14 Best Barbecue Restaurant Chicken In The US

When it comes to barbecue, the menu staples tend to be pulled pork, brisket, and ribs. But chicken has been proving lately that it can hang with the best. In fact, many pitmasters will tell you it's one of the trickier meats to actually get right. It's not like chicken has that generous fat marbling of brisket or the forgiving nature of pork shoulder, so there's not a lot of room for error. Leave it on the smoker too long, and you've got dry, stringy meat. Pull it too early, and you can forget about any smoky flavor.

A few restaurants, however, have managed to crack the chicken code. Some rely on legendary white sauces, others swear by vinegar marinades, smoked-water brines, or butter baths. Some serve humble chicken wings, while others have built cult followings around Cornish hens, chicken salad, or half-birds. However, they all manage to pull it off. These barbecue joints show that chicken deserves far more respect than being treated as the second option only when the brisket has been 86'd.

If barbecue chicken had a Mount Rushmore, Big Bob Gibson would definitely be on it. Long before Alabama white barbecue sauce became a sensation among joints across the country, Bob Gibson was dunking whole smoked chickens into the tangy mayonnaise-based sauce to make sure the meat stayed nice and juicy. More than a century later, it's still the restaurant's signature move, and patrons would tell you straight, "It's kind of a southern sin not to get chicken if you go there."

At Big Bob's, each seasoned bird spends about three and a half hours on the pit. But what comes next is the real magic. There's no light brushing of sauce here. No, Big Bob's carries on its legacy by giving each piece of chicken a full-body plunge into a vat of white sauce. But if that's still not enough for your liking, don't worry — the chicken is served with even more white sauce on the side.

The result is a smoky meat with crisp skin that's somehow still incredibly moist, thanks to the sauce that helped define an entire style of Alabama barbecue. It's no shocker that Big Bob Gibson made it into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame and lives on as one of the country's biggest pilgrimage sites for barbecue chicken lovers.

bigbobgibson.com

Multiple locations in Alabama

Since opening on Georgia's St. Simons Island, this former gas station-turned-restaurant has made quite a name for itself when it comes to smoked meats. But one of its most devoted fan favorites isn't the ribs or pulled pork — it's the smoked chicken in all sorts of delicious forms, including chicken salad.

The chicken is first smoked with local oak before being chopped and folded into a simple yet standout chicken salad. With this process, the smoke steals the show rather than getting buried under too much seasoning or an overwhelming amount of mayo. Of course, we know that chicken salad isn't exactly everyone's go-to barbecue order, but customers seemed to consistently rave about this hefty scoop of smoky goodness. Seems like the only downside is that it sets the bar impossibly high for all future chicken salad orders elsewhere.

But if you want to go a more traditional barbecue route, chicken wings and breasts are also on the menu. One food reviewer, who got a backstage tour of the whole smoking process, posted video proof of just how juicy the chicken wings are. Another barbecue enthusiast, during a smokehouse road trip around Georgia, praised both the dark and white meat for being succulent and smoky. In his words, "Chicken breasts that good are as rare as ... I'm not going to say hens' teeth. Really rare."

southernsoulbbq.com

(912) 638-7685

2020 Demere Rd, St Simons Island, GA 31522

Peg Leg Porker might be best known for its dry-rub ribs, but skipping the restaurant's "yardbird" would be a major fumble. In fact, the joint's smoked half-chickens are one reason it's been considered one of the best barbecue restaurants in the South.

The birds here are completely dusted in a Memphis-style dry rub before hitting the hickory smoker. Staying true to Memphis barbecue tradition, the real money maker when it comes to flavor is the seasoning and smoke rather than the sauce. While you can dip your chicken in the house-made barbecue sauce, reviewers swore that the meat was so flavorful and juicy that it wasn't really necessary. And don't even get us started on how insanely moist the meat is. Across the board, social media clips showed yardbirds literally dripping with juice. As one customer on Instagram described, "It's like a waterfall of chicken juice flowing in your mouth!" Based on the videos, that's really not much of an exaggeration.

peglegporker.com

(615) 829-6023

903 Gleaves St, Nashville, TN 3720

While fried chicken might seem like a rogue addition to a barbecue roundup, just hear us out — Slow Bone BBQ's pitmaster, Jeffery Hobbs, gives these birds a barbecue twist before they ever even hit the fryer. He does so in true Texas barbecue style by smoking water in the joint's J&R Oyler smoker — affectionately named Miss Jessie — for four hours before tossing in the spices, salt, and sugar. The chicken is then soaked in this smoked-water brine overnight before being dredged and deep fried into a crispy, golden crust wrapped around tender meat that's perfectly smoked from the inside out.

