Tripadvisor ‘concerned’ about data used in controversial BBQ rankings after social media backlash

Tripadvisor said it is “concerned” about the data that was used in a controversial BBQ rankings list after social media backlash.

Chef’s Pencil, an Australian blog, used data from Tripadvisor restaurant reviews in order to create a list of the best and worst BBQ places in the U.S.

However, Tripadvisor said the way the blog used the data raises some “concerns” with them.

“Tripadvisor has no association with this BBQ study presented by Chef’s Pencil. In fact, we have concerns about the use of and presentation of Tripadvisor data within the study, inclusive of how they ranked cities against each other,” a Tripadvisor spokesperson told The Hill.

The top 10 best cities from first to last on the list were New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Charlotte, N.C; Wichita, Kan.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle; St. Louis; Miami; and Newark, N.J.

The top 10 worst cities from first to last on the list were Anchorage, Alaska; Plano, Texas; Boston; San Antonio; Aurora, Colo.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Houston; Philadelphia; Omaha, Neb.; and Fort Worth, Texas.

The list did not sit right with many on social media, especially Texans.

A previous tweet referenced a “Top Cities for BBQ in the US” map as a @TripAdvisor map.

The map is in fact not affiliated with @TripAdvisor and was created by @chefspencil, an Australian publication.

Our response to the map itself is still “LOL.”

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) May 14, 2021

HahahhahhahahahhahahahahhhahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaDEDhahahhahhahahhahhaha PART II (thanks for finding this @WhoDatTN) hahahahhahahaha pic.twitter.com/1TcrBCJFcq

— Houston (@VisitHouston) May 13, 2021

Y’all, we fixed that blasphemous BBQ map.

All can be right in the world again. Eat your heart out @TripAdvisor. pic.twitter.com/BvGlyf6BkZ

— Texas Highways Magazine (@TexasHighways) May 13, 2021

Others are confused how some states made the list while others did not. 

No city in Mississippi and Georgia is on this so it’s invalid pic.twitter.com/IUSdTgS8EG

— theddie (@RedHuxtable) May 13, 2021

Newark NJ???!! Lmaoooo no sir https://t.co/ixQ58PYNtw

— A Stu Boyd Film (@BoydShotImages) May 14, 2021

idk who made this chart. BUT HAVING VA BEACH up here MAKES THIS WHOLE CHART INVALID… DISRESPECTFUL and i live in VA lol. wheres memphis!?!?!? https://t.co/SZlg2Ww9Lb

— The Unsung Hero (@Mvtrix_) May 14, 2021