Best Barbecue Joint In MD 2025 Grills Classics: Southern Living

BALTIMORE, MD — Southern barbecue lovers have named the regional "kings of the grill."

The readers of Southern Living have voted Blue Pit BBQ and Whiskey Bar in Baltimore as Maryland's 2025 Best Barbecue Joint, the magazine announced this month.

Southern Living hosted a survey that included at least 10,000 voters making their selections from July 10-Aug. 21 last year.

Being served a taste of victory, Blue Pit was named among 16 of the South's best barbecue eateries that were decided by readers.

"The results have been fairly consistent in recent few years, with a familiar cast of old favorites tending to bubble to the top. There are always a few surprises in the mix, though, and the top picks for 2025 are quite reflective of the current state of barbecue in the South," Southern Living writer Robert F. Moss wrote in his report.

"For starters, there’s a blend of old and new. Roughly half the joints in this year’s list are more than 50 years old, and the other half were founded in the 21st century. Only one opened during the fallow years of the 1980s and '90s."

The namesake of Blue Pit is the Union Avenue eatery's blue pit bull and pit barbecue, according to the company website. Dogs considered well-behaved are allowed on the restaurant patio, where water bowls, a dog selfie board, treats and special gifts are available.

"We believe in community, and we believe in Baltimore," read the company website.

Blue Pit boasts a menu that features 18-hour pit-cooked pork, coffee-rubbed brisket, four-cheese macaroni, baked beans, collard greens, red chili mayo slaw, Chesapeake pickleball slaw and bratwurst on a pretzel roll.

See what Southern Living says about Blue Pit BBQ and Whiskey Bar:

"Two storied Southern traditions—slow-aged whiskey and slow-smoked meats—converge at Blue Pit BBQ and Whiskey Bar in Baltimore. There aren’t many frills to setting—folding metal chairs and mismatched tables inside, picnic tables with blue umbrellas on the deck out back—but the lineup of spirits and barbecue is over the top. The whiskey list spans hundreds of labels. Metal platters brim with thick slices of coffee-rubbed brisket and slabs of bourbon-glazed ribs. Sandwiches are piled high with pulled pork or chicken, and they’re accompanied by amped-up versions of classic sides, like red chili mayo slaw and loaded potato salad laced with Benton’s bacon."

Blue Pit BBQ and Whiskey Bar: 1601 Union Ave., (443) 948-5590

See Southern Living's full ranking online.