The Insiders' Guide to Twin Cities BBQ

4. Market Bar-B-Que
One of Minneapolis’s oldest restaurants still in the same family, Market is the only barbecue in the Twin Cities that cooks (over hickory, apple, oak, and cherry woods) in a real brick pit, the way purists insist delivers the true barbecue experience. It works. The spareribs, baby backs, and brisket have the telltale pink ring, a reaction indicative of the true smoking process. The chicken has a crisp exterior and a light smoky flesh that is astonishingly moist. Meats are served dry, with squeeze bottles of “classic” and “hot” sauce on the tables. Market would have scored highest all around if its pulled pork and beef ribs hadn’t disappointed us. But if you are looking for real-deal toothsome pork ribs and melt-in-your-mouth brisket, this is the place. 1414 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-872-1111; 15320 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-475-1770, marketbbq.com

5. Scott Ja-Mama’s
Scott Woolsey’s teeny eight-seat storefront can be easily missed if you aren’t careful, but his barbecue haunts us. Woolsey has no smoker, just a hot grill and a deft touch with the chicken and baby backs he chars to perfection. His three heat levels of sweet-tart sauce are all outstanding, though meats come to the table fairly dry. Over the years, the space has been chaotically decorated by customers (he swears when he opened the walls were bare), so Ja-Mama’s has the feel and spirit that just can’t be replicated or focus-grouped into existence. This place was the only joint in town that gave us hot wet cloths when we finished eating. Nice touch. 3 W. Diamond Lake Rd., Mpls., 612-823-4450, scottjamamas.com

6. Baker’s Ribs
Tucked into a teensy strip mall, this is the only location outside the Lone Star state of Baker’s, a six-unit, family-run, cafeteria-style Texas BBQ outfit that uses custom-made hickory and oak smokers. The majority of the meats—and there are many, including a great smoked ham—are good but not great, lacking the smoky intensity, crustiness, or pink smoke ring you typically see from this method of cooking. Perhaps that has something to do with Baker’s penchant for holding meat in plastic wrap, which steams out the flavor? The best of Baker’s output is a trio of power hitters—spareribs, sausage links (the only top-grade BBQ sausage in the metro), and sauce—that makes it a must for barbecue nuts. 8019 Glen Lane, Eden Prairie, 952-942-5337, bakersribs.com

7. Rooster’s
If you like ribs fall-off-the-bone soft, don’t mind a gritty and visceral atmosphere, and love a unique style of sauce, then Rooster’s is for you. Dominated by a counter, an army of fryers (they do a mean fried chicken), a hickory smoker, two booths, and two tables, Rooster’s doesn’t seem like much at first, but its pulled-pork sandwich drenched in a sweet, fragrant, sauce—it evokes Mexican mole as much as barbecue—is as good as it gets. The baby back ribs are smoky and meaty, with a strong fresh pork taste. Had the barbecued chicken been anything other than dreadful, Rooster’s would have been a top-five contender. 979 Randolph Ave., 651-222-0969, St. Paul, roosterbbq.com

8. Famous Dave’s
The only megachain—albeit a local one—to make it into our Top 10, Dave’s has 105 locations around the country, every BBQ dish in the pantheon, a bevy of signature sauces, and a kitschy roadhouse atmosphere. All meats are house-smoked on-site over green hickory. Authenticity buffs may wince at this behemoth, but when tasted “blind,” Dave’s delivers. Best in show are the grilled St. Louis–style spareribs, served appropriately wet, with good char, deep pork flavor, and just the right amount of tooth-iness for bone-hewers. Dave’s sauces rate highly as well, which, for a mass-produced product, is a good indication of how serious Dave Anderson is about BBQ. Numerous metro locations, famousdaves.com

9. Whitey’s World Famous Saloon
This long-standing Minneapolis tavern recently added a hickory- and apple-wood smoker and is turning out tasty barbecue accented with a peppery sauce, delicious homemade slaw, and some of the best beans in town. The baby backs, chicken, and the pulled-pork sandwich are all Top 10 worthy. Whitey’s smokes lightly, then chars on the grill. Whitey’s is thick with tobacco smoke, a noxious side dish that will be off the menu come March 31. 400 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-623-9478

10. Dixies Calhoun
The puzzlement of our survey. Dixies Calhoun is a great BBQ restaurant at lunch, a miserable one at dinner. It would have garnered second place overall, but every platter of ribs we ate at the dinner hour was burnt and near-inedible. At lunch, the dry-rubbed baby back ribs and chicken, slow-cooked over hickory, to impart a bold smoky taste, are wonderful—the meats plated dry, with thick, hot-tart Memphis–style sauce on the side. The pulled pork (“Shack”) sandwich is one of the best in town. (Despite previous ties, Dixies on Grand in St. Paul is not affiliated, and its barbecue is not that similar.) 2730 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-920-5000, dixiescalhoun.com