Tucson's settlers built their city on a barbecue bayou, and for decades their city sunk two feet a year into the smoky, tangy quagmire until they found a solution: drain the swamps of the sauce and slather it on their ribs. Eat your way out of a hungermire with today's Groupon: for $5, you get $10 worth of savory smokehouse fare at Mr. K's Barbecue on South Park Avenue.

Step on up for a hearty serving of generously slathered pork, beef, chicken, and more at Mr. K's Barbecue. The menu is dripping in tempting options ranging from the classic sliced barbecue pork sandwich ($5.75) to the three-meat combo plate, which culminates the flavors of a single rib, a tender cut of beef or pork, and one highly fortunate hot link ($10.95). In between bites, fork deeper into down-home cooking with sides such as candied sweet potatoes, collard and turnip mixed greens, and refreshing cole slaw ($1.50 each for 4 oz./$2.50 for 8 oz.), and hit the kitchen's warm and welcoming core with a lovingly baked slice of pecan pie ($3). In the event that you depart with an insatiable urge for more or encounter a flock of flying pigs, knock out two tricky troubles with one tasty bottle of Mr. K's BBQ Sauce ($3.50 for a 12 oz.)

Originally, Mr. K's Barbecue was but an unlit coal in the mind of Charles Kendrick in the early 1960s. Decades later, Mr. K's cooking caught the attention of many and began to spread like sauce on the bib of a baby. Taste how much flavor can be derived from years of tradition and a few moments of mouthwatering anticipation, and hang a fang on any fine feast at Mr. K's Barbecue.

Reviews

Mr. K's Barbecue has been featured in the book Killer Ribs: Mouthwatering Recipes From North America's Best Rib Joints, in the Arizona Daily Star, and by the Tucson Weekly. It gets a three-star average from 10 Yelpers, and 91% of Urbanspooners like it.

• The menu at Mr. K's says, with hearts on each side of the sentence: "Where BBQ done right is a labor of love." The corniness aside, the perfectly grilled meat backs up that boast. – Jimmy Boegle, Tucson Weekly
• Real BBQ evidenced by the tell-tale pink smoke ring inside the meat. The Beef Brisket is thinly sliced, moist and SMOKEY, even without any sauce. – Major Fresser, Urbanspoon
• Mr. K's is the best bbq in Tucson, bar none! – BBQ Lover, Urbanspoon