What's The Best BBQ You Ever Had?

The best ribs (other than my grandaddy's) that I've ever had is at Shooter McGee's in Alexandria, VA, but you have to ask them not to char the meat (only downfall).  When they make it right, it's like heaven on earth.  Fall off the bone, lots of meat, and the sauce is off the chain.

Big Al's BBQ in Bull Shoals, Arkansas.

JayL

wfmitchell


BBQ in the mid to western areas of NC is excellent. But eastern BBQ is just too iffy. They will cook it in the oven or crock pot and then add mustard based vinegar sauce and call it BBQ. It can taste good but is by no stretch of the imagination BBQ.

Mustard is a South Carolina thing.  Your understanding of geography is quite bad if you think Eastern NC vinegar sauce is mustard based. 

I've never had "crock pot" bbq in Eastern NC either.  What a CROCK! 

I would say YOUR geography is quite bad. I have eaten at probably no less than a dozen BBQ places from CLT and east, and I always see mustard / vinegar based sauce.

Papa Deuce

I would say YOUR geography is quite bad. I have eaten at probably no less than a dozen BBQ places from CLT and east, and I always see mustard / vinegar based sauce.

You're conflating two different styles.  South Carolina mustard is not the same as eastern NC vinegar. 

As for poor understandings of geography, Lexington is east of Charlotte, and is the epicenter of red barbecue in NC.

Thanks Pocosin.

For the record...one more time...you will NEVER find mustard in North Carolina bbq sauce. 

(can't believe that I, North Carolina native, am arguing over North Carolina bbq sauce with a Yankee that thinks he knows more about it than a North Carolinian...lol)

JayL

a Yankee that thinks he knows more about it than a North Carolinian...

Plus ça change...

Pocosin

Papa Deuce

I would say YOUR geography is quite bad. I have eaten at probably no less than a dozen BBQ places from CLT and east, and I always see mustard / vinegar based sauce.

You're conflating two different styles.  South Carolina mustard is not the same as eastern NC vinegar. 

As for poor understandings of geography, Lexington is east of Charlotte, and is the epicenter of red barbecue in NC.

 
Perhaps you should look at a map of Lexington.  I have also been there and it is due south of Winston Salem and more to the north of Charlotte and perhaps slightly east.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer7


Perhaps you should look at a map of Lexington.  I have also been there and it is due south of Winston Salem and more to the north of Charlotte and perhaps slightly east.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

In other words, it's east of Charlotte,  just as I said. 

In any case, there's no mustard barbecue east of Charlotte.  That's the birthplace and center of gravity of Lexington style.  There's a DMZ 30 miles or so west of Raleigh where you might find either Lexington style or eastern style, and east of that, it's eastern NC vinegar and red pepper without exception.

We have recently started picking up ribs from E&L Barbeque in Jackson, MS. We get them with no sauce and put Dreamland sauce on them. They are wonderful. The ribs are big and meaty, not too fatty and done just right!

Big Mountain BBQ in Waynesville, NC.  6 different sauces offered, ribs were wonderful, and the choice of sides was truly awesome (I had the greens and the Vidalia onion casserole).  Plus, they had a kitty cat outside the back door that wanted a scritch and some petting (always a good omen).

Not to be missed!

From above, it still has to be Wilber's in Goldsboro, NC.
 
On our way back to Dallas from McLean, VA a few days ago we had a chance to enjoy Lexington #1 in Lexington, NC.  The meat was wonderful, but the Western Carolina sauce I found to be watery and bland.  I wish I had had a bottle of Scott's Sauce in the car!
 
For brisket:  Tom & Bingo's Hickory Pit BBQ in Lubbock is the best I've had so far in my five years in Texas.  In fairness, though, we have yet to travel to Hill Country where the Texas BBQ legends smoke it up.

Dixie Bones in Woodbridge, VA.
Buz and Neds in Richmond, VA
Skylight in Ayden, NC
Parkers in Wilson, NC
Lexington 1 in Lexington, NC
Georgia Pig in Brunswick, GA
Jim Neely's Interstate in Memphis
Neely's in Memphis  ( Pat and Gina of Food Network Fame, Pat is the nephew of Jim Neely )
Corky's in Memphis
Rum Boogie in Memphis
Kings Palace in Memphis
Rendevois in Memphis ( SUCKS!!!!!!)
County Line BBQ, San Antonio, TX
Oklahoma Joes in Kansas City
Arther Bryants in Kansas City
My House for Pulled Pork

I'm sure I could think of a few more, but all of these place are great except the Rendevois

Dreamland, hands down. Nothing compares.

allyk


Dreamland, hands down. Nothing compares.

