On 5 November 2026, Guy Fieri and his Guy Fieri Foundation team visited Nellis Air Force Base just outside of Las Vegas to host a special Honoring Heroes Day event for military members, veterans, and first responders. John Mull’s Road Kill Grill and other Las Vegas business establishments joined in to assist the Foundation’s efforts on-site, delivering nearly 4,000 nonperishable meals to the Military & Family Readiness Center food pantry at Nellis. Fieri, the Food Network gliteratti and host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is no stranger to philanthropic efforts. Between 2020 and 2025, Fieri’s Foundation awarded approximately $3.3 million across 78 grants to 54 grantees according to tax and data tracking via Philanthropy.org.
Fieri is also no stranger to John Mull’s Meats & Road Kill Grill, first filming on site in January 2012 for a Season 14 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode which subsequently aired in May 2012. The episode was titled “BBQ Road Show.” Fieri raved about the rib tips and smoked chicken, and the Road Kill Grill’s massive smoker—loaded with brisket, pulled pork, and house-made sausage—made a big impression. The episode brought in waves of hungry fans from across the country, putting John Mull’s on the map for good. In 2021, John Mull’s was featured again in the “Carnivore Delivery” episode, proving its BBQ isn’t just a one-hit wonder; it’s a Las Vegas tradition.
Certainly John Mull’s doesn’t owe all its fame and success to the spike-coiffed celebrity chef, but in speaking with several staff members, you’d think Fieri walked on water. He is respected and admired. It certainly helps that Fieri formed a competitive barbecue team in 2003. That credibility is cemented by his team winning the American Royal World Series of Barbecue in 2011. That is a significant milestone that helped earn Fieri an induction into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2012. Some contend that Fieri is a better pitmaster than he is a chef. At any regard, Fieri’s smiling countenance can be seen throughout the John Mull compound.
John Mull’s is absolutely a compound, albeit a complex Located in a rustic, residential-adjacent setting in Northwest Las Vegas. As you drive up, you’ll espy a large gravel parking lot. Chances are there won’t be a vacant space in the parking lot so you’ll wind up parking by the street. Before long you’ll imbibe the heavy, enticing aroma of hickory smoke. The property houses both the historic butcher shop market and the Road Kill Grill BBQ counter. Depending on what you are looking for, you will head either toward the indoor market entrance or the adjacent outdoor ordering window. The entryway flows seamlessly into a covered, dog-friendly outdoor dining area filled with shaded picnic tables where live local bands frequently perform on Saturdays.
John Mull’s Meats offers prices as good or better than most grocery store or warehouse prices. Within the Meat Market, you’ll find top-quality beef, pork, poultry and a variety of other meats plus cheese, seasonings, sauces and rubs. Whether stocking up for a weekend cookout, curating meats for a crowd, or seeking expert advice on grilling and seasoning, John Mull’s knowledgeable team is ready to help. The website encourages you to “get everything from classic staples like steaks and chops to custom-cut game or house-made sausage—all prepared with the same pride that made us a beloved meat market and BBQ landmark in Las Vegas.”
Tucked behind the legendary butcher shop, the Road Kill Grill is where Las Vegas locals and visitors come for authentic, award-winning backyard BBQ. An audacious menu offers generous portions of slow-smoked brisket, fall-off-the-bone ribs, pulled pork, juicy chicken, and mouthwatering burnt ends—each paired with classic homestyle sides like potato salad, mac and cheese, baked beans, and yams. Whether you’re here for a quick sandwich or a full BBQ dinner, expect friendly service, hearty portions, and flavors that keep people coming back year after year. If we lived in Las Vegas, we might move in.
Confusion abounds when you get in line to place your order. There are actually two queues–one to place your order and one to collect it. Both lines are lengthy and the hungrier you are, the slower they appear to move. To put it in perspective, Kim got in line (while I parked a quarter-mile away) at 4:45 and I didn’t retrieve our order until nearly 6PM. We were the last diners to leave the premises at about 6:50. Now, I’m notorious for my lack of patience with long lines, typically abandoning my place in line after about five minutes. John Mull’s reputation made it essential that we wait it out. While you’re in line, you’d better pay attention to the menu so you’ll be ready to order when you finally reach the order counter. People get grouchy when they’re hungry.
Aside from being a Guy Fieri favorite, John Mull’s has earned a number of loa accolades and honors. From 2023 through 2026, it was named America’s number one butcher shop by USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. In 2025, Beltway Insider rated Las Vegas as the number one barbecue city in America with John Mull’s being rated highest among Sin City barbecue joints. In 2023, John Mulls was inducted into the City of Las Vegas Register of Historic Places to preserve its legacy operating at its original northwest Las Vegas location since 1954. For years, this legendary smokehouse has earned “best barbecue,” “best ribs,” “best brisket,” etc. from various local and state publications. So, no, I couldn’t abandon my place in line.
My Kim typically orders pulled pork despite me preaching the greatness of brisket. It surprised me to no end that she ordered John Mull’s the beef rib plate. That’s normally what I would have ordered. This beef rib can feed a family of four for a week. It’s a colossal, massive beef slab (like a roast sitting atop a dinosaur bone). Our server told us a single rib can top the scales at around two and a half pounds. She told me the beef ribs are injected with a custom blend of salt, sugar, and garlic using a multi-needle injector machine before a vacuum seal is pulled to help the seasonings deeply bind to the meat. The meat isas tender as a bird’s heart, juicy, and packed with rich smoke flavor, making it so flavorful we didn’t need extra barbecue sauce.
My choice was the burnt ends plate, a plate I became besotted with at at the legendary Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. Unlike Arthur Bryant’s, John Mulls makes its signature burnt ends from trimmed chuck flap (the front quarter of the beef, known for great marbling and tenderness) instead of the traditional brisket point. Like the beef ribs, the burnt ends are injected with a marinade and heavily coated with a proprietary house rub containing such ingredients as salt, sugar, black pepper, red pepper, turmeric, garlic, and onion.
Burnt ends are slow-smoked for roughly 16 to 22 hours over pecan wood then cut into small, moist squares and tossed with brown sugar and honey for a caramelized, sweet glaze. The result is rich, deep beef flavor paired with a sticky, sweet, and savory bark. At the very least, these burnt ends are on par with those at Arthur Bryant’s. They’re so addictively good that they’ll invade your dreams, so mouth-watering that you might even contemplate moving to Las Vegas just to be in proximity to them. All “plates” are served with your choice of two sides: baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, collard greens or mashed potatoes. Naturally I had two portions of baked beans (among the very best I’ve ever had). The beans were sweet and smoky with pronounced influences from maple and bacon balanced out with hints of mustard and a subtle kick from jalapeños.
Despite Guy Fieri’s declaration of John Mull’s greatness, we really didn’t expect it would be this good. At the risk of being tried for heresy (or lunacy), this barbecue is Texas good!
John Mull’s Meats & Roadkill Grill
3730 Thom Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 645-1200
Website |
LATEST VISIT: 7 November 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$$
BEST BET: Burnt Ends, Baked Beans, Corn Bread, Beef Ribs, Mashed Potatoes
REVIEW #1561