BURNSVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) – When you think barbecue meccas, you probably don’t think of Minnesota.

But there are some hidden gems around our state.

And everyone pointed their sauce-covered finger to a place that’s relatively new to the world of barbecue.

The Rack Shack in Burnsville, Minn.

Its customers rave about it being “the best.” And that’s high praise for a place that’s only been open since 2010.

But Keith Hittner and his son-in-law Elliott Ashwell know what they’re doing.

Ashwell’s worked in restaurants for years, and his father-in-law had some hidden barbecue wisdom that pushed them over the top.

“He brought me over to his house one day to show me what he knows, and I was really surprised,” Ashwell said. “He was keeping it a secret from me, so then he taught me what he knew, and then we grew.”

The size of their dishes grew as well. The Rack Shack does spicy too, with a ghost pepper sauce, made from one of the hottest peppers in the world.

The Shack also does traditional barbecue as well anybody, with ribs, brisket and pulled pork that just falls apart.