What's The Best BBQ You Ever Had?

The first BBQ joint that I can remember, was Mack's BBQ in St. Louis County....back in the 50's and 60's. Very good BBQ sandwichs home cut frys and killer ribs. don't know if they're around anymore, I left the area in '66.
I've been to most of the central TX joints that have been mentioned, lived in Austin for 25 years and rode motorcyles all over that part of TX...and my belt line shows it :)
Now we're in discovery mode on the east coast...so I'm taking notes and putting push pins on the map.
Thanks,
Big_G

I live in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex. Home of great BBQ but the best I ever have ever had is the Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse N.Y. And all the side dishes are equally as good. A fried of mine who's a vegetarian drives 45 miles for the sides. They are that good.

A Texan saying the best bbq comes from NY? That takes a lot of guts. Shows how good Dinosaur really is.

My vote has to go to the Railhead Smokehouse BBQ (Ft. Worth, TX) ".....because life's too short to live in Dallas"

Second choice is Silver Springs BBQ in White Settlement, TX

Up here in CT, we have Danny's Little Taste of Texas (South Windsor)......for "Yankee BBQ" it's pretty good.

Smitty

Best pulled pork, baby back ribs, beef or pig pickin' cake I ever had was my own. Guess that's terrible, huh?

I would have to say it is:

Kentucky Gregg's in Cheektowaga, NY

Sonny's BBQ on Tyvola Rd in Charlotte, NC

Dreamland - Tuscaloosa, AL (in 1983, haven't been back)
Rendevous - Memphis
Bubbalous Bodacious BBQ - Orlando, FL (best collards)
Smokehouse - Minneapolis, MN
Dairy Queen - Carlsebad, NM (that's right, a DQ with a pit)

quote:

Originally posted by billybgood

Dreamland - Tuscaloosa, AL (in 1983, haven't been back)
Rendevous - Memphis
Bubbalous Bodacious BBQ - Orlando, FL (best collards)
Smokehouse - Minneapolis, MN
Dairy Queen - Carlsebad, NM (that's right, a DQ with a pit)

I suspect the DQ was owned by Danny Gaulden, a very well known BBQ guy.

John

Again:

Dreamland in:

Mobile
Bham
Huntsville.

The one in Tuscaloosa is probably the most famous but not the best.,

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

ITS GOT TO BE DALE HOLLOW BBQ IN CELINA TN.
ITS NEAR DALE HOLLOW LAKE..TRY IT WHEN IN CELINA

My favorites have been the Interstate in Memphis and Reo's Ribs in Aloha, Oregon.

The best barbecue I've had:

Tom's Place (West Palm Beach, FL)
Tom Jenkins Barbecue (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - no relation to Tom above
Bubbalou's Bodacious Barbecue (Orlando, FL)
Jim's Pit Barbecue (Orange Lake, FL)

Obviously, I don't travel outside Florida a lot...but I'm working on it!

Sams in Austin
City Market in Lulling

quote:

Originally posted by mcsweets

Luling, Lex No. 1, Melear's, Wilber's, Parker's in Wilson, N.C. -- and, if you find yourself in Philly, Sweet Lucy's does not disappoint.

Sweet Lucy's was GREAT during two visits in Jan. 2006. The sides are special too.

And it's just a couple blocks off the Interstate.

The resident Kansas Citian simply must chime in here:

Gates = good but stingy with portions
Bryant's = way overrated
LC's = the only two letters you need to know.

The problem I have with the "best" BBQ you've had, is that there are so many different styles of QUE.
from pork to beef, shoulder to brisket
ribs, short to spare to baby back
wet vs dry
qued vs smoked chicken
vinegar vs tomato based

It could really make your head spin, my motto is "When in Rome do as the Romans do", eat what the locals eat.

My preferences:

Carolina Style - I like western Carolina over eastern Carolina (more tomato then vinegar)
TN style - Eastern, wet and tomato based... Western dry rubbed ribs
TX style - Beef I like a tomato based sauce over a mustard based
KC style - sweet and tomato based
Northern Bama - White and good on fish chicken and puppies


As for best place, how can you choose 1 child over another. I can't.

I guess I will just have to try them all!!

For me, City Market in Luling, Texas is tops for atmosphere and bbq. Smitty's and Black's BBq in Lockhart, TX are close seconds. Louie Mueller's in Taylor TX is next.

quote:

Originally posted by jtoops

For me, City Market in Luling, Texas is tops for atmosphere and bbq. Smitty's and Black's BBq in Lockhart, TX are close seconds. Louie Mueller's in Taylor TX is next.

