Yelp lists Springfield, Branson barbecue spots among top 50 in country
Looking for some top-notch barbecue? Two Ozarks barbecue restaurants are among the best in the nation, according to Yelp. The review site recently released its list of Top 100 Barbecue Spots for 2024.
Springfield's City Butcher & Barbecue snagged a spot at No. 12 and Gettin' Basted in Branson made the list at No. 38. The rankings were determined by a number of factors, including total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning barbecue, according to Yelp.
Since 2014, City Butcher & Barbecue has been serving up Texas-style barbecue. The brainchild of Cody Smith and Jeremy Smith got its start at local farmers markets, where they sold charcuterie items like bacon and sausage and gained "an awesome following," according to previous News-Leader reporting. As the business's popularity grew, the pair couldn't keep up with demand, and so opened their brick-andmortar location at 3650 S. Campbell Ave.
Although the founders are no longer involved, City Butcher's following has grown even more. Fans include former Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who said in 2018 that he chose to rehab in Springfield so he could visit the spot.
"It's always nice receiving accolades, even if it is from Yelp. Admittedly, the real accolade is having our wonderful customers support us every day by eating all the BBQ we smoke," City Butcher & Barbecue said in an email. "As we always say around the smoker, 'We make fine BBQ. At a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine BBQ.'"
Pitmaster and Saddlebrook resident Brad Leighniger started Gettin' Basted as a competition team, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the Kansas City Barbecue Society in 2018, according to past News-Leader reporting. It's known for its "Hot & Fast, Ozarks style" of barbecuing, where meat is roasted over live wood coals in 55-gallon barrels. The Branson location, 2845 W. 76 Country Blvd., opened in 2017, according to Gettin' Basted's website. The business also has a Nixa location at 606 W. Mount Vernon St.
Making it as one of the top 50 barbecue spots in the nation was a thrill for Leighniger.
"After winning countless awards on the professional BBQ circuit, Gettin' Basted is tremendously proud to have pioneered a new style of Hot & Fast BBQ available exclusively right here in the Ozarks," Leighniger said in an email. "We feel that the best BBQ in the world is served daily here in southwest Missouri, and being ranked #38 in the nation by Yelp users is validation that our guests agree!"
Other Missouri spots that made the list include No. 13 Bogart's Smokehouse in St. Louis, No. 15 Q39 Midtown in Kansas City, No. 28 Pappy's Smokehouse in St. Louis, No. 35 Scott's Kitchen and Catering at Hangar 29 in Kansas City and No. 98 Char Bar - Westport in Kansas City.
Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.