The Atlas · America's Smoke-and-Beef Department

American Meat Dishes

83 of United States's 679 ranked dishes are meat, and by our raters the best is Central Texas-Style Barbecue, brisket smoked over post oak in the Hill Country meat markets, Nº 473 in the world.

83 dishes ranked·12.2% of the cuisine·4,874 diner ratings·Top rank Nº 473

American meat cooking is barbecue cooking. Of 83 ranked dishes here the top of the table is a run of smoke: Central Texas brisket, then Texas-style at Nº 530, then Kansas City at Nº 606 and plain Barbecue at Nº 661. The technique traces to Caribbean barbacoa, and every region since has claimed a version, beef in Texas, pork in the Carolinas, sauce in Kansas City.

Fame and rank pull apart, as they always do. Central Texas brisket rates highest at Nº 473, but the crowd gathers elsewhere: plain Barbecue draws 331 ratings and Barbecue Ribs 305, far more than the brisket that outscores them. Beyond the smoke sit the steaks, chief among them the Delmonico at Nº 756, a New York chophouse cut no two menus define alike. Read them below: the signature cuts, by region, or the complete list of all 83.

The map runs South and West. Louisiana logs the most named dishes at 10, ahead of the broader South at 7 and Texas at 6, though a good share of the ledger is filed simply as American, no single state laying claim.

The Signature Cuts

Twelve signature meats in rank order, four told in full, then eight more off the smoker.

Central Texas-Style Barbecue, barbecue from United States
Plate IBarbecue · Texas

1Nº 473 worldwide

Central Texas-Style Barbecue

Barbecue · Texas

The barbecue of the Hill Country meat markets, where Czech and German butchers smoked beef to sell by the pound. Brisket is king, seasoned with just salt and pepper, smoked over post oak, and served on butcher paper with white bread, pickles, and raw onion, no sauce required.

★ 4.2|55 ratings

Texas-Style Barbecue, barbecue from United States

2Texas-Style BarbecueNº 530

Barbecue · Texas

The state's beef-first tradition, which splits into regional schools from Central to East Texas. What ties them together is smoke and patience: big cuts, mostly brisket and ribs, cooked long over wood until the bark blackens and the meat gives way.

★ 4.1|70 ratings

Kansas City-Style Barbecue, barbecue from United States

3Kansas City-Style BarbecueNº 606

Barbecue · Kansas City

Kansas City barbecue plays the whole field, cooking pork ribs, beef brisket, and burnt ends over a slow smoke, then finishing them with a thick, sweet, tomato-and-molasses sauce. Where Texas keeps it dry, Kansas City is the sticky, saucy end of the American spectrum.

★ 4.1|59 ratings

Delmonico Steak, beef dish from United States

4Delmonico SteakNº 756

Beef Dish · New York City

A thick, richly marbled steak that traces to Delmonico's, the pioneering New York restaurant of the mid-1800s. Which cut it actually is has never been settled, ribeye to some, sirloin or short loin to others, but the name has always meant a fine steak served with a flourish.

★ 4.1|18 ratings

  1. Barbecue Ribs, meat dish from United States5

    Barbecue Ribs

    Nº 836

    Meat Dish · United States★ 4.1

  2. Pulled Pork, pork dish from United States6

    Pulled Pork

    Nº 848

    Pork Dish · North Carolina★ 4.0

  3. S7

    South Texas-Style Barbecue

    Nº 858

    Barbecue · Texas★ 4.0

  4. Burnt Ends, beef dish from United States8

    Burnt Ends

    Nº 1,060

    Beef Dish · Kansas City★ 4.0

  5. St. Louis-Style Ribs, pork dish from United States9

    St. Louis-Style Ribs

    Nº 1,203

    Pork Dish · St. Louis★ 4.0

  6. St. Louis-Style Barbecue, barbecue from United States10

    St. Louis-Style Barbecue

    Nº 1,226

    Barbecue · St. Louis★ 4.0

  7. Surf and Turf, beef dish from United States11

    Surf and Turf

    Nº 1,410

    Beef Dish · United States★ 3.9

  8. Hot Chicken, fried chicken dish from United States12

    Hot Chicken

    Nº 1,599

    Fried Chicken Dish · Nashville★ 3.9

The Gazetteer

Where the smoke rises

The regions of the United States with the deepest meat traditions. Choose one to filter the complete ledger below.

Placed dishes only · top 6 regions

  7. Another 14 ranked dishes are logged simply as pan-American, with no single regional home.

The Complete Ledger

All 83 American meat dishes in the world ranking, every entry.

