CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Queen City is no stranger to landing high on various rankings, such as lists that name the best places to live or determine which areas have the fast-growing populations. But barbecue? That’s not something we’ve typically been noted for.
That is, until now.
A ranking by Chef’s Pencil, a self-described “international foodie magazine,” puts Charlotte at No. 3 on a ranking of “America’s Best & Worst Cities for BBQ.” New Orleans tops that list, followed by Oklahoma City.
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“Charlotte has made leaps in the BBQ game in the past few years and patrons couldn’t agree more,” reads the write-up. It notes Midwood Smokehouse and Mac’s Speed Shop as local favorites.
However, Chef’s Pencil purports to use Tripadvisor restaurant reviews for its analysis — a claim the travel information and review site disputes. A spokesperson for Tripadvisor tells CBJ the company rejects the methodology used to come up with the ranking.
Tripadvisor’s own list of the best spots for barbecue focuses on restaurants — not cities — and uses proprietary data that an outside party would not be able to access, including the recency, quantity and quality of reviews.
Read more here.
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