Growing up mostly bicoastal, between the suburbs of Lost Angeles and New York City, I credit my birth in Oklahoma and initial six years in Kansas City, Missouri, as what sparked in me an affinity for barbecue. When I eat a quality piece of fatty, char-rich meat, I want to shed a tear.

And while I haven’t lived in the Deep South, I’ve traveled it extensively, studying its food and music over the past 15 years. That includes numerous road trips across Texas, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia, digging into the best barbecue along the way. My first love was pulled pork — synonymous with barbecue in the Deep South — but I also adore everything from Memphis ribs and Kansas City-style sauce to Alabama white sauce and, of course, Texas brisket.

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Finding authentic barbecue outside of its key regions is hard — nay, almost impossible — no matter how many hipster spots in cities like New York claim “real” barbecue. Such places often lack the soul (or fattiness quotient) required to push into the heavenly realms.

So, let’s talk about my home of California.

Despite being a mecca for most cuisines, the West isn’t exactly barbecue territory. However, our deep cowboy roots — alongside vast ranch land and farms that feed the nation — gave birth to the West’s one historic barbecue style: Santa Maria. Dating back to the 1800s, this style is best exemplified at the original Casmalia Hitching Post, going strong since 1952. Former Sunset food editor Margo True best cataloged Santa Maria barbecue history.

A whole other important issue is the struggle of Black-owned barbecue joints, despite the fact that they have perfected and honed barbecue for generations. (Dig deeper in stories like “What We Lost When We Lost David McAtee,” or those about chefs like Bryan Furman reclaiming barbecue heritage among BIPOC.)

So, what of “real deal” barbecue in the Bay Area? Sadly, a couple of our very best barbecue joints have left us in the past decade, namely San Francisco’s fabulously dingy Brother-In-Laws Bar-B-Que (where 4505 Burgers & BBQ now resides) and Uncle Frank’s in Mountain View, which served ’cue in the back of a dodgy dive bar. We lost out when CatHead’s BBQ (going strong since 2008 from a Tennessee native) recently closed as a Covid-19 casualty.

Much of what is left is mediocre, though regional styles show up in unexpected places. To get standouts, you need to order the right dishes and know where to dig. Just as in the South, most spots excel at one meat, sauce, or side while falling short on the rest. Few excel in multiple.

Many spots have long fallen far short of the South but have been around awhile, like Lower Haight’s Memphis Minnie’s (since 2000) or uneven Oakland chain Everett and Jones, while recent years brought Oakland’s more promising Smokin Woods BBQ and World Champion Smokehouse.

When it comes to that rarity of superlative barbecue — which you still have to hunt for, even in the South — I have two words for you: Horn Barbecue. Pitmaster Matt Horn says it best: “Barbecue is more than just throwing coal in a grill. It is telling a story and paying homage to those that have come before us. When I cook, I like to express who I am, show love though the craft of barbecue, and not cut corners… Barbecue brings people together. It’s what makes it so great.”

Here is your guide to the best barbecue you can find in the Bay Area, with helpful tips on which dishes to order.

Horn Barbecue, Oakland

Though California born and raised, Matt Horn of Horn Barbecue is doing “Central Texas-inspired barbecue” so right that it’s a standout, dare I say it, in the whole country. With grandparents from Oklahoma, Horn has barbecue love in his roots, but more important, he spent time honing his pitmaster skills, studying the techniques of Texas greats and beyond.

The past four years, Horn Barbecue has been a cult pop-up, drawing massive crowds that start lining up hours in advance of opening, many driving in from other parts of California (and even neighboring states.) Yes, his ’cue is that good, cooked in a 500-gallon custom smoker dubbed Lucille. As I joined the crowds waiting for his barbecue last year at a Hangar 1 Distillery pop-up in Alameda, it felt like watching a run on the end of the world. If that had been my last meal, I would have gone out utterly satisfied.

Horn has been working on his first brick-and-mortar in West Oakland’s former Brown Sugar Kitchen space for a while now, delayed but not stopped by Covid-19. Pending city approvals, it will open by the end of this summer and will offer takeout, delivery, and outdoor dining.

Horn’s dreamy white oak-smoked brisket is smoked 16 to 18 hours and oozes all the fatty goodness and spectacular char I miss from the South. His pulled pork, spareribs, turkey, and hot links are likewise delicious. Horn plans to roast a whole hog every Saturday alongside specials like smoked oxtails. His wife, Nina, perfects the also-excellent sides, from mac and cheese to black-eyed peas, plus desserts like banana pudding. During the pandemic, Horn launched online sales of his beloved spice rub.

2534 Mandela Pkwy, Oakland

Saison Smokehouse, San Francisco

The one other truly exceptional barbecue in the Bay Area comes from the Michelin-starred team behind modern American high-end restaurants Saison and Angler. (Saison is one of few California restaurants among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.)

In light of the pandemic, the team reimagined Angler as Saison Smokehouse, offering curbside pickup and now outdoor dining. Takeout often sells out days in advance. I hope someday the incredible original Angler returns — but also that Saison Smokehouse finds a permanent San Francisco home.

This is pricy ’cue, to be sure, but worth it, especially for the quality of ingredients. I audibly sighed with pleasure after tasting the ember-and-fat-crusted brisket and burnt-ends dirty rice. Chef Josh Skenes and team have crafted a vibrant California version of South Carolina mustard sauce, while they pretty much nail everything from pork ribs to ham hock collard greens to buttery biscuits. From texture to smoke, each bite of Saison’s brisket recalls my Southern barbecue road trips so vividly that I almost feel transported to the South.

