Illinois and Wisconsin BBQ Restaurants Named One of Best in U.S.

Having spent many years of my life in parts of America where making Barbecue is not just an art but a religion, I discovered some personal favorites from the Midwest to the South.

Where I grew up in southern Indiana on the border with Kentucky and Illinois, there were several great BBQ joints in the Tri-State area.

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Just up the hill from my high school in Evansville, Indiana is Marx BBQ. Every couple of days after I got out of detention, I would walk up to Marx's for a chopped pork sandwich on rye bread with a bag of Grippos BBQ chips and an ice-cold Ski.

Across the river in Owensboro, Kentucky is the world-famous Moonlite Bar-B-Q that was always a favorite when visiting my ole' Kentucky home.

During my years in Alabama, Dreamland Ribs in Birmingham became my all-time favorite place in the world for BBQ ribs and banana puddin'.

Best Places for BBQ in Illinois and Wisconsin

No matter where you travel across the U.S., you can find the Best Spots for BBQ thanks to Food and Wine who recently shared the 'Best BBQ in Every State.'

Topping their list of Best BBQ joints around the Midwest:

Whatcha Smokin? BBQ and Brew in Luther, Iowa

Speed Queen Bar-B-Que in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lem's Bar-B-Q House in Chicago, Illinois

A new favorite in Illinois is Honey 1 BBQ in Chicago. Food and Wine says "in a relatively short amount of time, Arkansas-born Robert Adams has created a new South Side classic."

CLICK HERE to see Food and Wine's complete list of Best BBQ in Every State.