Hartford County has everything from classic smokehouses like Smokin’ With Chris, Thomas’ Smokey Pit Stop and Pig Rig to Hartford institutions like Bear’s and Black-Eyed Sally’s, newer finds like Sweet Chuck’s, and mobile or specialty stops including American Smoke, TA-Que and Avon Prime Meats. This guide focuses on American-style smoked barbecue and is not a ranking.
Use the interactive map to explore Hartford County BBQ spots by location. Tap a pin for details, then keep scrolling for what to order, hours and our quick take on each stop.
Burnt ends: Bear’s, Sweet Chuck’s, Smoke BBQ, House of BBQ & Bacon, Pig Rig
Ribs: Black-Eyed Sally’s, Smokin’ With Chris, Pig Rig, Hen House, MISSION BBQ
Food trucks: American Smoke BBQ, House of BBQ & Bacon, TA-Que
Full sit-down experience: Smokin’ With Chris, Bear’s, Black-Eyed Sally’s, Smoke Public House
1. Smokin’ With Chris
Southington
📍 Address: 59 West Center St, Southington, CT 06489
🕒 Hours: Tue–Thu 11:30 AM–8 PM · Fri–Sat 11:30 AM–9 PM · Sun 11:30 AM–6 PM · Mon closed
🔥 What to order: Beef brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, spare ribs
A longtime Southington smokehouse where the smoker works daily and the menu leans into classic American barbecue. It’s a strong all-around stop when your table can’t agree between brisket, pulled pork and ribs.
2. Thomas’ Smokey Pit Stop
Manchester
📍 Address: 182 Middle Turnpike West, Manchester, CT 06040
🕒 Hours: Wed–Sat 11 AM–7 PM · Sun–Tue closed
🔥 What to order: Brisket, pulled pork, Mom’s baked mac & cheese, collard greens
A no-frills Manchester pit stop focused on Southern-style smoked meats, platters and from-scratch sides. Come hungry: the menu is built for mixing meats with mac, greens, beans and cornbread.
3. Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue
Hartford · Windsor · South Windsor
📍 Address: Hartford: 25 Front St · Windsor: 2152 Poquonock Ave · South Windsor: 454 Ellington Rd
🕒 Hours: Hartford & Windsor: Sun–Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–10 PM · South Windsor: daily 11 AM–8 PM
🔥 What to order: Burnt ends, brisket, baby back ribs, smoked wings, Bear Attack
Kansas City-style wood-smoked barbecue with three Hartford County locations. Expect brisket, burnt ends, ribs and loaded BBQ creations; South Windsor is an express location without indoor dining.
4. Black-Eyed Sally’s
Hartford
📍 Address: 350 Asylum St, Hartford, CT 06103
🕒 Hours: Wed–Thu 11:30 AM–9 PM · Fri–Sat 11:30 AM–10 PM · Sun 11:30 AM–8 PM · Mon–Tue closed
🔥 What to order: St. Louis pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, cornbread
A downtown Hartford institution pairing barbecue with Southern cooking, Cajun favorites and live music. St. Louis ribs, brisket and pulled pork make it a real BBQ stop, not just a Southern restaurant.
5. Sweet Chuck’s BBQ at Parkville Market
Hartford
📍 Address: 1400 Park St, Hartford, CT 06106
🕒 Hours: Mon 12–8 PM · Tue–Wed 12–9 PM · Thu–Sat 12–10 PM · Sun 12–8 PM
🔥 What to order: Pork belly burnt ends, brisket mac, smoked wings, ribs on weekends
A Parkville Market BBQ vendor built around brisket, pulled pork, pork belly burnt ends and comfort-food-heavy smokehouse bowls. The brisket mac and maple bourbon burnt-end mac are the menu standouts.
6. Smoke BBQ
East Windsor
📍 Address: 122 Prospect Hill Rd, East Windsor, CT 06088
🕒 Hours: Mon 11 AM–4 PM · Tue–Fri 10:30 AM–6 PM · Sat 11 AM–5 PM · Sun closed
🔥 What to order: Burnt ends, brisket, pulled pork, kielbasa and pierogi
A wonderfully Connecticut mash-up: American smoked barbecue shares the counter with Polish specialties at Belvedere of East Windsor. The brisket, burnt ends and pulled pork are the BBQ draw.
7. Smoke Public House
West Hartford
📍 Address: 140 Park Rd, West Hartford, CT 06119
🕒 Hours: Wed 12–9 PM · Thu 12–10 PM · Fri 11:30 AM–11 PM · Sat 4–10 PM · Sun 11 AM–9 PM · Mon–Tue closed
🔥 What to order: Smoked-meat combo, brisket, ribs, burnt tips
A full-service Park Road pub with a legitimate smoked-meat section rather than a token BBQ sandwich. It’s a good choice when you want brisket and ribs with cocktails, a bar and a sit-down dinner.
