When you think of states known for barbecue, Arizona probably doesn’t come to mind. Sure, we have a few talented pitmasters producing mouthwatering smoked meats, but Arizona’s budding barbecue scene has nothing on Texas, Kansas City, Memphis and the Carolinas. Yet, on a recent list of the best barbecue spots in the nation, a Phoenix restaurant came out on top.
On Monday, Yelp published its 2026 list of the “Top 100 BBQ Restaurants in the U.S.” The list’s writers filtered businesses that fit into Yelp’s barbecue category, and then ranked them based on the number of reviews and ratings each business received from Yelp Elite members, the site’s “most active and trusted” users.
On Yelp’s list, the No. 1 spot went to Little Miss BBQ. Owners Scott and Bekke Holmes opened their original location in 2014, bringing their Central Texas-inspired eats to the Valley. The smokehouse quickly became a darling of the Valley dining scene, earning accolades and well-deserved attention. As hungry customers continued to line up outside the University Drive eatery, the business expanded to Phoenix’s Sunnyslope neighborhood in 2018…