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A rack of barbecue ribs on a wooden slab.
Ribs from Smoke in the Pit.
Smoke in the Pit

Where to Get Great Barbecue in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Nashville hot smoked drummies, saucy half-racks, and tender oak-smoked burnt ends

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Ribs from Smoke in the Pit.
| Smoke in the Pit

From Texas-style hot links to pepper-crusted half racks, juicy brisket to cherry-smoked rib tips straight out of a classic pit, Minneapolis and St. Paul have more than a few smoky, succulent barbecue menus to offer. Here’s a trail of places serving great barbecue around the Twin Cities.

Note that these restaurants are listed geographically.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Ted Cook's 19th Hole Barbeque

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Founded in 1968 by Ted Cook himself, Ted Cook’s 19th Hole Barbeque (now under new ownership) wafts fragrant smoke over the Standish neighborhood from its spot near Hiawatha Avenue. This barbecue is smoked with hickory and cherry wood: Get a full slab of the baby back pork ribs or the beef hot links, and add a slice of sweet potato pie.

The exterior of a restaurant with large windows and a red sign that says “Keep Calm and Carry Out.’
Ted Cook’s on 38th Street.
Ted Cook’s

Smoke In The Pit

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It's hard to know what to tear into first: Smoke In the Pit’s well-seasoned rib tip buckets, smoked turkey legs, or tender beef brisket sandwich. (If the catfish tempts, it’s also a great bet.) Just plan for dashboard dining or carry these over to nearby Powderhorn Park for a picnic, as this circa 1998 spot is takeout only.

Smoked ribs on a wooden slab.
Smoke in the Pit is near Powderhorn Park.
Smoke In The Pit

Revival Smoked Meats

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First a popular stand in Keg & Case Market in St. Paul, Revival Smoked Meats opened in the former Corner Table space on Nicollet Avenue last spring. The Carolina-style menu features classics like brisket and pork shoulder, plus entire char-grilled chickens, chicken braunschweiger, and cumin-crusted pork belly.

A person wearing an apron holding a tray of various smoked meats.
A Revival spread.
Eliesa Johnson

C&G's Smoking Barbecue

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C&G's smokes a mean rib, but it's the brisket sandwich that calls the regulars back time and again. Be sure to also grab an order of the Hot Water Bread, made from a secret family recipe. The cornmeal comes boiled, fried, and served as a hot, crispy patty.

Scott Ja-Mama's

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A small, circa 1991 restaurant on Diamond Lake road stuffed with memorabilia and vintage decor, Scott Ja-Mama’s is a classic Twin Cities barbecue spot. Make a meal of a full rack with a twice-baked potato and slaw, or try the skyscraper of a pulled pork sandwich.

Soul To Soul Smokehouse

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Brothers Jewuan Marshall and Charles Robinson draw on homestyle family traditions at Midtown Global Market on Lake Street. All the classics, from pork rib tips to brisket, are great bets — but don’t overlook the soul food sides (smoked mac and cheese, black-eyed peas, char-grilled corn, etc.)

A man in an orange shirt, baseball cap and apron reaching tongs into a flaming pan.
Soul To Soul at Midtown Global Market.
Soul to Soul Smokehouse

StormKing Brewpub + Barbecue

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StormKing Brew Pub serves noteworthy Texas-style barbecue in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood. The pulled squash sandwich is a great vegetarian option — carnivores should spring for “The Perfect Storm,” a combo plate of brisket, pulled pork, quarter chicken, a half rack of ribs, and sides.

Animales Barbecue

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Chef John Wipfli’s Animales serves exceptional barbecue out of a food truck at Bauhaus Brew Labs in Northeast Minneapolis. These ribs don’t come slathered sauce — they’re dry-rubbed, a bark of crushed peppercorns and salt stealing nothing from the meat’s oak-smoked flavor. The menu changes often, rotating in dishes like pork shoulder congee bowls, beef cheek banh mi, and hot beef sandwiches to the mix. Get there early, as Animales often sells out.

A white container with barbecue ribs, links, and vegetables in it, and small container of yellow sauce.
Animales at Bauhaus.
Justine Jones

Boomin Barbecue

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After gaining a devoted Minneapolis following, Boomin Barbecue relocated to Hudson following a smoker-related conflict with the city. It’s worth the eastward drive to this sweet 80’s neon-adorned mobile kitchen, which churns out brisket every weekend — but that’s not the only reason to visit. There are all kinds of good things coming off the griddle, too, like tantalizing pork cheek sandwiches.

