Top 10 best BBQ restaurants in New Hampshire [NH] worth a visit

So, what are the best BBQ restaurants in New Hampshire?

I’ve compiled a list of New Hampshire’s top BBQ restaurants. You’ll find the stand-out dish at each location, plus a reason why I recommend dining at the restaurant.

So, whether you’re a fan of traditional southern barbecue flavors or looking for the tastiest slow-cooked meat, I’ve got you covered.

Next time you’re driving through NH or on vacation there, you won’t have to search for tasty smoky food. I’m sharing the top 10 BBQ restaurants.

All are open for in-house dining; some offer takeout and even catering.

One of the most popular restaurants in New Hampshire is the famous Yankee Smokehouse, known for slow-smoked meats, delicious dry rubs, and tasty BBQ sauces.

But, I’m sharing 9 other great restaurants around the state with delicious dining options. Many restaurants have seating areas outside, too, so you can enjoy your meal outdoors.

Best BBQ restaurants in New Hampshire	Images
Best BBQ restaurant for chicken: Yankee Smokehouse	(view menu)
BBQ restaurant with best prices: Smokeshow Barbeque	(view menu)
Best BBQ restaurant for ribs: KC’s Rib Shack	(view menu)
Best BBQ restaurant for brisket: BBQ Shak	(view menu)
Best BBQ restaurant for meat and side dish combos: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse	(view menu)
Best BBQ restaurant for sandwiches: Smoke Shack Cafe	(view menu)
Best national BBQ restaurant chain: Willie Jewell’s Old-School BBQ	(view menu)
Best BBQ restaurant for wings: Wildwood Smokehouse	(view menu)
Best restaurant for BBQ platters: Georgia’s Northside	(view menu)
Best restaurant for Texas-style BBQ: Bellies-n-Butts	(view menu)

Tasty BBQ up north?

Most people usually associate the best BBQ with the American south. Texas, South Carolina, and other southern states are best known for the best low-and-slow-cooked meats in the country.

But, you’ll be surprised to find that barbecue in New Hampshire is just as tasty. It’s all about finding the perfect restaurants and the whole New England region, for that matter, has A LOT OF THEM!

The main difference in Northern-style barbecue is that the meat is usually seasoned with dry rub and then low-and-slow-cooked. Once ready, it is served with a variety of barbeque sauces from all regions of America.

Popular side dishes include cornbread, coleslaw, green salads, baked beans, corn, potato salad, and more!

Best BBQ restaurants in New Hampshire reviewed

Now let’s see which New Hamphire BBQ restaurants are worth a detour.

Best BBQ restaurant for chicken: Yankee Smokehouse (West Ossipee, NH)

• check the Yankee Smokehouse menu
• best known for: smoked meat pizza, BBQ sauce, smokehouse ribs
• address: 2345 White Mountain Hwy, West Ossipee, NH

This restaurant is probably the most famous steakhouse in all of New Hampshire. It’s best known for delicious BBQ, its homemade BBQ sauce, and its selection of BBQ-flavored pizza.

But don’t skip out on smokehouse ribs and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs. They’ve got lots of award-winning menu items that are flavor-packed.

Yankee Smokehouse offers all kinds of options for dinner, including BBQ meat, pizza, and of course, classic sides like corn on the cob and french fries.

You can even order starters like corn chowder or potato skins. There’s no shortage of options for true barbecue lovers.

BBQ restaurant with best prices: Smokeshow Barbeque (Concord, NH)

• check the Smokeshow Barbeque menu
• best known for: affordable ribs, turkey, brisket, pork, and sausages
• address: 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, NH

Smokeshow is highly rated by locals and tourists alike. They serve classic slow-cooked BBQ with tasty BBQ sauce and many meat options.

Their best foods are the pulled pork, ribs, and brisket. In fact, the brisket is the star because it’s got all the smoky aroma you’d expect from a traditional barbeque.

The menu features a host of affordable lunch and dinner options.

If you want to enjoy 1/2 lb portions of smoked and barbecued meats, with many interesting sides like Texas caviar, mac n cheese, and even shepherd’s pie, then this place will not let you down.

Best BBQ restaurant for ribs: KC’S Rib Shack (Manchester, NH)

• check the KC’s Rib Shack menu
• best known for: smoked chicken breast, brisket, pork spare ribs
• address: 837 Second St, Manchester, NH

KC’s rib shack is best known for mouthwatering ribs and other types of traditional barbecue. The restaurant has a classic menu.

Their famous hickory-smoked ribs are served on a butcher-paper-covered wooden table. They also serve beef brisket Chinese pie and many other pitmaster specials and combos.

Compared to most of the other restaurants on my list, KC’s rib shack has many more options you can order.

There are many traditional and unique sides like chili, then salads, burgers, sandwiches, and more!

Best BBQ restaurant for brisket: The BBQ Shak & New Hampshire Smokehouse (New Hampton, NH)

• check out the BBQ Shak menu
• best known for: brisket, smoked pulled pork, or chicken sandwiches
• address: 599 NH-104, New Hampton, NH

This specialty restaurant serves some of the best baked beans in the area. But, they’re also known for tasty pulled pork or chicken thigh sandwiches made from slow-cooked tender meats.

The menu is pretty basic, but that’s because their food is so good; people keep coming back for the classics. If you want to try something like cheeseburger soup, then you must visit this place.

The prices are really affordable considering the large portions. It’s the kind of restaurant that’s worth a pit stop.

The food leaves a pleasant aftertaste, and you won’t regret trying the tender and moist brisket. It’s the perfect spot for a quick lunch or dinner.

