Fine print. This is an independent, hobby-run list of small barbecue places in Iowa. We aren't affiliated with, paid by, or endorsed by any of them. We check what we can, but hours change, trucks move, and places close, so some of this will be wrong or out of date at any given moment. Call before you drive. We're not responsible for a wasted trip, a closed door, a bad meal, or the consequences of eating a full rack when a half would have done.
Pitmasters, this part's for you. We can only keep your listing right if you tell us when something changes. New hours, new spot, new phone, new sauce, closed for the winter: send it in and we'll update it, usually the same week. You keep us honest, we keep the customers coming. Fair trade. Want a listing fixed or taken down? Same email, no questions asked.
🌡️ The thermometer we point people to
A good thermometer is the difference between done and guessing. The Thermapen ONE from ThermoWorks reads in about a second, so you're not standing at the pit with the lid open. For long cooks, their wireless probes, like the new RFX MEAT, let you keep an eye on it from your lawn chair.
Shop ThermoWorks →Affiliate link: we earn a small commission if you buy. It never changes who gets listed.
Bobi has a book. Pig Out Across Iowa is a paperback road trip logbook for the glove box: take the 99-County BBQ Challenge, jot down every stop, and get the pitmaster to sign your page. Heading out of state? There’s Pig Out Across the Midwest too.As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. It never changes who gets listed.
📌 Planning a barbecue road trip? Follow Iowa BBQ Road Trips on Pinterest for region maps, Bobi's books and trip ideas.
Another free thing from the same guy: Riverside Rat — RV camping tools and logbooks, no ads, nothing tracked.
Free to use. No paid listings - nobody can buy their way onto this list or up it. The gear links at the bottom pay us a small commission if you buy through them; that's it, and it never changes who gets listed. If the site ever found you a good meal, you can 
buy Bobi a beer (about $3) and help cover a year of hosting.