Wow! That matches my list-exactly!

I know that Bubbaloo's Bodacious is held in very high regards in central Florida. And I know that this forum is not "The Worst BBQ You Ever Had." However, I ate there last week with mixed results.

I educated myself about Texas BBQ brisket and sausage at Black's, Smitty's, Kreuz's, Crosstown BBQ, Southside Market, City Market, and Sonny Bryan's, amongst others earlier this year. At Bubbalou's my dining partner ordered the sliced pork sandwich and I ordered the brisket and sausage.

The smoke ring on the brisket was nonexistent and the meat had no smokey flavor. What surprised me the most was that the meat was greasy. The fat and sinew that would have broken down and softened if the meat had been cooked in the Texas style just coated the slices of almost tasteless meat. The sausage reminded me of an Oscar Mayer's Smoky Link. The smoke flavor came from the flavor put in during manufacturing, not from the smoking process at Bubbaloo's. There was no snap to speak of with this sausage.

I know that these items were not advertised as "Texas Style". However, I do not think they were properly prepared regardless of cooking style.

My dining partner fared much better. Her sliced pork had a nice smoke flavor and was moist, not greasy. There was a small (1/8 inch) smoke ring that showed that it had spent at least a little time in the smoker. When I mentioned that her pork was much better than my brisket and sausage she said that there was a pig on their sign so of course the pork was going to better!

What a Doh!! moment for me. This woman had no idea what roadfood is, but had grasped one of the basic concepts. Go for the item that is on the roof (or the sign).

I am not trying to start a war here. I am just the umpire trying to call 'em as I see 'em.

BBQ is a strange critter. What is good Q in one part of the country might be sneered at by someone from another region...of course, that same variety is what makes it such an interesting subject that so many of us are passionate about.

I am going to eat barbeque wherever I find it, and truly enjoy the different styles I encounter around the country. Being from W. KY. I tend to think that the only REAL barbeque is pork from an open pit using hickory wood to fire the pit. That said, a friend who is from Wisconsin makes a great sandwich with shredded ham in a sauce. It has never seen a pit or any smoke...he calls it BBQ. I disagree, but it is an excellent sandwich.

Some of the best BBQ I ever had was brought home by my wife from a trip to New Braunfels, TX....brisket and sausage with a great smoke ring and flavor. Don't know the name of the place that cooked it, but it sure was good. Nothing wrong with that Texas BBQ.

HERE'S MY TIP. THE BEST IN THE WORLD BBQ is about 30 minutes west of Paris in Martin, TN. Damron's BBQ and Meat. Their slogan is "You can't beat our meat". Cooked 24 hours over charcoal and hickory. On at noon and off the next day at noon. Get it by tjhe pound and a couple sides family style instead of the plate IMO. It's so good we served it at our wedding! and our wedding was kind of fancy. It is pulled in large pieces (not chopped with some fat and grissle like Trollinger's) and always has good bark on it.

Another really good place is The Keg restaurant in nearby Fulton, KY.

Hope this helps.

The best BB-Q place is Hocutt's BB-Q in Moundsville, WV. The ribs, flounder, sweet tea, crawfish, and the other food there is excellent. Can't forget the sweet hushpuppies with butter, honey butter, molasses butter,and hot sauce butter. It is a great atmosphere and excellent hospitality. It's on 10th Street across from the old WV penitentary.

I've never had bbq outside of the PNW, and most of that's been either mediocre or just plain bad.

I was working in South Seattle when Pecos Pit opened and went there for lunch on their 3rd day open. I ordered the brisket sandwich (which I'd never had before), I remember opening the sandwich to have a peek and the meat had a layer of red (from the smoke, isn't it?) and I thought OMG! This meat isn't done!. lol I took a bite and nearly fainted, I didn't know anything could taste that good. And their beans were incredible. I worked in that area for 2 years and went there probably an average of twice a week. Got everyone in the office hooked too.

So, Pecos Pit in Seattle is it. If there's better bbq out there I just can't even imagine it.

I've enjoyed Interstate in Memphis, Gates in KC, and unknown shacks in Sonora, TX, Houston, Ruston, LA. But from my childhood, I remember after church on Sunday my family would drive way out in the country in west Knox County, TN, near Dixie Lee Crossroads at the Loudon County line, and sat at the counter of a white little shack with cords and cords of hickory drying under cover outside and a stream of fragrant smoke coming out of the little chimney that led down to the inner sanctum of flavor.

