How do?

As the resident Lord of the Pies, and someone who (as covered in other threads) fancies visiting the USA again, I got to thinking of Barbecue.

Not the sad, rain sodden grill we know and love in the UK, but proper proper 'just shove the whole pig or cow in, it'll be fine' honest to goodness Barbecue.

Having seen a Pitmasters and that on Netflix, I understand each State has its own preferences. And because Civil War is neither civil nor fun, and certainly not something I want to trigger, I'm not looking to for a definitive 'State X or GTFO' type argument. Instead, I want to know which city is best for a fattyboomboom like me or try a real variety of different Barbecue styles.

Suggestions please!

The big 3 are:
Memphis, TN
Kansasa City, MO
all of Texas ....

But most cities have "their" specialty in BBQ... ie:
St. Louis' Porksteaks:

I can already tell I'm going to love this thread

BBQ is a signature american thing. It's good basically everywhere you go. Just look up the best BBQ reviews on whatever city you are in. If coming specifically for BBQ - go to one of these festivals. http://www.delish.com/food/g58/best-bbq-festivals/?slide=5

Be careful. People will argue over rules, or fight over sports teams, but people will straight up knife a man over BBQ.

It's very much a Thing.

Meanwhile, here're some nice videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0TYCEXmi90
(But they miss out on Tennessee!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwFQD61A_HA
(Way, way shorter, and focused on Texas)

Lastly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WYR079F0xU
This is a Brit trying to get to the heart of things, so he goes through TN.

Obviously, I'm biased for my home state, but at the end of the day?

Eat Barbeque. It's *awesome*. In that, we can all agree.

Wakshaani wrote:
Be careful. People will argue over rules, or fight over sports teams, but people will straight up knife a man over BBQ.

I believe Fraz prefers to use a gun.

Memphis, Kansas City, or any big city in the midwest will always have amazing BBQ joints. And really just about anywhere you should be able to find at least a few good spots.

I went to a sweet place in St Louis last year called Sugarfire. Tons of sauce choices, and plenty of meat to put them on.

#1: Memphis, TN
#2: Kansas City, MO

I like KC style the best, however the greatest variety is found in Memphis.

 Steve steveson wrote:

Wakshaani wrote:
Be careful. People will argue over rules, or fight over sports teams, but people will straight up knife a man over BBQ.

I believe Fraz prefers to use a gun.

No, no, no. Frazz strictly uses wiener dogs. The wiener dog itself however might use a gun...

 Grey Templar wrote:
Memphis, Kansas City, or any big city in the midwest will always have amazing BBQ joints. And really just about anywhere you should be able to find at least a few good spots.

I went to a sweet place in St Louis last year called Sugarfire. Tons of sauce choices, and plenty of meat to put them on.

Sugarfire is amazing. My company is doing some work for them at the moment, and I'm trying to convince my boss that in-kind payments are the best way to go here.

Since you've already been there hop on a flight south instead and get a proper braai in South Africa.

Can't say you're a BBQ lover until you've had one.

Not sure South Africa is safe enough for me - despite being a 6'2" monstrosity, I'm a right wuss!

Looked up Sugarfire's menu.....yeah I think I'm going there.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Memphis, Kansas City, or any big city in the midwest will always have amazing BBQ joints. And really just about anywhere you should be able to find at least a few good spots.

I went to a sweet place in St Louis last year called Sugarfire. Tons of sauce choices, and plenty of meat to put them on.

Sugarfire is my go-to for BBQ!

THis is the their pork portion:


Also had their BIG MUDDY sammich... pleasant gastronomical event for sure!

 Grey Templar wrote:

 Steve steveson wrote:

Wakshaani wrote:
Be careful. People will argue over rules, or fight over sports teams, but people will straight up knife a man over BBQ.

I believe Fraz prefers to use a gun.

No, no, no. Frazz strictly uses wiener dogs. The wiener dog itself however might use a gun...

Rodney will shoot your ass while eating some good Texas brisket!

I can't say for sure if it's the BEST, but I'll chime in and agree that St. Louis has some pretty good spots for BBQ. It's how the locality make up for not being able to make a pizza.

Sugarfire and Hendrick's both deserve mention. I think my favorite overall though is Big Woody's in St. Charles. It's kind of just a hole in a wall, but they have the best overall that I've had, like, ever.

Driftwood, Texas.
http://saltlickbbq.com/

I would definitely put it as St. Louis, Memphis, Kansas City, and Austin or Houston - in no specific order.

Best options:

1) Some small town in eastern NC.
2) Somewhere on the border between eastern and central NC.

Here ends the list of BBQ places. Forget all that nonsense about other BBQ options, the only one you need is eastern NC BBQ. Pig, vinegar sauce, and nothing else.

What's NC precious?

jouso wrote:
Since you've already been there hop on a flight south instead and get a proper braai in South Africa.

Can't say you're a BBQ lover until you've had one.

I can vouch for that. South African braai is awesome .
Brazilian churrasco is fantastic as well (but don't get one in the big city).
Apparently Ozzies make decent BBQ's as well, though I've never really had that pleasure.
Texas Barbeque is very good too, but must be done with a bunch of pipeliner redneck cowboys out in the woods somewhere or it doesn't count.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
What's NC precious?

North Carolina, home of BBQ.

 Peregrine wrote:
Best options:

1) Some small town in eastern NC.
2) Somewhere on the border between eastern and central NC.

