Despite being a seafood town, there are a lot of places to go if you’re craving the best BBQ in Seattle, WA. My theory is that people flocked to the Emerald City from areas in the United States known for great barbecue and, lucky for us, they brought their recipes with them.
There’s nothing like chowing down on some ribs and collards during the warmer weather or hovering over a soothing bowl of chili in the winter. So if you’re craving mouthwatering barbecue, here’s where to go for both dine-in or takeout and delivery.
Best BBQ in Seattle
Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll add more spots as I discover them!
Wood Shop BBQ
website | neighborhood: Central District (get directions) | style: Kansas City and Texas mash up | best for: smokiness
If you find yourself driving down Rainier Ave or MLK, make a beeline to Wood Shop BBQ in the Central District. Owners Matt and James hail from two epicenters of barbecue in the USA: Kansas and Texas. Together they bring the best of both styles to hungry Seattleites.
You’ll find a lot of great depth of flavor in Wood Shop’s meats thanks to their hickory smoking technique common in Kansas. They use a canvas of excellent quality meat from Painted Hills Natural Beef in Fossil, OR, which I think contributed to them being recognized on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives when they were just a food truck. People love them so much, they were able open a brick and mortar.
What to get
Don’t miss the smoked ribs. They fall of the bone and have a crunchy bark that adds great texture.
Another standout is the mac and cheese topped with excellent pickled onions and half beef brisket, half pulled pork. It was creamy, but not overwhelmingly wet. I liked how it was a bit sticky so it clung to the pasta instead of interfering with the meat. The jalapeño in the mac and cheese was another pleasant surprise. It imbued that roasted pepper flavor, but without any of the heat.
Smokestack Lightning BBQ
website | neighborhood: various locations | style: Northwest | best for: noshes when at the breweries
Smokestack Lightning is a food truck that makes the round at Seattle’s breweries. You’ll often find them at Urban Family, one of the best Ballard breweries.
Darrell Sawyer used to tinker on his smoker while doing yard work. He honed his craft while working at Altura in Capitol Hill before taking Smokestack full time. His menu changes regularly and features a mix of regional BBQ styles. You may see Kansas City style ribs, chili, burnt ends, pulled pork, or brisket ribs on any given day.
What to get
If available, don’t miss the smoked chicken sandwich. It’s unexpectedly ground like a burger, yet is moister than any chicken burger I’ve ever had. Plus it tastes like a fire pit in the best possible way.
The chili and cheesy grits are also great. I’m not big on grits because I often find them too grainy and bland, but these are the perfect texture. I love spooning some of the spicy chili over them to tone down the heat.
Outsider BBQ
website | neighborhood: various locations | style: Texas | best for: cheddar sausage
You can tell this is some of the best BBQ in Seattle by the line that forms anytime Outsider BBQ rolls up to a brewery. In act, the last time I visit them at Fairisle Brewing, they sold out of most meats within the hour.
Onur Gulbay hails from Turkey. He was working in technology in consulting when he moved to Austin. After falling in love with barbecue culture, he decided to make a career shift and focus on developing his own unique Texan barbecue style with a slight Turkish twist. But don’t worry, it’s subtle and pay tribute to traditional Texan style!
What to get
I absolutely love Outsider’s cheddar sausage hot links. They are fatty and ooze cheese with every bite.
They also have excellent pulled pork. I love how it’s not too saucy so you can really taste the touch of smoke in each bite. However, I ended up slathering their bbq sauce on everything because it was so good. I particularly liked the tangy honey mustard.
Lady Jaye
website | neighborhood: West Seattle (get directions) | style: whatever they feel like | best for: interesting smoked meats
Lady Jaye is not only serving some of the best BBQ in Seattle. They’re also one of my all around favorite West Seattle restaurants. They have a great back patio where you can hang next to their smoker, Cletus, which was reclaimed from an archery factory in Walla Walla.
This is one of the few spots on this list that’s more than just a BBQ joint. In addition to being a restaurant, they’re one of Seattle’s best butchers because you can grab meat and provisions to go in their front shop. You may also consider them a cocktail bar given their focus on spirits, some of which they’ve smoked themselves.
Food wise the menu is focused. There are a few dishes you can get every day, but otherwise there’s a rotating item for each day of the week. They also have more interesting styles of smoked meats than you’ll find at other places for BBQ in Seattle. For example, you’ll find smoked bologna, coulotte ham, and coppa.
What to get
I love the short rib bulgogi melt. The meat is so succulent and stands up to the messy toppings of spicy mayo and pickled slaw. It’s kind of like a cheeseburger, but with a bit of Asian flare!
Lil Red Takeout & Catering
website | neighborhood: Columbia City (get directions) | style: Jamaican | best for: curried, jerked, and smoked meats
Chances are you’ve zipped by Lil Red’s on Rainier Ave S without even knowing. That was by design, as owner Erasto “Red” Jackson told Seatle Refined in an interview that wanted to create a barbecue spot that felt like a hole in the wall only the locals know about. I’d say he succeeded.
This takeout and delivery-only barbecue spot looks unassuming, but it’s one of the best Black-owned restaurants in Seattle. It’s earned a ton of accolades, such as a James Beard Award nomination in 2022 and a feature in Adrian Miller’s book Black Smoke as one of the best Black-owned BBQ spots in the US. That means you’ll find high caliber execution coming out of Lil Red’s kitchen.