I can't believe it but at the moment I can't remember the name of the place! Wait! I just remembered...Ott's BBQ. A little family owned place. It was very cute with the pictures of pigs on the wall, the flat buns for the sandwiches. Part of the fun as a kid was being able to pick my very OWN potato chips from the little metal clip stand. It didn't matter if I chose Salt 'n Vinegar because they were all mine!

Man, I loved that place. I went back a few years ago, and it was still great...but since then the family business has disappeared. A sad loss for me and probably several others here west of Knoxville, TN.

Now I might get Buddy's BBQ, but it's not nearly as good. A chain, Famous Dave's has pretty good ribs.

Does Ott's also make a salad dressig that is only sold in the midwest? I recall that every time my brother goes to KC, he picks up a couple bottles of this, (as well as some bottles of Gates BBQ sauce)

quote:

Originally posted by Mr Meatfest

HERE'S MY TIP. THE BEST IN THE WORLD BBQ is about 30 minutes west of Paris

Come on, what do the French know about BBQ?

I literally grew up cooking and eating BBQ in West Texas in the 1950's. My Dad made a BBQ pit circa 1955 out of various sized pipeline available in the oil patch. We used to cut our own mesquite to make the fire. We BBQ'd all the time. It was the primarly social interaction for my family and our friends. The rare occasion we would eat out would be at Johnny's BBQ in Midland which had home made tables and sawdust floors. It still operates today sans the sawdust floors.

As an adult I kept the tradition going and have eaten BBQ all over the country; Texas, KC Kansas, South Carolina (which they can keep), Tennessee, you name it, as well a smoking some pretty decent stuff on my own wood burning pit. So I have, I think, a pretty broad knowledge and palate for BBQ.

Here is my list:

#5 Goode Company Kirby location in Houston: very consistent mesquite smoked brisket and the best potato salad I have ever eaten.

#4 Interstate BBQ Memphis: Best pulled pork sandwich going, moist and with a cole slaw topping.

#3Kruez BBQ in Lockhart, Tx: Haven't been to the new location yet but the old location had great sausage and shoulder clod. And you just gotta love a place where you have to step around the fire to get to the pit.

#2 Luling City Market, Luling Tx Absolutely great ribs and sausage. Superb sauce. Grab a hunk of onion, cheese and a Big Red Soda to go with it. The real deal. Could have been my #1. You won't get cheated if you only make to Luling City Market.

And the Grand Champion #1 BBQ: Louis Mueller's in Taylor, Texas: Go through the swinging screen doors to that big old room with sooty smoked walls and the best sausage, brisket and sauce served by the lb. on butcher paper on the planet. The sausage is coarse ground. Once you've had it nothing else compares. Two kinds of sauce. I love boffum. If I could only eat at one BBQ joint, this would be it.

Honorable Mentions: Williams Smokehouse (ribs) in Houston, Southside Market (sausage) in Elgin, Tx and Cooper's BBQ (sirloin) in Luling, TX., Rendezvous (dry coated ribs) in Memphis although I did kill my wife's dog by feeding her a slab of their ribs in 1992. Choked on a bone I think.

Legran -

I was on a barbecue quest in May and made it to 3 of your five. They were Interstate, Kreuz, and Luling City Market. Of these I liked Luling the best. I also made it to 2 of you honorable mentions - Southside Market and Cooper's. Both were very good.

When I talk about the tour, everyone asks me if I made it to Louis Mueller's. I have determined that the next time I am within 500 miles of the place I will detour to have a meal. Of course, I will have to try a few other places to justify the trip. Num, num. Can't wait.

Kreuz Market - Lockhart, TX
Bodacious BBQ - Tyler, TX (INCREDIBLE brisket)
Shorty's BBQ - Miami, FL
Arthur Bryant's - KC
Interstate BBQ - Memphis

Not a real big fan of Carolina BBQ

Whichever one I'm about to eat.

Dan B,
indiscriminate

Just thought I'd share this with you all.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/338304

Welcome to Roadfood Joe.

maurices in columbia south carolina with many locations and a website and delivery anywhere in usa, gold color sweet mustard base bbq sauce is awesome

There used to be a place at the Shore called Toms's Ribber Roadhouse BBQ. It was awesome. Everything was made from scratch from the soups to the salad dressings, sauces, desserts...they even made their own ginger ale! It was the highest rated BBQ house in NJ. Zagat food rating of 22...and everything was served on paper with plastic. It was outstanding. Unfortunately it's been gone for a couple of years now.

goode company-Houston, TX
City Market-Luling, TX
La Grange Smokehouse-La Grange, TX

quote:

Originally posted by eat at joes barbecue

Just thought I'd share this with you all.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/338304

Heard good things about your place, Joe. How long will it take me to get there from the valley? Suppose I can just continue on to Vegas and make a weekend out of it.

