A barbecue plate includes brisket, jalapeño cornbread and smoked free-range chicken at Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano on Friday, April 30, 2021. (Getty Images)
Kansas City, Texas and the Carolinas are the first places that come to mind for many people when they hear the word “barbecue” in America.
But a new study released just in time for Fourth of July barbecue season suggests Los Angeles is also a strong contender.
The article, published on Lawnstarter.com – a website that, as the name suggests, provides resources and information on lawn care and lawn mowing services – ranked Los Angeles as the fifth best city in the US for barbecues.
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On the 2024 list of best barbecue cities, as expected, Kansas City, Missouri, came in at number one, followed by Memphis, Tennessee, Houston, Texas, and another Kansas City (the one on the Kansas mainland).
Rounding out our top five is the City of Angels.
I’m skeptical of this ranking, but the website claims there’s a well-thought-out methodology behind it.
Los Angeles ranked highly across several criteria used to rank the list, which consists of the nation’s 500 most populous cities, beating out other famous barbecue destinations.
Data points considered in developing the rankings include the number of barbecue operators and smokehouses, including the number of establishments rated 4.5 or higher, and overall consumer ratings of local barbecue services.
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Los Angeles ranked fifth overall with an overall score of 36.2, primarily due to the number of vendors and smokehouses, especially those with favorable reviews. Los Angeles also ranks higher as the city with the most members of the National Barbecue & Grill Association.
Other California cities on the list include San Diego (29th), San Francisco (74th), Corona (76th), Elk Grove (81st) and Sacramento (89th).
For the full 500-city dataset, additional information on the methodology used, and a Q&A with a barbecue expert, click here