Did You Know “Minnesota’s Best BBQ” Is Only 20 Miles From Faribault?

You may have been missing out on Minnesota's Best BBQ and didn't even know it! SMOKE in Lonsdale was recently awarded the Gold Medal for 'Best BBQ' spot in the Twin Cities, which is a pretty big deal as Lonsdale is almost 45 miles from Minneapolis and 48 miles from Saint Paul. 

SMOKE, which is owned and operated by the Rasmussen family, Andrew and Lisa, opened its doors not too long ago in the grand scheme of things and they have been serving BBQ and smash burgers to hungry people across Southern Minnesota ever since.

I've stopped out to SMOKE a handful of times now and I noticed that Chef Andrew is always offering up a different special of the week, on top of the insane amount of craft beer that can be paired with a meal.

SMOKE beat out a lot of competition for the title of Minnesota's Best, Gold Medal winner, as the silver and bronze medalists are slouches when it comes to great BBQ.

Gouda Q in Watertown took Silver, and The Fabled Rooster in Minneapolis won bronze in the Minnesota Best contest. You can see the full list of winners from a variety of categories if you head here.

Other nearby, local winners, were:

Haas Livestock in Randolph winning Bronze for Livestock Auctions

Albert Lea Seed took Silver in Seed Dealers

Area 57 CoffeeCafe in Wanamingo won plenty of awards Gold Best Breakfast, Silver Best Casual Restaurant, Gold Best Coffee, Silver Best Coffee House, Bronze Best Dessert, Silver Best Family-Friendly Restaurant, Silver Best Sandwiches, Gold Best Smoothies

Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop in Red Wing won Gold for Best Bakery and Best Donut

It's pretty cool that some area businesses got some love from the Twin Cities-Metro area for being some of the best of.