These 5 Illinois Cities Are Among The Best BBQ Cities In America

One of the best parts about celebrating the Fourth of July is the food.

Barbecue is a popular staple of the upcoming holiday, but some cities know how to get the job done better than others.

That’s why LawnStarter ranked the Best BBQ Cities in America, combing through nearly 200 of the largest cities in the country and ranking them “based on 14 hallmarks of a true ‘cue hub.”

LawnStarter revealed its findings Wednesday (June 30), just in time to get ready for Independence Day cookouts.

Here’s what LawnStarter says:

“What are the key ingredients of the best BBQ city? Award-winning barbecue restaurants and chefs, experience hosting a ‘master-level’ competition, multiple barbecue festivals, and high fan ratings, among others.”

So, which cities “smoked the competition,” according to LawnStarter?

One Illinois city even cracked the Top 3, the list shows.

Here are the Illinois cities that made the cut:

• No. 2: Chicago
• No. 121: Joliet
• No. 134: Naperville
• No. 192: Rockford
• No. 199: Aurora

Chicago was second only to Kansas City, Missouri.

Here’s the Top 10 list:

1. Kansas City, MO
2. Chicago, IL
3. Houston, TX
4. Cincinnati, OH
5. Memphis, TN
6. Louisville, KY
7. St. Louis, MO
8. New York, NY
9. Minneapolis, MN
10. Overland Park, KS

See the full list here.