8. House of BBQ & Bacon
Bristol · Forestville
📍 Address: 31B Church Ave, Forestville, CT 06010
🕒 Hours: Wed–Fri 7 AM–3 PM · Sat 8 AM–3 PM · Sun 8 AM–2 PM · Mon–Tue closed
🔥 What to order: Smoked bacon candy, burnt ends, combo platters
A family-run BBQ operation serving on-site from its food truck while its first storefront is under construction. Smoked bacon candy is the signature, with burnt ends and hearty BBQ plates backing it up.
9. American Smoke BBQ
Manchester-based
📍 Address: Manchester-based food truck; website lists 378 Hartford Rd, Manchester, CT 06040
🕒 Hours: Mobile schedule changes · Check the truck’s current event calendar/Facebook before heading out
🔥 What to order: Brisket sandwich, pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, cowboy beans
A veteran-owned food truck doing low-and-slow brisket, pulled pork, chicken and St. Louis ribs. This is a mobile operation, so don’t assume the posted Manchester address means guaranteed walk-up truck hours.
10. TA-Que
Simsbury
📍 Address: 77 West St, Simsbury, CT 06070 · Millwright’s parking lot
🕒 Hours: Tue–Fri 5–8 PM · Sat–Mon closed
🔥 What to order: Brisket, beef tri-tip, St. Louis ribs, pork belly, smoker combos
Chef Tyler Anderson’s BBQ-meets-Mexican truck is much more than tacos. The menu has a full “Off the Smoker” section alongside bowls, vampiros and other ways to turn smoked meats into dinner.
11. Avon Prime Meats
Avon
📍 Address: 395 West Main St, Avon, CT 06001
🕒 Hours: Store: Mon–Sat 9 AM–7 PM · Sun 10 AM–6 PM · Hot smoked pork ribs Tue 4:30–7 PM while supplies last
🔥 What to order: Tuesday smoked ribs, brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends
Not a restaurant, but too good to leave out. The Avon butcher shop smokes brisket, pastrami, bacon, pork ribs and pulled pork in-house; Tuesday’s hot-and-ready rib window is the move for an easy BBQ dinner.
12. Hen House Bar-B-Q
Southington
📍 Address: 192 Main St, Southington, CT 06489
🕒 Hours: Tue–Sat 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 12–9 PM · Mon closed
🔥 What to order: BBQ chicken, spare ribs, chicken-and-rib combo, hot wings
An old-school Southington favorite centered on barbecued chicken, spare ribs and fried chicken rather than modern craft brisket. Go for the nostalgia and a chicken-and-rib combo.
13. MISSION BBQ
Southington
📍 Address: 785 Queen St, Southington, CT 06489
🕒 Hours: Mon–Sat 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 11:30 AM–8 PM
🔥 What to order: Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, mac & cheese
It’s the national chain on this list, but it’s still a substantial Hartford County BBQ option with a broad smoked-meat menu. We’re labeling it clearly so readers can decide whether they want local-only or simply good nearby barbecue.
14. Pig Rig BBQ
Milldale · Southington
📍 Address: 1843 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, Milldale, CT 06467
🕒 Hours: Mon–Thu 11 AM–8 PM · Fri–Sat 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 11 AM–7 PM
🔥 What to order: Burnt ends, baby back ribs, brisket, PigMac
A full-on American BBQ joint smoking pulled pork, brisket, chicken and meaty baby backs. Burnt ends are limited and tend to disappear, while the PigMac piles smoked pork and smoked mac & cheese into one gloriously excessive sandwich.
Where can I find burnt ends in Hartford County?
Burnt-end options include Smokin’ With Chris in Southington, Bear’s, Sweet Chuck’s at Parkville Market, Smoke BBQ in East Windsor, House of BBQ & Bacon in Forestville and Pig Rig in Milldale. Availability can sell out, especially at smaller operations.
What BBQ restaurants are in Hartford itself?
Hartford has Bear’s Smokehouse on Front Street, Black-Eyed Sally’s on Asylum Street and Sweet Chuck’s BBQ inside Parkville Market on Park Street.
Which Hartford County BBQ spots are food trucks?
American Smoke BBQ is a mobile Manchester-based truck, TA-Que operates from a truck in the Millwright’s parking lot in Simsbury, and House of BBQ & Bacon is currently serving from its on-site food truck while its Forestville storefront is built.
Where can I get BBQ in Southington?
Southington has one of the county’s deepest BBQ lineups: Smokin’ With Chris, Hen House Bar-B-Q, MISSION BBQ and Pig Rig BBQ in the Milldale section of town.
Does this guide include Korean BBQ?
No. Korean tabletop barbecue is a different dining style, so this guide stays focused on American-style smoked meats such as brisket, ribs, burnt ends, pulled pork and smoked chicken.
Hartford County’s food scene keeps moving. If there’s a local BBQ joint, truck or pop-up that belongs here, send it our way and we’ll check it out.
Hours and operating details checked August 26, 2026. Restaurant and food-truck schedules can change, so confirm with the business before making a special trip.