While the fried chicken at Slow Bone is a must-try, Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn also praised the smoked poultry, claiming, "It's so juicy you'll think it's injected." Considering Vaughn has eaten his way through some of Texas' best barbecue, that's some seriously high praise.

slowbone.com

(214) 377-7727

2234 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207

Alabama barbecue joints aren't exactly struggling with a white sauce drought, but Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q has earned a reputation as one of the top spots in Birmingham for white-sauced barbecued chicken. Family-run since 1984, Miss Myra's uses hickory to smoke the meats in a custom-built brick pit. What comes out is juicy meat with crisp skin, ready to be dipped in white sauce that adds just the right amount of tang without watering down the smoke.

But don't just take our word for it. Chef, writer, and four-time James Beard Award winner Andrew Zimmern praised the chicken at Miss Myra's as being perfectly smoked, declaring it one of the best barbecue chickens he's ever had. And judging by the number of Redditors who passionately recommended it online, he's not the only one who thinks so.

missmyras.com

(205) 967-6004

3278 Cahaba Heights Rd, Birmingham, AL 35243

Rusty's Bar-B-Q might not have the national name recognition of some barbecue heavyweights, but that's exactly why it's become such a local favorite. Although owner Rusty Tucker trained in culinary arts, the wood-smoked chicken here owes just as much to the backyard barbecue traditions he learned from his father while growing up.

Customers regularly described Rusty's chicken as tender, flavorful, and packed with smoke without becoming dry. One food reviewer wrote that, of all the meats they tried at Rusty's, the chicken was one of the biggest standouts. Another fan on Reddit even claimed that the bone-in smoked chicken is the best in Alabama, which is really saying something in the discourse surrounding the state's barbecue.

rustysbarbq.com

(205) 699-4766

7484 Parkway Dr, Leeds, AL 35094

The South may dominate most barbecue conversations, but Brooks' House of Bar-B-Q in Upstate New York has long proved that great smoked meat doesn't stop at the Mason-Dixon Line. The James Beard Award-winning restaurant is famous for its take on the regional specialty, Cornell chicken, a recipe created by poultry scientist Robert C. Baker, who is also responsible for the Ivy League origins of chicken nuggets. Decades after the creation of this recipe, Brooks' remains one of the best places to try this uniquely New York barbecue tradition of using cider vinegar, oil, seasonings, and a raw egg to make some deliciously juicy chicken.

Each piece of chicken soaks in the apple cider vinegar-based marinade before being slow-roasted over a massive 38-foot-long charcoal pit. The vinegar tenderizes the meat and gives it a little tang, keeping it flavorful and juicy all the way down to the bone. Don't let the blistered skin scare you, either. It's not burnt — it's just beautifully charred. A Roadfood reviewer even said, "I usually don't eat the skin, but it would be a crime to waste it here."

brooksbbq.com

(607) 432-1782

5560 State Hwy 7, Oneonta, NY 13820

While Barb's B Q is one of the newer names on this list, it hasn't taken long to make an impression, even earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand and praise from customers for having the best chicken they've ever eaten. People can't seem to get enough of the Lockhart smokehouse's blend of Central Texas barbecue with Mexican influences, using ingredients like lime zest and Mexican spices in its rubs and marinades. One of the biggest standouts, though, is its smoked chicken thighs served in mole sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. Swapping out the plain old chicken breasts for thighs smothered in mole? Sold.

Apparently, one diner said it was good enough to convert them into a mole fan. "Very subtle, with just a hint of chocolate flavor, but still with plenty of depth," another said about the sauce. However, the fact that Barbs B Q can get people to talk this much about chicken in the official Barbecue Capital of Texas, where expectations for smoked meat are about as high as they get, should tell you all you need to know.

barbsbq.com

102 E Market St, Lockhart, TX 78644

While Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint has built a reputation on whole-hog barbecue, plenty of regulars argue the smoked chicken wings are the true icons here. Apparently, the secret to Nashville's top smoked wings is not rushing the birds through the smoker and letting time do its thing to produce wings with a deep smoky flavor and mahogany-colored skin. Fans pointed to these wings as proof that Martin's doesn't cut any corners, achieving the kind of barbecue that can only be done with patience.

Good barbecue takes time, and Martin's isn't interested in cutting that short. The restaurant would rather sell out than speed up the smoking process, meaning the wings aren't always guaranteed if you show up later in the day. According to locals, though, they're more than worth the early arrival — and the notoriously long line.

martinsbbqjoint.com

Multiple locations across Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Alabama

It doesn't take much digging to find customers of Wright's Barbecue praising its succulent chicken. One even went so far as to say, "I would gladly raise a farm of these specific chickens to eat this specific BBQ." Hyperbole? Maybe. But comments like that speak to just how memorable Wright's chicken really is.

