Best Barbecue in Boston?

There’s a lot of love for Blue Ribbon BBQ on the boards. StriperGuy has traveled all over the South for work and eaten barbecue every place he could find it. And still, “I did not hit a single place that would have blown BR away.”

Menu picks are the pulled pork (“moist and intensely smoky,” says Guilty Glutton), the mustardy gold sauce, and pretty much all the sides: mashed potatoes, collards, corn, green beans, and the cheesy grits, a special that yumyum says is “dreamy.” Order an iced tea on the side (“sweet but not too sweet,” says Guilty Glutton), and save room for the wonderful key lime pie.

There are two branches of Blue Ribbon, one in Newton, which is a bit smaller, with about a dozen counter seats and a couple of outside table, and another in Arlington, which has inside seating for about 12 folks, counter seats, and a nice patio that’s fun in good weather. Service at both branches is exceptionally friendly and cheerful.

Blue Ribbon’s catering is just as good as the food in the store, and you’ll be brought tons of food: “We ordered for the right number of people but then had enough to send three meals’ worth home with the babysitter, brought dinner to my sister’s the next day, then brought more to my dad’s … and still were eating BBQ for a week,” says jkc.

Blue Ribbon BBQ [Newton]
1375 Washintgon Street, Newton
617-332-2583

Blue Ribbon BBQ [Arlington]
908 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington
781-648-7427

Board Links: Blue Ribbon Rules
blue ribbon barbeque catering