Nobody expected New York to dominate America’s BBQ scene — but DoorDash’s latest rankings just silenced every skeptic from Texas to Tennessee.
Forget everything you thought you knew about New York and BBQ. While the state has long been laughed off by Southern pitmasters, two restaurants from Western New York just earned a spot among the best BBQ delivery spots in the entire United States — and food lovers are losing their minds over it.
DoorDash released its nationwide ranking of top BBQ restaurants for delivery, and hidden among the usual Southern suspects were two Empire State underdogs that crushed the competition on customer ratings alone.
The Two Winners
Fat Bob’s Smokehouse — 41 Virginia Place, Buffalo, NY
Serving Buffalo since 1998 · Known for beef brisket, St. Louis pork ribs, pulled pork & pulled chicken
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que — Rochester, NY
Multiple NY locations · Rochester location topped DoorDash ratings · New Hamburg location just opened
Fat Bob’s Smokehouse has been feeding Buffalo’s hunger for real smoked meat since 1998. For over two decades, locals have lined up for their fall-off-the-bone St. Louis pork ribs and slow-smoked beef brisket — a loyalty that clearly translated when customers started rating their delivery orders.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Rochester, on the other hand, is practically a New York institution. With multiple locations across the state, it was the Rochester spot that rose to the top of DoorDash’s data — earning enough five-star reviews to compete with BBQ heavyweights from states that practically invented the art form.
So how exactly did DoorDash decide who made the cut? The company pulled data directly from its own platform — counting only delivery customer reviews from real orders. Every restaurant on the list had to have at least 1,000 verified reviews and maintain the highest average overall rating in their market. To keep things fair, only small to medium-sized restaurants with fewer than 10 locations were considered.
What This Means
New York’s BBQ scene is no longer a punchline. If you haven’t ordered from Fat Bob’s or Dinosaur BBQ yet — you’re seriously missing out. These aren’t just good for New York. They’re good for America.
Next time someone tells you New York can’t do BBQ, send them this story.
