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Cincinnati's 10 Best BBQ Joints

CityBeat has been in the business of curating the Best Of Cincinnati for more than two decades, highlighting the city’s most outstanding selections in Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife and more. And the responsibility of selecting these exceptional entities is divided between our readers and staff.

This year, more than 900,000 votes were tallied to determine our Reader Picks — and readers logged on to the ballot site to vote for their favorites in a slew of categories, including Best Local Barbecue.

As the weather warms up so are the barbecues— from pulled pork, to tender ribs and brisket. This May is national barbecue month, and Cincinnati’s choice of the best local barbecues are firing up their pits just in time. Whether their sauce is sweet as molasses or a bit tangier, each of these local BBQ joints have plenty of finger-lickin’ goodness that will get you in the summertime mood.

1. Eli's BBQ | 3313 Riverside Dr., Riverside / 133 West Elder St., OTR

2. City Barbeque | Multiple locations

3. Montgomery Inn | 9440 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery / 925 Riverside Dr., Riverside / 400 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell

4. Pontiac | 1403 Vine St., OTR

5. Pickles and Bones | 1149 OH-131, Milford

6. Just Q’in | 975 East McMillan St., Walnut Hills / 6901 Valley Ave, Newtown

7. Sweets & Meats BBQ | 2249-B Beechmont Ave., Mt. Washington

8. Big Art’s BBQ Grill | 2796 Struble Rd., Northgate

9. Alabama Que | 2733 Vine St., Corryville

(TIE) SmoQ | 275 Pictoria Dr., Springdale

10. Bee’s Barbecue | (513) 546-4568

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Photo: Hailey Bollinger

No. 1: Eli's BBQ (3313 Riverside Dr., Riverside / 133 West Elder St., OTR). Eli’s is a no-frills affair, but more welcoming than some of the other bare necessity food nooks around the city. The original pulled pork sandwich ($6.25) is the result of 18-20 hours of smoking and absolutely worth the wait.

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Photo: Provided

No. 2: City Barbeque (multiple locations). Ohio barbeque chain that began in the '90s after a barbecue competition, where they won they nationally acclaimed Open Champion and First Place Brisket awards at the American Royal Invitational. They opened their first restaurant in 1999.

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Photo: Montgomery Inn Facebook Page

No. 3: Montgomery Inn (9440 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery / 925 Riverside Dr., Riverside / 400 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell). World famous for its ribs, Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati for more than 60 years. Along with ribs, the Inn offers barbecued spring chicken, silver salmon, pulled-pork sandwiches, burgers, salads and more, including everyone’s favorite: Saratoga chips served with their famous barbecue sauce.

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Photo: Khoi Nguyen

No.4: Pontiac (403 Vine St., OTR). The restaurant, named after a Chicago café where the owner and his wife shared their first date, features a quirky coupling of barbecue and Tiki-style cocktails along with more than 100 bourbon varieties, 10 draft beers and an assortment of popular bottles and cans.

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Photo: Provided

No. 5: Pickles & Bones (1149 OH-131, Milford). This spot is the product of husband and wife duo, Josh and Nicole House and their passion for the simplicity by making their food from scratch. Their name came from the couples preference to cook their barbecue to the bone and add something acidic or pickled to their dishes.

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Photo: Patty Salas

No. 6: SmoQ (275 Pictoria Dr., Springdale). Love and passion drives SmoQ who seek to pay homage to those who pioneered barbecue by emphasizing their authentic regional smoked style. With “if it’s legal, we’ll smoq it.” As their motto they are not afraid to play around with innovative ideas with traditional southern flavors.

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Photo: Provided

No. 7: Sweets & Meats BBQ (2249-B Beechmont Ave., Mt. Washington). As a carry out only restaurant along with their BBQ trailer, Sweets & Meats BBQ got their start from three generations of southern barbecue traditions. They are a family owned and pride themselves on the ability to help bring people together.

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Photo: Tyler Wesselkamper

No. 8: Big Art’s BBQ Grille (2796 Struble Rd., Northgate). No frills and a large menu, Big Art’s BBQ Grille does not disappoint. Full of smoked goodness, this place is a local favorite known for their hardwood smoked meals and whole chickens.

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Photo: Provided

No. 9: Just Q’in (975 East McMillan St., Walnut Hills / 6901 Valley Ave, Newtown). Faith, love and barbeque is the motto for this joint which grew out of one grill, 17 spices, and a food truck. Now with two brick and motor locations Just Q’in is staying adventurous with plans to add greens and brisket chili to their menu.

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Photo: Provided

No.10: Bee’s Barbecue (513) 546-4568. This place is full of excitement; they set up shop every Sunday at Dutch’s Larder in Hyde Park and start serving food at 5 p.m. and running till they sell out. They are a local pop up favorite, even drawing Bryan Devendorf from The National to stop by when he is in town.

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