Salinas City BBQ
700 W. Market St., Salinas 758-2227, salinascitybbq.com
The house sauce is boss, the smoker is fire, the meats are carefully curated, the craft beers are divine, the staff is sweet. Barbecue means a lot of different things – nostalgia, family time, a special treat – and the fact that Salinas City BBQ does so many things well presents the primary reason they’re a perennial in this category. Speaking of treats, the ribs here are righteous, individually stripped, hand-rubbed and slow-smoked with just the right amount of indirect oak heat.