Top 6 Must-Try BBQ Spots Around Philadelphia (2024 Guide)

Philadelphia may be famous for its cheesesteaks, but its BBQ scene is quietly smoking up some of the best meats in the area. Whether you’re craving tender brisket, Carolina-style pulled pork, or ribs so good they fall off the bone, these top BBQ spots around Philadelphia have got you covered.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best BBQ spots near Philadelphia to satisfy your cravings in 2024.

1. Fette Sau (Fishtown) – Modern BBQ Vibes

One of the top BBQ spots in Philadelphia, Fette Sau brings a unique blend of traditional American barbecue with an industrial, modern twist. Located in the vibrant Fishtown neighborhood, this spot offers dry-rubbed meats smoked on-site daily. Fette Sau is well-known for its brisket, pulled pork, and Berkshire St. Louis-style ribs.

Pair your smoky meats with a rotating list of local craft beers, creating the perfect combination for a BBQ feast.

Must-try: Brisket and burnt-end baked beans
Location: 1208 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Website: Fette Sau BBQ

2. Mike’s BBQ (South Philly) – Texas Brisket Meets Philly Flavor

When it comes to Texas-style BBQ in Philadelphia, Mike’s BBQ in South Philly is a standout. Known for their slow-smoked brisket, Mike’s takes BBQ to another level with a Philly twist—offering a brisket cheesesteak that combines local tradition with smoked meat goodness.

This local favorite began as a small operation but has quickly gained a reputation for some of the best BBQ in the city.

Must-try: Brisket cheesesteak
Location: 1703 S 11th St, Philadelphia, PA
Website: Mike’s BBQ

3. Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse (Northeast Philly) – Family-Friendly BBQ

If you’re searching for the best BBQ in Northeast Philadelphia, Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse should be on your list. This family-friendly smokehouse has been serving up delicious smoked meats for over a decade. Their slow-cooked pulled pork, ribs, and turkey are packed with smoky flavor, and their Monday BBQ buffet lets you sample it all.

Must-try: Pulled pork with mac and cheese
Location: 7500 State Rd, Philadelphia, PA
Website: Sweet Lucy’s Smokehouse

4. Sterling Pig Brewery (Media) – Craft Beer Meets BBQ Perfection

Just outside the city in Media, Sterling Pig Brewery brings together two of life’s greatest pleasures: craft beer and BBQ. Known for their deliciously smoked wings and pulled pork sandwiches, this spot is a hidden gem for BBQ lovers and beer enthusiasts alike. Their beers, like the ‘Shoo Fly’ IPA, complement the smoky flavors perfectly, making it a must-visit for BBQ and brew fans.

Sterling Pig’s laid-back vibe, coupled with their mouth-watering BBQ and house-brewed beers, is worth the short trip from Philly.

Must-try: Smoked wings and pulled pork sandwich
Location: 609 W State St, Media, PA
Website: Sterling Pig Brewery

5. Deke’s Bar-B-Que (Manayunk) – Southern Flavors in Philly

Deke’s Bar-B-Que brings authentic Southern BBQ flavors right to Manayunk. Their St. Louis-style ribs, hickory-smoked brisket, and Carolina pulled pork will transport you to the South. The no-frills atmosphere keeps it casual, but the flavor is anything but ordinary. It’s the perfect spot for a relaxed meal with plenty of smoky goodness.

Must-try: St. Louis ribs and collard greens
Location: 4901 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA
Website: Deke’s Bar-B-Que

6. The Lucky Well (Ambler) – Memphis BBQ with a Modern Twist

If you’re up for a short drive outside of Philadelphia, head to The Lucky Well in Ambler. This spot is known for its Memphis-style BBQ, paired with craft cocktails for a modern twist. Their Memphis dry-rub ribs are a standout, as are the fried cornbread and apple slaw, creating a perfect BBQ meal.

