Some barbecue joints have menus packed with smoked, grilled, and fried meats, classic sides, and more.
They can seem overwhelming to an untrained eye, but award-winning pitmaster Erica Blaire has recommendations for anyone unsure of what to order.
Here's what she said are three of the best things to get at a barbecue place.
It's a good idea to order the brisket
"Always splurge on brisket," Blaire told Business Insider. "If you want to know the true essence of a pitmaster's passion, attention to detail, patience, and culinary rockstar-ness, it will be in the brisket."
The way it's prepared, its flavor profile, and other details can all tell you a little something about the chef — maybe it's where they come from, a nod to a family recipe, or a trade skill that's fairly unique.
If you see pastrami on the menu, give it a try
"If I see smoked pastrami on a menu, I'd definitely go for it, regardless of the price," she said.
Blaire says marrying the intense smoky brined flavor you typically get from pastrami with the "melt-in-your-mouth tenderness" of barbecued, smoked meat is as good as it gets.
"It's a delicacy that's hard to replicate at home, so I'm willing to splurge on it when dining out," she said.
Ribs are often worth splurging on
Regardless of the price tag, ribs get her splurge stamp of approval.
"You can't fake a perfectly smoked rib," Blaire said.
She told BI if you want to really enjoy the wood-fired flavor of the meat, keep your sauce on the side at first. This way, you can really get a sense of the ribs' flavors and all the work that went into them.
After a few bites, you can sauce them up if you'd like.
This story was originally published on December 30, 2024, and most recently updated on June 23, 2026.
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Rachel Askinasi is a freelance writer for Business Insider, where she was formerly a food reporter. She holds a bachelor's degree in multiplatform journalism from the University of Maryland. Rachel has been eating and talking about food for a quarter of a century, cooking for more than a decade, and reviewing restaurants and comparing foods professionally since 2017.Follow her on Instagram at @raskinasi or Twitter @rachel_askinasi.
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