Have you ever had sticky ribs cooked by a famous K-Pop star? Well, you’re missing out. Since 2010, Atlantans have had a fan-like obsession with Heirloom Market BBQ, which is helmed by former Korean pop star-turned-chef, Jiyeon Lee and her Texas-raised husband Cody Taylor. Widely considered among the best barbecues spots in the entire state, Heirloom Market BBQ gives you the best of both worlds with menu items like their smoked ribs with a gochujang rub and tender beef brisket.

Walk into this Virginia-Highlands favorite and you see all the familiar comforts: wood planks on the wall, bourbon bottles on the shelves and UGA football on the TV. It feels like home. And while you’ll spot traditional terms such as “pulled pork” and “smoked brisket” on the menu, know that these dishes will be presented in fun, untypical ways. (See: brisket egg rolls.) That’s because Sweet Auburn BBQ owners Anita and Howard Hsu do their barbecue with an Asian spin.

Pit Boss in Hapeville is a counter service BBQ spot that doesn’t cut corners: no parboiled ribs or oven-roasted brisket here, only meats that have spent hours on the smoker. Few establishments do smoked meats as well as Pit Boss. Once a tiny spot where you'd smell like smoke after a visit, the restaurant is now in a larger location across the street. Despite the move, the quality of their smoked ribs, wings, and pulled chicken remains top-notch.

If you're planning a visit to Stan’s Smoke Signals, get there early because the popular, Donald Lee Hollowell-adjacent BBQ food truck often sells out. The truck is only open on weekends from noon to 6 pm, but they’re often out of food as early as 4pm. Stan’s is a go-to for well-seasoned meats like smoked wings and riblets, not to mention soulful sides that all have a pinch of sweet, like the potato salad, moist cornbread, and savory baked beans.

When you walk into this unfussy East Atlanta spot, you’re immediately greeted with a yellow menu plastered on the wall. The roster is large both in square footage and options. Your eyes will float between the rib-n-chicken dinner and rib tips, beef sausage sandwich and turkey burger combo. You won’t go wrong with any protein pick. But if we had a slotted spatula to our heads and had to single out one item, it would have to be the smoked wings.

Texas-born siblings Jonathan and Justin Fox opened their first barbecue joint in Atlanta in 2007 with the goal of bringing some of that Lone Star flair to the A. And as any best-of list worth its weight in wood chips will tell you, the brothers have more than accomplished their mission. Expect ‘cue-craving crowds at any of the three area locations. At the Chattahoochee Food Works address, stretch out in an airy dining room while nibbling on juicy brisket, chicken, or smoked turkey.

Cueing up some Jeffrey Osborne or Isaac Hayes seems like a necessary prerequisite before pulling up to the parking lot of Rodney Scott’s BBQ. Why? Because everything feels so f*cking soulful inside. The West End counter service barbecue spot, named after the restaurant owner, is well-known for the whole-hog cooking style. Additionally, turkey, chicken wings, and brisket get their turn on the heat.

The interior at Daddy D’z feels like a restaurant in another country trying to recreate a barbecue joint for ex-pats. The only thing is that the faded stickers on the door, the dusty highway signs on the wall, and the peeled-paint patio here ain’t a gimmick. This place has looked exactly like this for decades. And during that same time frame, the hickory-smoked awesomeness coming from the back has pleased hungry ATLiens. Start things off with smoked wings that you drizzle in the house sauce.

We’ve never attended a family reunion in Texas, but if we ever do, we’re guessing it’ll feel a lot like a meal at Hattie Marie’s. With pitmasters from Port Arthur overseeing things, this friendly College Park operation wows with slow-smoked brisket and juicy chicken instead of wooing with gimmicky bbq-themed decorations. Like any proper family function, though, Hattie Marie’s takes a lil’ long preparing the food and the taste of its sides widely varies.

Some come in for the club vibes, others are there because someone told them about their smoked wings (maybe that was us). Either way, they all discover that tasty, sticky barbecue is not at all contradictory to a party-like social scene. Get the ribs or the smoked wings and smother them with their zesty, housemade Carolina barbecue sauce, our preference over their semi-sour traditional sauce.