FAQ
We have answers
Smoked meat. Literally, that’s it. We spell it “barbeque,” but you can spell it “barbecue,” “bar-b-q,” “BBQ,” whatever—as long as it’s smoked for a long time at a low temperature over indirect heat, it counts. Every City Barbeque joint smokes its expertly crafted barbeque in one of three on-site smokers stocked with local hickory wood.
American barbeque—all of it. If our BBQ reminds you of the best brisket you had in Texas, or some incredible pulled pork from the Carolinas, good! That's the goal. We don’t limit ourselves to any particular region or style, but instead try to showcase the breadth and depth of barbeque found across the country.
Absolutely. Every City Barbeque joint has three smokers on site. We feed them local hickory wood and never turn them off: they’re working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to produce the city's best barbeque.
It takes up to 18 hours to smoke our barbeque, so we had to decide yesterday how much we needed to throw on the smokers for today. We do our best to smoke the right amount, and we get it right most of the time, but we can’t always know who all’s gonna come in the next day, or what they’ll order. And since everything is made fresh (sides and desserts, too, not just the smoked stuff), depending on what we sell out of, it can take us up to 18 hours to make more. Trust us, we wish we never sold out, but we won’t serve you anything less than our best, which means we can’t really speed up the process at all.
Each of our joints has one freezer: its sole purpose is to store any surplus food at the end of the day. Every week, volunteers come to collect all that leftover ‘que (which freezes really well) and deliver it to folks in need in our communities. Learn more about our Food Rescue program here.
You may hear us refer to our St. Louis–cut pork ribs as “bite off the bone,” rather than “fall off the bone.” Fun fact: barbeque competition standards say you should be able to bite a rib, pull away the meat with your teeth with a gentle tug, and see a bite mark from where you took that bite. (Hard to visualize? Honestly, the easiest way to picture it is to go to a joint, buy a slab, and test it for yourself). If ribs are falling off the bone, they’re overcooked.
All our meats are gluten-free: just be sure to order them without the bun or Texas toast. Gluten-free sides include our baked beans with brisket, green beans with bacon, collard greens with pork, famous potato salad, and sweet vinegar slaw. That said, our kitchen is not a gluten-free environment, and it's always possible that cross-contamination may occur. If you have a severe allergy to gluten, please let us know: we'll change gloves and take every precaution in our shared kitchen to reduce the risk of cross-contamination as much as possible.
Barbeque is personal and folks have feelings about sauce, so our beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, and smoked sausage are served without. Take your pick from our signature sauces or leave your BBQ bare, it’s up to you! Our pulled chicken is served with a white ‘Bama barbeque sauce mixed in; our smoked chicken and St. Louis–cut ribs are both brushed with a touch of our Original sauce.
Not at all: every meat we serve is fully cooked. That pink color is called a “smoke ring,” and it’s an indicator of how long it takes for a piece of meat to cook in a smoker. Technically the pink comes from a reaction between the myoglobin in the meat and the nitrogen dioxide in the smoke... long story short, that smoke ring is a sign that the barbeque you’re about to enjoy was cooked low and slow.
No way. Trust us, we smoke those chickens for a good long time—that pink color is actually an indicator of how slowly they cook in our smokers (and it'll always look a little pinker near the bone). Just like a smoke ring in a brisket, pork shoulder, or turkey breast, that pink color comes from a reaction between the myoglobin in the meat and the nitrogen dioxide in the smoke. And, just like all the smoked meats we serve, our chickens are fully cooked, well done, and super tender.
Nope: it might look burnt, but to a lot of folks, that bark is the best part of BBQ. Bark is the mouthwatering crust that forms when spice rub and hickory smoke hang out on a piece of meat, under low heat, for a long period of time. If you smoke at too low a temperature, you won’t get any bark; smoke too high and you’ll char any chance you had of forming one. It takes lots of patience, the perfect temperature, and a great rub recipe to achieve that perfect, not-burnt crust. Learn more about how our bark is formed here.
We don’t currently franchise, but you'll be the first to know when we do.