132 The Embarcadero (Between Mission and Howard)

Rusty’s Southern, San Francisco

Since 2015, Rusty’s Southern is a Tenderloin treasure run by Rusty Olson, who grew up as an army kid around the United States, spending summers in the Carolinas. Arguably, his most popular dishes are not barbecue, but fried chicken and an official dish of my birth state of Oklahoma: chicken fried steak. Both are options in Rusty’s pandemic-friendly family meals for four to six people, but the barbecue is worth ordering. Meals range from 1.5 pounds of Carolina chopped barbecue (pork, of course) to the Feast, composed of a trio of beef brisket, a half rack of St. Louis pork ribs, and Carolina chopped, plus brisket chili and fluffy biscuits. Thankfully, everything is also available à la carte.

750 Ellis Street (Between Polk and Larkin)

4505 Burgers & BBQ, San Francisco

Butcher and chef Ryan Farr has been doing meat right since 2009, sourcing only from humane family ranches and creating one of San Francisco’s very best burgers since his pop-only days at CUESA’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. He opened 4505 Burgers & BBQ in San Francisco’s former Da Pitt/Brother-in-Law’s BBQ space in 2014 and added an Oakland location in 2019. Sadly, it was just announced that the Oakland location is closing due to Covid-19 struggles, but the San Francisco original remains.

I still feel 4505’s Best Damn Cheeseburger is the number one menu item, but the barbecue has grown on me over the years. I was initially disappointed in the pulled pork, which tasted less flavorful and drier than my favorite joints across the Deep South. But 4505’s brisket, pork spare ribs, sausages, and South Carolina mustard sauce gratify, as do baked beans and an oh-so-California side of posole graced with bits of smoked meat.

705 Divisadero Street; 415-231-6993

Causwells, San Francisco

While not a barbecue joint per se, Causwells is an unexpected source for ’cue. Under the 1937 Art Deco gaze of the Presidio Theatre, the restaurant’s new sidewalk seating provides an easy drop-in for its beloved American burger or the new barbecue burger, which sports a lush patty of brisket and ground beef.

Low-proof cocktails are crushable yet finessed (try the Piña Causwells, a piña colada variation). Chef/owner Adam Rosenblum shines with his small plates, like house ricotta drizzled in rosemary honey on lavash crackers, or summery melon salad brightened with mint and lemon oil. The barbecue focus is not so much Southern as it is Southern-inspired. Hickory-smoked pork ribs and brisket comfort, while smoked Mt. Lassen trout gives it a local spin, paired with biscuits and sides like a complex dirty rice.

2346 Chestnut Street (Between Divisadero and Scott)

Gorilla Barbeque, Pacifica

While Gorilla Barbeque has never been among my top destinations for Southern barbecue, it has always charmed me, especially when they have someone in a gorilla costume waving at cars on PCH outside the converted railcar. The orange railcar oozes aromas of smoked meat and has been a favorite on shows like Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Sadly closed during the pandemic, but Gorilla’s online store sells chef Rich Bacchi’s spice rub.

2145 Coast Highway 1, Pacifica; 650-359-7427

Smokin’ Warehouse Barbecue, San Francisco

On the edge of Bayview-Hunter’s Point, amid warehouses and trucks, Smokin’ Warehouse Barbecue opened its walk-up window back in 2010. Owner Bill Lee went on to open a Presidio/Laurel Heights location in 2016.

Being takeout strong already, both are good pandemic options but do not have identical menus. Bayview’s menu is more extensive. (It’s the location of their main kitchen.) This isn’t “transporting to the South” barbecue, but the pulled pork is tender, the cornbread is better than most, and the Louisiana hot link sandwich is quite gratifying. I also appreciate Lee giving back to the community over the years.

Bayview: 1465 Carroll Avenue; 415-648-8881
Presidio Heights: 3336 Sacramento Street; 415-440-0088

Bonus insider barbecue “secrets”: Meats, sauces, and rubs

Here are a couple “secret” barbecue treasures in unlikely Bay Area places.

In May, chef Philip Tessier came on board at PRESS, located in St. Helena, bringing deep fine dining and international experience. Tessier masters Southern influence in dishes like a version of Nashville hot chicken that surpasses many in Nashville. His chef de cuisine Darryl Bell Jr. hails from Kansas City and nails an off-menu KC-style sauce. Leaning less sweet than many Kansas City-style sauces, Bell’s is tangy, peppery, and complex. He sources California bounty — from Gilroy garlic to Central California tomatoes — to up the quality, as the sauce unfolds with chipotle peppers, rice vinegar, whole-grain mustard, creating a balanced play of smoky-sweet-spicy-tangy. Thankfully, Bell just started bottling, so you can order it here.

Local Michele Manfredi (whose husband, Josh, is chef at Food Wishes) created SFQ back in 2009. This still-uncategorized style feels truly Californian in ethos with its mix of Asian American by way of Mexico. The tomato-molasses base calls on Kansas City. A touch of chocolate and coffee recalls complex Mexican moles from Oaxaca or Puebla, while hoisin laced with koji starter, sesame oil, and ginger nods to Asia. The unique layers hook you immediately, a shining example of what should be its own category of barbecue sauce. SFQ is typically available at the Epicurean Trader.

For something a little different: