What's The Best BBQ You Ever Had?

The two that stand out in my mind was a place called Pop's BBQ in Oak Hill, FL (Gone now), another was at Roger's BBQ just before Silver Springs, FL, westbound on Rt. 40.

John

The best? Hard to say....but I've been around, and really enjoyed

Sonny Bryan's in Dallas
Goode Company in Houston
Anyplace around Austin - Kreuz Market comes to mind
both Bryants and Gates in KC - Bryants gets the nod...
Stameys in Greenboro NC
Corkys, Interstate and Rendevous in Memphis....
Moonlight in Owensboro

Help, I can't decide!

I'm not nearly as well traveled as a lot of people on this board but for me it is definitely Wilber's in Goldsboro, NC. And I will be eating there again in 22 days.

Don't know if it was the absolute best I ever had, but it was great and I enjoyed it the most. . . June Bug's in Cincinnati. Real pit smoked BBQ and fantastic homemade sides and deserts.
We told the owner we'd come 200 miles that weekend just to eat in Cincinnati and had picked his establishment for bbq and he just piled on the food (samples of EVERYTHING!) and BS. We had a great time with a really personable character.

I'm with stlouisguy on Sonny Bryans and Goode Company, not so much on Corky's or Rendevous.

Black's in Lockhart, TX

A place called Shadden's, Marvell, Arkansas.

Peco's Pit in Seattle (really).

The Smoke House in Braselton, Georgia.

Help, I can't decide.

My vote for single best BBQ anywhere goes to Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX. I have sampled quite a few, and there are some other contenders, but for my money, this is the number one. Sorry I don't have a better pic, but my favorite thing at the favorite place is the shoulder (found here on the right):



Next week's stop includes a trip to Arthur Bryant's, so I intend on making some serious comparisons!

I did a post about frozen stuff in the cooking section and mentioned Sadlers BBQ, made in Henderson. Tx. It is sold commercialy, at Sams, and now some retail grocerys. Mix a bit of the juice w/ some good sauce and your.... almost at Sonny Bryans!

I am jelious of you guys that have been to all the places mentioned above!!!
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

I did a post about frozen stuff in the cooking section and mentioned Sadlers BBQ, made in Henderson. Tx. It is sold commercialy, at Sams, and now some retail grocerys. Mix a bit of the juice w/ some good sauce and your.... almost at Sonny Bryans!

I am jelious of you guys that have been to all the places mentioned above!!!
Joe

Me too.

John

Hay's Smokehouse in Lexington, TN, where we had the meet and eat in 2005. Best pork BBQ.

Dreamland - Tuscaloosa, AL

As good as the legend. Absolutely the best BBQ I'll ever enjoy.

Not in order...depends on how the pit boss was doing the night before as to who goes to the top.
Wilber's Goldsboro, NC
Georgia Pig St. Mary's, GA
Stamey's Greensboro, NC
Lexington #1 Lexington, NC
Bridges (either one and both) shelby, NC
and as a real kicker...RO's Gastonia, NC

V960, I was trying to figure out what a pit boss had to do w/ BBQ but....... I was thinking about someone who works in a casino. Now I get it, daaa.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by V960


and as a real kicker...RO's Gastonia, NC

I love RO's.

The best I've had in quite a while was on a return trip to Texas. Ribs and links at Jones Family BBQ in Denison, Texas were mighty good. It may not be the best in Texas, but after 10 years of being away I thought it was mighty good.

quote:

Originally posted by stevekoe

My vote for single best BBQ anywhere goes to Kreuz Market in Lockhart, TX.

I have to agree with Stevekoe. I was born and raised in the South and have been eating southern BBQ all my life. About a year and a half ago I took a trip to San Antonio with my girlfriend and we stopped by Kreuz's in Lockhart. I was hooked. I've never had such tasty BBQ in my life ! I can't wait to go back.

Pit bosses...the cutest is the lady who runs the pit at the Log Cabin in Albermarle, NC. I'll even add them to my list along w/ the Whispering Pines about a mile down the road.

Also Lancaster's in Mooresville for their stew only, nothing else. Watford's in Bishopville, SC for their hash and fried skins gets put on my list also.

