tangy peanut sauce. Last year, they opened a second location in San Francisco in the Chase Center, bringing both Austin and Jakarta to fans on game days.

What to order

• Smoked Brisket: A defining ingredient in dishes like the Rendang Plate, where it’s served in spiced coconut milk 
• Rujak Slaw: Shredded cabbage, cucumber, and pineapple in tangy peanut sauce
• Macaroni Goreng: Pasta mixed with ground beef, peppers, eggs, green onions, fried shallots, and cheese 

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“I’ve always loved doing barbecue — I don’t know what it is about dealing with the fire, adjusting along the way. I love to see the faces of people after they’ve had the barbecue and are like, ‘Oh, man, that’s good!’”

Fik Saleh, Co-owner

Bark Barbecue, Brooklyn

In Brooklyn, Ruben Santana runs Dominican-Texas-style Bark Barbecue, where he and his team grind, cure, and smoke longaniza sausage; deep-fry smoked pork belly for chicharrones; and layer sweet plantain, pulled pork, and Dominican fried cheese on a potato roll for their Tres Golpes sandwich. 

What to order

• Dominican-Style Carnitas: Smoked and confited brisket trimmings with green sauce on a tostone
• Chicharron: Skin-on smoked pork belly, fried to order
• Longaniza Sausage: Seasoned longaniza with sofrito, sour orange, oregano, and garlic

"“In the D.R., we’re no strangers to live-fire cooking. The American barbecue tradition goes hand in hand with our flavors.”"

Ruben Santana, owner

King BBQ, Charleston

At King BBQ in Charleston, ribs are smoked then finished with the red lacquer of the Cantonese barbecue that chef Shuai Wang grew up with in Queens. Served with Szechuan peppercorn–spiced collards and a bowl of dan dan noodles, the meal is one part Southern comfort and one part globe-trotting adventure.

What to order

• Shrimp Toast Sliders: Fried shrimp cakes with American cheese and dilly pickles on a King’s Hawaiian roll
• Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs: Sticky pork ribs with Chinese five-spice and char siu glaze
• Szechuan Collards: Collard greens with soy, ginger, scallion, chile crisp, and chopped pork

"“Carolina barbecue has a lot of Gullah Geechee history behind it, so we wanted to do it justice.”"

Shuai Wang, co-owner

Palmira Barbecue, Charleston

In Charleston’s West Ashley neighborhood, barbecue is mixed with Puerto Rican influence at Palmira Barbecue. Slathered in sofrito and finished with a hefty dash of pique, a spicy vinegar sauce, owner Hector Gárate’s tangy shreds of pork call to the Caribbean in the universal language of meat, smoke, and sauce. 

What to order

• Smoked Beef Cheeks: Smoked then confited in beef tallow — a signature dish
• Hash and Rice: Shredded smoked hog head served over rice
• Pernil: Slow-roasted pulled Duroc pork
• Arroz con Gandules: Medium-grain rice cooked with beer and pigeon peas

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“We’re keeping the traditions alive and innovating the craft.”

Hector Gárate, owner

* This article was originally published here