Best Barbecue

Originally based in Savannah, B’S CRACKLIN’ BBQ pitmaster Bryan Furman came to the A and sweet-talked us with his no-frills culinary ode to Georgia: mustard-based and vinegar barbecue sauces made with peaches. Then we tasted the heritage breed whole hogs he smokes over oak and cherry wood. Further swooning. His dry-rubbed brisket has that red badge-of-honor smoke ring interior and dark, flavorful bark, and he leaves it to guests to sauce the expertly smoked chicken, slabs of ribs and chopped pork. Even more poetic is his hash over rice: no-waste meat gravy made from uber-fatty hog’s heads sent through a sausage grinder with smoked shoulder and burnt ends. Made-from-scratch sides are just as soulful, and hoecake-style cornbread sops up any leftover bits. Just make sure to save room for the banana pudding. 2061 Main St. N.W. 678-949-9912. www.bscracklinbbq.com. less...

FOX BROS. BAR-B-Q’s hickory-smoked meats are cooked low-and-slow and enlivened with Southern spices. Brisket is moist on the inside and black-barked on the outside. There are crispy, deeply smoky wings, Flintstones-size beef ribs, and tender pulled pork on brioche buns. Douse it all in the brothers’ rich sauce that’s sweet and tangy and tinged with heat. The Frito pie with brisket chili alone is worth the wait in the long line that can amass at the restaurant. If it’s a day when burnt ends are available, you’ll feel like a true winner to have scored a table. less...

A lot of people say Atlanta doesn't have a distinct style of barbecue, but they are wrong. Our town excels at creative takes on classics. No barbecue spot exemplifies this more than Heirloom Market BBQ. Chefs Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee took a small spot located next to a gas station and transformed it into a barbecue destination. Lee's Korean influences find their way into condiments such as the sweet and spicy Korean-style sauce and sides such as kimchi. And the meats, oh the meats - the super tender and smoky brisket, the fall-apart pork ribs, and moist pulled pork. The tiny restaurant has become so busy, it's now standing-room only on the patio. The owners are looking for another location with space for all of their devotees. less...

Leave it to barbecue veteran David Roberts, a co-founder of Marietta's Sam & Dave's, to open a restaurant that can take away the guilt of indulging in what's normally, well, an indulgence. At Community Q, Roberts and his partners make their barbecue with local ingredients whose just-picked freshness somehow eliminates the gut bomb after-effects most 'cue can have on a person. Smoky and moist pulled pork, tender brisket with that perfect pink halo, and ethereal smoked chicken take center stage, although the sides are not background dancers. Don't miss the gooey, signature mac and cheese made with shells, or the hand-cut fries tossed with an addictively sweet and salty seasoning, or anything from the specials menu made with local vegetables. 1361 Clairmont Road, Decatur. 404-633-2080. communityqbbq.com. less...

We’ve always liked ROLLING BONES, but since chef Todd Richards took over, our affections have grown. Richards has updated the ’cue – the sandwiches are less sloppy, the meat has more of the limelight – and is serving some seriously cool new items, including duck barbecue and smoked trout. Sides have also been given special consideration – the creamy potato salad with Benton’s bacon has just the right mix of creaminess, smoke from the bacon and celery crunch, with none of the sugary undertones of lesser potato salads. Don’t miss the duck sandwich with fig preserves. 377 Edgewood Ave. 404-222-2324.www.rollingbonesbbq.com. less...

Not only does DADDY D’Z have the best barbecue in town, it also has one of the most pleasingly grungy atmospheres, lovably attitudinal waitresses and delicious sides to boot. For a Sunday afternoon hangover meal, what can beat the pork plate with mac-n-cheese and collard greens? The sauce has good spice and a hefty dose of vinegar, and isn’t too sweet. Ribs are a messy wonder. Who’s your daddy? less...