83 entries
  1. 473 Central Texas-Style Barbecue Barbecue Texas ★ 4.2
  2. 530 Texas-Style Barbecue Barbecue Texas ★ 4.1
  3. 606 Kansas City-Style Barbecue Barbecue Kansas City ★ 4.1
  4. 661 Barbecue Barbecue Southern United States ★ 4.1
  5. 756 Delmonico Steak Beef Dish New York City ★ 4.1
  6. 836 Barbecue Ribs Meat Dish United States ★ 4.1
  7. 848 Pulled Pork Pork Dish North Carolina ★ 4.0
  8. 858 S South Texas-Style Barbecue Barbecue Texas ★ 4.0
  9. 1,060 Burnt Ends Beef Dish Kansas City ★ 4.0
  10. 1,203 St. Louis-Style Ribs Pork Dish St. Louis ★ 4.0
  11. 1,226 St. Louis-Style Barbecue Barbecue St. Louis ★ 4.0
  12. 1,410 Surf and Turf Beef Dish United States ★ 3.9
  13. 1,599 Hot Chicken Fried Chicken Dish Nashville ★ 3.9
  14. 1,829 Memphis-Style Barbecue Barbecue Memphis ★ 3.9
  15. 1,871 Steak Diane Beef Dish New York City ★ 3.9
  16. 1,881 Chicken Vesuvio Chicken Dish Chicago ★ 3.9
  17. 2,068 Fatback Pork Dish Southern United States ★ 3.9
  18. 2,083 Blackened Alligator Game Dish Louisiana ★ 3.8
  19. 2,125 East Texas-Style Barbecue Barbecue Texas ★ 3.8
  20. 2,422 Fried Chicken Fried Chicken Dish Southern United States ★ 3.8
  21. 2,501 North Carolina-Style Barbecue Barbecue North Carolina ★ 3.8
  22. 2,560 Chicken Maryland Fried Chicken Dish Maryland ★ 3.8
  23. 2,582 Red Flannel Hash Beef Dish New England ★ 3.8
  24. 2,840 West Texas-Style Barbecue Barbecue Texas ★ 3.8
  25. 3,006 Standing Rib Roast Meat Dish United States ★ 3.8
  26. 3,230 Boudin rouge Blood Sausage Louisiana ★ 3.8
  27. 3,239 C Chicken Creole Chicken Dish Southern United States ★ 3.8
  28. 3,397 Beef Manhattan Beef Dish Indianapolis ★ 3.8
  29. 3,534 Garbage Plate Meat Dish Rochester ★ 3.8
  30. 3,667 Steak de Burgo Beef Dish Des Moines ★ 3.7
  31. 4,079 Crawfish Boudin Sausage Louisiana ★ 3.7
  32. 4,108 Chicken Bog Chicken Dish South Carolina ★ 3.7
  33. 4,209 Amish Chicken Chicken Dish Utah ★ 3.7
  34. 4,234 Chicken Tenders Fried Chicken Dish Manchester ★ 3.7
  35. 4,447 City Chicken Meat Dish Pittsburgh ★ 3.7
  36. 4,536 Livermush Offal Dish North Carolina ★ 3.7
  37. 4,888 G Gator Boudin Sausage Louisiana ★ 3.7
  38. 4,904 Smoked Bologna Sausage Sausage Oklahoma ★ 3.7
  39. 4,971 C Chicken Sauce Piquante Fried Chicken Dish Louisiana ★ 3.7
  40. 5,115 South Carolina-Style Barbecue Barbecue South Carolina ★ 3.6
  41. 5,269 Smothered Pork Chops Pork Dish Louisiana ★ 3.6
  42. 5,290 Smoked Duck Duck Dish Louisiana ★ 3.6
  43. 5,389 Monroe County Barbecue Barbecue Tompkinsville ★ 3.6
  44. 5,551 A Alabama White Wings Fried Chicken Dish Alabama ★ 3.6
  45. 5,685 New England Pot Roast Meat Dish New England ★ 3.6
  46. 5,741 Rice and Gravy Meat Dish Louisiana ★ 3.6
  47. 5,961 Beer Brats Sausage Wisconsin ★ 3.6
  48. 5,995 C Chislic Meat Dish South Dakota ★ 3.6
  49. 6,010 Swiss Steak Beef Dish United States ★ 3.6
  50. 6,516 L.A. Galbi Beef Dish Los Angeles ★ 3.5
  51. 6,522 Fajitas Meat Dish Texas ★ 3.5
  52. 6,574 Chicken Parmigiana Fried Chicken Dish United States ★ 3.5
  53. 6,717 Jellied moose nose Meat Jelly Dish Alaska ★ 3.5
  54. 6,736 Chicken Divan Chicken Dish New York City ★ 3.5
  55. 6,738 New England Boiled Dinner Beef Dish New England ★ 3.5
  56. 6,838 Laulau Meat Dish Hawaii ★ 3.5
  57. 6,993 S Stuffed Ham Pork Dish Maryland ★ 3.5
  58. 7,108 Plate Lunch Meat Dish Hawaii ★ 3.4
  59. 7,399 Barberton Chicken Fried Chicken Dish Barberton ★ 3.4
  60. 7,453 Chicken Fried Steak Beef Dish Southern United States ★ 3.4
  61. 7,593 Loco Moco Meat Dish Hilo ★ 3.3
  62. 7,628 Chicken and Waffles Fried Chicken Dish United States ★ 3.3
  63. 7,805 Chicken à la King Chicken Dish United States ★ 3.3
  64. 7,883 Buffalo Wings Fried Chicken Dish Buffalo ★ 3.3
  65. 7,934 Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken Fried Chicken Dish Springfield ★ 3.3
  66. 8,095 Popcorn Chicken Fried Chicken Dish Southern United States ★ 3.2
  67. 8,175 Turducken Poultry Dish Louisiana ★ 3.2
  68. 8,212 Goetta Sausage Cincinnati ★ 3.1
  69. 8,316 Sesame Chicken Fried Chicken Dish United States ★ 3.1
  70. 8,350 Muktuk Offal Dish Alaska ★ 3.1
  71. 8,364 Chicken and Dumplings Chicken Dish Southern United States ★ 3.1
  72. 8,511 Chicken Fingers Fried Chicken Dish United States ★ 2.9
  73. 8,530 Rocky Mountain Oysters Offal Dish Colorado ★ 2.9
  74. 8,555 Pot Roast Beef Dish New England ★ 2.9
  75. 8,620 Salisbury Steak Ground Meat Dish United States ★ 2.8
  76. 8,695 Cincinnati Chili Ground Meat Dish Cincinnati ★ 2.6
  77. 8,786 Chicken Nuggets Fried Chicken Dish United States ★ 2.3
  78. 8,792 Meatloaf Ground Meat Dish United States ★ 2.2
  79. 8,819 Spam Pork Dish United States ★ 1.8
  80. 9,465 Grillades and Grits Meat Dish New Orleans ★ 0.0
  81. 9,850 Hog Maw Offal Dish Pennsylvania ★ 0.0
  82. 10,765 C Creole Baked Chicken Chicken Dish Louisiana ★ 0.0
  83. 10,797 M Meat Cake Meat Dish United States ★ 0.0