I worked for a summer as a pit flunky at a place that will remain unnamed. This old guy (since gone to his reward) who knew his pit so well it was scary would crack open a pint of bourbon at about 11 pm. He would give me exact directions about the fire and proceed to sip and sing. One of the better experiences of my life. Moving dozens of shoulders w/ a pitchfork is a wonderous thing.

Maybe we should have a thread about worst building to best bbq ratio? Georgia Pig will win!!

Take a look...

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=82

http://www.chowhound.com/south/boards/south/messages/26864.html

It is actually MUCH worse than it appears. The floors sway and tthe porch is a death trap if you get off the plywood. I asked for some sauce one time and the lady washed out a Pepsi bottle so she could fill it w/ sauce. No charge for 16 oz of sauce BTW.

I've been by the GA Pig several times, never when it's time to eat. But you're right, it does not look very inviting.

I forgot about another very good one, Parker's BBQ in Sylvester, GA on Rt 82.

John

I've asked this a couple times:
Does anyone know the location of a bbq joint on I-95 right over the GA border from either the north or south.
It is situated to the left next to a gas station convenience store right off the interstate.
Not much to go on, sorry. . . but it had some damn fine bbq.

I just can't ive this topic up....BBQ is my favorite!

My favorite BBQ spots always include BBQ that suits my taste buds. But I also include atmosphere and very important, the fun factor of stopping there with my family. In no particular order, here are our favorites:

William's Smokehouse (Houston, TX)
Fiorella's Jack Stack (KC)
Tom's Ribs (West Palm Beach, FL)
GA Pig (Brunswick, GA)
Angelo's (Ft. Worth, TX)

Of course, there are so many places I have yet to venture. Like scbuzz and Stevekoe said about Kreuz Market, that is definitely tops on my list of places to visit soon! Personally, I love brisket and shoulder the best!

GA Pig meets your requirement, but I don't know that I would call it "right over" the border. It is about 25 miles north of the FL/GA line.

InTexas:
No. 1- Bakers Ribs, Dallas. (Greenville Ave location.)
No. 2- Louis Mueller, Taylor, Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by stevekoe

GA Pig meets your requirement, but I don't know that I would call it "right over" the border. It is about 25 miles north of the FL/GA line.

I don't think so.
I remember this place had a sign that said something like "we don't serve french fries, don't ask for them."

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

V960, I was trying to figure out what a pit boss had to do w/ BBQ but....... I was thinking about someone who works in a casino. Now I get it, daaa.
Joe

It figures, Joe.........cause I was thinking the same thing....
a "pit boss" ?!? He is working on the casino floor, of course !!
Giving someone a "comp" for the coffee shop!

LOL,
ellen

Here you go WVH, straight from Google.

Choo-Choo BBQ, I-95 Exit 5, Dover Bluff Rd., Brunswick, Georgia. It is truly beyond good, it is an excellent sandwich. Simple location, a BBQ house, a gift and Georgia peanut shop and a Shell gas station.

John

I get to eat at the Moonlite in Owensboro, Kentucky or Peak Brothers BBQ in Waverly, Kentucky anytime I want. Both are great. But too much familiarity with a restaurant blunts your objectivity.

I'd say the two BBQ restaurants away from home that left an indelible memory on my tongue were Craig's (DeValls Bluff, Arkansas) in 2000 and Melear's (Fayetteville, Georgia) in 2002. I'll have to get back down South soon and try those again.

I recently ate at a place in Reelfoot Lake TN called Boyettes- that had great BBQ-
Also there's a real smoky wonderful place in Waukegan IL called Hillary's thats very authentic and wonderful, though in a section of town reserved for daytime takeout for the faint of heart (like me...)
Also once ate at Sonny Bryants in Dallas and thought that was great as well.,
Never been to KC or TX, maybe someday

Hello

Another vote for the Geogia Pig, Brunswick Ga. And i think the dumpy look is intensional.

Jim

Not in priority order, but these are all top-notch in my book.

Moonlite BBQ, Owensboro, KY
Louis Muellers, Taylor, TX
Hays Smokehouse, Lexington, TN

Several others would qualify for the same grouping, but these three stand out as great examples of the art of Que!

