Are You Hungry?

January 30, 2009 10:21 AM

Doing research for a BBQ restaurant website, I ran across these. The names alone kinda' make me salivate... There's Famous Dave's (my vote for best website), Bubba Lou's, Bodean's (BBQ in London?), Armadillo Willy's, BJ's, Big Joe's, Dallas BBQ (in NYC, go figure), Dickey's, McClard's (going with the pig theme...), Stubb's, Texas Pride... it's pretty much a never-ending, mouth-watering list. And it turns out to be torturous, because I'm in the Yucatan and there's no real BBQ for thousands of miles around.
posted by workinggringa (98 comments total)

You're in the Yucatan and you're posting of MetaFilter? Priorities gringa, priorities. :)
posted by netbros at 10:26 AM on January 30, 2009

You forgot the best Texas BBQ in the world.
posted by designbot at 10:29 AM on January 30, 2009

You're in the Yucatan and you're posting of MetaFilter? Priorities gringa, priorities.

Dude, when you get your Crystal Skull's 3G access going, you're going to want to talk about it.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:30 AM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

What is it with BBQ joints and suicide food iconography? Also, Stubb's sauce is awesome.
posted by arcanecrowbar at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2009

Can't pass up a plug for Fatt Matt's, Corky's or Smoky Bones.
posted by jquinby at 10:34 AM on January 30, 2009

My favorite (still open) southern style BBQ place in Northern California — Drooling Dog BBQ, good smoked meat, unusual sodas, and tasty deserts.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:34 AM on January 30, 2009

Can't pass up a plug for Fatt Matt's, Corky's or Smoky Bones.
posted by jquinby at 10:34 AM on January 30, 2009

It's so funny how y'all think that anything made in a style other than Lexington NC deserves to be called "barbecue."
posted by waraw at 10:36 AM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the better the website the worse the BBQ.
posted by BrotherCaine at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2009 [8 favorites]

arcanecrowbar - because the reality of slaughtering animals and feasting on dead flesh is more appealing when cartoon pigs and cows are involved. Most people are so far removed from food preparation that the reality of butchering seems cruel. Of course, using cartoons to sell food only perpetuates the disconnection between living animal and meat products.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

The BBQ Song - A review of barbeque in the Southern United States.
posted by Liver at 10:41 AM on January 30, 2009

The best BBQ in Cincinnati is at Landen Smokehouse (the website, kinda lite).


Thankfully it's within walking distance of my house.
posted by Mick at 10:41 AM on January 30, 2009

Quoting, mutatis mutandis, from the recent pizza thread,

Please don't confuse BBQ style with BBQ quality. "There is no BBQ except how they make it in my geographical area!" Or whatever. You have a deficiency-you are bad at enjoying certain types of good things, and you should be working to overcome it rather than bragging about it.

posted by Wolfdog at 10:41 AM on January 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

It's so funny how y'all think that anything made in a style other than Lexington NC deserves to be called "barbecue."

That's funny. I was just about to post, "If the cue isn't being served in Kinston, NC or Lexington, NC, then it ain't cue."

Yes, I love both styles of barbecue in NC.
posted by NoMich at 10:41 AM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Dallas BBQ (the chain in NYC) is awful.
posted by Zambrano at 10:46 AM on January 30, 2009

Well, if we're gonna talk BBQ, and since you mentioned New York, Brooks' House of BBQ in Oneonta (upstate, near Cooperstown) is worth a visit. Viewing the "pit" is worth the trip alone.

In the city, just off Broadway, is Virgil's. You won't believe you're in NYC.

For the do-it-yourselfer, amazingribs.com provides a wealth of tips, tricks and recipes. "The zen of barbeque!"

Shit, I'm hungry again...
posted by VicNebulous at 10:51 AM on January 30, 2009

Your favorite regional gastronomic delight sucks.
posted by Bummus at 10:51 AM on January 30, 2009

I've tried almost all the great BBQ legends here in Texas. Gone to all the ones in the DFW area. I had a three week trial in Austin and every night we'd drive hours even to try different places in Lockhart or Luling or Spicewood. And yeah, they're all incredible. Trying to differentiate on which is better BBQ vis-a-vis the food is a practice in futility. How do you try to compare variations on unbelievably delicious? I can't. So I judge them on the overall experience. The food and environment; how relaxing it is (which is a part of BBQ); how great the social experience is (also a part of BBQ).

My most enjoyable BBQ experience is a landslide.