Ditto on Dreamland.

I know I've said this before, but I still can taste all the barbecue I pigged out on in Kansas City....Rosedale Barbecue was a major treat...Arthur Bryants was excellent too....I even tried to get Rosedale to ship their sauce to New Jersey!!

I have a few that are about equal in quality to me....the reason for one being 'above' another is probably due to 'Where I am when I get the urge for good BBQ"

Kreuz market
Louis Muellers
Arthur Bryants
Brick Pit
Dreamland
Moonlite
McClards
Van's Pig Stand

I am sure I can add others but those are the 'Top Dogs' in my ad-lib list.

That pretty much represents the mid-West with the exception of Dreamland. What about GA, AL, SC, NC, FL? Any recommends there?

Wilson's in Tulsa. 'Nuff said.

Yeah, Dreamland is in Alabama, but so is the Brick Pit (Mobile). McClards is in Arkansas. Kreuz Market and Louis Muellers are in TEXAS. Van's Pig Stand is in Oklahoma. The Moonlite is in the Mutton-belt of Kentucky...So far none of these would be labeled "Mid-Western BBQ" !!  Now Arthur Bryants is indeed a representive of the KC/MidWest School of BBQ. Add LC's to that region, please.

Extending further  add Reo's Rib's in Portland OR, Woody's BBQ and Dan, The BBQ Man in SoCal.  I like Ezells Catfish and 'Que in Columbus, GA, but I'll skip over the Carolinas, as I really don't care much for the finely chopped pork, soaked in sauce and buried in cole-slaw that I have been served at many places in the eastern section of NC. Sweatman's is good...as is Bubba's in Savannah.  AND  finally toss in FAT MATT'S in Atlanta...great ribs and good music!

Haven't had the "best" yet. We are somewhat BBQ deprived in this neck of the woods (southwestern New York State) and I don't travel alot. Even the "Rib Fests" that come through once a year are not that great if you ask me. So I live vicariously through the RoadFood forums hoping some day...

At least you can get great pizza there!

Whole Hog Cafe Arkansas

I have to agree about the lack of mustard based sauce in NC. I eat at almost every barbecue place I see, and I have never, EVER seen any mustard based sauce in NC. NC is so sanctimonious about barbecue, they would allow it. The western part of the state tends towards pork shoulder with tomato in the sauce. The eastern part of the state is downright fanatical, eschewing anything other than whole hog with a vinegar sauce, chopped to smithereens.

Never any mustard mentioned anywhere. In SC, yes. Certain parts of the state abide by the mustard creed, but even then, not the whole state. Just certain parts.

Just sayin'...

I love Arts in Austin, but I'm going to have to say the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa.  Married an alabama girl so we stop there on the way in and once on the way out. 

as a follow up, the best dreamland is by far the original.  The others (Birmingham, Huntsville, etc) are hit or miss.

Doc, the owner of the Dreamland franchises, lives just north of Birmingham. I met a high school classmate on a trip to Ireland and when she got home she had Doc send me a gift box. I have only been to the one in Birmingham so I have nothing to compare. It certainly was good.

I just don't know how they do it. They don't use baby back ribs and they cook them in under an hour. They break all the rules and yet they're the best.

The only Dreamland location that I've been to is the one in Mobile. Other than the sauce which I didn't care for, it was pretty good, but certainly not in the same league as their nearby competitor The Brick Pit.

The BEST?  Tough nut to crack for a 68-year-old barbecue aficionado like myself.

But, mighty good que can be had at:

• BEEF - Kreuz market  in Lockhart, Texas
• PORK - Maurice's BBQ  in Columbia, South Carolina

BUT, when it comes to a good pork finishing sauce, ditch the SC stuff and go with a good North Carolina, vinegar-based finishing sauce (a recipe on my website). 
 

Maurice's BBQ??? I have been there for their fried pork skins but I'll be honest, the pork they serve bears no resemblance to BBQ.  It is oven roasted and you can baste it with their mustard based Carolina BBQ sauce.  There is no smoking whatsoever. I can honestly say it is a nice pork sandwich but BBQ it ain't.

Since you are three months younger than I you are going to have to respect your elders on this one.

PS Where is your website? I'm always interested in a good BBQ sauce recipe.

My Own,Have not tasted any better anywhere!!