The BBQ king has been crowned by Lawnstarter.com, who surveyed 199 of the biggest U.S. cities across the country to find where the very best barbecue is.
“What are the key ingredients of the best BBQ city? Award-winning barbecue restaurants and chefs, experience hosting a ‘master-level’ competition, multiple barbecue festivals, and high fan ratings, among others,” the website said in their rankings.
The number one city was determined to be Kansas City with iconic BBQ names including Gates, Jack Stack, Joe’s Kc, and Arthur Bryant.
The site determined that BBQ is not easy to get to in the city, however, the quality of what is served far outweighs the number of places to get it.
Kansas City has a rich history for BBQ; claiming their top spot on this list should come as no surprise. Barbecue can be traced back to Henry Perry, who in the early 1920s started barbecuing in an outdoor pit adjacent to his streetcar barn. Perry was known for serving his food in newspapers.
Chicago came in second because of their shared spot at second in the events category of the rankings. BBQ road trips are a real thing, and Chicago may be one of the best places to stop.
Houston rounded out the third spot in the top three claiming its ranking because of its rich history with the cuisine.
Other cities that made the top ten included Cincinnati, Memphis, Louisville, St. Louis, New York, Minneapolis, and Overland Park in that order.
For the complete list of rankings, which includes looking at the festivals cities hold, quality of BBQ, and the amount of BBQ that is available, visit their website here.