There's been little chance to fire up the back garden BBQs in Scotland these past few months.

But that doesn't mean you have to go without the rich, smoky flavours that can only be achieved by cooking over an open flame this summer.

Here are 10 grill houses, restaurants and food trucks across the country serving everything from Texas-style brisket burgers to Japanese street food skewers for a taste of BBQ goodness, no matter what the weather brings.

 

Dennistoun Bar-B-Que

585 Duke Street, Glasgow

A family-run spot in the East End of Glasgow born of a yearning for American-style BBQ classics.

“We wanted to go somewhere that cooked fresh steak burgers on those giant chrome griddles, served them on preservative-free buns and meat from an ‘always-on’ smoker, burning Texas oak,” owners said of their inspiration for setting up shop.

Now open seven days a week, you’ll find likes of BBQ ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken wings served as spicy as you can handle on their menu.

Bubba Q

209-214 High Street, Edinburgh

Make the short walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station to High Street and you’ll be rewarded with hefty platters of pulled meats, pork riblets and mini fillets all served with an Alabama-style BBQ sauce at Bubba Q.

Elsewhere on the menu, look out for burgers loaded with premium beef patties and BBQ brisket, honey garlic fried chicken tacos and pork hot dogs topped with haggis and chopped square sausage.

The Horeb Food Co.

46 Murraygate Dundee

A welcome addition to Dundee’s increasingly diverse and vibrant food scene is the Horeb Food Company, a grill house where West African and Caribbean cuisine takes centre stage.

Led by Chef Babs, the team serves a selection of flame-grilled chicken, prawn or vegan skewers as well as sticky lamb chops with jollof rice and chargrilled beef short ribs prepared with homemade BBQ dry rub.

The Firepit – Smoke and Soul

6 Littlejohn Street, Aberdeen

Smoke and Soul is a family-run business based in Aberdeen that’s “dedicated to serving delicious, high-quality BBQ food”.

They operate two venues in the Granite City, both offering a gut-busting array of smash burgers made with locally sourced meats, chicken wings and home-smoked beef brisket or pulled pork.

Little Texas BBQ

49 Main Road, Crookedholm, Kilmarnock

This busy little truck is often out on the road attending foodie festivals across Ayrshire and beyond.

If you manage to catch them at their base in Kilmarnock, you’re guaranteed a selection of BBQ meats that have been slow-cooked for a minimum of 12 hours under the watchful eye of owners Mhairi and Barry.

Both having lived and worked in Texas previously, Barry has since spent the last 15 years as a keen “back-yard smoker” perfecting the art of grill cooking while Mhairi has earned her title of “sauce master” thanks to her skill in whipping up next-level marinades and condiments.

Keep up with them on social media @littletexasbbq to find out where they will be popping up next.

Mikaku

45 Queen Street, Glasgow

Far from the traditional garden BBQ fare of supermarket burgers or sausages, at Mikaku in Glasgow city centre, it’s all about a Robatayaki.

Skewers of pork loin in chilli miso, A5 Wagyu cubes, and chicken meatballs coated in tare are cooked over the burning charcoals of the Robata grill and served in pairs while still sizzling hot.

If you’re feeling adventurous, order the butterflied chicken hearts glazed with mirin and sprinkled in Japanese seven spice.

The Hide

Braeside of Lindores, Fife

For anyone who is still hankering for an outdoor BBQ experience without the threat of getting soaked this summer, consider a trip to Fife where The Hide sits perched at the top of Lindores Hill.

Either hire this bespoke BBQ hut to cook your own favourite foods over the crackling fire, or choose to be hosted by a private chef and sommelier for a five-course tasting menu experience that’s full of local produce like homebred, Lindores lamb.

Maggie’s Grill

Broad Street, Aberdeen

Sebastian Lord and Richard Parfitt founded Maggie’s in 2014, using locally sourced produce and “armed with cookbooks” brought back from their travels in New Orleans.

After outgrowing their flagship Holburn restaurant, the team opened a second venue at Marischall Square with more space to prepare “home-cooked, soul food goodness” like sharing platters of smoked pork belly, baby back ribs, and andouille style pork sausages or mac and cheese topped with pulled brisket and BBQ sauce.

The Steak Barn

Strathtyrum Farm, Balgove Larder, St Andrews

You might remember the Steak Barn from our recent list of the best steak restaurants in Scotland, but it’s the huge, wood-fired BBQ used to cook all of their locally sourced meats that sees them return this week.

Pull up a seat at one of the rustic venue’s communal dining tables and indulge in your choice of steak (hung for no less than 28 days) or burgers and sausages made by hand at the in-house butchery.

Mamasan

222-224 Ingram Street, Glasgow

BBQ cooking is given a Thai twist in this city centre restaurant which also claims the title of Scotland’s first ‘audio-bar’ with regular guest DJ sets.

Dishes developed in a collaboration between the venue’s head chef, Finn Steel-Perkins, and Great British Menu star, Ali Borer include charred squid, oyster mushroom skewers and sticky beef short rib which are all fired expertly over a red hot grill.