The Salt Lick.

Just thinking about eating there causes me pain from the longing. So many amazing experiences there.
posted by dios at 10:55 AM on January 30, 2009

OMG WTF BBQ
posted by Mister_A at 10:55 AM on January 30, 2009 [5 favorites]

I'm so impressed that nobody's arguing yet that I'm not going to say anything else.
posted by cobra libre at 10:56 AM on January 30, 2009

Anyone been to RUB? When I first heard about this place, partly owned by Paul Kirk, I was very curious.
posted by gman at 10:56 AM on January 30, 2009

Here in Birmingham, Alabama, Full Moon BBQ is the total bomb. Mmmmmm! I ate there just the other day. Here's a photo (self-link!) of their downtown location (featuring their wonderful moon logo) that I took on a previous visit to the 'ham.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:59 AM on January 30, 2009

Gah, sorry about the double comment.
posted by jquinby at 10:59 AM on January 30, 2009

I just got back from Honduras, no (good) barbecue available, and I've already gone the East Coast Grill twice.
posted by jsavimbi at 10:59 AM on January 30, 2009

Some of the best pork ribs I've ever had are served every Sunday in a vacant lot on Isla Mujeres. Tender, juicy, smokey and served with a chipotle sauce and coleslaw in baggies. Not NOB style, for sure, but in a class by themselves. Surely there must be some place in Merida that does the same thing.
Oh, and I have to give a shout out to Pop's Piggy Place in Sardis, MS. It's been 20 years, and I still dream about that BBQ.
posted by Floydd at 11:01 AM on January 30, 2009

Gates BBQ

Arthur Bryant's

Hayward's Pit

I grew up on those. And damn you, now I'm hungry for them and I'm in Chicago. (If anyone in Chicago can find me BBQ as good as Kansas City's, let me know, cuz I haven't found it yet!)
posted by dnash at 11:04 AM on January 30, 2009

There's a place just a bit outside of town here which operates out of the WalMart parking lot and which I knew was going be a good sort of place when I asked "What hours are you guys open?" and the guy looked at me like I was some sort of an exceptionally dim-witted sheep that was making noises in English and said "Pretty much whenever we're here."
posted by Wolfdog at 11:09 AM on January 30, 2009

I have a sneaking suspicion that the better the website the worse the BBQ.

Absolutely. Famous Dave's is, around here, the Applebee's of BBQ.
posted by kingbenny at 11:20 AM on January 30, 2009

gman - I've been twice now. To my mind, it's the best barbecue in Manhattan (which admittedly isn't saying much). RUB is the only barbecue in the city that I'd actually be willing to pay money for anymore; Dinosaur is fun, but not very good, Blue Smoke is overpriced wankery (pulled pork sandwich on a brioche? Give me a fucking break), Hill Country is basically a Shoney's with better decor, and as mentioned above, Dallas BBQ is diseased ass.
posted by saladin at 11:21 AM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I would, however, put in a plug for Womack's BBQ in South Lake Tahoe, where I recently, gloriously, dined.
posted by kingbenny at 11:24 AM on January 30, 2009

I have a sneaking suspicion that the better the website the worse the BBQ.

Sounds about right.
posted by gordie at 11:28 AM on January 30, 2009

What!? The Yucatan is about the only place you can get a good cochinita pibil, which, the crappy movie notwithstanding, beats any form of barbecued flesh.
posted by atchafalaya at 11:29 AM on January 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Please don't confuse BBQ style with BBQ quality. "There is no BBQ except how they make it in my geographical area!" Or whatever. You have a deficiency-you are bad at enjoying certain types of good things, and you should be working to overcome it rather than bragging about it.

I didn't say that the stuff everybody else makes isn't good; it's often very tasty. It's just not barbecue.
posted by waraw at 11:33 AM on January 30, 2009

OK, so you're OK at enjoying certain types of good things, but you don't understand words.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:37 AM on January 30, 2009

Armadillo Willy's is also just a bit better than mediocre BBQ, but NorCal ain't exactly known for great BBQ.
posted by BrotherCaine at 11:39 AM on January 30, 2009

"Barbecue traditions originate from the southeastern region, where the culture is strongest, but have spread throughout the country. "

I think there's an argument to be made that if it originated in a certain area, then spread to other areas while almost entirely changing the way it is made (including ingredients!), then it might no longer be considered barbecue.