Here ends the list of BBQ places. Forget all that nonsense about other BBQ options, the only one you need is eastern NC BBQ. Pig, vinegar sauce, and nothing else.

No love for western style

 Peregrine wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
What's NC precious?

North Carolina, home of BBQ.

*nods sagely*

That's where it was born.

Then it moved to Memphis, grew up, and learned what it wanted to be for the rest of its life ... Perfect.

Pork is nice but it's not proper meat, unlike brisket.

Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee.

Wakshaani wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
What's NC precious?

North Carolina, home of BBQ.

*nods sagely*

That's where it was born.

Then it moved to Memphis, grew up, and learned what it wanted to be for the rest of its life ... Perfect.

Putting ketchup on a cow is not BBQ.

For my money, Killens Barbecue in Pearland Texas is the best. It's perfect without any sauce but they have it on hand if you feel like adding some anyway.




https://www.killensbarbecue.com/

Also, being honest- just find some old-school black dudes. If they're doing barbecue, it'll be good.

Im gonna get gak over this
But the Bay Area and Sacramento are starting to get ALOT of food trucks, with alot of them being BBQ too.
Nothing can beat food trucks. add BBq to that, your good.
If you can find a BBQ food truck(Or any food truck really) your good

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Im gonna get gak over this
But the Bay Area and Sacramento are starting to get ALOT of food trucks, with alot of them being BBQ too.
Nothing can beat food trucks. add BBq to that, your good.
If you can find a BBQ food truck(Or any food truck really) your good

Food trucks in Cali are awesome!

My favorite BBQ place so far is Hard Eight here in D/FW. Nothing like a pit BBQ where you go up and pick what you want and just pay by the pound.
Of course, that way, it's very easy for your eyes to bigger than your stomach (or your wallet).

St. Louis has its share of good BBQ joints, for sure. I haven't been there personally, but my friends tell me Salt and Smoke is amazing. http://saltandsmokestl.com/

If you want to go get a good variety of amazing BBQ, go to Memphis. Find any BBQ joint. Get a porkbelly sandwich.

 Tannhauser42 wrote:
My favorite BBQ place so far is Hard Eight here in D/FW. Nothing like a pit BBQ where you go up and pick what you want and just pay by the pound.
Of course, that way, it's very easy for your eyes to bigger than your stomach (or your wallet).

Spoiler:

That sure seems to be a lot of stuff that isn't pork BBQ. Are you sure you're in the right thread?

 Scrabb wrote:
For my money, Killens Barbecue in Pearland Texas is the best. It's perfect without any sauce but they have it on hand if you feel like adding some anyway.




https://www.killensbarbecue.com/

Yes! It is excellent.

Food trucks in Cali are awesome!

[Rant]
Maybe in Cali, but in the Netherlands they're the devil. Ridiculoudly expensive tiny tidbits of food that I can make more, cheaper and better myself. Generally with less waiting time as well. And for some reason the bloody things are everywhere.
Why a simple burger (or worse, a sausage inna bun) should cost 6 bloody euros is beyond me, but it makes me want to drag those bloody hipsters out of their stupid vans and dump them in the river. With their "food"trucks on top of them.[/rant]

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

Find a hole in the wall place run by an old black guy who doesn't have teeth. Great BBQ is like soul food where it's passed down in families and people take a lot of pride in their BBQ craft that you don't tend to get at the larger joints. Why no teeth? since the old gummy mouthed owner eats there it means everything will be slow cooked to perfection and so soft it's falling off the bone.

Bonus if they throw it on a bed of fries with a piece of bread to suck up the sauce. There's a place my friends and I used to visit all the time that was run by an old man just like that, now it's run by his son (as the old man passed). Nothing flashy, very small place with home built oil drum smokers. You could drive by it and not ever see it but you can't escape the amazing smell. A friend of mine lived right across the street and we ate there at least 4-5 times a week. We'd try and resist but whenever the place fired up for the day and the wind would catch right you'd be drooling even if you'd just eaten. Two days without it was inviting some serious withdrawl.

So best places to go looking for these hole in the wall affairs?

Are we talking just off whatever the US equivalent to the High Street is (main shopping district), or 'hire a car, follow the smell' type adventuring?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Speaking of Soul Food - is Louisana/New Orleans at all noted for it's Barbecue?

Yes, I am intending on 'I went to the US and had a massive coronary, but man was it worth it'

New Orleans isn't really known for barbecue, but the food there is amazing in its own beautiful way. Creole food is absolutely amazing, although your tongue will likely catch fire while appreciating it.

I am surprised this thread has not started the second American Civil War yet.

 Easy E wrote:
I am surprised this thread has not started the second American Civil War yet.

Well, everywhere that does it right is effectively Southern, so, we just glare hatefully at one another and cheer for college football teams to wreck one another.

We save the warrin' for the Yankees.

 Easy E wrote:
I am surprised this thread has not started the second American Civil War yet.

Well, that is because nobody is in here saying that inferior types of bbq(NC/TX) are better than others.

New York or Los Angeles.


*sound of needle scratching across record as everyone turns to look*


Yes, really. In their respective Koreatowns.

Do have to admit that Korea BBQ is amazing...

 Easy E wrote:
I am surprised this thread has not started the second American Civil War yet.

Very specific wording was used! All about me finding the single best location to sample the various ways, myths and methods for meself

 whembly wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Im gonna get gak over this
But the Bay Area and Sacramento are starting to get ALOT of food trucks, with alot of them being BBQ too.
Nothing can beat food trucks. add BBq to that, your good.
If you can find a BBQ food truck(Or any food truck really) your good

Food trucks in Cali are awesome!

