Tampa barbecue is spread out, and the pits with the longest histories are the ones furthest from the roundups.
The oldest. Big John's Alabama BBQ has been on 40th Street in East Tampa since 1968, opened by the late Rev. John A. Stephens after he moved his family here from Eufaula, Alabama. It still cooks on an open pit and his son Fred keeps it going. Jimbo's has smoked pork and ribs on West Kennedy since 1970 and states its claim without hedging.
Seminole Heights has three, all on or just off North Florida Avenue. Wicked Oak was the only single-location Tampa barbecue restaurant among TAMPA Magazine's 2026 Best Barbecue winners. The Liberty Smokehouse is veteran-owned and also runs a mobile smokehouse. Station House is firefighter-owned, three days a week, pre-order only, with Cuban Thursday ahead of the barbecue days.
Texas-style, in West Tampa. The Brisket Shoppe smokes Akaushi wagyu brisket over local oak and prints its rules on the wall: no freezers, no microwave, chef driven. Wednesday to Saturday from 11am until it runs out. It entered the Michelin Guide for the first time in 2026.
Elsewhere: Al's does Tennessee-style dry-rubbed ribs in Ybor, now at 2302 E 7th Ave after moving into the soul food shop; most guides still print the old address. Southern Luv smokes over pecan on Citrus Park Drive in the northwest corner of the county.
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