Posted by Stephen Morton on June 17, 2009
If you are within 100 miles of East Tennessee, the Ridgewood is not to be missed. It is, without a doubt, the best barbecue I've had anywhere. I've been to the big name places in Kansas City, Memphis, and elsewhere, but none of them compare in terms of flavor. Everything is good, but don't leave without eating BBQ pork and baked beans. Both are like none other! THIS is hickory smoking at its best!
The meat is tender (they use nothing but uncured hams for the pork) and the many hours spent in the smoker really makes the hickory flavor jump out at you in a most delicious way, in both the meat and the beans. The pork sandwich starts as sliced meat. It is heated on a flattop grill, topped with their unique sauce, and placed on a hot bun along with some slaw. All of the flavors combine into pure taste perfection. You can tell by the appearance of the people preparing and serving the BBQ that they know a thing or two about food from a vast wealth of experience!
I can't wait to get back to East Tennessee to eat there again. I only wish they would ship to St. Louis!
Overall: Worth driving from anyplace
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"Just north of the restaurant is this smoky building where hams are slow-smoked over hickory wood for hours."
Michael Stern
"This is the view from a booth near the kitchen: a beef sandwich and a pork plate, just assembled by the cook and ready to be carried to a table -- OUR table, we pray!"
Michael Stern
"Mostly what you see are French fries -- delicious, hot-from-the-kettle fries -- but beneath them is a heap of smoky pork slices bathed in tongue-tingling sauce. "
Michael Stern
"Although it is far off the beaten path, the Ridgwood is almost always crowded. Expect to wait at peak mealtimes."
Michael Stern
"Smoky, sweet, and laced with meat, Ridgewood's beans are a must-eat side dish."
Michael Stern
