Best of Boston

2003 Best Barbecue Restaurant, Restaurant

Redbones

The years-long influx of challengers has ebbed, the smoke has cleared, and the winner and still champion is…Redbones. This is barbecue the way it’s meant to be: noisy, messy, and crowded, with a selection of thick, meaty ribs that reads like a geography lesson—Texas, Memphis, Arkansas, St. Louis. Not in the mood? Try the fried Louisiana catfish or grilled sausage sandwich, or skip straight to the pecan pie. And don’t forget to wash it all down with one of the 24 beers on tap. It’s enough to make even a southerner all weepy.

55 Chester St., Somerville, 617-628-2200, redbones.com/