But, I prefer Lexington style, so I might be a bit biased.
posted by lyam at 11:44 AM on January 30, 2009

I'm partial to Risky's , mainly because of their "five chop sandwiches for five dollars" special. Warning: Bill Miller's is only pretend BBQ (I'm with Joe Bob Briggs; if it says Barbeque or Bar-B-Q instead of BBQ on the sign, it's probably not very good).The Iced Tea and pickled onions at Bill Miller's are very good, though.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 11:50 AM on January 30, 2009

Here in Birmingham, Alabama, Full Moon BBQ is the total bomb

I think I've told my Full Moon story on here before, but the long and short is that I was starving and driving a rental car and finally pulling up to Full Moon was like driving through the Pearly Gates themselves. Heaven on a plate.

I've actually eaten at Bodean's, too. It's not great, but it's serviceable. Plus the Pig Out For a Tenner deal isn't half bad. Except that the beer is a Heineken.

Around here, we've got Smokin' Al's, which is actually surprisingly good BBQ. The Al in question is Al Horowitz. And yes, there is pork. Lots of pork. Delicious, smoky pork. The spicy sauce is good, too. And they opened a second location closer to my house. It's like they want me to live a short, but happy, life.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:51 AM on January 30, 2009

wow... I think I hit a nerve!

I love the Moon BBQ logo. And I think AbesBBQ.com has got to be the worse web design I've ever seen... hands down! Must be great BBQ!

And yes, cochinita pibil is absolutely unbelievably delicious here... my favorite so far is served out of an old guy's house one block off the main square in the little town of Hunucma about a half hour outside of Merida. Yes, we've got cochinita!

and i agree about the cartoon pigs and cows, by the way...

well, back to work. will post the end result in Projects when i'm done so y'all can see...
posted by workinggringa at 11:56 AM on January 30, 2009

there are bbq joints & then there's the joint. always smokin'. damn straight. you corky's fans ... really?
posted by msconduct at 11:58 AM on January 30, 2009

Famous Daves makes me shudder. Ack. It's a chain, and coworkers forced me there once. Ugh. Uuuuugh.

Seconding Fat Matt's. Also Daddy D'z in Atlanta.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 12:00 PM on January 30, 2009

Uncleozzy (or others): if you've had some experience with Alabama barbecue, have you by chance been to the Twix 'n Tween in Centreville? I haven't been in a while, but I'm pretty sure it's the best pulled pork sandwich that money can buy. (For ribs I've have to nominate the original Dreamland in Tuscaloosa).
posted by saladin at 12:01 PM on January 30, 2009

I have some fond memories of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse, mainly for the Devil's Duel sauce, bottles of which I have secreted in various locations throughout the world.

The website is pretty hideous and their graphics amateurish, which give the place (and site) a certain biker 'charm'. Plus ten points, too, for naming their newsletter the Bullsheet.

So. . . what are you doing back in B-ham, Flapjax?
posted by Herodios at 12:02 PM on January 30, 2009

Famous Daves is to southern and midwestern ribs as the Backstreet Boys are to classical jazz.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:03 PM on January 30, 2009

Hmmm. I haven't been to RUB, but I've been out of NY for a couple yers now, so maybe I just missed it. Fun but not amazing is a good way to describe Dinosaur, but it's so much fun - particularly eating outside in the summer with the buckets of beer - that it's worthwhile anyway.

Sadly, the only BBQ place I've been to in NYC that really delivers on the food is gone now - Tennessee Mountain in SoHo was phenomenal, particularly their ribs, and I personally blame every New Yorker in this thread who never went there for its untimely demise.

Anyway, I'd never heard of Famous Dave's until today, when I was stuck at a light next to one of their garish (but appetizing) "Pit Crew" vans. I've got a hankerin' for BBQ now that must be sated, and I'm not eharing great things about Dave's, so if anyone can tell me where to go in the DC/Norther Virginia area tonight that'd be awesome.

Thanks!
posted by Navelgazer at 12:05 PM on January 30, 2009

Memphis. Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous. End of List.
posted by The Giant Squid at 12:09 PM on January 30, 2009

Oh man, Navelgazer, I miss Tennessee Mountain. It was right near my work, and was excellent.

