Why Parisians Are Obsessed With American Barbecue

The city is experiencing a barbecue invasion.

American comfort food-obsessed Parisians are gobbling up barbecue and all the fixins. According to The New York Times a "spate" of barbecue restaurants has cropped up recently in the French capital sparking a frenzy over ribs and ‘slaw. A mixture of American expats and Parisians like Thomas Abramowics of The Beast are responsible for importing the cuisine. Blues-Barb-B-Q owner Diana Darrah opened her Texas-style rib restaurant back in 2010. The Dallas native tells the Times that she missed barbecue after moving to Europe, but over the past few years has observed the French embracing American foods as more than a novelty. "Once they've tasted really great barbecue, they come back," she says.

The Times lists five noteworthy barbecue restaurants in Paris, including Floyd's Bar & Grill from Bostonian Jamie Young; Paul Chandler's (tongue-in-cheek) Frog Revolution, which sports a smoker from Oklahoma; and Flesh, from California chef Simon Lewis. Though Texas-style brisket seems to be the most popular option among Paris's barbecue spots, ribs, pulled pork, and Carolina-style smoked meats are also available.

Perhaps Paris's alleged obsession with Brooklyn hipster food culture can account for its newfound acceptance of ‘cue. Brooklynites have been experiencing something of a barbecue invasion themselves in recent years. At the same time, Paris is getting bombarded with a host of other American food options. Burger King recently opened a fancy flagship location in the city and Five Guys is rumored to be opening a Paris outpost. However, McDonald's is getting flack from city residents in the Les Halles neighborhood who are fighting to keep the chain off their block.

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