14 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Ribs
If you ask most Americans, they'll tell you BBQ, in particular smoked and smothered ribs, is always a good idea. While craft and pop-up 'que surged in popularity in the past few years, trends point to a consolidation, and perhaps a swing back to more traditional types of meat. While you'll probably still be able to get a brisket bowl, if you want protein bang for your buck, meat falling off the bone is a good bet.
If you're not familiar with the technique, "The style of ribs is very important when it comes to cooking techniques. The two main cuts are St. Louis Ribs and baby back ribs. St. Louis ribs are rich in flavor and have a juicy texture as they are cut from the lower half of the rib section. Using a cooking method that incorporates steam is key to achieving the best, most tender result for this specific cut, says ButcherBox Meat Expert, and former Butcher, Nathan Burk.
On the other hand, says Burk, "Baby Back Ribs, which get their moniker from being one of the shorter cuts of pork ribs, are a leaner cut. Therefore, the slow and low cooking process (cooking them over a long period of time) is essential to getting the best finished result."
Great ribs can be found at steakhouses, barbecue restaurants, family style spots, and even patriotic mission driven fast casual restaurants around the U.S., and we think these are 14 of the best, ranked from my least favorite (but still good!) to the very best.
Joe's KC BBQ
In the 1990s, Jeff and Joy Stehney got into competitive BBQ in Kansas in a big way, and they started winning competitions – a lot of them. On the circuit, they met the owner of a smoker company, named Joe, and together they opened what became Joe's KC BBQ in 1996. Today, still family owned, there are three Joe's, all in Kansas, and their smoked and sweet ribs are legendary and award winning. If you can't get to Kansas, Joe's will ship you ribs to enjoy at home anywhere in the U.S.
Shane's Rib Shack
The first Shane's Rib Shack opened in McDonough, Georgia in 2002, and since then the chain has expanded to over 50 locations in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The casual restaurant serves their housemade baby back ribs as a half or full plate, with two sides of BBQ classics like fried okra, coleslaw, and red beans. The meal also comes with a hearty slice of buttered toast.
4 Rivers Smokehouse
This Florida based chain was founded in John River's garage in 2009, started as a hobby and fundraiser for cancer research, using the skills he'd picked up working with pitmasters around the South. Now, with 15 locations around Florida, 4 Rivers is known for smoked chicken and St. Louis style ribs. The pork ribs are seasoned with the house 4R All Purpose Rub then smoked and finished on the grill with a sweet and tangy honey BBQ sauce. You can order a quarter rack up to a full rack, and all come with two classic sides.
Corky's Ribs and BBQ
This small chain, with eight locations in Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas, does many things well, but their Memphis style ribs – served wet, dry, or muddy – really shine and are worth the trip. In 1984, "Captain" Don Pelts opened the first location in East Memphis, with an eye on the restaurant being for sit down dining and takeaway. Since then, their award winning ribs have been shipped across the country and Corky's BBQ ribs feature regularly on QVC, so you can try them at home even if you can't get down south.
L&L Hawaiian BBQ
If you've never tried Hawaiian BBQ, there are 200 L&L Hawaiian Barbecue restaurants in Hawaii, California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Texas, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and even Japan, waiting for you. Open since the 1970s, the chain specializes in plate lunches like slow cooked kalua pork, BBQ chicken, and the star of the show: Bone-in short ribs that are smokey and so juicy. Don't go expecting typical Southern BBQ, but look for well prepared ribs (and other meats) with Asian influenced flavors and lots of sweet and tangy sauces.
Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q
With 20 locations around Florida – and one in Denver – Bono's has been smoking meats Southern style since 1949, when pitmaster Lou Bono first fired things up. Like many BBQ spots, they do a bit of everything, and each location has its own pit and pitmaster taking care of slow cooking their St. Louis style ribs. The ribs are made in house, and cut to order, and you can order them as a platter with two sides and bread, or by the pound if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Bono's also gets high marks from their employees, who described the job as "fun and productive." And no, they have nothing to do with the U2 frontman with the same name.
City BBQ
Opening in Ohio back in 1999, this primarily Midwest chain operates over 50 locations, and serves a mish-mash of crowd pleasing BBQ styles such as pulled chicken with 'bama sauce and Texas-style smoked sausage. In 2017, the Daily Meal named City the number two BBQ chain in the US, based on their 18 hour meat smoking process and high quality products. Ribs are a big part of the menu, offering a full or half slab of traditional St. Louis style ribs, hand rubbed and painted with house made sauce. Decadent.