Virgils, mentioned above by VicNebulous above, is pretty damned good though.
posted by JaredSeth at 12:12 PM on January 30, 2009

saladin: I'm not a native, unfortunately; I was just passing through on my way from Enterprise to middle Tennessee.

the only BBQ place I've been to in NYC that really delivers on the food is gone now

I was meant to hit Daisy May's last weekend but, like most of my attempts to eat BBQ, the plan was foiled. Anyone eaten there?
posted by uncleozzy at 12:14 PM on January 30, 2009

Much is the BBQ I have eaten. Some of it has been very very good. Some of it has been not so great. But always has it been et.

A few years back I was visiting my Dad out in Western Massachusetts for Easter. He was the one who instilled in me a love of barbecue, and our trips to Curtis' BBQ in Putney, VT (seasonal; Curtis has an outdoor pit and operates out of two big blue school buses) were many and legendary. This is where I learned that the simpler it is, the better it can be. You go upscale with your barbecue, you end up doing crazy stuff to it ("fusion" is not a word that should apply to your BBQ menu) and then it's not as special. You spend years cooking chicken and ribs and working on your sauce concoctions, you get something magical.

Well, that we ended up having our Easter dinner at a new BBQ joint in Hatfield, which operated out of a deconsecrated church. Appropriately enough, it was named Holy Smokes.

The place had just opened but the owners were experienced and already were doing it right: the ribs had that perfect pink ring, the brisket was fork-tender, the sauces tasty as hell, the fixins' all there, and they even smoked hot fudge sauce for the sundaes. The owners were friendly types and once our dinner was over, we got the chef's tour and marvelled over a giant carousel smoker that had been brought up from North Carolina and installed in the former church's basement.

I didn't make it back to visit Dad for a few years. By that time, unfortunately, the place had burned down in a fire. (This meant that in all probability someone got to utter the time-honored vaudeville chestnut "The church is on fire! Holy Smokes!") The building was a total loss, but the owners went on to mobile catering. Anyway, that's the story of the time I ate barbecue on the altar of a former church and cussed appreciatively.
posted by Spatch at 12:16 PM on January 30, 2009

I'm not eharing great things

Wait, are we talking about online graffiti art now?
posted by Herodios at 12:16 PM on January 30, 2009

Armadillo Willy's is just decent, if that's any consolation.

Everett & Jones is the place to go in the Bay Area.
posted by doubtfulpalace at 12:16 PM on January 30, 2009

Famous Dave's? That places comes recommended by the same people who tell me that the wings are actually really good at Hooters.
posted by box at 12:19 PM on January 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Why is it that in a thread about BBQ we get a bunch of Texans spouting off?

Cow? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.
posted by absalom at 12:23 PM on January 30, 2009 [3 favorites]

It's so funny how y'all think that anything made in a style other than Lexington NC deserves to be called "barbecue."

Even funnier that you are the first person in here to say "barbecue".
posted by dirtdirt at 12:23 PM on January 30, 2009

the wings are actually really good at Hooters

Hey, the wings are really good at Hooters. They're really good Hooters wings.

Famous Dave's is crap, though.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:25 PM on January 30, 2009

I love Canada for many reasons, and food is none of them. I try so hard not to offend my wife about this, but the sorry truth is that there's fuck-all to eat here that tastes good the way BBQ tastes. And now, fuck you for reminding me.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:26 PM on January 30, 2009

Uncleozzy - Daisy May's is terrible. It epitomizes the kind of worthless fake barbecue place, seemingly unique to the Northeast, that attempts to lend itself an air of down-home Southern legitimacy by giving its sides names like "Slap Yo Mama Cornbread." Avoid it at all costs.
posted by saladin at 12:28 PM on January 30, 2009

sean, I think your Canadian food problem stems from living in Ontario instead of Quebec.
posted by Navelgazer at 12:32 PM on January 30, 2009

Now I'm reading the menu off Sonny's website and I am salivating and crying.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:32 PM on January 30, 2009

It epitomizes the kind of worthless fake barbecue place, seemingly unique to the Northeast, that attempts to lend itself an air of down-home Southern legitimacy by giving its sides names like "Slap Yo Mama Cornbread."

Eww! Horrible. Just one more reason to miss Tennessee Mountain - it never attempted to act as anything other than what it was. And that was a restaurant in the middle of SoHo. So it had nice decor of the downtown manhatan style, and just happened to serve amazing ribs and tons of wetnaps within that decor. The waitstaff would also not say, "can I get you something to drink?" but rather, "can I start you off with a Blue Moon?" which is a nice touch, I thought.

Dammit I need some ribs right now.
posted by Navelgazer at 12:36 PM on January 30, 2009

absalom: Cow? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.