My work has a food truck day every thursday. They pay local trucks to come infront of the office. Because my office is so far from any food.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So best places to go looking for these hole in the wall affairs?

Are we talking just off whatever the US equivalent to the High Street is (main shopping district), or 'hire a car, follow the smell' type adventuring?

A lot of the good places are a bit off the beaten path and some border areas you may not want to be adventuring through. The larger chain places like to be in high profile locations but a lot of those IMO aren't as good as the smaller family run ones. The place I liked is on the same street as two other BBQ locations, one is terrible and gets by mainly because they have fried chicken, then there's a huge place called the rib pit and it has a big flashy website and it's on the corner so it has high visibility but everyone who's local knows you go to Leon's BBQ which is a couple doors over. His place is really tiny and barely seats more than 10 people so it's all basically carry out or eat standing on the sidewalk. It's basically a little shack and I'm surprised they even have electricity, he starts cooking in the morning and sells until he runs out for the day which can sometimes be rather early if it's a high demand day and once he's out of food he closes shop people have to come back the following day. There's times when he has a line going around the block meanwhile the big "successful" neighbor advertises like crazy but the quality isn't there and if Leon's is open they are barely at half capacity during diner rush.

The best course of action is probably to ask around with the locals as they'll know where to go, it probably doesn't help with trip planning as you likely need to be in the area to ask. Cops, paramedics, and firemen are usually a good sources to ask as they spend a lot of time in the area and will know all the local spots. Bartenders or anyone in the restaurant business can also give good local suggestions. While main shopping areas will draw in some decent high profile places the smaller family shops are usually a bit outside of the prime locations as they are relying more on word of mouth and repeat customer vs paying high rent for visibility that's not really needed. Pick a region known for good BBQ as even the bigger places will likely be decent, then ask around and you might find a stellar place.

Also some of the small family business are open weird hours depending on the local work or party scene. Some places have a lot of people working 3rd shift and so there's bars and places open at 6-7am serving killer diner food, other places don't open until midnight or even 2am if they cater to the after hours bar scene. One of my favorite places to stop for polish dogs or pork chops opens at 1am and runs until 7am as it caters mostly to police and people leaving the bars downtown. It's right next to the highway and smack in the middle of one of the worst areas in the city but on average there's a good dozen police cars present from open to close so as long as you get on and off at the exit and don't venture more than two blocks further everything is great, go beyond that and you're taking a serious gamble. A lot of them are small walk up places so you eat on the street or in the parking lot if they have one.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So best places to go looking for these hole in the wall affairs?

Pretty much. BBQ, at least in NC, isn't really a fancy high-class kind of food. The places that spend a lot of effort on making the restaurant look nice tend to be covering for the high prices and lack of food quality, while some small-town shack with none of the fancy decorations has to get by purely on its food quality. There are some nicer BBQ places with great food, but very often you'll find great BBQ at a very unimpressive looking building.

Are we talking just off whatever the US equivalent to the High Street is (main shopping district), or 'hire a car, follow the smell' type adventuring?

The US doesn't really have a "high street" equivalent, there tends to be retail scattered all over the place. And the large malls tend to have their food options dominated by big restaurant chains, which almost always have mediocre food at high prices. They're ok if you're out shopping and need to get some food, but if you want a good meal you almost always have to get away from the malls and out to places where the rent is cheaper and the traffic is mostly local people going for the food instead of mall shoppers looking for a quick snack. And this is true for food of any kind, not just BBQ. If you stick to the large shopping areas you're never going to find anything worth eating.

Also, get used to the idea that everything in the US requires a car. If you visit and don't rent a car you're going to miss most of the best stuff.

 Peregrine wrote:
Also, get used to the idea that everything in the US requires a car. If you visit and don't rent a car you're going to miss most of the best stuff.

He's right.

In Europe, Korea, Japan- I could walk to a certain district and spend all day there, doing everything I needed to do. Shop, eat, drink, meet women of negotiable virtue...

Here in the US, I have to drive across town just to handle simple errands like running to the butcher, going to the cleaners, buying booze, meeting women of negotiable virtue...

Hope you've got a friend with a car, Grotsnik.

There -are- cities that have some imitation of what you guys have over there, but it's all very 'plastic'. If you want a good barbecue place, it needs to have the following:

1- fat people eating there
2- an old black dude cooking
3- a raggedy old building
4- old timey stuff on the walls
5- selling random stuff like fidget spinners and bibles.

I live in the Puget Sound area, and one of the best regular BBQ joints (regular meaning fairly cheap prices, good food. . . that sort of thing) is owned/run by a couple Cajun sounding dudes from Louisiana.

Another spot is more spendy, but has amazing food that borrows from most BBQ "disciplines"

IMO, the "best" BBQ is highly subjective, and it largely depends on meat. Like, Fraz is right: you just can't get Brisket like Texas brisket. Ribs are a bit more of a toss up, depending on whether you prefer dry rub, or sauce.

I don't really like Ribs. Given the bones, seems a waste.

But that's just me! And I'll happily scoff Haggis.

Wonder if one can barbecue Haggis? Probably not.

The best US city for bbq variety is Kansas City. The city's history of being a transportation hub for livestock and a source for jobs for immigrants and migrant freed slaves has created a bbq scene that features beef, pork and lamb along with a variety of sauces, rubs and cooking techniques. You can get KC style, Memphis style and Carolina style bbq all cooked in an authentic manner in Kansas City and that's just not the case in other cities.

