BBQ for you

Meaty & delicious

Rib plate from KC’s Rib Shack in Manchester.

Courtesy photo.

You don’t have to be down in Texas, Memphis or the Carolinas to grab a mouthwatering rack of ribs or a plate of smoked brisket. Get your barbecue fix in southern New Hampshire with these 11 local restaurants and food trucks, as voted by Hippo readers in this year’s poll.

1. kc’s riB shack BesT of The BesT

837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net Since opening in 1998, KC’s Rib Shack has been a local staple for its hickorysmoked ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and a variety of other barbecue favorites. Co-owner Kevin Cornish first got into barbecuing as a hobby about a decade earlier when he learned about the former Curtis’ All American Bar-B-Q in Putney, Vermont, which at the time had been selling its barbecue out of an old school bus. Cornish and business partner Greg Szaban originally opened KC’s in Litchfield before relocating to Manchester a few years later. Last year, they introduced KC’s Boneyard, a private function and event room housed in the former Souper Melt building directly in front of the Rib Shack.

2. smokeshow BarBeque

231 S. Main St., Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbarbeque.com This Texas-style barbecue restaurant originally opened in April 2016 on Fort Eddy Road in Concord. Owner Matt Gfroerer first experienced Texasstyle barbecue shortly after moving to Texas in 2000. He worked in some restaurants in the Austin area before returning to New Hampshire, where he cooked at KC’s Rib Shack in Manchester for about four years. In March 2022, Smokeshow Barbeque relocated into a new space in Concord’s South End, nearly tripling its seating capacity and sharing a building with Feathered Friend Brewing Co.

3. smokehaus BarBecue

278 Route 101, Amherst, 249-5734, smokehausbbq.com Dave Mielke of Amherst and his father, Harold, opened Smokehaus Barbecue together in May 2018. The duo joined forces late the year before, completely rebuilding and redesigning the inside of the former Burger Mill restaurant on Route 101 themselves to give it its rustic look. Smokehaus offers a menu of low-and-slow smoked meats available as sandwich or dinner plate options, from beef brisket and baby back ribs to pulled pork and pulled chicken, as well as fresh sides like collard greens, baked beans and coleslaw. The eatery carries regular selections from several local craft breweries, and also recently began offering bottles of its own handcrafted barbecue sauces for purchase.

4. georgia’s NorThsiDe

394 N. State St., Concord, 715-9189, georgiasnorthside.com A takeout-only Southern kitchen and craft beer market, Georgia’s Northside opened in late June 2019 in the space formerly housing the Korner Kupboard general store. Owner and chef Alan Natkiel posts the eatery’s always changing menu to Facebook daily, which will often include meats from buttermilk fried chicken to barbecue ribs, smoked brisket and pulled pork, plus fresh sides like Texas caviar, potato salad, tomato cucumber salad, grilled corn on the cob or green beans with bacon and blue cheese. Prior to opening the eatery, Natkiel owned Georgia’s Eastside BBQ in New York City for more than a decade.

5. gooDy cole’s smokehouse aND caTeriNg co.

374 Route 125, Brentwood, 679-8898, goodycoles.com Goody Cole’s originally opened in Exeter in 2003 before moving to a larger space in nearby Brentwood three years later. They’re known for smoking their meat using an Oyler Barbecue Pit, capable of holding up to 1,200 pounds of meat at a time and cooking without gas or electricity. Popular options include the St. Louis-style pork ribs, the beef brisket, and the smoked chicken and turkey.

6. messy mike’s BarBecue & caTeriNg co.

Derry, messymikesbbq.com A former master electrician by trade, Massachusetts native Michael “Messy Mike” Massiglia quit his day job in 2014 to pursue his barbecuing dream full-time. He catered for all kinds of events across New England for several years before launching a 30-foot mobile food trailer in the fall of 2020. Today you can find him in the parking lot of Rockingham Acres Greenhouse (161 Rockingham Road, Derry), most Thursdays through Sundays, serving up a menu heavy on smoked meats like pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, pulled brisket and chicken wings, plus sides like macaroni and cheese, baked beans and coleslaw. Massiglia also makes his own bottled hot and regular barbecue sauces, which have received recognition from the National Barbecue & Grilling Association and are available for sale online and on some local store shelves.

7. smoke shack cafe

226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com In May 2020, longtime chef Greg LaFontaine took over the space formerly housing Gabi’s Smoke Shack, renaming it Smoke Shack Cafe and redesigning its menu. The eatery is known for serving “barbecue with a twist,” with a variety of uniquely inspired items, like the habanero brisket melt and the maple mustard cornflake chicken sandwich. But Smoke Shack Cafe has more than just barbecue — LaFontaine’s menu also includes everything from flatbread pizzas to specialty tacos and sliders. Prior to opening Smoke Shack Cafe, LaFontaine served as the executive chef of Owen & Ollie’s Restaurant in Dracut, Mass., for more than a decade.

8. The alamo TeXas BarBecue & Tequila Bar

99 Route 13, Brookline, 721-5500, alamobarbecue.com In addition to being known for its Texas-style smoked meats, used in several favorites from the chicken wings to the loaded pulled pork tater tots, the Alamo has an extensive tequila list, featuring all kinds of unique margaritas, palomas and other specialty drinks.

9. smoke N’ BuTTs BBq

Raymond, smokenbuttsbbq.com Smoke N’ Butts BBQ was born when owner and founder Joe Lapietro watched a man build a smoker out of a file cabinet on the reality-documentary series Alaskan Bush People and was immediately inspired to cook his own smoked meats. Today he’s available for catering and events, serving items like seasoned pork spare ribs, and beef brisket and pulled pork available as tacos, burritos, sandwiches and plates.

10. up iN your grill

Merrimack, upinyourgrill.com Dan DeCourcey of Merrimack was already an award-winning competitive barbecuer before launching Up in Your Grill, a trailer specializing in smoked meats like brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken, often available as either sandwiches or combo plates with sides like seasoned fries and coleslaw. When he’s not catering for an event, DeCourcey can often be found in the parking lot of Vault Motor Storage (526 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) — the dates and times vary but are regularly updated on Facebook.

11. Big kahuNas smokehouse

1158 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 935-7400, nhkahuna.com A sister eatery of Merrimack’s Big Kahunas Cafe & Grill, Big Kahunas Smokehouse is known for offering barbecue options with a unique island-style flair. The restaurant opened in June 2020 in a kitchen space adjoining Shooter’s Outpost in Hooksett. Takeout is the biggest part of its business, featuring all kinds of fresh entrees with various sides and signature sauces to choose from. Lechon kawali, for instance, is a special kind of crispy pork belly that’s charred on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Caribbean pulled pork with hand-cut slaw, and smashers, or smoked potatoes cooked on a hot griddle with seasonings, are among some of their other staples.