What makes the chicken at this no-frills barbecue joint so delicious is the combination of pecan smoke and a simple five-ingredient dipping sauce. Pecan smoke is mild enough to let the chicken taste like, well, chicken, instead of overpowering it. And it seems like Wright's has the right idea, with customers praising the flavors and juiciness of the chicken and saying that, even stacked up against the brisket and ribs, it's the tastiest thing on the menu.

wrightsbbq.com

Multiple locations in Arkansas

If Smokey D's BBQ's fat stack of awards isn't enough to convince you this place is legit, take it from Guy Fieri himself. When biting into one of the Asian-smoked chicken wings, he only needed one word: "Dynamite." Fieri also praised Smokey D's for nailing the spice and balance of flavors. After visiting more smokehouses than most of us could ever dream of, it's obvious Fieri knows a good wing when he finds one.

The wings get their signature sweet and mellow taste from hickory wood smoke, and are then dropped into the fryer at the very end for a little extra crisp. Food enthusiast Darrin Klapprodt described the wings as tender, tasty, and with a smoky flavor that penetrates all the way to the bone. It's that kind of smokehouse attention to detail you can actually taste.

smokeydsbbq.com

Multiple locations in Des Moines, Iowa

Shiver's BBQ has been serving charred slow-smoked chicken in South Florida for decades, drawing in locals to its laid-back picnic tables and old-school approach to the smoker. Barbecue fans might hit up Shiver's for the ribs and pulled pork, but the smoked chicken is steadily making a name for itself on the menu. Don't take our word for it, though — according to one local, Shiver's has the best smoked chicken in all of Miami.

With charred skin and tender, juicy meat, Shiver's seems to check all the boxes for straight-up good barbecue chicken. As a bonus, it also manages to stay consistent in flavor and texture with every bite. Maybe it's the way Shiver's smokes its birds the old-fashioned way over oak and hickory wood that makes them so good. Maybe it's the mojo criollo-like house sauce on the side. It could also just be the years of perfecting the slow-and-steady art of true Southern barbecue. Either way, Shiver's clearly knows what it's doing when it comes to smoked poultry.

shiversbbq.com

(305) 248-2272

28001 S Dixie Hwy, Homestead, FL 33033

While most barbecue restaurants were busy making their names with brisket, ribs, or pulled pork, Cozy Corner Restaurant was doing it with smoked Cornish hens. Having been on the menu since 1977, these birds are traditionally served old-school style on a Styrofoam plate, often next to another Memphis specialty: smoky barbecue sauce spaghetti.

But what makes the Cornish hen such a Memphis barbecue legend? Turns out these tiny birds take on an impressive amount of smoky flavor while staying exceptionally moist. And for the restaurant's signature sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce, the hens' edges are crisp enough to soak it up without becoming soggy.

Of course, if you need further proof that Cornish hens are worth trying, one food critic on Instagram described the smoked chicken as tender, smoky, and perfectly seasoned. Another customer said, "My son got the Cornish hen plate that was roasted to perfection. Absolutely worth the 12 hour drive."

cozycornerbbq.com

(901) 527-9158

735 North Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38105

At first glance, Distant Relatives doesn't exactly look like one of the country's most exciting barbecue spots. Rather than a sprawling smokehouse covered in decades of soot, it's a tiny Austin trailer with picnic tables. But don't let the humble setup fool you. Pitmaster Damien Brockway has earned some serious recognition for blending classic Central Texas barbecue with the flavors of the African diaspora.

The chicken leg quarters have been praised as a top menu pick, and plenty of customers online seem to agree. Some customers described the chicken as being their favorite item on the menu, while others claimed it's the best chicken they've ever had. The secret to such ridiculously good chicken? No, it's not a special wood or signature rub — though the subtly sweet pecan wood flavoring and savory spices definitely help. It's actually the butter bath Brockway uses as a finishing touch. And, of course, the piquant chile vinegar dip, inspired by African diaspora culinary traditions of using acidity and spice rather than relying just on smoke or traditional rubs.

distatantrelativesatx.com

(512) 717-2504

3901 Promontory Point Dr, Austin, TX 78744

Barbecue opinions, apparently, are pretty divided, so narrowing down this list took a lot more than just checking out some restaurant rankings. I dug around restaurant websites, food publications, pitmaster interviews, Yelp reviews, Reddit threads, and a ridiculous amount of Instagram and TikTok videos, all to hunt down one thing: barbecue chicken people just can't shut up about.

Rather than putting my full faith in one good review, I paid attention to restaurants that consistently popped up across multiple sources. If a place was praised by food writers, recommended by locals, and had customers in an absolute chokehold over some smoked chicken, it made the cut. Of course, every restaurant on this list is known for great barbecue. But the featured chicken had to stand out in its own right ... not simply because it happened to share a menu with some legendary brisket or ribs.