If you just want the best bbq then you should just come to the Carolinas for a pig pickin with eastern style vinegar based sauce.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I don't really like Ribs. Given the bones, seems a waste.

But that's just me! And I'll happily scoff Haggis.

Wonder if one can barbecue Haggis? Probably not.

You could probably cook haggis in a smoker, I don't see why you couldn't. The flavor would be different but it could be different in an improved way depending on personal tastes.

Bran Dawri wrote:

Food trucks in Cali are awesome!

[Rant]
Maybe in Cali, but in the Netherlands they're the devil. Ridiculoudly expensive tiny tidbits of food that I can make more, cheaper and better myself. Generally with less waiting time as well. And for some reason the bloody things are everywhere.
Why a simple burger (or worse, a sausage inna bun) should cost 6 bloody euros is beyond me, but it makes me want to drag those bloody hipsters out of their stupid vans and dump them in the river. With their "food"trucks on top of them.[/rant]

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.

I really do not understand the recent obsession with food trucks. All I see with food trucks are your classic roach coach. "Here is your order of tacos with a side of salmonella. The nachos come with free EColi too!"

And the few times I have gotten food from allegedly good food trucks its just meh. And as you say way overpriced. If I'm gonna pay $12+ for lunch, I'd rather go to an actual restaurant.

I'd love to go on a BBQ tour vacation where you spend a night or 2 in each big bbq area. Start in the carolinas somewhere, head over to Memphis, then st louis, KC, then down to texas.. maybe passing through new orleans on the way. Each night of the tour you eat at a famous BBQ joint, then hop on the tour bus the next morning and go to the next place.

I'd buy that for a dollar.

 Grey Templar wrote:


I really do not understand the recent obsession with food trucks. All I see with food trucks are your classic roach coach. "Here is your order of tacos with a side of salmonella. The nachos come with free EColi too!"

And the few times I have gotten food from allegedly good food trucks its just meh. And as you say way overpriced. If I'm gonna pay $12+ for lunch, I'd rather go to an actual restaurant.

Its a cheap/inexpensive way to start a food joint with less overhead.
So people who are good cooks/ethnic food start them to create good/authentic food.
Food trucks are the best!!!!!!

I get that. But food trucks just still have this inescapable thing of being unsanitary. I'm a bit paranoid about food safety perhaps. But I just have never had any good food out of a food truck. And I've given them a chance. I've eaten at trucks that everybody is crazy over. The food just is mediocre at best, and I feel like I'm rolling the dice with food poisoning. Just not worth it to pay for overpriced mediocre food that has a higher than typical chance of making me sick.

I've never gotten sick from the ones around here, so they must be doing something right, however, I generally second your notion that they're vastly overrated and too expensive.

Having that been said, I eat at them a lot, because I usually skip lunch and eat at my desk, and going to the parking lot for food is hella convenient. Having that been said, there's only one truck I've had so far that I actually look forward to, and a whole lot that I will get in my car and drive to avoid if they're the only ones in the area. And these are assuming that I didn't pack a lunch, which I've been trying to get into the habit of doing more lately.

I haven't gotten sick from a food truck, but I know and have heard of plenty who have. And I have gotten food poisoning before, not pleasant at all. So I really don't want to patronize anything that has a reputation. Add overpriced and overrated to the list and it's easily something to avoid.

KC, Memphis, St. Louis, Northern and Central Texas.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

Its a cheap/inexpensive way to start a food joint with less overhead.
So people who are good cooks/ethnic food start them to create good/authentic food.
Food trucks are the best!!!!!!

If they're inexpensive, why is the food coming out of them so bloody expensive?
And good cooks... Like I said, mostly I can make the food better myself, so they can't be that good...

Bran Dawri wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

Its a cheap/inexpensive way to start a food joint with less overhead.
So people who are good cooks/ethnic food start them to create good/authentic food.
Food trucks are the best!!!!!!

If they're inexpensive, why is the food coming out of them so bloody expensive?
And good cooks... Like I said, mostly I can make the food better myself, so they can't be that good...

Greatly depends on the area, the food itself, and a number of other factors.

In my area, food trucks are under even more strict guidelines than B&M food joints as far as cleanliness, and they are inspected way more often. they are also typically cheaper than drive-thru restaurants of the same type (ie, the taco truck is cheaper than Taco Bell, the burger trucks I've seen are actually cheaper than McD's and other burger places, but serve more/better food).

And if you truly can make the food better yourself, you must be some kind of chef, cuz a lot of the ethnic foods I see/have gotten, while I could undoubtedly learn how to make it, it wouldn't be nearly as good as I've gotten from the ethnic chef.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So best places to go looking for these hole in the wall affairs?

Are we talking just off whatever the US equivalent to the High Street is (main shopping district), or 'hire a car, follow the smell' type adventuring?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Speaking of Soul Food - is Louisana/New Orleans at all noted for it's Barbecue?

Yes, I am intending on 'I went to the US and had a massive coronary, but man was it worth it'

Use google maps and turn off Highways.

You not only will find great food (Not just great BBQ), but you will get a better feel of America; good and bad.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

And if you truly can make the food better yourself, you must be some kind of chef, cuz a lot of the ethnic foods I see/have gotten, while I could undoubtedly learn how to make it, it wouldn't be nearly as good as I've gotten from the ethnic chef.

