When it comes to picking the best barbecue throughout the South, “you have to go with your gut,” said Robert F. Moss in Southern Living . Two years after I last ranked a top 50, a newcomer has taken the No. 1 slot, pushing two established greats down one notch each. But change is to be expected. Every year, some old favorites close or lose their edge, and “there’s been no shortage of ambitious players entering the business and making a splash.”

City Limits Barbeque

West Columbia, South Carolina

The brisket, hot links, and beef ribs at this two-year-old weekend-only spot are “as good as any east of the Mississippi ,” and City Limits “shines even brighter” when pitmaster Robbie Robinson focuses on such local treats as pork shoulders cooked “burn-barrel style.” While a “dizzying” array

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