Best BBQ

Bone Lick Park
Sure, it sounds like a Dirk Diggler movie, but telling friends you’re eating at Bone Lick Park is well worth the sniggers. This place is all about the ’cue, slow-cooked out back in a wood-burning pit. The scent of hickory, apple and cherry wood emanates from the terrific baby back ribs, which are sticky and supple beneath a shroud of peppery sauce. And the Carolina pulled-pork sandwich delivers smoky flavor with less mess. 75 Greenwich Ave between Seventh Ave South and Bank St (212-647-9600). Average main course: $13.

Daisy May's BBQ USA
Former Daniel chef Adam Perry Lang's menu stretches from the hills of Tennessee (beer-can chicken) to the Midwest (Kansas City sweet ribs) and back again. Carolina pulled pork, Memphis-style 'cue—the range is troublesome if you have strong feelings about where real barbecue comes from (that'd be eastern North Carolina). Nevertheless, the man has a smoker and it's cranking out tender, flavorful meat, along with “bacony” beans (spiked with the burnt ends of brisket) and creamed corn with New York State cheddar. 623 Eleventh Ave at 46th St (212-977-1500). Average main course: $16.

Fette Sau
Hog-happy highlights at glutton-friendly smokehouse include a deli-style 'cue station featuring glistening cuts of beef and pork by the pound, as well as poultry, like brined and smoked Cornish hens. Stick to staples like smoky espresso-and-brown-sugar-rubbed ribs, and the less-than-orthodox pastrami (made with beef tongue). 354 Metropolitan Ave between Havemeyer and Roebling Sts (718-963-3404). Average main course: $18.

The Smoke Joint
What sets apart this new Fort Greene spot is its claim to offering "real New York barbecue." But partners Craig Samuel (City Hall) and Ben Grossman (Picholine, La Grenouille) don't stray far from the four basic 'cue groups: ribs, chicken, brisket and pork. "Brooklyn wings" had plenty of smoky flavor, and the lean, slightly singed baby back ribs tasted of hickory, mesquite and maple woods. House sauces were especially addictive: Piquant "joint smoke" is cooked for six hours, and the vinegary "holla-peña" is made with sambal spice. 87 South Elliott Pl between Fulton St and Lafayette Ave, Fort Greene, Brooklyn (718-797-1011). Average main course: $13.

Hill Country
The guys behind Hill Country are about as Texan as Bloomberg in a Stetson, but the 'cue deserves Lone Star cred all the same. Sausage imported from Kreuz market in Lockhart, Texas; slow-smoked slabs of tips-on pork spare ribs; and two brisket options—lean and "moist" (read: fatty)—are not to be missed. 30 W 26th St between Broadway and Sixth Ave (212-255-4544). Average pound of meat: $18.

Georgia's Eastside BBQ
Except for a Tuesday night brisket, not much smoking is done here—owner Alan Natkiel believes in oven-roasting his meat with beer and finishing it on the grill. The unorthodox technique works just fine. Quality 'cue staples served in this small, wood-paneled space include the huge rack of pork ribs—tender flesh with a spicy rub needed little coaxing to be separated from the bone. Fried chicken was spectacular—crunchy, salty crust, the meat oozing with moisture. 192 Orchard St between E Houston and Stanton Sts (212-253-6280). Average main course: $15. Cash only

Blue Smoke
Kenny Callaghan, chef at St. Louis native Danny Meyer's barbecue joint, knows his wet sauces and dry rubs: The menu includes traditional Kansas spareribs, Texas salt-and-pepper beef ribs, Memphis baby backs and Kansas City spareribs. The atmosphere is sports-heavy and includes a prominent bourbon bar and galvanized-metal buckets for your bones. 116 E 27th St between Park Ave South and Lexington Ave (212-447-7733). Average main course: $20.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
The old Harlem meatpacking warehouse sees a heady parade of low-country favorites like fried green tomatoes, smoked chicken wings and beer-boiled shrimp. But true 'cue lovers should go straight for the meat: Fork-tender beef brisket, succulent ribs and juicy pulled pork get a dry rub, up to 18 hours of smoking over hickory, apple and cherry woods, and are finished with a slather of sweet-spicy secret sauce. 646 W 131st St between Broadway and Twelfth Ave (212-694-1777). Average main course: $18.

R.U.B. BBQ
The name stands for Righteous Urban Barbecue, and that's not all that's cocky about this 'cue joint. R.U.B. takes no reservations, and doesn't apologize for the paper plates and paper towels they call dishes and napkins. The message: Our barbecue is so good, nothing else matters. Paul Kirk, a seven-time world barbecue champion, is the man behind the mission, and while the grub ain't flawless by Kansas City Barbecue Society standards, less discerning eaters will find much to praise. Ribs are lean and tender, and the details are just right: Wonder Bread comes with each platter, and the slew of ever-important side dishes includes delicious baked beans studded with bits of brisket. 208 W 23rd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (212-524-4300). Average main course: $18.

Virgil's Real BBQ
Even the most skeptical Southerners vouch for the barbecue here; Virgil's has some of the tastiest brisket, ribs and pulled pork north of the Mason-Dixon, all smoked over hickory, oak and cherry woods. Portions are Texas-sized, and your knife and fork are folded in an oilcloth, not a white napkin, in case things get messy at the trough. 152 W 44th St between Sixth Ave and Broadway (212-921-9494). Average main course: $18.

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