America’s Best States for a Top-Level BBQ Experience

14. Arkansas

Travelers will no doubt come across the aromatic smell of burning hickory in towns dotting the map across Arkansas. While the state is a southern one, experts say it's also a fringe state and not part of any one region, making its barbecue hard to categorize. Their meat of choice is pork, except for the areas that border Texas, where beef has also made its way onto menus. Sauces vary from one place to another, ranging from mild to wildly hot. Locals advise that some of the most ramshackle little roadside buildings serve the best barbecue dishes.