The Worst US BBQ Chain Restaurant Of All Is Also The Largest

The U.S. is home to many different regional styles of BBQ and plenty of chain restaurants serving up your favorites. It's interesting to consider what makes a good barbecue restaurant just as much as what makes a bad one. Although some chain restaurants boast a plethora of locations, that isn't necessarily indicative of how good the food actually is. Sadly, Dickey's Barbecue Pit is a prime example of this. Albeit the largest barbecue chain restaurant in the U.S., it is also one of the worst.

Per Tasting Table's rankings of BBQ chain restaurants, Dickey's secured the last possible place for a number of reasons. For one, its food offerings are spread far too thin. Rather than serving a solid selection of Texas-style barbecue, the number of items outside the realm of barbecue foods waters down its menu to the point that the restaurant hardly seems a barbecue-specific chain. What's more? The barbecue foods the chain restaurant offers are often criticized for being overcooked, dry, and not palatable.

While it may take a proper pitmaster to understand the finer points of the craft of 'cue, any foodie with a reasonable understanding of what they do and don't like will find themselves underwhelmed by the lackluster menu at Dickey's. Between disappointing sides and generally bland meats that have spent far too long under a heat lamp, fans across the board have echoed Tasting Table's sentiments about this struggling U.S. BBQ chain.

One of the biggest sticking points about Dickey's barbecue is its lack of quality. Customers complain about the meats looking a grayish color, tasting as if nothing had been smoked, and bearing a texture that's tougher than shoe leather. Other complaints allege reheating of old food, boiling meats, and leaving meals sitting out on the restaurant counter under a shoddy heat lamp are among the most egregious.

With franchising opportunities that are not always lucrative for aspiring business owners, creating an oversaturation of Dickey's locations across the U.S., there has been a decrease in the caliber of food being sold. Taking little to no responsibility for its franchisees, the Dickey's brand seems content to continue expanding its reach even if at the expense of its food. A continuous decline in customer service, matched with a lack of attention to crucial details, is what makes up this sadly disappointing, albeit ubiquitous chain.

For those who know and love barbecue food, it's always been the best bet to seek out local "mom and pop" type restaurants rather than taking a chance on a chain like Dickey's. Though a lot of fast food can be fine for a quick nosh, when it comes to barbecue, low, slow, and with quality control is the most important. Don't overpay for an inferior facsimile of your favorite food when the real thing is well worth the time, patience, and effort to yield a delicious dish.