The Six Best Barbecue Joints in Auckland

Until recently Auckland has been behind the curve on barbecue, with only a handful of top notch joints serving up delectable meaty treats, cooked low 'n' slow how they should be. All of a sudden, to the great pleasure of Auckland's many meat lovers, the barbecued cuisine of America's southern states, Colombian piqueteaderos, Argentinian asados have flooded our culinary consciences, with countless high quality barbecue joints popping up all over the show.

However barbecue is an art which not everyone can master, simultaneously requiring an appreciation of the traditional processes and creativity to create the ultimate smoky, saucy, flame-licked delicacies. In honour of the great art, we scoured the city in search of the tastiest ribs, brisket and pulled pork, to bring you the very best of Auckland's barbecue joints.

1. Miss Moonshines

Down a long and darkly lit alleyway you'll find a bastion of humble but delicious eats; a new Auckland institute. This is Miss Moonshines, a barbecue joint which utilises the best southern American cooking styles and Kiwi meat to create mouth watering low 'n' slow masterpieces. This joint is hard to ignore in the conversation about Auckland's best barbecue restaurants, as they create some of the most succulent and tasty meat dishes in our city using their hulking 1.5 tonne smoker imported from Kansas. Their beef short ribs ($34) are a highlight of the menu, smoked for 8 hours over pohutukawa wood chips and served with pickled red cabbage and a fine herb sauce. Oh my lanta.

Lot 3, 130 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby

2. Louisiana Hog Heaven

Barbeque in New Zealand don't get no mo', southern or authentic than Hog Heaven in Newmarket. The interior resembles a deep south BBQ joint, confederate flags and all, and the menu is born from the feverish dreams of a true southern meat lover. Their beef and pork is injected with Hog Heaven's homemade marinade then rubbed with special spices and herbs, before being left to marinade for 18 hours and cooked for up to five at temperatures below 150 degrees. The menu includes all the usual BBQ suspects, brisket, pulled pork, and ribs, as well as other southern staples such as the oyster "po boy" - oyster meat combined with egg, herbs and spices, slathered in onion jam, gherkin aioli and lettuce then wrapped in a giant bread bun. Unpretentious and authentic to the core, this is the ultimate in "real" barbecue experiences in Auckland.

60 Broadway St, Newmarket

3. Brothers Beer - Juke Joint

Juke Joint is Brothers Beer on roids, with a larger, more high tech brewery and expansive airy outdoor courtyard; including a sandpit to occupy the kids while you bend the elbow. It retains the Kiwi bach/garage vibe of brothers, with nostalgia inducing knick knacks, vintage furniture and even a Morris Minor parked in the bar. What really sets it apart from the original however is it's delectable barbecue. Tick off your order on nifty Juke Joint branded sheets and you're in for a near unrivalled carnivorous culinary experience. The beef brisket, and the pork rib are the highlights, but it's all dang tasty thanks to the $50,000 smoker the Brothers Beer lads imported from America to ensure their meat was cooked the right way. Plus it doesn't hurt that there is top notch craft beer brewed on site, pouring straight from the brewery. Beer doesn't get any fresher than this.

5 Akiraho Street, Mt Eden

4. Dixie Barbecue

After travelling over 12,000 km through America's "Barbecue Belt" and learning about the culture of barbecue, Dixie's owners returned to Tamaki Makaurau, along with a commercial Southern Pride wood smoker from Tennessee. This "research" and their hulking silver smoker have endowed this little old food truck with the know how, and can do, to prepare some of Auckland's most authentic and delicious meats. These mobile meat specialists can often be found at Auckland's major events and festivals as well as Ponsonby's Late Night Diner every Thursday and West Auckland's most iconic and well loved liquor shop, Blanc every Friday.

Various

5. El Humero

Nestled inside North Shore foodie oasis Fortieth and Hurstmere, you'll find an unassuming barbecue joint dripping with Colombian character and charm. While these chaps aren't from the USA, they're authentic and their delicious take on Colombian cuisine, and focus on cooking quality meat the right way earn them a spot on this list. Highlights from the menu include the Carne Emplada; 300 grams of beer and onion marinated beef, cooked with a slow flame over premium manuka wood, and the empanadas - traditional Colombian pastries, stuffed with pulled beef and potatoes. Oh mi dios es delicioso.

3/40 Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna

6. El Sizzling Chorizo

Another entrant hailing from outside the US, this authentic Argentinian barbeque joint, sits at the entrance of the ultra trendy Ponsonby Central. Most of the restaurant is occupied by a massive charcoal barbecue and several hot plates wrapped by a varnished wood bench, so you see your meat being artfully prepared as you wait. The focus here is on simple dishes, cooked right and accompanied by excellent Argentinian red wines; so if you're after some slow cooked ribs and a drop of the finest vino then don't go past El sizzling Chorizo.

136-138 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby