Salinas City Barbeque
700 W. Market St., Salinas (831) 758-2227, salinascitybbq.com
Barbecue purists will say that Californians should stick with what they know: the Santa Maria Grill and tri-tip. Salinas City Barbeque—yes, that lone single-family home turned barbecue pit stop on the corner of Market Street—dares to go bolder, bigger and cross-border, learning and then honoring the traditions that make up the pantheon of the classic American barbecue tradition. It means they know how to rest a brisket and get a proper smoke ring. It means they can achieve that satisfying snap on their hot link, but also pull that pork as well as any pitmaster in the Carolinas. And that, despite not staying in their lane, is how they stay the winningest in the hearts and bellies of Weekly readers.