I was a chef de partie at an Italian restaurant for a few years when I was younger before I got a big boy job. It was something I was seriously considering as a career until I decided I wanted money and then I went technical.

Some of the reason why you can't make better tasting food than what you're eating is because a lot of food places (not just trucks) cheat with MSG (and lets sidestep the argument about whether or not it's bad for you) or one of it's pseudonyms. Not all of them, but odds are if there's something more savory than you would expect and you can't replicate it, that's likely what's missing. This is also true for the vast majority of flavored potato chips.

Anyway, hardly a lofty position in the culinary world, but I can and have made my own food better than some of the food trucks here. Having that been said, I don't think we have an actual "ethnic" food truck in St. Louis, so that's probably affecting my attitude toward the food somewhat. The taco and 'Asian' trucks are mostly full of trendy looking fellows paler than I am, and those tacos have some mighty weak sauce on them.

That cajun truck though. Damn, that gak's for real.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Easy E wrote:

Use google maps and turn off Highways.

You not only will find great food (Not just great BBQ), but you will get a better feel of America; good and bad.

This is definitely true. I'm reminded of the Billy Connolly series about Route 66.

 Ensis Ferrae wrote:

And if you truly can make the food better yourself, you must be some kind of chef, cuz a lot of the ethnic foods I see/have gotten, while I could undoubtedly learn how to make it, it wouldn't be nearly as good as I've gotten from the ethnic chef.

I ain't no chef. I dabble in cooking now and again when I have the time. Must be the food trucks here in the Netherlands are just gak, then.

Another strategy for finding a good place is to ask around in the local dive bar. You will find out that many people in the US are pretty vocal about their favorite BBQ joints.

Bran Dawri wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:

Its a cheap/inexpensive way to start a food joint with less overhead.
So people who are good cooks/ethnic food start them to create good/authentic food.
Food trucks are the best!!!!!!

If they're inexpensive, why is the food coming out of them so bloody expensive?
And good cooks... Like I said, mostly I can make the food better myself, so they can't be that good...

It really depends where you are. Not sure how it is where you are, but food trucks have gone through a bit of a "renaissance" with younger people in the US. You can get some pretty high quality food from the back of a truck. I know the ones that make the festival circuit are pretty top notch, many requiring a second truck for the prep and/or a grill/smoker pull behind. We actually have one in my home town of 5200 that is just a guy, his pickup truck, and his smoker. His food is amazing.

So partly due to this thread and also beacause I just moved stateside (NC), I found myself feeling for some BBQ.

Couple hours later and out of my food coma, I will say that the signature BBQ here is very tasty. My first taste of eastern style vs. lexington style, and I think Eastern style is waaaay more addictive. What really made the difference beyond the amazing eastern carolina style vinegar-pepper sauce was the sides: cornbread, fried okra, collard greens, mac and cheese, biscuits...it was really something.

 daedalus wrote:
.

Anyway, hardly a lofty position in the culinary world, but I can and have made my own food better than some of the food trucks here. Having that been said, I don't think we have an actual "ethnic" food truck in St. Louis, so that's probably affecting my attitude toward the food somewhat. The taco and 'Asian' trucks are mostly full of trendy looking fellows paler than I am, and those tacos have some mighty weak sauce on them.

Back when I went to LA quite often I used to chase the shabbiest, oldest pickups (landscaping, building etc.) at lunchtime. 9/10 times it took me to a taco, pupusa, whatever truck.

Totally worth it, even if at times it meant I was mistaken for an inspector or the migra (I swear once a full line of people in front of me just started running away after I stepped out of my black rental crown Vic).

Find a food truck or a beat up truck pulling a trailer with all the gear inside. Theres a guy that drives around Flint like that and his BBQ is just nuts. Its like a big ass portable smoker or something. The contraption all looks shoddy but man oh man does he cook some mean BBQ

So, Kansas City seems the place to be.

Much nerdery going on there? Don't much fancy bringing my GW armies with me, but reckon a couple of decks of Tragic The Saddening won't wreck my luggage allowance!

 whembly wrote:
The big 3 are:
Memphis, TN
Kansasa City, MO
all of Texas ....

But most cities have "their" specialty in BBQ... ie:
St. Louis' Porksteaks:
>

West Texas BBQ is different from the rest of Texas, and it is the best BBQ. Dry rubbed and smoked over mesquite wood....mmm....

It has to have that nice pink smoke ring...

Memphis, St. Louis, and I'm gonna actually put in a chime for Portland, Oregon! West coast does know what they're doing too. I went to a "cafeteria style" BBQ place in Portland once that blew me away. Of course, the little hole-in-the-wall in Memphis beat EVERYBODY, but still...

 Laughing Man wrote:
New Orleans isn't really known for barbecue, but the food there is amazing in its own beautiful way. Creole food is absolutely amazing, although your tongue will likely catch fire while appreciating it.

New Mexican food I find to be spicier. While similar to Mexican food in many respects, it is hotter. I have had stuff in New Mexico as hot as anything Indian/Thai that I've ever had. McDonald's even sells their burgers with chiles on them. Come fall and the child roasters are on every corner, and not the sissy made in California stuff.

Honestly, if you are looking to come to the US to eat some BBQ, I would hit the three main ones mentioned in the thread. Make a week of it, stop in each for a day or two. There is so much to do in each of cities. You can go to Memphis for the best BBQ as well as amazing music. Beale Street is pretty great, especially when they have the Beale Street Music Festival. If you're not interested in the festival music, believe me, you will hear more and probably better music on the strip. If you go to St. Louis you can see the arch, some sweet historic building, science center, the zoo, the city museum(Not a museum), and finish the day out watching grown men piss in to bottles at the Budweiser plant. Kansas City has, uhhhhhhh, cows? Lots of cows, I assume.