What to get
Lil Red’s has a lot of Jamaican influences thanks to Jackson’s wife, but it’s first and foremost a barbecue restaurant. Jackson and his team set up the smoker around 4 AM and have them going all day. So the best items on the menu are the meats.
Try both the traditional beef brisket and the curried chicken. This will give you a taste of both sides of Lil’ Red. You can expect super tender meat on both dishes and a melody of flavors that’ll keep you coming back for more.
Hole in the Wall BBQ
website | neighborhood: Pioneer Square (get directions) | style: Northwest | best for: no-fuss meats
I used to work near Hole in the Wall BBQ, so every week my colleagues and I would make the walk to their tiny storefront for a lunch that was sure to set us into a coma come the afternoon. It was worrying when they closed during the pandemic because they didn’t open until mid 2023, but luckily they’re back and serving the same finger-licking-good barbecue I remember.
Pitmaster Chuck Forsyth used to compete in competitions and often win for his exceptional meats. While many of his recipes are Texan by nature, you’ll also find elements of St. Louis and Kansas styles on the menu. People flock for his food and the space is small, so be ready to eat it perched on a stool or standing outside.
What to get
I love how you can get a three meat plate with just one side. Many places make you commit to multiple sides, but here you can just focus on the meats. Make sure you get the brisket, pulled pork, and smoked chicken. Or, if it’s Thursday or Friday, swap in the St. Louis-style ribs.
All of Hole in the Wall’s meats are deeply flavored. What I find interesting is that the cuts aren’t as fatty as other spots, yet they still feel tender and moist. The same goes for their cornbread, which is the best of all the BBQ joints on this list.
Brileys BBQ & Grill
website | neighborhood: Lake Forest Park (get directions) | style: northwest | best for: sides
Brileys is named after owners Kyle Brierley and Skyler Riley. While they’re technically located outside of Seattle, it’s just over the border from Lake City.
This place is always crowded and sells out of meat regularly. If it’s raining, you have to just kind of perch along the walls until someone gets up from a table. If it’s sunny you can enjoy the great back patio overlooking Lake Washington.
I like just about every meat I’ve had at Brileys, but what really stands out is their sides. I’m super picky with sides and often find them underwhelming at BBQ joints, but Brileys’ versions are overall well executed.
What to get
Don’t miss the smoked chicken. It’s dark meat and extra juicy. The pulled pork and boneless chicken wings are also stars. Both of them are saucy, but not drenched.
Side wise, don’t miss the hush puppies, beans, collards, slaw, and sweet potato fries. They are all excellent versions of the classic dish.
Jack’s BBQ
website | neighborhoods: SODO (get directions), South Lake Union (get directions), & Downtown (get directions) | style: Texas | best for: brisket
Jack Timmons is probably the most recognizable face of the best BBQ in Seattle. He hails from Texas and can often be seen with a cowboy hat. But what’s more, he’s one of the first people to open up a barbecue empire in Seattle.
He always had a smoker in his backyard because “he’s from Texas”, as he told me in an interview. However, he got his professional start in the corporate world after going to school for electrical engineering. However, not one to fear trying something new, he moved to LA to make a movie about burlesque training after seeing an ad on becoming a producer (it’s called A Wink and a Smile).
He had the grit to make a career change again after he realized most people in Seattle weren’t doing smoked meats, but rather barbecue slathered in sauce. So he amped up his backyard tinkering and honed his craft to eventually open up six locations of Jack’s BBQ and the Tex-Mex spot, Jackalope.
Because he has an empire, Jack’s BBQ has a lot of interesting dishes. You’ll find all the classic sides like potato salad, mac and cheese, and cornbread, but there are also a few unique ones not on many other menus. For example, there’s Texas caviar, or black-eyed pea salad, and sweet corn pudding.
Meat wise there is of course brisket, pulled pork, sausages, and chicken. But you’ll also find more unique items like prime rib, beef ribs, and mushrooms.
What to get
I love getting the brisket nachos. Jack’s slow-smoke brisket is some of the best. If you look closely, you may even see the quintessential smoke ring in each bite.
More Seattle barbecue to try
From Bitterroot BBQ to Peco’s Pit, I’ve tried most of the barbecue joints in Seattle. However, there are a few still on my list to try or revisit. Most of them are irregular pop-ups or outside Seattle proper, so I’ll update this article once I’m able to visit.
- Raney’s NW BBQ (Georgetown, 21+)
- Jones Barbecue (West Seattle)
- Burn Unit BBQ (roaming)
- Fat Pig BBQ (Edmonds)
- Carolina Smoke BBQ (Bothell)
- Gabriel’s Fire (Mountlake Terrace)
- BBQ Pete’s (Kent)
- Clyde’s BBQ (Renton)
- Berry’s BBQ (Burien)
Other places to eat in Seattle
After you make your way through this list of the best BBQ in Seattle, check out my other articles for where to find the best of other comforting cuisines.
- Best Fried Chicken in Seattle
- My Favorite Comfort Food in Seattle
- Where to Get a Great Bowl of Soup
- Seattle’s Best Pizza by Style
- The Ultimate List of Seattle’s Best Burgers
- Best Steak Restaurants in Seattle
- Street Tacos in Seattle You Have to Try
