6 BBQ Chain Side Dishes That Rival The Meat

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There's something to be said about the appeal of chain restaurants. In theory, customers can walk into any location and get much the same experience. There's nothing wrong with that, especially considering some chains take quality seriously. Chain barbecue restaurants are fewer and farther between than, say, steakhouse chains, and that's because of some unique challenges, including the differences between beloved regional styles. However, the one thing that unites great barbecue is the need for great sides – which is why we're here.

When we here at Tasting Table polled readers to find out what the best barbecue side dish was, beans and potato salad took the top spots. And we absolutely agree, but we also got curious about which chain barbecue joints were putting as much effort into the sides as the meat. So, we started scouring countless reviews to find the best, and learned almost immediately that those getting the highest praise were leaning into creativity.

We started with a caveat: In order to be included, chains needed to have more than 20 locations. Sides needed to be on the regular menu, and we looked for things like rave reviews, high ratings, and dishes that were recommended by fans. We also took requests for recipes and copycat attempts at cracking chain secrets as an indication that these sides in particular were fan favorites.

Rudy's advertises itself as selling real Texas-style barbecue, but one of the fan favorite sides might be considered more of a New Mexico thing than a Texas one. Green chiles are wildly popular in the Land of Enchantment, so much so that if you order an ice cream sundae in New Mexico, you might just get one with chiles as a brilliant secret ingredient. It's also what gives the Rudy's green chile stew a smoky and spicy kick that's inspired attempts at making copycat recipes, and has left some Reddit users to complain that nothing they've tried has even come close to the real thing. 

And yes, the green chile stew is red, but according to Rudy's, that's because of the tomato base. Customers call this a must-have when the weather gets cold, and requests to ship this one out of state pop up on occasion. We completely understand why. Reddit users have praised the unique flavor — and they've guessed it's a result of using brisket — and note that while it's a little on the non-traditional side, it's still pretty delicious.

We can also appreciate this one because of its versatility. It's great on its own, but it can also be used to create something that's even better. Break open one of the chain's smoked potatoes and dress it up with the stew, or order a turkey sandwich, open it up, add a helping of stew, and you've got yourself a deliciously spicy upgrade.

White bread has been a traditional Southern barbecue side for a long time, and many of us are familiar with others like potato salad, beans, and cornbread. But there's something else on the menu at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue: Spam musubi. This seaweed-wrapped side is an overwhelming favorite with many favorable ratings on delivery platforms like Uber Eats, although we will also add that other varieties of the musubi — including ones made with chicken katsu, barbecue chicken, and Portuguese sausage — are well-received, too.

We found some Reddit users recommending the chain solely for its Spam musubi, and others who said that it's so good they stop by at least once a week just to order it. Reviews report that it's on the saucy side in the best way, while others head to the forum in hopes of getting the recipe for that sauce so they can make it at home. 

Spam musubi certainly isn't unique to the chain, and you'll find Spam pretty much everywhere in Hawaii. Still, it's clear that this is a massive favorite even at the chain's locations in the continental U.S., and honestly, it makes sense. Grilled Spam, rice, and a seaweed wrap are pretty unique in the world of barbecue sides, and we appreciate L&L adapting its menu to showcase its Hawaiian roots.

In fall 2025, things weren't looking great for Smokey Bones. It was announced that the chain was going to be closing 15 locations and rebranding another 19, taking the total number down to 26 from 60 in 2023. That's a huge hit, and there have been changes to a fan-favorite side, too. Long celebrated for its skillet cornbread, Smokey Bones now offers mini cornbread loaves. The good news is that the honey pecan butter still comes on the side, and customer approvals on sites like Uber Eats suggest that it's still a great option. It's been a major favorite for a long, long time and has gets Smokey Bones a spot in conversations about the best cornbread at chain restaurants. There are plenty of copycat recipes out there as well.

Are people annoyed at the move away from the skillet cornbread? Of course they are, but we found many more who agree that willpower goes out the window just seeing a picture of the perfectly-browned, golden exterior and knowing that there's a fluffy, delicious, cakey bread just waiting for a smear of that delicious butter — and don't worry if you heard this sweet accompaniment was discontinued; it's still offered on the Smokey Bones menu.

We get it. Some veggies are polarizing and some (like okra) are really, really polarizing, but there are some recipes that celebrate okra as the delicious Southern staple that it is. One technique is to slice it and fry it, which is exactly what they do at Dickey's Barbecue Pit.

Old-school? Sure, but some things have remained the same for a long time for a very good reason. Dickey's extra-crispy fried okra bites get called out as being pretty darn tasty in even the most cynical of reviews, and we'd also like to point out that Dickey's prides itself on making these to order. That means they're guaranteed to live up to the extra-crispy claim, and Dickey's also notes that if you ask for them to be made extra-extra crispy, they're happy to do so.

There are a ton of customers who say that the fried okra here is not to be missed, with some noting that they were thrilled that kids even liked the okra — which is an absolute win. Others confirm that, yes, the fried okra here is prepared in a way that gets rid of the questionable texture that okra is notorious for. That breading just might be part of the secret, as Dickey's claims to have a perfectly balanced secret seasoning that might just change the way you think about okra.

There are a lot of different tips and tricks you can use to take your own baked beans to the next level, from mixing up your sweeteners to toasting spices and adding meat. There's a ton of variety out there when it comes to baked beans, and that brings us to the conundrum of Famous Dave's Wilbur beans. They've been a major favorite — one that the chain prides itself on making from scratch every day — and that's led a ton of people to try to recreate this dish at home, to various degrees of success.

Many complain that no recipe gets it exactly right. Interestingly, founder Dave Anderson has released several books, including "Famous Dave's Backroads & Sidestreets," and "Famous Dave's Barbecue Party Cookbook." The latter has one for something called Dave's Party Time BBQ Baked Beans, but baked bean connoisseurs say that neither are what you'll get at the restaurant.

Wilbur beans are extra delicious because of the meat. Smoked sausage, brisket, and pulled pork are believed to be the secret ingredients that make this side extra hearty. The result is the kind of side dish that some say they'd be happy to have for their last meal, and those who go into Famous Dave's not knowing what to expect tend to come out recommending that the beans are a must-have.

No one's entirely sure who we can really credit with creating the deep-fried deliciousness of hush puppies, but what we can tell you is that when they're done right, they'll steal the show. That's what's happening over at City Barbeque, and according to fans, the hush puppies here are so good that they get recommended in conversations about not only barbecue spots, but the best places to head when the craving for hush puppies hits. 

Some reviewers admit that they head to City Barbeque for the hush puppies first and the meat second, and report that they're everything a great hush puppy should be. Others stress that yes, you need to try these sides, and if you do, you'll be rewarded with tasty bites that are perfectly crisp on the outside and light, soft, and delicious on the inside. 

If you're wondering whether or not you should opt for the shareable hush puppy basket, we wouldn't say no — especially based on the number of favorable reviews we found for these. It's often lauded as the best side on the menu here, and we get it. How can you go wrong with deep-fried goodness?

In order to come up with the best sides served at chain barbecue restaurants, we first decided to stick with chains that had more than 20 locations. From there, we scoured review sites, social media posts, and Reddit forums to see what customers were recommending (and occasionally craving). We also checked delivery services and apps to see how many favorable ratings the sides were given. 

The best had customers heading to chains just to buy the sides, recommending them as must-have treats, and trying to hack the recipes so they could make approximations at home.