Papa Joe,
Pit boss has a different meaning where trees and grass grow. My Uncle is a professional gambler in LV and I never could understand why he would leave east TN for Vegas.

Stevekoe,
I agree that Kruez is one of the best. Goode's and Ott's in Houston are also in a "best of" catagory.

My favorites are:
Hay's Smokehouse - Lexington, TN.
Cozy Corner - Memphis
Kruez - Lockhart, TX.

Kreuz's, Cooper's in Llano, Dreamland.

Lol Ellen. I was thinking about you when I wrote the "bit boss" thing. Kinda like an old Mearl Haggard song, "thers two kinds of babies to hold".

V960, your uncle must be a poker player. Hard to make a living gambling in LV any other way. AS far as leaving TN, hey, if your a gambler, you gota go where the action is.

Oh, a good freind of mine moved to LV back in the 80s. He made me bring him BBQ from Dallas. There was no Texas style BBQ in LV at the time. I hear there might be now.
Joe

For me, in this order"

1: Dreamland in Huntsville, Birmingham and Mobile
2: Kreuz in Texas with Bushie
3: Hays in Lexington, TN
4: Moonlite in Owensboro with "The Mayors" entourage.

I am sure there are many more that are very good. I have been to many BBQ places that were OK, some were close to terrible but the list above is my favorite.

Another thing that amazes me is how many definitions of BBQ there is. I even have a few of my own. Some places merely cook meat of some sort, then put sauce over it and call it BBQ? Go figure??? Definition varies quite a bit from region to region. Even experts have different opinions.

I have wondered many times about how the definition varies from pit to smoking? Dreamland does pit. They use wood in a pit and their ribs cook in slightly more than a hour and smoking, which Hays does very well usually takes many hours. Hays reported to our group that he usually smokes with hickory for about 18-22 hours. He has to baby sit with the product.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by John A

Here you go WVH, straight from Google.

Choo-Choo BBQ, I-95 Exit 5, Dover Bluff Rd., Brunswick, Georgia. It is truly beyond good, it is an excellent sandwich. Simple location, a BBQ house, a gift and Georgia peanut shop and a Shell gas station.

John

Nice job John A. You've solved the mystery. Thanks dude!
And yes, excellent basic bbq, pork or beef if I recall correctly. Been there at least twice, but missed on my last couple trips south.

We started shoulders last night at about nine and they won't get wrapped in foil to rest until four this afternoon. LOW and SLOW.

Cooper's, Llano, TX.

Amazing. BBQ ambrosia.

http://www.coopersbbq.com/tour.asp

http://www.pbase.com/wyk/image/35111

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-11-09/food_set3.html


Of course, there's a lot of amazing BBQ in the Texas Hill Country:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-11-09/food_set10.html

quote:

Originally posted by WVHillbilly

quote:

Originally posted by John A

Here you go WVH, straight from Google.

Choo-Choo BBQ, I-95 Exit 5, Dover Bluff Rd., Brunswick, Georgia. It is truly beyond good, it is an excellent sandwich. Simple location, a BBQ house, a gift and Georgia peanut shop and a Shell gas station.

John

Nice job John A. You've solved the mystery. Thanks dude!
And yes, excellent basic bbq, pork or beef if I recall correctly. Been there at least twice, but missed on my last couple trips south.

Your welcome. I remember a street sign in Brunswick about 5-6 high that said "In the event of a hurricane the water will come up to here", or something to that effect. Neat older town.

John

Oops! Almost forgot to put C&K BBQ in Kansas City in there too! My wife nearly slapped me when she found out that I forgot to include one of her favorites!

You need to fill me in , I live in KC and have never heard of C&K BBQ. Where the heck is it, I'm ready to go.....

Crap, I really dislike you guys. I just read everyone's response and so many joints I have visited and it made me hungry. Damn you guys all to heck!

Cooper's in Llano
Black's in Lockhart (hurry if you guys want some good stuff, because Edgar says he will retire soon and pass it on to his CPA son)
LC's in KC (better than Arthur's but not by much)
Arthur Bryant's in KC
Whole Cafe in Little Rock (the pulled pork has a very nice taste to it)
South Side and Meyer's in Elgin for the sausage.