Our plan for growth is really a plan to create opportunities for our teammates to grow and advance—it's just faster to say "growth." To answer your question, we have no idea. But if you’re hurting for a City Barbeque joint near you, we definitely want to know: drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know where we should start smoking next!
You heard right! We've got a team of expert caterers and we love bringing barbeque to everyting from casual backyard receptions to fancy formal weddings, too—passed apps and all. We can be as low-key or as buttoned-up as you need, and we promise we’ll bring our best barbeque and our friendliest folks for your big day.
Absolutely: if you’re looking for our Delivery & Set-Up service, you can place an order here. Choose from either a classic barbeque spread or our new box meals: we’ll deliver and set everything up, then make sure you’re thrilled before handing you the reins and heading out.
You earn one point with every dollar spent on qualifying purchases: once you hit 100 points, those points will automatically turn into $5 in earned rewards.
Those rewards are yours to use—just like cash—on pretty much anything on our menu. The best part? You can accumulate them! Rack up some rewards to buy a bunch of Party Packs or stock the freezer: they’re yours to use however you like. (Note that any unused earned rewards will expire one year from the date they were earned.)
Offers are time-restricted and focused on specific menu items, categories, or the like. Examples could include a free piece of cake (valid during your birthday month), $2 off a pulled pork sandwich (valid for one week), or double points on online orders placed and fulfilled between 2 and 5 pm.
You can either download the City BBQ app, where you’ll be prompted to sign up and create an account, or sign up online here.
If you choose not to use the app, our teammates in the restaurant will be able to look you up: the cashier just ask for the phone number associated with your City Rewards account. Once we find you in the system, you’ll be able to earn points and redeem rewards and offers.
For starters, you’ll get a $5 offer when you download and use the app for the first time. Using the app also allows you to keep an eye on your points, rewards, and offers (app users also receive special exclusive offers throughout the year).
We want to be clear: we will never sell or otherwise share your personal information. We’re sensitive to the private nature of what you share with us, so rest assured we’ll protect that information.
Your phone number and email are used to identify your unique account in our system. We’ll email you about special offers and updates to the program; you’re always free to opt out of these communications should you no longer wish to receive them.
We will never call you for marketing purposes, but may call on the rare occasion that there’s an issue with your account and we can’t reach you via email.
We also ask for one totally optional piece of personal information, but that’s just to help celebrate your birthday (with cake!).
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Privacy Policy at any time; any changes will be posted here, so please check back periodically. Your continued use of the City Rewards program or app after any change has been posted constitutes acceptance of the change to this Privacy Policy.
If you’re ordering in the City BBQ app or order.citybbq.com and signed in to your account, you will automatically earn points on every qualifying purchase.
If you’re ordering in-store, there are three ways to earn points:
- using the app, press EARN on your account dashboard: this generates a QR code to scan
- without the app, tell the cashier the phone number associated with your account: they’ll use that number to identify you in the system so you can earn points on your order
- redeem a rewards or offer: you’ll automatically earn points on the transaction
If you’re ordering in the City BBQ app or order.citybbq.com and signed in to your account, you can redeem rewards and available offers at checkout.
If you’re ordering in-store, there are two ways to redeem rewards and offers:
- using the app, press REDEEM on your account dashboard: this generates a QR code to scan
- without the app, tell the cashier the phone number associated with your account: they’ll use that number to identify you in the system so you can redeem rewards or offers you may have
You can earn points on every transaction you make, and can redeem one reward or offer per transaction. The system requires three hours between offer redemptions, so redemptions are limited to one every three hours. When you redeem a reward, you will automatically earn points on the remainder of your balance.
If you ordered online but forgot to log in, email us at [email protected]. We’ll need some information from the email confirmation you received when placing your order, so be sure to have that handy.
If you’ve got the app, you can manually enter the number at the bottom of the receipt to earn points for your purchase. (No number on your receipt? Hang on to it anyway and email us at [email protected]; we should be able to help you out!)
Yes: any unused rewards will expire one year from the date they were earned.
