They say that the best things in life are worth the wait. Franklin Barbecue will put that theory to the test, with wait times of more than three hours for lunch. Arrive in the morning with water for your dog to drink while you queue up for James Beard award-winning pitmaster Aaron Franklin’s brisket, ribs and sandwiches.

If you want to stay and check out pet-friendly Austin, stay nearby at Downright Austin, a Renaissance Hotel.

Everybody knows you can’t visit Memphis without eating some of what many consider the world’s best barbecue. The city is known for its ‘cue that’s slow-smoked in a pit and then either served with dry rub spices or wet with barbecue sauce. Grab a seat on the covered front deck at Central BBQ’s original location in Midtown. Fido will be in hog heaven with all the delicious smells and the thought that he might snag a fallen meaty tidbit. Start off with a local specialty - a heaping pile of nachos topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, two types of cheese, jalapeños and a dusting of dry rub seasoning. Then, choose between slabs of BBQ ribs, smoked sausage, pulled pork, chicken, beef or turkey for your main course. Try to save room for the banana pudding!

Stay with your pup at Residence Inn by Marriott Memphis Downtown to check out all this soulful city by the Mighty Mississippi has to offer.

Since appearing on “Queer Eye”, sisters Deborah “Shorty” and Mary “Little” Jones stay busy smoking sausages, rib tips, burnt ends and beef on the pit at Jones Bar-B-Q. The Jones sisters learned to barbecue from their father and still use only wood smoke and their secret recipe for sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. Bring your dog to sample Jones Bar-B-Q’s meats on the front patio and buy a bottle of sauce (if it’s not sold out due to popular demand) to enjoy at home.

Dog-friendly lodging is available in Kansas City at Candlewood Suites, which has a 5-bone rating and a grassy pet relief area.

In March 2015, pitmaster John Lewis packed up his smokers and left Austin -- where he grew up and became a star with the success of La Barbecue -- to introduce the Holy City to the holy grail of Texas ‘cue. Since 2016, he has gained a cult-like following at Lewis Barbecue in Charleston (and now at another location in Greenville, SC). Diners and their dogs wait for hours to get a taste of expertly smoked pork spareribs, beef ribs, “Texas hot guts” sausage, oxtail and his legendary beef brisket. Bring Fido to sit on the covered patio while you experience what all the fuss is about.

Sleep off your meat coma and enjoy Southern hospitality at The Ryder Hotel, a dog-friendly boutique hotel on historic Meeting Street.

Since 2009, the Satchmo’s fam has been serving Cajun and Creole comfort foods to the community of Flagstaff with love. Select a table on the dog-friendly patio and get ready to chow down. Pair your favorite slow-smoked, hand-rubbed meat (brisket, shaved chicken breast, pulled pork or pork spare ribs) with delicious Southern-style sides like mac-n-cheese, smoked beans, Southwestern coleslaw, dirty rice, and red beans and rice. And don’t forget the fresh cracklin’ cornbread! Fido would love a tasty morsel of ‘cue paired with an order of sweet potato fries.

Stay close by at the Americana Motor Hotel in retro-cool accommodations where your pup will be offered food and water bowls and the use of the pet relief area.

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant’s Southern hospitality roots go back to the 1950s, when it was a grocery store in the village of Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. Six restaurants later, Puckett’s has built a strong reputation by hosting live country music acts and serving Southern staples like its famous slow-smoked barbecue and meat-and-three specials. Feast on smoked brisket hash for breakfast, BBQ taco salad for lunch, or cherry wood-smoked baby back ribs for dinner on the pup-friendly patio.

Aloft Nashville Franklin offers comfortable, dog-friendly accommodations and a pet relief area nearby.

A relative newcomer to the St. Louis barbecue scene, Bogart’s Smokehouse opened in 2011 in the historic Soulard neighborhood. Its mission is to create high-quality, delicious BBQ like its praised sister restaurants in the Pappy’s Smokehouse family. Sit at one of the dog-friendly sidewalk picnic tables while you sample smoked tri-tip sirloin, pastrami and apricot-glazed ribs. Bogart's chef uses a blowtorch to caramelize his signature ribs and a rotisserie-style Ole Hickory Pits smoker adds flavor to another popular menu item, Bogart’s Pit Beans. Be sure to let Fido snag a leftover morsel!

Book a pet-friendly room at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel and enjoy no additional pet fees.

Get a taste of the Lone Star State in Richmond, Virginia at ZZQ. The owner and self-taught pitmaster is a native Texan who smokes his meat in three white-oak burning, 1,000-gallon offset pits. ZZQ’s brisket rub deviates a bit from the standard pepper-and-salt seasoning with a few added herbs and spices, but it’s the real deal. In addition to brisket, you can sample pulled pork shoulder, prime rib or pork spare ribs paired with sides like tomato pie and jalapeno mac-n-cheese at one of the dog-friendly tables. They open every day from 11 in the morning until they sell out (or 6 p.m., whichever comes first), so you may want to get there early.

For a unique experience, book a dog-friendly houseboat during your visit to the River City. The GiaMaria is 50' Chris Craft houseboat that has been completely remodeled inside and is located in a gated marina.

Bring Fido to the original 4 Rivers Smokehouse location in Winter Park, the first restaurant in this Florida chain, for award-winning barbecue. Owner John Rivers combines the best barbecue recipes and techniques from all over the U.S, including California-style tri-tip, Memphis-style pulled pork, Kansas City burnt ends, St. Louis-style ribs, and the restaurant’s signature Texas Angus brisket. Order at the counter and enjoy your meal on the dog-friendly outdoor patio.

If you want to check out the area, stay nearby at the comfortable Home2 Suites by Hilton Winter Garden with your pooch.