1
Wright's Barbecue Johnson
Fayetteville$$4.8(2,936 Google reviews)
Laid-back outpost serving an array of smoked BBQ meats & hearty sides, plus a roomy outdoor patio. Closed Sunday.
2212 Main Dr, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA
Best BBQ Restaurants in Fayetteville, Arkansas
As of November 2026, Wright's Barbecue Johnson is the most-reviewed BBQ joint in Fayetteville with 2,936 Google reviews and a 4.8-star average, ranking #1 across all of Northwest Arkansas. 13 BBQ joints with a Fayetteville address made the cut, out of 30 ranked region-wide.
Updated November 1, 2026 · How we rank
| # | Business | City | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wright's Barbecue Johnson$$ | Fayetteville | 4.8 | 2,936 |
| 2 | Sassy's Red House$ | Fayetteville | 4.4 | 1,979 |
| 3 | Penguin Ed's Bar-B-Que$ | Fayetteville | 4.6 | 1,387 |
| 4 | Penguin Ed's Barbeque$ | Fayetteville | 4.4 | 1,345 |
| 5 | Sassy's Barbecue and Grille$ | Fayetteville | 4.1 | 937 |
| 6 | Whole Hog Cafe$ | Fayetteville | 4.3 | 754 |
| 7 | Lucky Luke's BBQ$ | Fayetteville | 4.4 | 535 |
| 8 | South Side Smoke Shack$ | Fayetteville | 5.0 | 502 |
| 9 | Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q$ | Fayetteville | 3.6 | 407 |
| 10 | Wes BBQ Burger Plus$ | Fayetteville | 4.4 | 187 |
| 11 | Smoke 'N' Willie$ | Fayetteville | 4.9 | 135 |
| 12 | Rub Me Raw BBQ & Smash Burgers$$ | Fayetteville | 4.7 | 25 |
| 13 | FlavorSmith's Craft Barbecue$ | Fayetteville | 4.5 | 15 |
2
Sassy's Red House
Fayetteville$4.4(1,979 Google reviews)
Ribs, brisket, pulled pork & more dished up at this casual BBQ joint with a lively, sports-bar vibe. Open seven days a week.
708 N College Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
3
Penguin Ed's Bar-B-Que
Fayetteville$4.6(1,387 Google reviews)
Long-running local chain serving serving hickory-smoked BBQ, beer & vegetarian options. Open seven days a week.
230 S E Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
4
Penguin Ed's Barbeque
Fayetteville$4.4(1,345 Google reviews)
Open seven days a week.
2773 E Mission Blvd, Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
5
Sassy's Barbecue and Grille
Fayetteville$4.1(937 Google reviews)
Laid-back Southern-style BBQ joint for meats, sides & homemade sauces, plus sports on TV & beer. Open seven days a week.
1290 Steamboat Dr, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA
6
Whole Hog Cafe
Fayetteville$4.3(754 Google reviews)
Outpost of a local BBQ chain dishing out ribs, brisket & other standards in a laid-back atmosphere. Open seven days a week.
3009 N College Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
7
Lucky Luke's BBQ
Fayetteville$4.4(535 Google reviews)
Laid-back BBQ joint serving hickory-smoked meats & award-winning wings, plus local & craft beers. Closed Sunday.
1220 Garland Ave #1, Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
8
South Side Smoke Shack
Fayetteville$5.0(502 Google reviews)
Closed Monday and Sunday.
596 S Happy Hollow Rd, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
9
Rudy's "Country Store" and Bar-B-Q
Fayetteville$3.6(407 Google reviews)
Brisket, ribs & sides served up cafeteria-style in a no-frills setting with indoor picnic tables. Open seven days a week.
4084 W Martin Luther King Junior Blvd, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA
10
Wes BBQ Burger Plus
Fayetteville$4.4(187 Google reviews)
Closed Sunday.
14 S University Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
11
Smoke 'N' Willie
Fayetteville$4.9(135 Google reviews)
Closed Monday, Tuesday and Sunday.
1255 W Wilson St, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
12
Rub Me Raw BBQ & Smash Burgers
Fayetteville$$4.7(25 Google reviews)
Closed Monday and Sunday.
2121 N Center St, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
13
FlavorSmith's Craft Barbecue
Fayetteville$4.5(15 Google reviews)
Closed Monday and Sunday.
2920 E Zion Rd, Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
How we rank
We search Google for every BBQ joint in Northwest Arkansas, keep open businesses with at least 5 reviews whose Google listing matches the category, then rank those with a Fayetteville address by Google review count. Businesses in neighboring cities often serve Fayetteville too; the region-wide list covers them. Full methodology.
Questions
- Who is the most-reviewed BBQ joint in Fayetteville?
- Wright's Barbecue Johnson has the most Google reviews of any BBQ joint in Fayetteville, with 2,936 reviews and a 4.8-star average as of our last check.
- Which BBQ joint in Fayetteville has the highest rating?
- Among BBQ joints with at least 50 reviews, South Side Smoke Shack has the highest average at 5.0 stars across 502 reviews.
- How expensive are the top BBQ joints in Fayetteville?
- Of the 13 BBQ joints with a Google price level, 11 inexpensive, 2 moderately priced. Price levels are Google's four-tier scale.
- How is this ranking calculated?
- We pull every BBQ joint Google lists in Northwest Arkansas, drop any with fewer than 5 reviews or marked closed, and rank the rest by total Google review count, with rating as the tiebreaker. This list covers 11,144 reviews. No business can pay to be ranked.