No: you can only earn points when logged in and placing an order on our citybbq.com/order or in the City BBQ app (or, of course, in-person in the restaurant). If you want to earn points or redeem rewards or offers, be sure to place your order in your City BBQ app or online at citybbq.com/order. Remember, you can order for delivery through our app and online ordering, too!
No: points aren’t earned on the purchase of a gift card, but can be earned when the gift card is used. For example, if you purchase a gift card for Frank, you won’t earn points on that gift card purchase, but Frank will earn points when he uses his gift card to pay for his meal. If you buy barbeque in the same transaction with your gift card purchase, though, you’ll still earn on the barbeque you buy!
Earn rewards and learn about great deals and offers with the City BBQ app. You earn one (1) point for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases: 100 converts to a $5 reward, good for a full year from the date it is earned. Get credit for purchases by ordering online or in the app while logged in to your account, enter your receipt number manually in the app or online, or ask the cashier to look up your account using your phone number.
Keep track of points you earn in the City BBQ app or at www.citybbq.com/rewards. The City Barbeque Rewards program is good only at participating locations.
By participating in City Rewards, the member agrees to comply with all program rules and policies. Terms and conditions of the City Rewards are subject to change. The City Rewards program may be discontinued at any time. Points will not be replaced if the account is compromised or if the account holder cannot remember their username or password. Accounts must be registered to earn and redeem rewards. User data is kept private and only used by City Barbeque to administer the rewards program and to inform guests about special offers from City Barbeque. Members agree to be enrolled into our occasional email communication and may choose to opt out of email communications at any time by following instructions for opting out in the email. Transactional emails, which help prevent fraud and provide important/necessary account information, are a required element of membership.
Only one City Rewards account can earn points per transaction. The City Rewards account and rewards or offers have no cash value and are not redeemable for cash.
Banked rewards which are earned from converting points have an expiration date of one (1) year from the date they were earned. Special offers may have various expiration dates and will be listed in the offer communication.
Points are not earned on the purchase of merchandise or gift cards, or on the payment of taxes. The maximum number of points possible to be earned in a transaction is 500.
Only one (1) reward or offer may be used per transaction (within a three-hour time frame). Earning points is intended for the member’s transactions. Earning points on transactions that are not the member’s may be cause for account closure. Points may be earned once every three hours. Membership is a privilege: gaming the system may result in member account closure.
Group ordering is a convenient way for multiple folks to place a single food order together. In a group order, one person will act as the host: inviting others, managing the order, and placing a single payment.
You’ll need to log in to your City Rewards account (or sign up, if you aren’t a member): Only City Rewards members are able to place group orders. Once you’re logged in, select PICKUP or DELIVERY, then select GROUP ORDER where appropriate. You’ll get a QR code folks can scan to join your order, as well as a unique order link to send out so folks can join your order and select their items. Once everyone has made their selections, the host makes a single payment for the entire order.
Sure thing—you’ll select, customize, and add items to your cart just like you do when placing a solo order.
Absolutely: Once you’re logged in to your City Rewards account, just choose DELIVERY, enter your address, and click the checkbox for GROUP ORDER.
There’s no minimum (or maximum!) number of participants, nor is there an order minimum to place a group order.
Be sure you’re satisfied with your order before clicking I’M DONE: Once a group order has been submitted, neither you nor the host will be able to make changes to your selections.
You can. Click LEAVE GROUP ORDER at any time before the order has been submitted to duck out. If you leave a group order, all the items you added to the order will be removed automatically. (It’s always a good idea to let the group order host know if you decide to leave the order.)
You can schedule a group order for a future date and time, just like you can when placing a solo order.
The group order host makes a single payment for the entire order. Members of the group order are not able to submit payments or use or earn City Rewards.
The group order host, responsible for payment for the entire order, may use City Rewards dollars or any applicable rewards when paying for the group order (per the City Rewards Terms & Conditions).
The group order host is responsible for submitting payment for the entire order and is eligible to earn City Rewards (per the City Rewards Terms & Conditions).
We hope your group ordering experience is quick and easy, but if you encounter any issues or have questions, please contact our guest services team for assistance.