Ordered a bit too much brisket? Take it home and learn how to properly reheat brisket here

Best BBQ restaurant for meat and side dish combos: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse (Brentwood, NH)

• check out the Goody Cole’s Smokehouse menu
• best known for: hickory-smoked meats and side dishes
• address: 374 NH-125, Brentwood, NH

If you’re a fan of classic BBQ with a variety of southern side dishes, you’ll love Good Cole’s tasty food. It is known for the ultimate barbecue comfort food.

The ribs are especially delicious, and you can find everything from chicken, pork, beef to chili on their menu. Then, you have to complete your meal with their refreshing sweet tea.

Goody Cole’s Smokehouse uses hickory wood to smoke their meat for 12 hours so that it’s infused with lots of smoky aromas.

When you walk in, you’ll smell the pleasant wood smoke of authentic Southern BBQ.

Also read: Best Woods for Smoking & the ultimate smoking wood chart

Best BBQ restaurant for sandwiches: Smoke Shack Cafe (Londonderry, NH)

• check out the Smoke Shack Cafe menu
• best known for: brisket, pulled pork & chicken, specialty sandwiches
• address: 226 Rockingham Rd, Londonderry, NH

The Smoke Shack cafe is really popular for its delicious smoked meat sandwiches. But, their brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, chicken wings, and pulled chicken dishes are fabulous too.

It’s a great restaurant if you’re looking for catering for a special occasion or want to order online. The food is tasty, and they serve homemade smoked foods all week long.

Although it’s called the Smoke Shack Cafe, the atmosphere is a mix between a classic BBQ restaurant and a bar with many tasty drink options.

You can enjoy a specialty smoked sandwich in a relaxed environment.

Best national BBQ restaurant chain: Willie Jewell’s Old-School BBQ (Nashua, NH)

• check out the Willie Jewell’s Old-School BBQ menu
• best known for: platters, smoked ribs, southern-style BBQ
• address: 569 Amherst St, Nashua, NH

This is a BBQ restaurant chain with many locations all over the United States.

If you’re looking for a classic southern-style flavor, you’ll love their by-the-pound pork, turkey, beef brisket, sausage, ribs, and of course, chicken.

They also have delicious sides like fried pickles, fried okra, coleslaw, and fries.

Willie Jewell’s is a great grab a bite and go kind of restaurant. Since it’s a chain restaurant, you’ll taste flavors from all over America.

If you’re on a trip, you can always stop here and have a smoked meaty salad or large family-sized platters.

Best BBQ restaurant for wings Wildwood Smokehouse (Sunapee, NH)

• check out the Wildwood Smokehouse menu
• best known for: wings, pulled pork, brisket, and baked beans
• address: 45 Main St, Sunapee, NH

The Wildwood Smokehouse is a small restaurant, so make sure you make a reservation to guarantee a table.

It’s one of the best places for an authentic barbecue with all the classics like brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken, and baked beans. But you can also find some gluten-free options and a whole host of delicious starters.

The lean pulled pork is served in large portions, so you can definitely share with others.

Customers also applaud the friendly service, which combined with the intimate setting, makes for a great BBQ restaurant option for a date night or a quick dinner.

Best restaurant for BBQ platters: Georgia’s Northside (Concord, NH)

• check out the Georgia’s Northside menu
• best known for: rapidly changing menu, chicken, sides
• address: 394 N State St, Concord, NH

This is quite a unique restaurant in Concord. It’s is kind of like a fast-food restaurant, but the menu changes daily so you’ll always find something fresh and exciting.

Think of this place as a combination between dad’s home-cooked steak and barbecue and a fast-food place restaurant where you can grab a quick bite and continue on your way.

You’ll find many comforting side dishes like corn on the cob, fries, and creamy salads.

Customers rave about the one-protein and three sides options so you can have an authentic and filling barbeque experience. Plus, there are some hot and spicy options, too, like spicy brisket.

So, there’s more to try besides well-known traditional foods. Large platters full of tasty BBQ meats are highly popular and very tasty!

Wondering How Much Meat you need Per Person for a BBQ?

Best restaurant for Texas-style BBQ: Bellies-n-Butts (Center Harbor, NH)

• check out the Bellies-n-Butts menu
• best known for: Texas-style bbq, baby back ribs, sandwiches
• address: 313 Whittier Hwy, Center Harbor, NH

Low and slow smoked meat is the ultimate comfort food you can find at Bellies-n-Butts. It’s the right place to visit if you crave authentic Texas-style bbq up north.

You can order some good pulled pork, baby back ribs, brisket, and even house-smoked pastrami from their ready-to-eat menu.

Then, you can take home leftovers to enjoy because portions are quite big. They also have some good Kielbasa (sausage) that you must try!

The BBQ sauce is just like any good old Southern dipping sauce, and since this restaurant has been around for years, they’ve really nailed all the sides too.

The location is right by the lake on the dock, so you’ve got some great views and a nice ambiance.

Takeaway

New Hampshire is a small state, but it’s got lots of great barbeque restaurants you have to try!

If you’re ever in the area, make sure to give at least some of these restaurants a try because you won’t be disappointed.

Who says Northerners don’t have delicious smokey meats and flavorful side dishes?

You can order tasty ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, sandwiches, and so much more at all these smokehouses.

Plus, they’re open for in-house dining, patio dining, and many offer delivery and catering so you can always get your barbeque fix.

Rather get started smoking your own meats? Check out my extensive review of the Best BBQ Smokers for Beginners: Top 7 Smokers + Buying Tips

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.