Pendergast

Pendergast smokes its meat low, slow and seriously — brisket with a proper bark, surprising smoked turkey, ribs that need no sauce — and backs it with the right sides: mac and cheese, potato salad, pimento cheese to start. The room is small and fills fast (Wednesday to Sunday evenings only), the drinks list digs unexpectedly deep into rye whiskey and amaro, and the platter for two is the smart order for first-timers. Widely tipped as the city's best barbecue, and the homesick-expat traffic backs the claim.