Hi,

Boy thats a hard one to answer. I have always been a fan of the Goode Company in Houston, Tx., they have spectacular Brisket. But there are a few of the mobile places that are really stepping it up a notch. I wish I could try them all.

Just got back from a Bar B Que road trip. Jack Stack in KC was excellent! Their menu said they were #1 rated in America. The beans have shreads of bbq meat in them, and are a meal in themself. Really great all around. Sonny Bryants in Dallas is very good too. Liked it better than Angelo's BBQ in Ft. Worth. Thought the GA Pig was average, not spectacuar. The same can be said of the Skylight Inn in Ayden, NC. (been there since 1830, so they must be doing something right, just didn't seem outstanding). Interstate BBQ on 3rd st. in Memphis was outstanding. Really liked that one. Going to try Kreuz in TX in Sept. Lot of people seemed to like that one in this forum.

Salih's, later Solly's in Dallas, and no longer open SFAIK, was the best, period.

I love Mr. Bones on Anna Maria Island in Florida. It has a quaint and made for BBQ atmosphere and the BBQ is excellent. If you ever go to Long Boat Key or Sarasota it's a must stop, just like the Anna Maria City Pier.

Andrea

quote:

Originally posted by Bluemaxx

Oops! Almost forgot to put C&K BBQ in Kansas City in there too! My wife nearly slapped me when she found out that I forgot to include one of her favorites!

I thought C&K was in St. Louis. My wife is originally from KC; been back to visit about a hundred times; eaten in almost every 'Que joint there is, and we ain't never heard of C&K BBQ in KC. I have heard of C&K BBQ in St. Louis. Are you thinking of C&K BBQ in St. Louis?

Enlightenment please.

Buddy

quote:

Originally posted by hatteras04

I'm not nearly as well traveled as a lot of people on this board but for me it is definitely Wilber's in Goldsboro, NC. And I will be eating there again in 22 days.

Check out this link for the reason why Wilber's is so good. Now that is a smokehouse!

http://hkentcraig.com/BBQ48.html

quote:

It is actually MUCH worse than it appears. The floors sway and tthe porch is a death trap if you get off the plywood.

This reminds me of my favorite customer quote about BBQ (from the menu at Red, Hot and Blue, before it became a chain):

"This is the best BBQ I ever had in a building that wasn't condemned."

That said, the best I ever had was at Louie Muellers in Taylor, Texas, while on a lunch break from my employer in Austin. I seem to recall that it was worth a 120 mile round trip and a three hour lunch.

quote:

Originally posted by twinwillow

InTexas:
No. 1- Bakers Ribs, Dallas. (Greenville Ave location.)
No. 2- Louis Mueller, Taylor, Texas.

I agree to Baker's Ribs... best ribs and brisket... long necks, too...
I like the Commerce Street location...

Wilber's has another draw not related to food. Seymour Johnson AFB is home to the 4th Fighter Wing flying F-15's and is right across the street from Wilber's. Get your q sandwich to go, sit on the back of your car and watch your tax dollars at work.

Wilber's also has great q.

quote:

Originally posted by V960

Wilber's has another draw not related to food. Seymour Johnson AFB is home to the 4th Fighter Wing flying F-15's and is right across the street from Wilber's. Get your q sandwich to go, sit on the back of your car and watch your tax dollars at work.

Wilber's also has great q.

Yes sir, and if people complain about the noise just tell em that's the sound of freedom.

John

Greenbrier's (the old one), not the one you can see off the interstate spur on I-565 near Huntsville, AL. I am a big fan of their white sauce and Big Bob Gibson's, Decatur, AL.
We have a Dreamland here, but I am not crazy about it like some people are. I guess because I grew up eating Greenbrier's and Big Bob's. Did eat at Dreamland in Tuscaloosa and it was pretty good, but haven't had the same luck here in Huntsville.

Best "Q" I've had? Can't say I haven't had them all yet. Another item to add to the list of things I must do before cashing in the chips. The list just keeps growing. Chow Jim

When I'm presented with a question like this, I always have to wax nostalgic, so here goes:

My first favorite real bbq was at Arthur Bryant's in KC. This would have been mid-70's. I had loved the pork ribs at Crosstown and the hot links at Big Joe's Snack Shack in Springfield, MO, but Bryant's was heaven. I haven't been back there in over 4 years, but I loved it still the last time I was there.

