The San Francisco Chronicle guide to barbecue in the Bay Area

To celebrate our nation’s birthday, we turn our focus to that most summery and patriotic of cuisines: American-style barbecue.

Of course, when it comes to settling on a favorite style, the determining factors can be highly subjective. For some, it’s the meat itself. For others it’s the kind of wood used and smoking process. It might even boil down to the kind of sauce served along side.

Not surprisingly, when we polled members of the Food + Home staff, we all happened to have our own Bay Area favorites (or, in some cases, lack thereof):

• Paolo Lucchesi: “Much love to Smokestack and 4505, but I’ll highlight Henry’s World Famous Hi-Life — the ribs are the thing to order, but they make a fine charred, greasy garlic bread as well, served with a barbecue sauce dip. It’s an old school, family-friendly shack. With a great, great name.” henryshilife.com 
• Sarah Fritsche: “When I first visited Lexington Barbecue in North Carolina about a decade ago, I knew I’d met my ideal kind of ‘cue. Slow-smoked pork shoulder is finely chopped, not pulled, and served with a tangy vinegar sauce and all the fixings, which include a tomato-based red slaw and cornmeal hush puppies. Happily, thanks to Rusty’s Southern, I don’t have to book a flight to N.C. to get my fix. Prior to opening their Tenderloin restaurant earlier this spring, owner Rusty Olson and chef Francis Rubio spent time with Lexington Barbecue owner Wayne Monk to learn how to re-create the unique barbecue.” rustyssf.com
• Jonathan Kauffman: “I think 4505 Meats’ brisket and ribs are some of the best, most consistent barbecue in the Bay Area, with spice-dense crusts and just enough give to the tender meat at the core.” 4505meats.com
• Amanda Gold: “This is hard, because I honestly don’t feel like I’ve found a standout.  I’d probably have to go with 4505 Burgers and BBQ — I actually like the burgers better than the bbq, but I’ve head great smoked chicken and very good (super smoky) ribs from there.  And I love the tall, crusty parker house rolls.  Smokestack is next up on my list to try; I’ve heard good things.” 4505meats.com; magnoliasmokestack.com 
• Michael Bauer: “I don’t want to be a naysayer; I love the dining options in the Bay Area, but I’m continually disappointed in barbecue. Often the sauce is too sweet and slathered on too thick, but the main problem is that the meat often lacks flavor. As a child in Kansas we had a man who cooked brisket and ribs in an open pit only a couple of blocks from my father’s meat market. That became the gold standard. I fell in love with what’s being produced at Franklin Barbecue in Austin—which did a sold-out two night pop up here earlier this year. I appreciated the spicy sauce and meat produced at Arthur Bryan in Kansas City and at Sonny Bryan’s in Dallas during their heyday. I admit those are all pretty high standards, but no place I’ve found comes close to that level. I appreciated what Tanya Holland did at B-Side in Oakland, but she’s closed that venue. I also liked Bo’s Barbecue in Lafayette, but that too has closed. So I’m still looking.”

***

Whatever your preference is, we’ve compiled a map (see below) of a whopping 75 barbecue joints that can be found here in the Bay Area, so you’ll be sure to find something to please.

If we missed your favorite place, let us know in the comments.

Happy Fourth of July!