Where To Find The Absolute Best BBQ In Las Vegas, According To A Local Chef

There are dozens of regional barbecue styles in the U.S., each reflecting the culture of the area. Texas-style barbecue is low-and-slow brisket over mesquite wood. The Carolinas like their ribs tangy, slathering on a mustardy sauce. Pork dominates Memphis Q, with pulled pork sandwiches blanketing the city's menus. 

Las Vegas is different, home to a variety of cultures and cuisines, with the diversity of locals and tourists keeping the city's heart beating. It's a food lover's dream. However, with that, the city has no single defining barbecue style. Instead, it offers an eclectic range of regional and international flavors, available just off the gaming floor at high-end casinos, drive-through strip malls, or hole-in-the-wall dives. 

To find out where to get the best barbecue in Las Vegas, we asked executive chef Harold Norris, a Las Vegas resident since 2006 and a lover of all barbecue. Chef Norris oversees culinary operations at Reflection Bay Golf Club in Lake Las Vegas, including the COVE Restaurant and Bayside Grill. Before that, Norris was an Executive Chef with V&E Restaurant Group at the Café Americano restaurants in Caesar's Palace and the Paris Hotel. But as far as barbecue in Vegas goes, Norris has two firm favorites: Master Kim's Korean BBQ, and Boss Daddy's. His go-to method when ordering is to get a selection of foods. He says, "I tend to always get a platter that gives me a chance to try a little of everything." And talking about how he picks his favorite places, he says, "When I think of the best BBQ it's the atmosphere and time and care put into the dishes. It shows me they really care about the process and the craft of BBQ."

If you visit Master Kim's Korean BBQ, arrive hungry. The barbecue restaurant is known for its well-stocked all-you-can-eat menu filled with authentic Korean flavors. Pork, chicken, and beef stream through the restaurant on conveyor belts in an express delivery system, allowing guests to select the meats they would like. Robots bring you to your table and serve prepared dishes and other items, while diners cook their meats on tableside grills. The restaurant even offers a vegan and vegetarian menu featuring plant-based meats seasoned to your taste, giving vegetarians a Korean barbecue experience. 

There isn't a dish at Master Kim's that chef Norris doesn't like. He finds the entire menu tasty, saying, "I am always finding a new favorite." While the meats are delicious, Norris says the sides are what stand out. Dishes such as fresh and pickled vegetables, spicy rice cakes, japchae, and bibimbap paired with beef bulgogi, spicy boneless short ribs, and organic Kurobata pork belly. But Norris always gets the kimchi risotto. He says, "It goes great with the brisket." Master Kim's brisket is made with Black Angus beef, so no wonder that's good, too. 

Today, there are three Master Kim's locations across Las Vegas. The first opened in 2018, followed by the second in 2019 and the third in 2023. Rumors say that a fourth will open in 2026, bringing conveyor belt dining to more Vegas residents and tourists.

Artist, rapper, entrepreneur, and Las Vegas-native Jermaine "Tricky P" Drummond is known to sometimes cook at his Boss Daddy's restaurant, which opened in 2023, after the musician found his second calling in southern soul food and barbecue. After an expansion and remodel in 2025 and 2026, his Las Vegas East Side strip mall restaurant has a funky, inviting vibe with a welcoming, lively atmosphere. Diners enjoy Boss Daddy's flavors at traditional tables or on loungey couches while a live DJ spins tunes in the background. 

The true heart of Boss Daddy's is the authenticity it delivers, honoring southern soul food flavors. Fall-off-the-bone tender barbecue ribs, mac-and-cheese, and southern collard greens are popular favorites. However, for chef Norris, the standout is the fried catfish. He says, "The catfish is the best I've had in Las Vegas." He loves its crispy texture, creating the ideal crunch encasing tender and delicate fish, which sets the dish apart from others. He says, "So many people over cook catfish ... the Boss's does it right." Boss Daddy's offers its 100% real fried catfish cooked to order as a part of a BBQ family meal, in combos with ribs, as a platter, or in a fried catfish sandwich. However, Norris also praises the whole menu.