When you think about barbecue places like St. Louis, Memphis, Louisville come to mind, not Illinois.

I'm here to tell you that Illinois has several great BBQ joints. In fact, one Rockford area place made our state's top 10 list!

I'm always out on the look out for really good barbecue.

You know the kind that just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.

Mmm.. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

BestThingsIllinois searched all over our state to find barbecue places that were truly authentic with their barbecuing techniques. They found that only a handful that meet their standards of taking "pride in their meats, rubs, sauces, and smoking techniques to ensure only the most tender, juicy, mouthwatering meats."

Of the 10 places, one Rockford area BBQ joint landed on the list.

Smokin' Coop BBQ Pit in Belvidere!

Awesome!

I've heard about that place for years but have yet gone to try it. Now I most definitely will have to go!

In no particular order here are the rest that made the list.

Wow! Just looking at that list I've got a lot of ground to make up and the cool thing is some of these places aren't that far from Rockford.

Who's ready for a road trip!

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