But really, the US Midwest actually has a lot of stuff to offer. Its mostly food, alcohol, and music. But lets be honest, what else do you need?

 Dreadwinter wrote:
Honestly, if you are looking to come to the US to eat some BBQ, I would hit the three main ones mentioned in the thread. Make a week of it, stop in each for a day or two. There is so much to do in each of cities. You can go to Memphis for the best BBQ as well as amazing music. Beale Street is pretty great, especially when they have the Beale Street Music Festival. If you're not interested in the festival music, believe me, you will hear more and probably better music on the strip. If you go to St. Louis you can see the arch, some sweet historic building, science center, the zoo, the city museum(Not a museum), and finish the day out watching grown men piss in to bottles at the Budweiser plant. Kansas City has, uhhhhhhh, cows? Lots of cows, I assume.

But really, the US Midwest actually has a lot of stuff to offer. Its mostly food, alcohol, and music. But lets be honest, what else do you need?

Long as you're making this pitch, Hammerstone's in St Louis is the place to go for casual live music and decent food on most given nights. The schedule varies, but weekends usually present some sort of bluegrass or jam band type thing, and they have some pretty enjoyable ribs there. Decent booze selection too.

Back when I lived in that area, leaning out my balcony to hear the music play was some of the happiest times I can recount.

Kansas City has Janelle Monae. That's reason enough to love it.

As for Texas? The problem isn't the flavor but the meat. BBQ is for pork or, now and then, chicken. Beef and BBQ don't mix anywhere near as well.

Wakshaani wrote:
Kansas City has Janelle Monae. That's reason enough to love it.

As for Texas? The problem isn't the flavor but the meat. BBQ is for pork or, now and then, chicken. Beef and BBQ don't mix anywhere near as well.

Utter and total heresy. Good smoked brisket is a treat as are beef ribs done with that delicious pink ring.

Essentially it comes down to whether you like spicier dry rub or sweet and saucy (avoid southern vinegar BBQ at all costs).

 Maniac_nmt wrote:
(avoid southern vinegar BBQ at all costs).

Foulest blasphemy.

Aye. Beef BBQ is amazing. Just as good as chicken or pork.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So, Kansas City seems the place to be.

Much nerdery going on there? Don't much fancy bringing my GW armies with me, but reckon a couple of decks of Tragic The Saddening won't wreck my luggage allowance!

The American Royal is ABSOLUTELY worth the trip, but insane. If you just want to try everyday KC BBQ, the three things to know are:

1) In-city tastes tend toward spicier, suburban tastes tend sweeter.
2) Order the burnt ends at least once.
3) Zarda all the way.

The only game store I've been to out there is Tabletop, but they're one of my favorites I've ever been to. Boardgames, card games, RPGs, fantasy/sci-fi and historical wargames. Highly recommended.

mrgrigson wrote:

2) Order the burnt ends at least once.

Indeed. But for the uninitiated, Burnt Ends are not actually burnt.

Wakshaani wrote:
Kansas City has Janelle Monae. That's reason enough to love it.

As for Texas? The problem isn't the flavor but the meat. BBQ is for pork or, now and then, chicken. Beef and BBQ don't mix anywhere near as well.

Of course you realize this means war.

One thing I've not seen mentioned (or mentioned much, if I've missed it), is Hawaiian BBQ. . .

Growing up in Oregon where I did, we had a decent little Islander community, and during some of the camping trips I took, one of the groups from this community would throw us a traditional Luau. . .deep pit pig is fething amazing!

They run Taste of Chicago every year and it's like two weeks of nothing but food, it not only draws a lot of the locals but we also get a lot of out of town vendors as well. A huge variety of BBQ along with just about every regional or ethnic food possible and most everyone is smaller businesses rather than large chains as it's something of a food lovers event. It can be a bit expensive but well worth it if you like sampling a lot of different things, it's also in the city so you can stuff yourself silly then see the other sites, or just roll yourself back to the hotel and sleep it off in a coma.

A lot of other major cities also have festival style events that will likely turn up with a bit of web searching. Most tend to be in the summer when the weather is better.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
So, Kansas City seems the place to be.

Speaking as a Texan who vouched for Texas BBQ but has also had Kansas City BBQ on more than one occasion.... it's good.

You'll have a grand time eating!

I am currently from St Louis but have to say BBQ for the area would be Memphis.. And if you can make it they
have an event called "Memphis in May" its a BBQ competition and some of the best barbecues are there..

As for the best locally Sugarfire has already been mentioned plus Pappy's and Bogarts..

One thing I have always considered when dealing with BBQ is the type of meat, ribs, pulled pork, brisket etc; all cook and taste different.
Then the type of wood they used to smoke with.. the rub, and the sauce .. how much they use of each can really change the taste..
And everyone has the style they like.. I have always preferred one that is right in the middle of all three..

And someone mentioned other local favorites.. I am finding out things I never knew..
Everyone knows about for St Louis.. Baked Ravioli and Provel instead of mozzarella cheese on pizza..
But there is also many restaurants that serve Steak sandwiches.. just a steak on bread.. and I love it

All this talk about Texas, St.Louis, Kansas, and Tennessee and the rare post about North Carolina.

