Chattanooga has come a long way since its days as America’s dirtiest city. But there’s a certain kind of smoke we welcome on our horizon…the hickory smoke rising from our local barbecue pits. Chattanooga ‘Q comes in many shapes and sizes, a veritable melting pot of barbecue styles.

Generally speaking we like slaw on our pulled pork sandwiches and our sauces are a cross between Kansas City style (sweet and thick) and Piedmont (tangy with a bit of zip), often spiked with Tennessee whiskey. But the beauty of Scenic City barbecue is you can get just about any style you please, from Texas beef brisket to North Carolina’s trademark vinegar sauce. Here are some highlights.

Sugar’s Ribs
Sugar’s signature ribs – which are crunchy outside and fall-of-the-bone inside – are the result of the restaurant’s patented wood-fired grill, an invention of owner Lawton Haygood. But the secret just might be in the sauce. Just for good measure they offer six, ranging from a vinegary Carolina Red to a thicker Tennessee Sweet & Goopy. But the brave will want to try Hot Lips, a sauce with a slow, lingering burn from jalapenos, habaneros, garlic and onions roasted on aforementioned grill. Another highlight is its beautiful views and quirky décor, including a multi-level deck overlooking the restaurant’s pet goats.

Sticky Fingers Smokehouse
CHA_Sticky Fingers 1Sticky Fingers technically isn’t local, but we claim it since the downtown location was one of the first outside of Charleston and the original owners have Chattanooga ties. After 20 years and 16 locations, you know Sticky Fingers is doing something right. Perhaps it’s the fall-off-the-bone delicious ribs, the smoked chicken wings or the classic pulled pork. Or maybe it’s the five house-made sauces: Memphis Original, Carolina Classic, Tennessee Whiskey, Carolina Sweet and Habanero hot. Either way you can get your Sticky Fingers fix either downtown or out by Hamilton Place Mall. Should you fall in love with one of their specialty sauces, don’t despair. They’re sold online and grocery or specialty stores across the country.

Shuford’s Smokehouse Barbecue and Catering
Housed in a converted gas station, Shuford’s is a bona fide Southern BBQ experience. Inside the gray board-and-batten building, Roll Tide paraphernalia covers the wooden walls mixed with a few of Chattanooga’s famous faces like Dennis Haskins. The mismatched tables and chairs in the 500-square-foot dining room are always chock-full thanks to hand-pulled pork and a top secret house-made sauce. But the pork, chicken, turkey and ribs are smoked without rub or sauce, allowing the hickory smoke to cure it for a rich, earthy flavor. If you’re headed to Signal Mountain, stop by Shuford’s for a taste of authentic Chattanooga ‘Q.

Rib & Loin
Rib and LoinFor more than 25 years, Rib and Loin has been serving up some of Chattanooga’s best BBQ, earning “Best of the Best” awards from the Chattanooga Times Free Press many years in a row. Locals Paul Plumlee and Yogi Center started Rib and Loin in 1989, transitioning from the deli business to smoking mouthwatering chicken, ribs, pork and beef seven days a week for up to 14 hours. Feel free to pig out at either location – Brainerd or Hixson – and expect traditional trimmings and desserts like fried okra, green beans, coleslaw and trademark banana pudding. Insider tip: try the baked potato stuffed with your choice of barbecue pork, chicken or beef.

Famous Dave’s
Okay, so we can’t claim Famous Dave’s. But after 685 barbecue awards, we welcomed him to town. After all, each cut of meat is smoked in house starting around 4am every day. And his wide variety of barbecue specialties were developed from Dave’s unending passion for smoked meat, taking him on a cross country quest to barbecue meccas like Memphis, St. Louis and Kansas City. The first Famous Dave’s opened in Wisconsin in 1995 and people have been licking their fingers ever since. Some sides to try are the Wilbur baked beans and firecracker green beans. And save room for dessert, which runs the gamut from banana pudding to a hot fudge Kahlua brownie sundae.

Moe's Original BBQ
Moe's Original BBQ_RibsMoe’s Original BBQ was founded by three Alabama boys: Mike Fernandez from Tuscaloosa, Ben Gilbert from Athens, and Jeff Kennedy from Huntsville. After meeting at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, they instantly became friends and had a mutual interest in all things Southern: BBQ, blues, college football, and whisky.In 1988, Mike hooked up with Moses Day in Tuscaloosa and began learning to fire roast meats. When Moses fired up his backyard barrel pit, everyone in T-Town knew where to go. The boys were lucky to learn from Moses and his distinct style makes up Moe’s original flavor of BBQ.