Barbecue Upper Arlington $$
City Barbeque
Columbus-born chain, founded in 1999, with on-site smokers and long hours when craft pits sell out.
Awards
Why City Barbeque why was this picked
City Barbeque is the stretch pick, labeled as such: a Columbus-headquartered chain founded in 1999 by Rick Malir and a team of competition cooks who won the American Royal Invitational for brisket. Its first restaurant opened in a renovated donut shop in Upper Arlington, and the company now counts 74 locations in 10 states. Meats are slow-smoked on site, sandwiches are trimmed to order, and sides are made from scratch, which keeps the Henderson Road store reliable when independent pits sell out.
- Founded in 1999 in Upper Arlington
- Meats slow-smoked on site
- A labeled stretch pick for reliability
Know before you go
We label City Barbeque on W. Henderson Road a stretch pick out loud: it is the Columbus-born chain with wide hours and kids-menu logistics, not the craft trailer that wins a smoke-off. Brisket and sides stay consistent enough for family nights when parking and speed matter more than a sold-out board. Dinner for two usually stays in the $$ range at the Henderson counter on a regular weeknight visit.
Confirm hours before you go; directories typically show late morning to 9:00 p.m. daily at this location. Counter service means no reservations. Park in the free lot out front. Pair the stop with our Upper Arlington page. Then weigh stretch picks against craft rooms on our best BBQ in Columbus list.
- Parking
- Free surface lot at 2111 W. Henderson Rd for the Upper Arlington / Northwest Columbus location.
- Reservations
- No table reservations; counter service with dine-in, takeout, and catering.
- Tip
- Use the kids menu and wide hours when logistics matter more than a craft-trailer wait.