North Carolina is where it's at, moist meat and great sauce combining together to make amazing meals. Pulled pork sandwiches with a healthy dose of pork, sauce, and the signature cole slaw in between two buns cannot be beaten by any rib or brisket around. Not sure anywhere else in the country even has barbecue so inundated into it's society that you will see smokers at a gas station actively smoking some delicious pork inside.

And on a side note, dry rub is a sin.

 halonachos wrote:
All this talk about Texas, St.Louis, Kansas, and Tennessee and the rare post about North Carolina.

Kansas City is in Missouri. So Texas, Missouri, and Tennessee have been rightly mentioned.

North Carolina would be mentioned, if they knew what they were doing.

North Carolina BBQ is awful, bloody awful. Sorry, but while I can can find St. Lo., KC and occasionally Memphis (which is way to darn sweet to be on any top list) okay, NC/SC BBQ is awful. The only time it is good is when it isn't traditional Southern BBQ.

Dry Rub is the right way. Add sauce afterwards if you like, the meat should stand on it's own (even West Texas offers sauce in a number of varieties, just not as the main attraction).

 Dreadwinter wrote:
North Carolina would be mentioned, if they knew what they were doing.

Don't worry, we know, we've been doing it for longer than most other "BBQ states" have existed. BBQ is pig + vinegar sauce. If you have to drown your meat in ketchup sauce to cover up how awful it is you're doing it wrong.

Now now gents.

Keep it civil!

Man, this is meat we are talking about. That is absolutely grounds for fightin' and ballin'.

 Peregrine wrote:
BBQ is pig + vinegar sauce.

So, I don't think I've ever had vinegar sauce, really. There is one BBQ place near here that has really good sauce, and it's a bit vinegary.

I just so happen to be smoking a pork butt as we speak, so I decided to try googling and then making some vinegar sauce.

1 1/2 cups (360 mL) apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (120 mL) ketchup
2 tablespoons (30 mL) mustard
2 tablespoons (30 mL) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) black pepper
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cayenne

I decided to replace the cayenne with some dehydrated scotch bonnet peppers that I grew in my garden last year.

Anyway the sauce is cooling now, and the pork butt is still smoking - but this sauce is incredible. It's a saucy epiphany.

2 thumbs up.

Hm...maybe instead of pizza or hamburgers, BBQ is the dish of America. I never realized until this thread how wide spread and loyal its BBQ people are. This is the kind of stuff brings a tear or pride to my eye

 KingCracker wrote:
Hm...maybe instead of pizza or hamburgers, BBQ is the dish of America. I never realized until this thread how wide spread and loyal its BBQ people are. This is the kind of stuff brings a tear or pride to my eye

It's the dish of the South. You'll notice that no place mentioned has been north of Missouri or west of Texas. Aside from some laughable food trucks in California.

I didn't eat much BBQ when I lived in Kansas, but I don't recall enjoying it that much. I don't like the Memphis-style sauce as much as other varieties.

The best BBQ I've had is definitely in Texas.

http://www.oldsmokehouse.net/aboutus.html That place taught me about the beauty of pork ribs.

There was another place out in west Texas that I'd stop at on my way to/from college that was amazing. Meat would literally melt in your mouth, but it was crisp on the outside.

Honestly, pork and beef are both great for any style of BBQ, but screw chicken. I've never been impressed with BBQ chicken anywhere. It's always been dry.

I remember a number of years ago at the Kentucky state fair I had some BBQ mutton. Was amazing. Not something you normally see though.

 trexmeyer wrote:

 KingCracker wrote:
Hm...maybe instead of pizza or hamburgers, BBQ is the dish of America. I never realized until this thread how wide spread and loyal its BBQ people are. This is the kind of stuff brings a tear or pride to my eye

It's the dish of the South. You'll notice that no place mentioned has been north of Missouri or west of Texas. Aside from some laughable food trucks in California.

I didn't eat much BBQ when I lived in Kansas, but I don't recall enjoying it that much. I don't like the Memphis-style sauce as much as other varieties.

The best BBQ I've had is definitely in Texas.

http://www.oldsmokehouse.net/aboutus.html That place taught me about the beauty of pork ribs.

There was another place out in west Texas that I'd stop at on my way to/from college that was amazing. Meat would literally melt in your mouth, but it was crisp on the outside.

Honestly, pork and beef are both great for any style of BBQ, but screw chicken. I've never been impressed with BBQ chicken anywhere. It's always been dry.

Except I previously mentioned my state of Michigan. Around the Flint area BBQ is a big deal and holy hell is it tastey

Yeah, but that's more than likely a byproduct of the mid 20th century African-American diaspora bringing BBQ north. Culturally, it really is a southern dish.

 trexmeyer wrote:
Yeah, but that's more than likely a byproduct of the mid 20th century African-American diaspora bringing BBQ north. Culturally, it really is a southern dish.

Culturally it is an eastern dish, if you are wanting to get incredibly picky about it, as it originated in the Carolinas. It has since grown in all directions. I mean, Chicago has a major BBQ festival and competition every year. This is an American thing, don't try to make it something it's not.

FETH.

A thread about BBQ...I must have died and gone to heaven.

 trexmeyer wrote:
Yeah, but that's more than likely a byproduct of the mid 20th century African-American diaspora bringing BBQ north. Culturally, it really is a southern dish.

Well technically BBQ originated from a Arawak/Timucua word which became the Spanish word Barbacoa. Which ultimately means a "framework of sticks on posts" to cook meat on.

