Eastern Iowa Restaurant Wins 2024 Best Pulled Pork in Iowa

A new champion has been named in the competition for the best pulled pork in Iowa! Congratulations to Skinny's BBQ in Muscatine!

Back on March 11th, the Iowa Pork Producers Association announced the 'Sweet 16' for their annual Best Pulled Pork in Iowa competition, "Pulled Pork Madness." According to the press release, "the bracket-style competition started with 16 Iowa restaurants and followed a narrowing process similar to the men's and women's NCAA Tournament. Each round, IPPA asked the public to vote for their favorite to determine which contenders advanced." There were four restaurants chosen from each region of the state:

Northwest Iowa

• Iowa BBQ Company, Le Mars
• The Roadhouse, Orange City
• Smoke N Firehouse #20, Ringsted
• Birdies, Burgers, & Brews, Graettinger

Southwest Iowa

• Barrel Smoke BBQ, Templeton
• Junction Cafe, Bedford
• Chuckwagon Restaurant, Adair
• Bett & Bev's BBQ, Jefferson

Northeast Iowa

• Whiskey Road Tavern, Cedar Falls
• Blue Bird Tavern, Elma
• Backwoods Bar & Grill, McGregor
• Brady's Bar & Grill, Edgewood

Southwest Iowa

• Bubba Q's, Ottumwa
• Five Hawgs BBQ, Agency
• Skinny's BBQ, Muscatine
• Cynful Smokehouse, Wapello

The final two restaurants for this year's Pulled Pork Madness were Skinny's BBQ in Muscatine and Barrel Smoke BBQ in Templeton. The press release reports that it was "one of the closest final matches in the seven-year history of Pulled Pork Madness!" Skinny’s Barbeque ended up claiming the top spot.

Skinny's BBQ, opened by Cord Kleist in 2019, slow cooks their pulled pork 14 to 15 hours after coating it in mustard, salt, pepper, and a "special blend" of other seasonings. Their most basic sandwich is served on a toasted brioche bun with house-made pickles and onions on the side, as well as your choice of sauce. Other pulled pork sandwich options include The Sammitch, which also includes brisket and cheese sauce, the Grilled Mac Daddy, which is topped with mac & cheese, white cheddar, and smoked gouda, and the Noname Big Boy, which includes brisket, a split armadillo egg, and cheese sauce. You can also order tacos, quesadillas, nachos, fries, and mac & cheese topped with their famous pulled pork!

Skinny's BBQ is located at 208 W 2nd Street in Muscatine and is open Tuesday  through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can check out the official Facebook page HERE.