Must-try: Memphis dry-rub ribs and fried cornbread
Location: 111 E Butler Ave, Ambler, PA
Website: The Lucky Well

Why These BBQ Spots Stand Out

Each of these BBQ joints offers something unique, from the modern vibes of Fette Sau to the craft beer pairings at Sterling Pig Brewery. If you’re a BBQ enthusiast searching for the best smoked meats near Philadelphia, you won’t go wrong visiting any of these places. With a mix of Texas-style brisket, Memphis ribs, and local specialties, Philly’s BBQ scene is diverse and delicious.

So next time you’re craving BBQ, head to one of these top spots for a feast you won’t forget.

---

Final Thoughts

Philadelphia’s growing BBQ scene is diverse and full of flavor. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, these top 6 BBQ spots are guaranteed to satisfy your smoky, savory cravings. Pair them with some local craft brews, and you’ll have an unbeatable dining experience.

Discover the top 6 BBQ spots around Philadelphia serving mouth-watering smoked meats and Southern-style sides. From Fette Sau to Sterling Pig Brewery, this 2024 guide covers the best BBQ near Philly.

Click here for a map of all six locations: Top Six BBQ Joints in Philadelphia Area

See Also

• Sweet ‘n’ Savory
• Craft Beer Meets Keto: Enjoying Low-Carb Brews with Healthy Meals

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

Thanks again for reading everyone. Take some time to check out the site, we greatly appreciate it. We have affiliates and sponsors with Pretzels.com and Beer Drop.com, which can save you money on their products if you are interested. Check out our articles on them. Make sure to check out our beer reviews, brewery reviews, Amy’s weekly column, book reviews, hike reviews, and so much more.

As always, thank you everyone for reading! Leave your likes, comments, suggestions, questions, etc, in the comments section. Or use the Feedback – Contact Us – page, and we’ll get right back to you! You can also reach out to us at our direct e-mail address: thebeerthrillers@gmail.com

Thank you for visiting our blog. Please make sure to follow, bookmark, subscribe, and make sure to comment and leave feedback and like the blog posts you read. It will help us to better tailor the blog to you, the readers, likes and make this a better blog for everyone.

We are working on a massive project here at The Beer Thrillers. We are creating a map of all of the breweries across the United States. State by state we are adding maps of all of the different states with every brewery in each state. (We will eventually get to the US Territories, as well as the Canadian Provinces, and possibly more countries; as well as doing some fun maps like a map of all the breweries we’ve been to, and other fun maps.) You can find the brewery maps here:

• MAPS OF BREWERIES

We are also working on a project of creating printable and downloadable PDFs and resources to be able to check and keep track of all of the breweries you’ve been to. So stay tuned for that project once we are finished with the Brewery Maps of the US States.

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

You can now find us on our Discord Server here: The Beer Thrillers (Discord Server). We’ve also joined LinkTree to keep track of all of our social media pages, as well as hot new articles we’ve written.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

We have partnered with an affiliateship with Beer Drop.com. You can check out that partnership and receive great discounts, coupons, and more here: Beer Drop. Going here and logging in and ordering will help you receive your discounts and coupons as well as help support our page. Thank you for helping to support The Beer Thrillers and to help us maintain the site and blog and to keep it running.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #5 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #9 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of August 2024.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

You can also check out our partnership and affiliation with Pretzels.com, where ordering pretzels and using our affiliate code – AFFILIATE CODE IS THEBEERTHRILLERS20 – will help you get wonderful pretzels and help us maintain and keep this blog running. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

(Thank you for reading. The opinions, thoughts, and expressions of each article posted on The Beer Thrillers represents the author of the content and only themselves. It does not express the opinions, beliefs, or ideas held by The Beer Thrillers or any company in which the author themselves work for. Each piece of written content is written by the creator(s) listed in the authorial section on each article unless otherwise noted. Their opinions, comments, and words on screen do not represent any company in which they work for and / or are affiliated with or any non – profits that they contribute to. Thank you.)