Questions, Answered

American meat dishes, frequently asked, answered from 4,874 ratings.

What is the best American meat dish?
By our diners' ratings it's Central Texas-style barbecue, the salt-and-pepper brisket smoked over post oak, at Nº 473 worldwide. Behind it come the broader Texas-style tradition at Nº 530, Kansas City barbecue at Nº 606, and the Delmonico steak at Nº 756.
What is American cuisine known for in meat?
Barbecue, above all: low-and-slow smoking of tough cuts until they turn tender. Of America's 83 ranked meat dishes the leading names are all smoke, from Central Texas brisket to Kansas City's saucy ribs and burnt ends. Steaks like the Delmonico round out the table.
What is the most famous American barbecue?
By number of ratings, plain Barbecue is the most-reviewed at 331, with Barbecue Ribs close behind at 305. Yet neither tops the ranking: Central Texas-style brisket, with far fewer votes, rates highest. Fame and score rarely line up.
What is Central Texas-style barbecue?
It's beef brisket smoked low and slow over post oak, seasoned with little more than salt and pepper. It grew out of the Czech and German butcher shops of the Texas Hill Country, and is served on butcher paper with white bread and pickles, no sauce needed. It rates Nº 473 worldwide.
Which region makes the most American meat dishes?
Among dishes with a named home, Louisiana leads with 10, from blackened alligator on out, ahead of the wider South at 7 and Texas at 6. New England follows with 4. Many ranked dishes carry no state, logged simply as American.
Where else should I look for great meat dishes?
Across the water, mostly. Worldwide the department runs to 1,423 dishes from 155 countries, topped by Greece's grilled lamb chops, païdakia, at Nº 2. Italy fields 172 ranked meats and Argentina 21. See Meat Dishes worldwide.

This Department, Elsewhere

Meat dishes from beyond America's borders, ranked the same way.

MexicanMeat Dishes18CanadianMeat Dishes4
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