Best BBQ St. George Utah: How Pica Rica BBQ Smoked Its Way to a #7 Texas Monthly Ranking

The aroma hits you first—that deep, woody scent of oak and apple smoke that seems to roll down Main Street like a beacon calling every carnivore within a five-mile radius. Then you see the line spilling out of Pica Rica BBQ's doors at 25 N Main Street, and you know you've found something special in the heart of St. George's Red Cliff Desert. What you might not know is that you're standing outside the best BBQ restaurant in St. George Utah, recently crowned #7 in the entire country by Texas Monthly—the only Utah joint to crack their legendary top 10.

"HANDS DOWN the very best beef brisket I've had from a restaurant in years!" raves one TripAdvisor reviewer who discovered Pica Rica during a cross-country road trip. And this isn't some casual praise from a tourist with low standards—this comes from a self-described BBQ fanatic who's sampled smoke joints across America. Welcome to the restaurant that's putting Utah on the national BBQ map, one perfectly smoked brisket at a time.

The 15-Year Journey Behind Utah's Only Texas Monthly-Ranked BBQ

Jason Neeley didn't wake up one morning and decide to open the best BBQ St. George had ever seen. The Utah's 2022 Restaurateur of the Year spent 15 years perfecting his craft, smoking meats and curating recipes in his backyard while waiting for the right moment, the right partners, and the perfected flavors that would eventually define Pica Rica BBQ.

"Today our little restaurant in downtown St. George, Utah was ranked by the world renowned BBQ authority, Daniel Vaughn, and Texas Monthly as a top 10 joint outside of Texas. What an honor and I couldn't be more grateful," Neeley said when the prestigious ranking dropped in late 2024, just 16 months after opening their doors in April 2023.

The recognition didn't come easy. Neeley credits his inspiration from Central Texas BBQ restaurants and the skilled pitmasters who taught him the discipline of true barbecue. But here's where Pica Rica's story gets interesting—rather than just copying Texas traditions, Neeley married his acute taste for Mexican cuisine with authentic Central Texas-style techniques, creating something entirely unique in Utah's food landscape.

The result? A "dynamite blend of Traditional Americana & Mexican Barbecue" that caught the attention of Daniel Vaughn, Texas Monthly's barbecue editor and the most authoritative voice in American BBQ. Vaughn has sampled smoked meats at over 1,800 barbecue joints, and when he quietly slipped into Pica Rica during his first-ever nationwide ranking tour, Neeley spotted him immediately.

"Almost like a father figure, he's like, 'Sit down,'" Neeley recalls of their conversation that day. What started as a nervous introduction turned into an hour-long chat that would change everything for this Red Cliff Desert BBQ haven.

The Texas Monthly BBQ Experience: What Makes Pica Rica #7 in America

Walking into Pica Rica BBQ feels like discovering a secret that somehow everyone in St. George already knows. The smokers positioned in the back operate 16 hours a day, maintaining temperatures within 2-3 degrees for the entire smoking process. You can literally follow your nose to find the restaurant—that captivating BBQ aroma serves as an aromatic GPS system through downtown St. George.

The Texas BBQ St. George experience here isn't about complex rubs with 17 different ingredients. As Neeley explains, the rich flavor and meticulous detail come from the cooking process itself. They use seasoned oak wood in the firebox, paired with small splits of apple wood, managing humidity and how it affects each brisket throughout the 15-hour smoking marathon.

"Pica Rica BBQ is great. As a Texan and brisket connoisseur, it isn't easy to dazzle me, but their brisket is awesome," writes a TripAdvisor reviewer who knows good Texas BBQ when they taste it. The restaurant's top-selling item, that Central Texas brisket, showcases what happens when you get the perfect brisket bark—accounting for texture, color, saltiness, and tenderness in every single bite.

But the Mexican fusion elements set Pica Rica apart from traditional Texas joints. Their barbacoa has become a customer favorite, alongside breakfast tacos that include a slice of brisket with egg, potato, salsa, and cheese. They only offer tacos on Tuesdays, creating a weekly pilgrimage for locals who've learned to time their cravings around this special offering.

The mac and cheese earns consistent praise from customers, along with their coleslaw and potato salad. "We enjoyed the meal so much that we went back twice in a week," reports another TripAdvisor review. "Our favorite menu items were the brisket, turkey, coleslaw, potato salad, and mac 'n cheese."

Their three-day sausage-making process produces two to three batches daily, all made in-house along with their sauces and tortillas. Daily specials not on the regular menu include smoked burgers, quail, enchiladas, tostadas, and empanadas—with Instagram followers getting early access to these limited offerings.

St. George's BBQ Revolution in the Red Cliff Desert

Pica Rica BBQ represents more than just another restaurant opening in Utah's fastest-growing city. It's proof that St. George BBQ culture has evolved into something sophisticated enough to attract national attention. The restaurant sits in the heart of the Red Cliff Desert, where the dramatic landscape of red sandstone cliffs provides a stunning backdrop for serious barbecue.

"We aren't known for this style of barbecue in Utah in general, and it's just a huge accomplishment," Neeley acknowledges. Over the past year since opening, the St. George food scene has embraced Pica Rica with enthusiasm, building a loyal base of regulars who've become part of the restaurant's extended family.

The location on Main Street puts Pica Rica in the center of St. George's restaurant district, easily accessible for both locals and the constant stream of tourists heading to nearby Zion National Park. It's become a regular stop for road trippers discovering that Utah offers more than just stunning landscapes—it's home to legitimate, award-winning BBQ that can hold its own against the best joints in Texas.

Co-founder Michael McHenry, working alongside Neeley and the entire TMG Family, has helped create an atmosphere where BBQ restaurant downtown St. George means more than just a meal—it's a community gathering place where families come together over perfectly smoked meats.

The restaurant's success reflects St. George's growth as a destination that attracts both outdoor enthusiasts and serious food lovers. "This place nails BBQ with a smoky Texas heart and a Mexican soul," summarizes one Yelp reviewer, capturing exactly what makes Pica Rica special in Utah's evolving culinary landscape.

Planning Your Visit to Pica Rica BBQ

Address: 25 N Main St, St. George, UT 84770

Hours:

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (or until sold out)
• Wednesday-Friday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM (or until sold out)
• Saturday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM (or until sold out)
• Sunday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

What to Order: Start with the brisket—it's their top seller and the dish that impressed Texas Monthly's Daniel Vaughn. Don't miss the house-made sausage or the barbacoa. If you're visiting on a Tuesday, the tacos are a must-try. Sides like mac and cheese, coleslaw, and potato salad consistently earn rave reviews.

Insider Tips: They often sell out, especially on weekends, so arrive early. Follow their Instagram @picaricabbq for updates on daily specials and limited offerings. The pricing reflects the time and quality that goes into 15-hour smoking processes—expect to pay premium prices for premium BBQ.

Parking: Downtown St. George location with street parking available. The restaurant is walkable from most Main Street attractions and hotels.

Pica Rica BBQ proves that the best BBQ in St. George Utah doesn't just serve great food—it tells the story of a pitmaster's 15-year journey, a community's embrace of authentic flavors, and Utah's emergence as a legitimate barbecue destination. When Texas Monthly's most respected BBQ authority ranks your restaurant #7 in the entire country, you know you've found something extraordinary in the Red Cliff Desert.

This isn't just another BBQ joint trying to ride trends—it's a testament to what happens when passion, technique, and genuine respect for both Texas traditions and Mexican flavors come together in one remarkable restaurant. Come hungry, and prepare to discover why everyone from Texas BBQ connoisseurs to casual road trippers leaves Pica Rica planning their next visit before they've even finished their first bite.