Hickory Park in Ames, Iowa
The place seats 400 people and on an Iowa State home football game weekend will serve several thousand meals all perfect.
I heard they use a couple semi loads of meat a week.
I have eaten there several dozen times and never had a bad meal.
Al

So hard to compare regions, so here are my favorite two:

Lexington BBQ in Lexington, NC
Sammy's in Dallas, TX


I've been to many, many more that did an excellent job with their 'que, but if I could only pick 2, those would be the ones.

quote:

I was just thinking of a particular sandwich that my gf and I enjoyed once a couple years back. We'd been hiking the Francis Beidler, came out to the car, starving, and happened through a little town in that same area that had a Duke's barbecue in it. Now Duke's operates about four or five locations, the most familiar being in Walterboro off I-95. That one isn't bad, mostly buffet. But for some reason this really simple pulled pork sandwich on white Sunbeam with pickles and that really pungent not-mustard-but-not-ketchup sauce was just the bomb. And I can't remember what little town that was to save my life, but the Duke's is on a corner and near a railroad track, and had a whole wedding party waiting for takeout from the window. It was terrific.

Could it have been Orangeburg SC? Of the several Dukes in the area that one is my son's favorite......

quote:

And I can't remember what little town that was to save my life, but the Duke's is on a corner and near a railroad track, and had a whole wedding party waiting for takeout from the window. It was terrific.

If it was not Orangeburg perhaps it was Beaufort. Beaufort is between CHS & SAV

The best BBQ has to be The Roadhouse Bar-B-Que in Norwich, N.Y., they opened last fall. They're located on Route 12 half way between Binghamton and Utica. Great ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and beef. BBQ doesn't get any better than this place.

Elad -

I hate to be twit about this, but to what other BBQs are you comparing The Roadhouse? I lived in the Clinton, NY area for about 8 years and still visit friend in Whitestown several times a year. You have to admit that the area is not know for a lot of great BBQ places. You have Dinosaur's in Syracuse and a few chicken places like Phil's in Endicott, and Brooks' in Oneonts, but that is about it.

I would like to know how The Roadhouse compares to some of the great places that are found in Texas, Memphis, or Kansas City.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Hands down....Sweatman's in Holly Hill,SC

Interstate bbq in Memphis. Cozy Corner is good too.

Southern Belle -

I have been to both Cozy Corner and the Interstate.

Had a great BBQ cornish hen and BBQ spaghetti at Cozy Corner. I had a rib sandwich at Interstate and thought the sauce was outstanding. The ribs were good as well.

Black's in Lockart, TX ...
Dillard's, Buford, GA ...
Interstate, Memphis ...
Harold's, Atlanta ...
Sonny Bryan's, Inwood, Dallas ...
And one or the other of the big three in Houston (I tend to lean towards Goode Company on Kirby, but Otto's is sure valid, hummhmmmm ... )
Rolling Bones, Atlanta ... I pick them because they are ones I would never miss stopping at.

I have been to Roundevous and Corky's and have not included them on the list.

I didn't go through all 6 pages, I hope I am not contradicting myself from a past post.

Best Ribs- Dreamland- Tuscaloosa AL
Best Memphis Style Pulled Pork Sandwich- Paynes- Memphis TN
Best Eastern NC Style- Wilbers- Goldsboro NC
Best Texas Style Brisket- Kreuz's- Lockhart, TX
Best Brunswick Stew- Chad's- Buford, GA

Original posted by me on 26 June 200

quote:

Aside from my own, and not in precise order:

• Nina's, Union City, TN
• Li'l Porky's, Covington, TN
• Curly & Lynn's, Brownsville, TN
• Grayson's, Clarence (near Natchitoches), LA
• The Public Eye, Memphis, TN
• The Rendezvous, Memphis, TN
• Brookshire's, Natchitoches, LA
• Louie Mueller's, Taylor, TX

Revisions::

• Nina's, Union City, TN (pulled pork)
• Smitty's, Lockhart, TX (sausage)
• Kreuz Market (pork chops, sides!)
• Brookshire's, Natchitoches, LA (ribs)
• Louie Mueller's, Taylor, TX (brisket)
• Grayson's, Clarence (near Natchitoches), LA (pulled pork, ribs)
• The Public Eye, Memphis, TN (ribs)
• The Rendezvous, Memphis, TN (ribs)
• Li'l Porky's, Covington, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Akavar

Elad -

I hate to be twit about this, but to what other BBQs are you comparing The Roadhouse? I lived in the Clinton, NY area for about 8 years and still visit friend in Whitestown several times a year. You have to admit that the area is not know for a lot of great BBQ places. You have Dinosaur's in Syracuse and a few chicken places like Phil's in Endicott, and Brooks' in Oneonts, but that is about it.

