City Barbeque

Menu

City Barbeque serves beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, pulled chicken with 'Bama sauce, smoked sausage, bone-in chicken, and St. Louis–cut ribs, plus a variety of crafted sandwiches. All meats are smoked in on-site smokers at each location. Sides include fries, green beans with bacon, mac & cheese, coleslaw, corn pudding, hush puppies, cornbread, collards with pork, potato salad, side salads, and baked beans with brisket. The menu also includes shareables, salads, samplers, and three desserts: peach cobbler, banana pudding, and triple chocolate cake. They often have a rotating limited time offering on the menu as well.

Awards

City Barbeque's food has been recognized by the Kansas City Barbeque Society (American Royal Invitational World Champion Brisket), Restaurant Hospitality magazine ("More Cowbell," named one of the country's best sandwiches), the National Turkey Federation (Turkey on the Menu, Fast Casual category), and Cooking with Paula Deen (Ten to Try: Banana Pudding). The restaurant itself was named the top barbecue restaurant in Columbus by Business Insider in 2012, one of the top 25 barbecue spots in the country by Men's Journal in 2014, and the country's second best barbecue chain by The Daily Meal in 2017.

In 2018, City Barbeque was named to QSR's 40/40 list; in 2017, it held the #48 spot on Restaurant Business's Future 50. In 2023, readers voted City Barbeque the winner of Nation's Restaurant News Barbeque Showdown. The company was named best employer (under 500 employees) in Columbus, Ohio from 2016 to 2018. In 2018, founder Rick Malir received a Smart 50 Award from Smart Business Columbus.

City Barbeque received a Pillar Award for Community Service in 2019. Also in 2019, TDn2K named City Barbeque the Best Practices Award recipient for the fast-casual category.

History

The first City Barbeque location opened in a former doughnut shop in Upper Arlington, Ohio, at 2111 W Henderson Road, Columbus, Ohio, and was still in operation as of 2025. A number of delays pushed back the opening of that first location, so founder Rick Malir started fulfilling catering orders out of his home to sustain the business while waiting for the restaurant to be ready.