Our Best BBQ Moments of 2024

We share some highlights and best barbecue bites from the past year.

As 2024 draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on some of our best barbecue experiences this year. From traveling to some excellent BBQ joints to talking to one-of-a-kind voices in the community, 2024 has been memorable.

2024 Highlights

Here are some of the top moments from the past year.

We loved our experience at Sweet Lew’s BBQ in Charlotte. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

We traveled to North Carolina earlier this year to experience some of the best old-school and new-school joints in and around Charlotte.

Ben Sassani, the founder of BBQ Confessional, talked to us about photography, BBQ, culture, embarrassing stories, and much more. Read here.

Ed Reilly wrote about the surprising amount of barbecue and culinary culture in East Tennessee. Read here.

Palmira Barbecue has gathered much acclaim in the past year or two, including for its beef cheek tostones. (Photo by Monk / Barbecue Bros)

Monk from Barbecue Bros wrote about Palmira Barbecue before it was named the top Texas BBQ joint outside of Texas. Read here.

Sean wrote about his experience at the Pig Island NYC event, which featured inventive pork dishes, whole hog, pulled pork, sausage, and more. Read here.

Ryan wrote about returning to the newsletter after a necessary break and how he has explored Mediterranean and Middle Eastern grilling. Read here.

Best Bites of 2024

It also wouldn’t be right to wrap up the year without mentioning a few of the best dishes we ate. Some of our favorite bites of 2024 included:

Visiting Jon G’s is a treat for the senses. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)

We loved the brisket and beef ribs (and everything else!) from Jon G’s in North Carolina.

Ryan loves the ribs at J’s Smokehouse in Omaha. (Photo by Wai Chan)

Ryan’s favorite bite of the year back home in Omaha has to be the cranberry spareribs, a new item served only on Saturdays at J’s Smokehouse.

The brisket sandwiches from Avellino Family Barbecue from Connecticut are incredible. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

Sean fell in love with the brisket sandwich from Avellino Family Barbecue at the annual Brisket King NYC event.

The Rueben and everything else we ate at Lewis Barbecue in Greenville was impressive. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)

We were impressed with the Rueben sandwich with house-cured pastrami at Lewis Barbecue in Greenville, South Carolina. (Nearly every other bite we had was great, too.)

Sean had a great time and great bites this past Father’s Day at Red White and Que in New Jersey. (Photo by Stephanie Tackach)

Sean, alongside his two small boys, had a great Father’s Day meal at Red White and Que Smokehouse in Green Brook, New Jersey.

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Overall, 2024 was a whirlwind with highs, lows, and everything in between. We look forward to seeing what 2025 brings.

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Sean Ludwig and Ryan Cooper
Co-Founders, The Smoke Sheet