Best BBQ in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia — updated August 21, 2026
Three Richmond-area spots for smoked meat, ranked by how well the evidence backs them up — from a Texas-style counter that sells out to a Glen Allen smokehouse doing both brisket and Carolina pulled pork.
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Richmond sits on the seam between two barbecue traditions: Carolina pulled pork on one side, Texas brisket on the other, and the city's best-known smokehouses hedge by cooking both. The practical consequence is that hours matter more here than menus. The strongest option in town runs first come, first served until the meat runs out, which means a 1 p.m. arrival can be a wasted trip.
1. ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque
The most thoroughly proven barbecue in Richmond: 4.7 stars across more than 2,800 reviews, which is a rating that has had plenty of chances to slip and hasn't. Service runs Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the operation is explicit that it is first come, first served from 11 a.m. and closes early if it sells out. Sunday is the short day, ending at 3 p.m. Beef brisket is sold by the pound off the main menu, and beef cheeks are a Saturday-only item. The address is 3201 W Moore St. Go early rather than clever.
2. Q Barbeque
The pick if you want both barbecue traditions in one order and a dinner hour that actually exists. Q Barbeque's Glen Allen location at 1070 Virginia Center Pkwy opens at 11 a.m. and runs to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so it covers the evenings ZZQ does not. The menu spans Texas-style hickory-smoked prime beef brisket, Carolina pulled pork cooked low and slow for up to sixteen hours, and sliced turkey breast; there is a BBQ plate combining ribs, burnt ends and pork. Curbside pickup and delivery are offered. A 4.5 rating over more than 1,700 reviews is settled, if a step below first place.
3. Scotty's Taphouse
The loosest fit on this list, and worth saying so plainly: at 4.0 stars from 93 reviews, Scotty's has neither the volume nor the barbecue-specific track record of the two above, and the specials it advertises lean toward half-price cheese pizzas, half-price burgers and $2 Miller High Life pints rather than smoked meat. Treat it as a Mactavish Avenue bar with food rather than a smokehouse. It is closed Monday and Tuesday, opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. on weekends, and runs to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, when it is 23 and up after 9 p.m.