It seems that the fewer the locations and the cheaper a BBQ joint, the better it actually is.

If anyone is reading this in North Phoenix, I strongly recommend Lovejoy's KC BBQ. The reviews on that link are mixed but I make a point of dropping in whenever I'm in the area and it's stellar. The reason I searched for a link at all is I wanted to make sure there is still only one - this may sound odd, but I'd prefer they never expand, I feel the quality suffers. I've seen that here in town with Honey Bears.

http://www.rocksbarbque.com/

That has the Internet control, and can monitor multiple cookers

www.thebbqguru.com
This is the original that I have.

The surface area on the WSM is excellent because it's a double decker. I can get six rib racks in there, or four pork butts or 4-6 chickens.



More importantly, I can cook for about 22 hrs. on a single load of charcoal. That's a big deal, since some need reloading every six hours. Very stable temperatures, nice long cooks.

quids, if you buy one, call them on the phone and make sure they give you the proper adapter for your smoker. The fan needs to be attached and it's easy to get the wrong one.

I also love the Salt Lick. They have a spot in the Austin airport; it's not as good as the real place but buy a vacuum-sealed smoked brisket and you'll be mighty happy when you get back home.

If you're stuck in Austin, the Iron Works has pretty good pork ribs and brisket. I'm told some of the places in Luling and Taylor, Texas (about 40 minute drive) are great, like Kreuz Market, Smitty's and Luling City Market.

In LA, Phillips in Leimart Park has excellent beef ribs, known more for the meat than the sauce.

Hog Heaven is a hidden gem in Nashville. Its located on this little side street that's practically an alley, and it can't be seen from the road. No indoor seating, just a screened-in area with a couple picnic tables. Its also right next to this biker bar that, last time I went in, had pitchers of Shiner for $5.50. Great pulled pork sandwiches.

JD Kadd's in Park Ridge (just outside of Chicago) is the best BBQ I've had here. The guy also does pizza and catering (well), but the BBQ is really good.

BBQ, now there is a topic dear to my heart, er stomach.

I don't get to eat it often, but here is my take.

Saltlick at the Red Rock in Vegas is very good, but not all time great, definetly worth a trip though.

My favorite all time BBQ spot is this one

http://www.hogsfly.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=20

seriously the dry rub on these things is to die for.

if you have a big party or something coming up consider ordering them up, they retain like 95% of their tastiness even when mail ordered, just follow their directions and you could even claim them as your own.

BBQ in Memphis in my mind rules, but I have heard arguements for other spots in the country, I wish I was enough of an expert to argue. It would certainly be fun to eat my way to a Phd. in BBQ.

The simple fact is this seems to be an overlooked and often undervalued form of American cooking that is so so tasty.

cheers. J.

I knew you'd beat me to it. Hog Heaven is awesome---if you get to Nashville, don't miss it. And go for the cornbread.

Seattle:

Frontier Room, good BBQ (really like the brisket) turns into a bit of a meat market at night.

OK Corall: Fantastic, if not a bit beat up, but by far the best BBQ in the city.

i live in Austin, and saltlick and rudy's are both very good. saltlick has a better atmosphere, great for group functions, and really good pecan pie ala mode and peach and blackberry cobblers. rudy's brisket is better IMO

there's a small BBQ place in bastrop(30 miles SE of Austin) that does catering for the longhorn foundation during UT home football games, and also caters most of tarantino and rodriguez's movies, its the best bbq ive ever had, i ll make a couple of calls and find out the name

Dreamland the original in Tuscaloosa, Al. is the best, but they have several other locations. For many, many years all they served was ribs and white bread. In the last 10 years the have added butts, chicken, and a few sides.

Full Moon is excellent, I really like their marinated spicy slaw. They are currently expanding rapidly, but the original in on southside in Birmingham is my favorite. They have opened a location in Baltimore called Ray Lewis's Full Moon in partnership with the Raven's murderous linebacker.

As El D said, the Saltlick is great in Austin, but I prefer The Green Mesquite It is right downtown on Barton Springs and South Lamar. One of the few place in Texas I can get a good pork sandwich. They also have live bluegrass music a lot of the time which goes well with BBQ.

This reminded me of several of the slogans I've seen for BBQ places over the years.

In Tallasse, Alabama near Lake Martin there is a place called Johnny G's whose slogan is "Nobody beats my meat"

On the north side of Birmingham there is place called Sweet Daddy's that has a picture of a pig on the sign and it says , "From the Rooter to the Tooter" This is a mainly black place that serves jowls, feet and all those other good parts I don't eat.

OTB, are your PMs full?

OK Corall is excellent.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=3442

It's moved a bit further North than it used to be, I think. It's now around 95-100th I think, rather than 87th. But still in Greenwood area, and still excellent.

Rob

BBQ joints around DC:

Best: O’Brien’s in Rockville
2nd: Dixie Bones in Woodbridge

Here’s a pic of one of my rigs – a 2 x 4 Pitts & Spitts stick burner with temp control system. I’ve ordered a Stumps Gravity feed upright unit for delivery this spring.



Some BBQ pron
Briskets


Ribs




Pork:



Chicken:

North Carolina style vinegar-based BBQ ftw.

If you guys haven't had this stuff, you need to get out here and try it. It is not a tomato base like most of the "pit" BBQ styles (KC, Texas, Memphis, etc). It's basically pepper and spices steeped in a good quality vinegar. And "barbecue" in NC is ALWAYS pulled roast pork, usually the whole pig done at a "pig pickin'." Out of this world good. I enjoy tomato-based BBQ sauces and all kinds of grilled meats, but they don't hold a candle to the local stuff (although Western NC-style does add some tomato to the vinegar base; however it is inferior to Eastern style IMHO).

For a good primer on BBQ in NC, try here.

There's also a South Carolina mustard-based BBQ, but that [censored] is nasty.