This Sacramento-area restaurant serves up some of the best barbecue in the US, Yelp says

Sarah Linn
·2 min read
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A Sacramento-area restaurant is one of the best barbecue joints in the United States, according to Yelp.

Hog Wild Bar-B-Que in Placerville landed on the popular review site’s list of the Top 100 Barbecue Spots in the U.S. for 2024, along with a handful of other California eateries.

“Great barbecue is an American treasure,” Yelp said. “Just a whiff of sweet wood smoke and sizzling meat is enough to get mouths watering and stomachs rumbling.”

Wright’s Barbecue in Johnson, Arkansas, topped the list at No. 1, thanks to standout dishes such as beef brisket, jalapeño cheddar sausage and bacon burnt ends.

CorkScrew BBQ in Spring, Texas, came in second place and Eric’s Family Barbecue in Avondale, Arizona, took third place.

Here’s how California restaurants fared:

What makes Placerville restaurant a top US barbecue restaurant?

Hog Wild Bar-B-Que, 38 Main St. in Placerville, landed at No. 39 on Yelp’s list of the nation’s best barbecue joints.

The restaurant enjoys a 4.5-star average rating on Yelp with 1,039 reviews. Diners praise its mouthwatering Texas-style barbecue, exceptional customer service and dog-friendly setting.

Chris G. of Reno, Nevada, said Hog Wild serves up “my West Coast favorite BBQ,” while William D. of Foresthill called it “some of the best BBQ I’ve eaten.”

This isn’t the first time the restaurant has shown up in the national spotlight.

In April, Hog Wild Bar-B-Que was one of six Placerville restaurants featured on “Best Bite in Town,” a new Food Network show that features actor Noah Cappe and celebrity chefs in search of “some killer small-town dishes.”

Which California restaurants made the list?

A total of nine California restaurants made Yelp’s list of the 100 best barbecue joints in the nation. Here’s a rundown for the restaurants and where they ranked:

How did Yelp come up with its rankings?

To come up with its “Top 100 Barbecue Spots in the US” list, Yelp identified businesses in the Barbecue category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “barbecue.”

The review site then ranked those restaurants using factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords. If a business with multiple locations appeared on the list more than once, Yelp only included the highest-rated location.

All businesses on Yelp’s list were marked open on the site and had passing health scores as of Feb. 28, Yelp said.

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