9 BBQ Dishes You Should Definitely Order + 8 You’re Better Off Skipping

Barbecue menus can be a minefield of temptation. Everything smells amazing, everything sounds incredible—but if you’ve eaten at enough smokehouses (like I have), you start to notice the traps.

The dry turkey. The overly sauced ribs. The sad little cup of coleslaw that tastes like refrigerator.

So, to save your tastebuds from regret and make your next BBQ feast legendary, here’s what’s worth the mess—and what’s better left off your plate.

1. Brisket

Done right, brisket is a spiritual experience. That blackened bark, the pink smoke ring, the buttery tenderness that melts as you chew. It’s the gold standard of any pitmaster’s skills.

Texas may claim it, but a great brisket transcends borders. I always ask for a mix of fatty and lean—it’s the best of both bites.

2. Pulled Pork

Slow-cooked until the meat gives up and falls apart, pulled pork is juicy, savory, and made for soaking up sauce.

It’s the one dish that’s almost always reliable—even at roadside shacks with plastic forks and sticky tables.

Pile it on a bun with tangy slaw and you’re golden. Bonus points if it comes with barky bits mixed in.

3. Ribs

There are few things more satisfying than ribs that walk the line between fall-off-the-bone tender and just enough chew to sink your teeth into.

The rub should be bold, the smoke deep, and the glaze sticky without turning your hands into candy-coated weapons.

If they’re dry or drowning in sauce? That’s a red flag.

4. Smoked Sausage

When a place makes their own sausage, pay attention. That snap, the juicy burst, the spice and smoke packed into every bite—it’s often the sleeper hit of the menu.

I’ve had sausages so good I forgot I was waiting for ribs. Great with mustard. Or just on its own.

5. Burnt Ends

These are the smoky, caramelized, fatty edges of the brisket that pitmasters used to keep for themselves—and once you’ve had them, you’ll understand why.

Rich, bark-heavy, and deeply flavorful, they’re the bite you wish every bite of meat could be.

If you see burnt ends on the menu, cancel everything else.

6. BBQ Chicken

Chicken’s easy to screw up—but when it’s done low and slow, with smoky flavor all the way through and that crispy, lacquered skin? Total sleeper hit.

Thighs tend to be juicier than breasts, so go dark meat if you’ve got the option. Just be sure it’s not swimming in sauce to hide a dry cook.

7. Cornbread

Soft, sweet, a little crumbly—cornbread is BBQ’s comfort carb. Whether it’s honey-drizzled, jalapeño-flecked, or served plain with a pat of butter, it’s the ideal side for soaking up sauce and balancing bold flavors.

I always order a slice, no matter what time of day.

8. Baked Beans

Underrated, under-ordered, and when made right—unmissable. Smoky, sweet, and sometimes loaded with bits of pork or brisket trimmings, they’re the side dish that eats like a meal.

If they come from a can, you’ll know immediately. If they’ve simmered for hours with molasses and meat, you’re in for something special.

9. Mac And Cheese

When a BBQ spot takes its mac seriously—creamy, cheesy, maybe with a breadcrumb crust or a whisper of smoke—it’s the kind of side that competes with the meat.

I’ve had mac so rich and dreamy, it became the main attraction. Look for bubbling cast-iron skillets or signs they make it in-house.

10. Turkey Breast

Lean, unforgiving, and heartbreakingly easy to dry out, turkey breast is the blank canvas no one asked for at a BBQ joint.

Unless it’s smoked low and slow by someone with real poultry magic, it usually ends up as sawdust with grill marks. Save your protein points for brisket.

11. Chicken Tenders

I get it, they’re safe. They’re fine. But you didn’t walk into a smokehouse to eat the same freezer-section tenders you’d get at a mall food court.

Leave them for the kids’ menu.

12. Overly Sauced Ribs

If ribs arrive drowning in thick, sticky sauce, chances are it’s because the meat itself was underwhelming. Sauce should complement, not cover up.

If they’re hiding the smoke, what else are they hiding?

13. Coleslaw (from a tub)

There’s good slaw—fresh, crunchy, lightly dressed—and then there’s the kind that comes in sad, watery scoops from a plastic vat. You can taste the refrigeration.

If it looks limp or glossy, steer clear.

14. Store-Bought White Bread

Look, I respect tradition—but this one just feels lazy. If the bread is just there to “soak things up,” maybe the meat isn’t doing enough.

Unless it’s toasted or buttered, skip the filler.

15. Generic BBQ Sauce

Too sweet, too sticky, no smoke, no balance—bad BBQ sauce is just candy in disguise. If they’re using the same sauce on everything from ribs to beans, that’s a warning sign.

A real BBQ joint lets the meat lead and the sauce support.

16. Overcooked Brisket

You know the type—crumbly, dry, falling apart like bad drama. True brisket should slice cleanly, glisten just a little, and practically sigh when you bite in. If it’s been cooked into oblivion, it’s not worth your plate space.

17. Dry Pulled Chicken

Even with sauce, pulled chicken tends to lack the fat and richness that makes pork so satisfying. It dries out fast and rarely holds onto smoke the way it should.

Unless it’s soaked in juices or you’re avoiding pork, give it a pass.