JAC’s Craft Smokehouse: Find them in Downtown West Monroe. They’re known as the area’s only craft smokehouse – serving dishes that you wouldn’t see on a typical menu at a barbecue restaurant; like their fried brussels sprouts appetizer, BBQ tacos or brisket quesadillas. Dress any of your selected dishes with their homemade award-winning sauces that range between sweet and spicy. If you run into trouble choosing among a meat, side, or sauce flavor, try it all at once! JAC’s Craft Smokehouse’s “Mac Attack” dish allows you to have a bowl of its mac and cheese, topped with your choice of pulled pork or chopped brisket, dressed with either of their award-winning sweet or spicy barbecue sauce – along with a touch of crushed in-house fried pork skins. *Honored as Louisiana Travel Association’s 2025 Restaurateur of the Year*

Danken Trail: When you come into town, enjoy a family or friends’ night out at Danken Trail to set the tone of your trip. The team at Danken Trail gets started early at the break of day to make sure visitors have scratch-made sides, sauces, bread, ribs, and other meats. If you’re the one sitting at the dining table craving something other than barbecue, they will take care of you with their small, special, or regular sized catfish plates. Making the dishes “low and slow” is how they’ve served amazing barbecue to the Monroe-West Monroe and all of Ouachita Parish since 1983!

BBQ Pit: For the turkey lovers, BBQ Pit has it listed as one of its meats! At this spot in Sterlington, you can have one of your favorite classic barbecue meats in form of a salad, po-boy or sandwich. Don’t forget to pair it up with their special side of “Pit’s Twice Baked Potato Salad.” Make room for one of their pies by the slice that include flavors such as key lime, lemon meringue, pecan, turtle, Hershey’s chocolate, or cookies-n-cream.

Podnuh's Bar-B-Q: Sit down at this local BBQ restaurant, which is also known as Louisiana’s original barbecue joint. After you walk in, your first task is to immediately meet the cutter at the chopping block to pick out your tender brisket, pulled pork, classic homemade sauce, and juicy chicken. Complete your Louisiana barbecue experience with a homestyle side like their potato salad, coleslaw, or tomato-cucumber salad! While dining in, you’ll no longer feel like visitors. Podnuh’s claims everyone who shares a home-cooked meal with them as family!

Shaw Nuff BBQ: Go and tell Sam Shaw hello at Shaw Nuff BBQ! Get full off their “Mary Ann’s Pork Chop Plate” that comes with two sides consisting of beans, salad, corn, coleslaw, and green beans. Do you like your beef chopped up or sliced? They’ll take care of that for you on their artistic sandwiches. If you can’t get enough of their sides, take a pint home with you. This barbecue joint likes to challenge their visitors. For one order, they’ll throw everything on the pit, and give you a cold tea to see if you can handle it! There’s no specific closing time at Shaw Nuff BBQ. It’s open “till all the food is gone!”

From hidden gems to local favorites, our BBQ scene is packed with flavor and Southern hospitality. So grab some napkins, bring your appetite, and start making your way through the best BBQ in the Twin Cities. Trust us - your taste buds will thank you!