'As authentic as we can' Erie's Federal Hill Smokehouse makes top BBQ list

Federal Hill Smokehouse in Erie has earned a spot on Yelp’s top 100 Barbecue Spots list for 2024. Yelp is an online ratings tool that enables customers to rate restaurants and other businesses.

Federal Hill, 2609 Peach St., was ranked 23rd overall as the only barbecue place in Erie to make the list and just one of three in Pennsylvania. Others were located in Souderton and Philadelphia.

In neighboring states, Ohio came up empty, while New York had one restaurant land in 96th place.

To make Yelp’s list, barbecue restaurants must have a certain number of reviews and engagements. Restaurants must also pass a health review, according to Yelp.

“It’s a cool accomplishment,” said Ryan Atzert, co-owner. “When people recognize your hard work it’s fulfilling.”

What makes Federal Hill stand out?

Federal Hill Smokehouse has been in Erie for 7? years. So what makes it a stand out enough to be on this list?

“We do everything as authentic as we can.” Atzert said. “We burn wood for heat to give the authentic smoky flavor. We use big cuts of meat that we cut down. We make everything in house. We don’t cut corners.

“Our brisket is truly popular,” Atzert said. “Our turkey as well. We do a brisket cheesesteak once a week which always sells out.”

On Yelp, Federal Hill stands at a 4.7 rating out of 5.0 with 248 reviews. Out of those 248 reviews, 205 of them are five-star rated and only three reviews are one-star.

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Federal Hill Smokehouse named to Yelp's top 100 barbecue list