In the early 80's, Louie Mueller's in Taylor, TX was my nirvana. That was when Fred Fontaine was the pitmaster. Best brisket and "gravy" available then. It will never again be like it was.

Also in the 80's, the Southside in Elgin, TX had tremendous sausage and mutton, at the original location downtown.

Kreuz in Lockhart became my favorite for central TX bbq many moons ago. To this day, it's the one I recommend above all others. Their sausage and beef shoulder clod are unsurpassed, as far as I'm concerned. Although I will not argue with anyone who thinks that Luling City Market is the best (the one in Luling, not Houston), I still go with Kreuz.

As for pulled-pork, Hay's Smokehouse in Lexington, TN (whole-hog pork) is the finest place in the country by far.

P.S. - Had to come back and mention the best sausage I've ever eaten. Charlie's in Smithville, TX (some folks called this place Charles) made their own sausage with a combo of beef and pork. Also made their own sauce, and the experience was unlike anything I've ever had, sausage-wise.

I learned of this place after reading a review by Michael Stern sometime in 2002. I went there as much as I could (about 120 miles round-trip for me) until Charles died in early 2003, when they closed.

The Best B.B.Q. I ever had was in Colorado Springs. I don't rember the name but I remember where it's at. Sawatch St. one block south of Colorado Blvd. Great ribs! Worth walking in 10 degree weather for just a sniff of thier pit smoked Pork Butt! The veggies were the best also. Does anyone rember the name of that place?

Whole Hog Productions, Bronxville NY

Best ever...driving between Shepherd and Huntsville, Texas. Cold, rainy, 3o'clock in the afternoon, missed lunch, promised myself I'd eat at the next purveyor of anything edible-no exceptions! Around the next curve was a homemade sign reading "Mississippi Hillbilly BBQ & Flea Market". The "restaurant" was an old, tiny travel trailer with a walk-up window and the kitchen was outside directly behind the trailer. There were a couple of long "picnic shelters" with table after table loaded with used car parts, tires, and miscellaneous bric-a-brac. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich, a bag of chips, and a Coke (in a returnable glass bottle!). I returned to my car to eat and was treated to the very best BBQ I'd ever sunk my teeth into. When I finished eating, I walked back up to the trailer to return my Coke bottle and told the woman in the trailer I'd never had better. She told me the secret was half hickory and half pecan wood for smoking. Works for me...to this day I regret not getting a slab of spares to go!

Jon

just posted on where should I eat...last night Mo's BBQ in Troy, NY...right now is our local BBQ Nirvana.....great ribs, chicken..can't swear by the pork as they were sold out...only thing that we didn't care for was the baked beans...which were so sweet..I said you could top vanilla ice cream with it....and it's byob, if you want something other than water or a canned soft drink. Best bets...ribs, chicken..onion rings and sweet potato fries

lexington #1

It's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child but my best rib experience so far has been at the ninth and only BBQ wonder of the world, Curtis BBQ in Putney Vermont. I usually don't like BBQ ribs, but there's something about the way he makes them...

My favorite BBQ places, not necessarily in this order:

Paynes--(Shoulder (chopped brown) Memphis
Sam's---Brisket, Austin
Black's--(Brisket),Lockart Tx
Southside Market, (hot guts aka sausage) Elgin Tx
Cozy Corner--(Cornish Game Hen) Memphis
Allen & Son Barbecue-- (shoulder)Chapel Hill
B's Barbecue--- ( ribs from ths slow cooked whole hog) Greenville
The Skylight Inn (chopped shoulder) Ayden N.C

Now I'm hungry Again, Swage

Hard to say since I have had a lot of great Q over the years.

Although it was a long time ago, and I was just a kid, I had some great BBQ from roadside stands on Hwy 75 between Houston and Dallas (pre I-45). Every October we would go to the Huntsville Prison Rodeo, and along the highway into Huntsville there were numerous individuals selling homemade BBQ.

I don't know if it was the entire experience of the trip From Houston, or the fact that I wasn't exactly a BBQ connoisseur. But I do remember looking forward to eating at these places.