Market Bar-B-Que And Food Trucks

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This 76-year-old institution is still serving brisket sandwiches with caramelized onions and full slabs of barbecue pork ribs, all served with fries, slaw, and buttered toast. Although Market Bar-B-Que’s moved to a new space in Northeast in 2018, many interior details from the old location have stuck around, giving this place a classic charm.

Q Fanatic BBQ & Grill

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Though the Minneapolis location has closed, Q-Fanatic in Champlin still serves some of the best sauce in the metro. Order meats a la carte (think sliced brisket, grilled slab bacon, and back ribs) and choose between honey, espresso, pepper vodka, vinegar, and mustard barbecue sauces.

Jellybean and Julia's

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Jellybean and Julia’s is an exceptional mom and pop out in Anoka. Make the trek northward for the black and blue sandwich, made with blackened Cajun-spiced brisket, smoked blue cheese, and raspberry mustard. Choose from a whole Texas-style barbecue menu of hot links, smoked and fried jumbo wings, and dry-rubbed spare ribs.

Tai Hoa B.B.Q.

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Tai Hoa is a small, cash-only spot on University Avenue serving some of St. Paul’s best barbecue. Order the whole roast duck or the roast pork, which has remarkably crispy skin. Tai Hoa sells out fast, so show up early to get a cut.

Handsome Hog

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The Handsome Hog, an elegant spot in St. Paul, offers some of the Twin Cities’ best Southern fare: Try the dry-rub spare ribs with Texas toast and sweet corn, or the Carolina barbecue sandwich, made with roasted pork shoulder. If you can’t choose just one meat, try the Combo #5: fried chicken and quarter smoked chicken, brisket, spare ribs, smoked pulled pork, and sides.

Black Market StP

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Black Market StP smokes its meat with locally-harvested black cherry wood — the dry-rubbed barbecue comes straight out of the pit, no sauce necessary. Plan ahead and and reserve your order: This truck parks just once weekly on Isabel Street in Saint Paul, on Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

A stack of cut smoked meat on a wooden slab.
Cherry-smoked meat from Black Market StP.
Black Market StP

Smok’n Outdoors

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Smok’N Outdoors made the food truck-to-restaurant transformation in 2021. This family-owned spot smokes its brisket, ribs, and other cuts with local oak to evoke the flavors of the outdoors. Keep an eye out for updates on Smok’N Outdoors’ Facebook page — the restaurant posts when it has burnt ends available.

FireBox

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Family-owned Firebox Deli’s North Minneapolis location has closed, but the St. Paul one is still kicking. Pair beef brisket, rib tips, wings or other cuts with sides like mac and cheese, potato salad, and slaw — or order by the pound or rack to feed a bigger crowd.

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Ted Cook's 19th Hole Barbeque

Founded in 1968 by Ted Cook himself, Ted Cook’s 19th Hole Barbeque (now under new ownership) wafts fragrant smoke over the Standish neighborhood from its spot near Hiawatha Avenue. This barbecue is smoked with hickory and cherry wood: Get a full slab of the baby back pork ribs or the beef hot links, and add a slice of sweet potato pie.

The exterior of a restaurant with large windows and a red sign that says “Keep Calm and Carry Out.’
Ted Cook’s on 38th Street.
Ted Cook’s

Smoke In The Pit

It's hard to know what to tear into first: Smoke In the Pit’s well-seasoned rib tip buckets, smoked turkey legs, or tender beef brisket sandwich. (If the catfish tempts, it’s also a great bet.) Just plan for dashboard dining or carry these over to nearby Powderhorn Park for a picnic, as this circa 1998 spot is takeout only.

Smoked ribs on a wooden slab.
Smoke in the Pit is near Powderhorn Park.
Smoke In The Pit

Revival Smoked Meats

First a popular stand in Keg & Case Market in St. Paul, Revival Smoked Meats opened in the former Corner Table space on Nicollet Avenue last spring. The Carolina-style menu features classics like brisket and pork shoulder, plus entire char-grilled chickens, chicken braunschweiger, and cumin-crusted pork belly.

A person wearing an apron holding a tray of various smoked meats.
A Revival spread.
Eliesa Johnson

C&G's Smoking Barbecue

C&G's smokes a mean rib, but it's the brisket sandwich that calls the regulars back time and again. Be sure to also grab an order of the Hot Water Bread, made from a secret family recipe. The cornmeal comes boiled, fried, and served as a hot, crispy patty.

Scott Ja-Mama's

A small, circa 1991 restaurant on Diamond Lake road stuffed with memorabilia and vintage decor, Scott Ja-Mama’s is a classic Twin Cities barbecue spot. Make a meal of a full rack with a twice-baked potato and slaw, or try the skyscraper of a pulled pork sandwich.