The Smoke Shop
Massachusetts based – yes, you can get great ribs at their five New England locations – The Smoke Shop is the result of founder and chef and IQUE BBQ Team member, Andy Husbands' over 20 years on the competitive BBQ circuit. With multiple locations in and around Boston, Smoke Shop is the go-to for Harvard students, hungry locals craving 'cue and visitors to the Bay State. The restaurant serves "gorgeously crusted" St. Louis style pork ribs in half and full rack portions. Available as an appetizer, the smaller portion Sticky Fried pork ribs are another flavor slam dunk, tossed with Szechuan sauce, with a jasmine rice salad.
Mission BBQ
Founded in 2011 in Maryland by former executives at Outback Steakhouse and Under Armour athletic apparel, Mission BBQ is known not only for their food, but for their dedication to supporting the military, first responders, and police officers who serve the community and country. All franchised locations are patriotic in decor, and the restaurant donates to local and national organizations like the USO, Wreaths Across America, and the Honor Flight Network. On top of that, they serve excellent ribs in locations in 21 states. Fall off the bone tender, and never frozen, you can order the ribs by the bone for around $3, or get five for about $14 (at time of publication).
Famous Dave's
With locations in 30 states, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Famous Dave's ribs are available almost everywhere. The chain claims to have won over 700 awards for their BBQ, and serve Baby Back and St. Louis style ribs at all of their locations. The Baby Back ribs are covered in rib rub, slow-smoked, and slathered their own Sweet & Zesty sauce, while the St. Louis style are hand-rubbed with a housemade blend of spices, then pit smoked for three to four hours over a hickory fire, and finally covered with the restaurant's Rich & Sassy sauce over an open flame to seal in flavor and create crispy caramelization.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
New York based Dinosaur Bar-B-Que has been in business since 1983, beginning as a mobile concession with a 55 gallon drum cut in half, and opening a brick and mortar location in Syracuse in 1988. Since then, owner John Stage has opened locations around New York state, including Harlem, Brooklyn and beyond. The chain's sauces have been profiled by ABC News and the restaurant was once named Best BBQ in America by Good Morning America. The chain's ribs, which are so sought after you can have them delivered anywhere in the country via Goldbelly, involve a two step technique and slow and low cooking style. First the ribs get a dry rub that's heavy on paprika, brown sugar and cumin. Then they're smoked slow and low on the grill, and doused with several applications of Dinosaur's famous mop sauce.
Smokey Bones Fire & Grill
With over 60 locations nationwide, this medium sized chain's tagline is "Meat is what we do," and that's apparent on their meat heavy menu. With regards to ribs, Smokey Bones offers Baby Back (these are upper ribs, and are shorter than spare ribs) and European style (with a milder flavoring) ribs, and they're available as a full rack or as a platter with 1/2 of a rack, two sides and garlic bread (for around $15 at the time of publication). Early in the chain's history, the Baby Back ribs were named Best Ribs at the Ham Jam Festival in Florida, and they've continued with their award winning recipe: Seasoned and hand-rubbed, house-smoked for 4 hours and flavored with a sweet and smoky BBQ sauce.
Outback Steakhouse
Founded in Florida in 1987, Outback has spread across the U.S.—and world—with over 1,000 restaurants. While they may be your go-to for a casual, well-priced steak dinner, don't overlook the chain's ribs. They're served with a "deep mahogany-colored shiny sauce that permeates every nook and cranny." Plus, the ribs are "charred without being burned and the sauce clings to the ribs as though it was caramelized." Served as a half rack or whole, Outback's ribs are smoked, brushed, and grilled with a tangy BBQ sauce, and come with two sides.
And the #1 Choice is…Texas Roadhouse
Our pick for some of the best chain restaurant ribs, Texas Roadhouse cooks theirs with a unique blend of seasonings over the course of three days, and features a signature BBQ sauce. The St. Louis style pork ribs are especially tender and covered in a dark and shiny sauce, and they're perfectly seasoned. Add in the price for a half-rack (about $19) and the over 650 locations, and these are probably the best and most accessible restaurant chain ribs, and they come with two sides. The chain has such faith in its ribs, it isn't afraid to show you how to cook them at home.
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