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Start a Top 5 for BBQEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Madison Magazine, Isthmus, and Channel 3000. Updated August 2026.
North and South Seafood & Smokehouse · West Side
A West Side smokehouse and seafood kitchen on Mineral Point Road that took the 2025 Best of Madison readers' poll gold medal for barbecue, then added a seafood silver and a fish fry silver in the same year's voting. The name itself reflects a menu that spans both slow-smoked barbecue and seafood.
Beef Butter BBQ · North Side
Texas-style barbecue built on brisket that can be ordered fatty, lean or mixed, alongside baby back ribs. Isthmus's review calls out the brisket specifically, and the 2025 Best of Madison readers' poll gave the spot a silver medal for barbecue. Popular cuts have been known to run out before close on busy days.
Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ · North Side
Wood-smoked barbecue served from a small, cabin-style dining room that has run for more than four decades on Madison's north side. Isthmus describes eating in at the compact room or taking ribs to go, and the 2025 readers' poll placed it bronze for barbecue. The counter is cash only.