Soul To Soul Smokehouse

Brothers Jewuan Marshall and Charles Robinson draw on homestyle family traditions at Midtown Global Market on Lake Street. All the classics, from pork rib tips to brisket, are great bets — but don’t overlook the soul food sides (smoked mac and cheese, black-eyed peas, char-grilled corn, etc.)

A man in an orange shirt, baseball cap and apron reaching tongs into a flaming pan.
Soul To Soul at Midtown Global Market.
Soul to Soul Smokehouse

StormKing Brewpub + Barbecue

StormKing Brew Pub serves noteworthy Texas-style barbecue in Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood. The pulled squash sandwich is a great vegetarian option — carnivores should spring for “The Perfect Storm,” a combo plate of brisket, pulled pork, quarter chicken, a half rack of ribs, and sides.

Animales Barbecue

Chef John Wipfli’s Animales serves exceptional barbecue out of a food truck at Bauhaus Brew Labs in Northeast Minneapolis. These ribs don’t come slathered sauce — they’re dry-rubbed, a bark of crushed peppercorns and salt stealing nothing from the meat’s oak-smoked flavor. The menu changes often, rotating in dishes like pork shoulder congee bowls, beef cheek banh mi, and hot beef sandwiches to the mix. Get there early, as Animales often sells out.

A white container with barbecue ribs, links, and vegetables in it, and small container of yellow sauce.
Animales at Bauhaus.
Justine Jones

Boomin Barbecue

After gaining a devoted Minneapolis following, Boomin Barbecue relocated to Hudson following a smoker-related conflict with the city. It’s worth the eastward drive to this sweet 80’s neon-adorned mobile kitchen, which churns out brisket every weekend — but that’s not the only reason to visit. There are all kinds of good things coming off the griddle, too, like tantalizing pork cheek sandwiches.

Market Bar-B-Que And Food Trucks

This 76-year-old institution is still serving brisket sandwiches with caramelized onions and full slabs of barbecue pork ribs, all served with fries, slaw, and buttered toast. Although Market Bar-B-Que’s moved to a new space in Northeast in 2018, many interior details from the old location have stuck around, giving this place a classic charm.

Q Fanatic BBQ & Grill

Though the Minneapolis location has closed, Q-Fanatic in Champlin still serves some of the best sauce in the metro. Order meats a la carte (think sliced brisket, grilled slab bacon, and back ribs) and choose between honey, espresso, pepper vodka, vinegar, and mustard barbecue sauces.

Jellybean and Julia's

Jellybean and Julia’s is an exceptional mom and pop out in Anoka. Make the trek northward for the black and blue sandwich, made with blackened Cajun-spiced brisket, smoked blue cheese, and raspberry mustard. Choose from a whole Texas-style barbecue menu of hot links, smoked and fried jumbo wings, and dry-rubbed spare ribs.

Tai Hoa B.B.Q.

Tai Hoa is a small, cash-only spot on University Avenue serving some of St. Paul’s best barbecue. Order the whole roast duck or the roast pork, which has remarkably crispy skin. Tai Hoa sells out fast, so show up early to get a cut.

Handsome Hog

The Handsome Hog, an elegant spot in St. Paul, offers some of the Twin Cities’ best Southern fare: Try the dry-rub spare ribs with Texas toast and sweet corn, or the Carolina barbecue sandwich, made with roasted pork shoulder. If you can’t choose just one meat, try the Combo #5: fried chicken and quarter smoked chicken, brisket, spare ribs, smoked pulled pork, and sides.

Black Market StP

Black Market StP smokes its meat with locally-harvested black cherry wood — the dry-rubbed barbecue comes straight out of the pit, no sauce necessary. Plan ahead and and reserve your order: This truck parks just once weekly on Isabel Street in Saint Paul, on Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

A stack of cut smoked meat on a wooden slab.
Cherry-smoked meat from Black Market StP.
Black Market StP

Related Maps

Smok’n Outdoors

Smok’N Outdoors made the food truck-to-restaurant transformation in 2021. This family-owned spot smokes its brisket, ribs, and other cuts with local oak to evoke the flavors of the outdoors. Keep an eye out for updates on Smok’N Outdoors’ Facebook page — the restaurant posts when it has burnt ends available.

FireBox

Family-owned Firebox Deli’s North Minneapolis location has closed, but the St. Paul one is still kicking. Pair beef brisket, rib tips, wings or other cuts with sides like mac and cheese, potato salad, and slaw — or order by the pound or rack to feed a bigger crowd.

Related Maps