Only 1 Florida Restaurant Ranked Among The South's 50 Best Barbecue Joints
By Zuri Anderson
October 3, 2023
It's that time of the year, again! Southern Living recently unveiled its 2023 list of the "Top 50 Barbecue Joints" in the South, and only one Florida restaurant made the cut this year.
Contributing Barbecue Editor Robert Moss compiled this year’s rankings based “upon the enjoyment of the meal and the overall experience of the visit.” He took into account sauces, food presentation, side dishes, desserts, restaurant setting, and of course, the delicious barbecue to determine his picks.
Tropical Smokehouse is the one representing the Sunshine State on his year's list! This joint has been around for a couple of years, and it's already making a splash with its unique take on barbecue inspired by Florida's identity. Ross explains why this eatery earned its place on the list:
"Chef Rick Mace opened Tropical Smokehouse in 2021 with the explicit goal of creating a new Florida style of barbecue. The offering includes standards borrowed from other parts of the South, like prime brisket and spareribs cooked on a big offset smoker. The most compelling items, though, draw upon the Florida seas or incorporate Caribbean flavors, like spicy smoked wahoo dip and mojo-laced pulled pork. The sausage links are stuffed with a blend of ground Duroc pork and Everglades gator, while golden brown empanadas are filled with a savory chopped brisket and gooey melted cheese. Best of all is the smoked mahi, which is tender and flaky beneath a mahogany brown crust brimming with hardwood smoke. Even more of this Florida-style ‘cue is on the way, too, for Mace has a second location in the works a few miles north in downtown West Palm Beach."
You can find Tropical Smokehouse at 3815 S Dixie Hwy in West Palm Beach. They recently opened another venture, Tropical BBQ Market, downtown on South Olive Avenue.