Best Barbecue Patriarch

Make no mistake, Tom Jenkins is the granddaddy of 'em all. A business that started as a traveling weekend barbecue, this 40-seatery doesn't pull any punches with its hickory-infused products; it just pulls pork... and chicken, spare ribs, baby-back ribs, baked beans, hush puppies, and the like. After eight years as top player, it's only natural that Tom Jenkins should spawn. In this case, the offspring is inspiration: the aforementioned Soul Food 2 Go in Hollywood and Jack's Bar-B-Q Smokehouse in Fort Lauderdale have both been opened by Tom Jenkins's barbecue alumni. Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.