 Dreadwinter wrote:

 trexmeyer wrote:
Yeah, but that's more than likely a byproduct of the mid 20th century African-American diaspora bringing BBQ north. Culturally, it really is a southern dish.

Culturally it is an eastern dish, if you are wanting to get incredibly picky about it, as it originated in the Carolinas. It has since grown in all directions. I mean, Chicago has a major BBQ festival and competition every year. This is an American thing, don't try to make it something it's not.

This guy gets it!

In honor of today's flight to get some BBQ (because what else would you do when you have a plane and a friday afternoon free?), here's an example of what real BBQ is:



Note a few things here:

1) The food. The BBQ is pork. Smoked over long hours in whole-hog-size pieces, then served like this. The sides are slaw, baked beans, and hush puppies. Slaw is standard, but other vegetables (usually cooked in pork fat) or breads (cornbread, rolls) may be substituted. The sauce is a thin vinegar-based sauce. This is central NC BBQ sauce, with some tomato added in contrast with the tomato-free eastern NC sauce (my preference). Note that the sauce is still thin and heavily vinegar-based, the tomato adds a bit of color and flavor but does not turn it into ketchup like non-NC sauces. Finally, note the presence of beef on the plate. This is brisket. It is often found at BBQ restaurants, but it is no more BBQ than the slaw.

2) The setting. BBQ is not fancy food. You can get a hint of this in the cheap-looking plates (including styrofoam plates for the fried pickles we had earlier). The food is what matters, not what it is served on. Off-camera the location is in rural NC, at a random airport the owner built because why not have an airport with a BBQ restaurant? It's cash only, because why pay credit card fees when you can tell your customers to bring cash? The parking lot is full even at 5pm, and there's a whole lot of trucks. Oh, and that airport I mentioned? Despite this being just a typical humble NC BBQ restaurant people will pay hundreds of dollars to fly in for a meal. This is what happens with good BBQ, people in the know will go far out of their way to get there.

If you want to get good BBQ find a place like this in NC. Skip all that ketchup-covered-cow nonsense, you won't miss anything.

 Dreadwinter wrote:

 trexmeyer wrote:
Yeah, but that's more than likely a byproduct of the mid 20th century African-American diaspora bringing BBQ north. Culturally, it really is a southern dish.

Culturally it is an eastern dish, if you are wanting to get incredibly picky about it, as it originated in the Carolinas. It has since grown in all directions. I mean, Chicago has a major BBQ festival and competition every year. This is an American thing, don't try to make it something it's not.

That's blatantly false. BBQ is a southern dish.

The core region for barbecue is the southeastern region of the United States, an area bordered on the west by Texas and Oklahoma, on the north by Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. While barbecue is found outside of this region, the fourteen core barbecue states contain 70 of the top 100 barbecue restaurants, and most top barbecue restaurants outside the region have their roots there.

https://www.questia.com/read/35708391/mcdonaldization-revisited-critical-essays-on-consumer

The earliest mention of the word comes from Lederer's travels in Virginia and the Carolinas.

https://books.google.com/books?id=VAsOAAAAIAAJ&q=barbecue&dq=barbecue&hl=en&ei=KwkATvyQEsydgQeRt4zNDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBDiCAQ

Pork, a staple of barbecue to the point where beef barbecue strikes many as odd, was the staple meat in the pre civil war South.

Another good article on the subject.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-evolution-of-american-barbecue-13770775/

Just because it's nation wide doesn't mean you get to deny it's origin. When I've lived/traveled outside of the south barbecue has been non existent. I don't recall eating it once in Washington, Wisconsin, California, or Alaska for example.

trexmeyer wrote:The earliest mention of the word comes from Lederer's travels in Virginia and the Carolinas.

So, it originated in the east? Gotcha.

Also, all of the states you mentioned have annual BBQ festivals.

 Dreadwinter wrote:

trexmeyer wrote:The earliest mention of the word comes from Lederer's travels in Virginia and the Carolinas.

So, it originated in the east? Gotcha.

The Carolinas are Southern, despite being coastal.

As for Michigan having some decent barbeque, well yeah ... Michigan and Ohio were heavily-populated by Southerners that went up for jobs, or in the wake of Civil Rights, and the food went with 'em. What you often see listed as "Soul food" up north is just southern food. Those two states can make a claim to being honorary southern states due to the population blend. (As opposed to Florida, fully half of which is very much NOT southern, despite being the second southernmost-state. Culture defies your "geography"!)

So wait, the Carolinas are southern despite being east coast state's and Florida isn't southern because.... reasons?

I'm going to start telling people I'm from out west, by way of Illinois.

Just ate at 3 BBQ places in TN. One on I-57 outside of a Love's travel plaza, one at famous dave's, and one at Tim & Jake's (the best!). Seriously, BBQ is the best thing about the south!!

 Dreadwinter wrote:
So wait, the Carolinas are southern despite being east coast state's and Florida isn't southern because.... reasons?

Florida isn't considered Southern because it's so full of inbred white trash that even Southerner's think it's pitiful. Nobody wants to associate with Florida.

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Just ate at 3 BBQ places in TN. One on I-57 outside of a Love's travel plaza, one at famous dave's, and one at Tim & Jake's (the best!). Seriously, BBQ is the best thing about the south!!

I used to work next door to a Famous Dave's, and it's still really close. When I went to Tennessee I got really excited about finally having "authentic" BBQ, and turned out, Famous Dave's was better than nearly all the places I went to.