I would like to know how The Roadhouse compares to some of the great places that are found in Texas, Memphis, or Kansas City.

Inquiring minds want to know.

I may have just had it!

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18455

quote:

Originally posted by Akavar

Elad -

I hate to be twit about this, but to what other BBQs are you comparing The Roadhouse? I lived in the Clinton, NY area for about 8 years and still visit friend in Whitestown several times a year. You have to admit that the area is not know for a lot of great BBQ places. You have Dinosaur's in Syracuse and a few chicken places like Phil's in Endicott, and Brooks' in Oneonts, but that is about it.

I would like to know how The Roadhouse compares to some of the great places that are found in Texas, Memphis, or Kansas City.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Akavar,
I've been to many BBQ's around the country and The Roadhouse BBQ is as good as any that I've visited. There's no real comparison between Brooks or Phil's. The Roadhouse BBQ has real barbecue. Their ribs are fall off the bone with great sauces to choose from. I know the owner has been barbecuing for over 30 years, and those of us who have been to Dinosaur BBQ know that we have something special right here. The next time you visit your friend in Whitestown, you should try the Roadhouse. This place has only been open for about 6 months. It's tough to get a seat on the weekends, even during the cold winter months. My personal favorite from their menu has to be their triple pork platter.(half rack of ribs, pulled pork, & pork tenderloin + 2 sides) You don't leave hungry.

Elad -

Thanks for the additional info. Sounds like I must try this place.

On my next visit to the frozen north I will take RT 12 from Binghamton instead of Rt 8 through Sidney. I am assuming that The Roadhouse is on Rt 12 and easy to find.

I haven't been everywhere, but I've made the pilgrimage to Lockhart and the "Big 3" there did not measure up to the hype, in my humble opinion.

I have had a lot of ribs, though, and my vote goes to Dinosaur in New York (the absolutely best Key Lime pie, too!).

- Rusty

Rustywolf -

Texas brisket - especially without "sauce" may be an acquired taste. I don't know - just guessing. I tried the brisket (without sauce) at Dinosaur's last summer. It seemed to me to be just slightly below Smitty's in Lockhart.

Last May I ate at all three in Lockhart and liked Smitty's the best. During that trip I also tried about 10 other Texas BBQs. Dinosaur's ranks as almost as good - definitely good eating. Of those great Texas BBQs that I was able to visit, my favorite was City Market in Luling.

Just an opinion from a roadfoodie.

Best ribs-Clarks Outpost, Tioga TX

Best brisket-Smitty's, Lockhart TX

Best cornbread-Harolds, Atlanta GA

Best hush puppies-Stamey's, Greensboro, NC

Best single thing I've ever eaten in a BBQ place-BBQ bologna sandwhich, Cozy Corner, Memphis, TN

i recently went to the montgomery inn while in Cincy. The ribs were incredible, some of the best I've ever eaten!!!!

Danny, First of all, Welcome to Roadfood. I am glad you posted your entry about the Montgomery Inn.

We recently bought a 2 lb container of the Montgomery Inn's frozen pulled pork from COSTCO. It is not the best I have ever enjoyed, but it is passable BBQ, considering being frozen in an already sauced environment! At $9.00 for the 2 lb container, it is not really a bargain, but it is nice to have around to feed the grandkids that drop in to mooch a sandwich now and then.

Has anyone eaten at McClard's Bar-B-Q in Hot Springs, AR?
It's the best I've ever eaten!

lanehart,
We have enjoyed several BBQ lunchs and dinners at McClards. The best part of their dinners are the BBQ Beans they use for a side dish. They are outstanding. I would rate the ribs a 7.5 on a 10 scale... That's pretty good, but not in my top 10.

PlanoJim -

I had my Memphis BBQ sandwich at A&R BBQ. I found it to be a very good sandwich, but had nothing as a comparison. I will stop at Cozy Corner for a BBQ sandwich on my next trip through Memphis.