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    The red weathervane out front reads "BBQ," which is all the signage a place like this needs. Walk past the giant mesquite smokers on your way in and you'll already be hungry before you hit the counter. This Gilbert BBQ shop does Texas-style brisket with a coarse peppercorn crust, served by the pound on tin trays at wooden picnic tables. Order early; the popular cuts sell out, and nobody drives out near Mesa Gateway Airport to settle for sides.

    The awards strongest first

    One number, weighted & current 78

    How we score

    The dishes from the writeups

    • Mesquite-smoked prime brisket

      “Mesquite-smoked prime brisket showcasing a large-grain peppercorn crust is a must, as is the juicy turkey breast marinated in apple juice and butter.”

      Phoenix New Times, 2025
    • Turkey breast

      “The juicy turkey breast, marinated in apple juice and butter, is another must-try.”

      Phoenix New Times
    • El General Patton

      “Meats are served by the pound – in sandwiches such as the monster El General Patton that includes brisket, pulled pork, and sausage all on one roll, and on sampler platters that allow customers to try a little of everything.”

      Phoenix New Times, 2025

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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

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    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

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      Stay Score

      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

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        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.