Totally. Bison is where it's at.
posted by emelenjr at 12:37 PM on January 30, 2009

Daisy May's is terrible

Maybe better that we skipped it, then. Although I've heard the food isn't half bad, but those folks could be dummies or liars.

This thread is making me sad that I've got a cold an am coming off of a stomach virus. Because I am in no shape to enjoy BBQ right now.
posted by uncleozzy at 12:38 PM on January 30, 2009

Yay Full Moon! Many moons ago, the original owners of that place were Pat & Eloise James, who also happened to be my landlords. When I'd drop the rent off at the restaurant Eloise always set me up with a plate of pulled pork and a couple of those yummy "half moon" cookies (a chocolate chip cookie half-dipped in chocolate). Good food, nice folks. A few years ago Pat died and Eloise sold the place. The new owners have franchised it -- Ray Lewis of the Ravens has opened one in Baltimore. I heard he ate at the original one downtown while rehabbing a knee in the off-season, and liked it so much he wanted one closer to home.

It's the little dab of hot chow-chow that makes their BBQ sandwich so tasty. I eat at the one in Hoover every now and then.

saladin: I've never been to the Twix'n'Tween, but I have been to the Green Top in Blountsville. Great veggies, less great BBQ. I miss the Tired Texan. Barbecue sandwiches available at two in the morning, or later, if you were in on the card game. What's not to like?
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:39 PM on January 30, 2009 [2 favorites]

Mo Gridder's, which is based out of a South Bronx auto repair shop is pretty good. The waiting area of the shop doubles as the dining area for the BBQ.
posted by plastic_animals at 12:40 PM on January 30, 2009

My favorite bbq joint in Murfreesboro, TN is Slick Pig. Not only is the food great and the name pretty awesome, they have 99¢ bbq pork sandwiches on Tuesdays. That often the brightest part of my Tuesday.
posted by teleri025 at 12:55 PM on January 30, 2009

Sonny's? NO!
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 1:14 PM on January 30, 2009

My favorite bbq joint in Murfreesboro, TN is Slick Pig. Not only is the food great and the name pretty awesome, they have 99¢ bbq pork sandwiches on Tuesdays. That often the brightest part of my Tuesday.
Visiting family in Murfreesboro right now, had dinner at the Slick Pig last night. A middle Tennessee classic.
posted by The Giant Squid at 1:15 PM on January 30, 2009

You're not a man until you've met the Man at Dixie's BBQ in Seattle. I've met the Man & I'm not too proud to admit it made me cry.
posted by scalefree at 1:17 PM on January 30, 2009

My favorite bbq joint in Murfreesboro, TN is Slick Pig. Not only is the food great and the name pretty awesome, they have 99¢ bbq pork sandwiches on Tuesdays. That often the brightest part of my Tuesday.

!

Visiting family in Murfreesboro right now, had dinner at the Slick Pig last night. A middle Tennessee classic.

!!

There seems to be quite a contingent of us out here, then. Haven't tried the Slick Pig yet. Was a little underwhelmed by Witt's, so maybe the 'Pig is next.
posted by jquinby at 1:23 PM on January 30, 2009

Red, Hot, and Blue - the barbecue restaurant co-founded by Lee Atwater.
posted by milkrate at 1:23 PM on January 30, 2009

(I'm with Joe Bob Briggs; if it says Barbeque or Bar-B-Q instead of BBQ on the sign, it's probably not very good)

Horse hockey.
posted by waraw at 1:35 PM on January 30, 2009

Yes, Famous Dave's is bad, but it's still better than Tony Roma's.

I still like Red, Hot & Blue - the BBQ chain that started in, and is still mostly located around, the DC area - for the convenience, and pretty good BBQ. In Austin, I've been to the Salt Lick, and it was very good, but for some reason I still prefer Rudy's. I went to Gates' in KC one time and maybe I just ordered the wrong thing off the menu but what I got was something like piles of lunchmeat slathered with sauce. It was ... fine.

I liked Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ in Memphis, and I loved Bub's BBQ in, of all places, rural Massachusetts, and before y'all get all uppity about the Northeast and BBQ - just try it, is all I'm sayin'
posted by kcds at 1:37 PM on January 30, 2009

"Too Much Barbeque"
Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows.
posted by Floydd at 1:39 PM on January 30, 2009

Barbecue is a fun word. People want to apply it to pretty much entirely unrelated food style, pork, beef, even chicken, all prepared differently, with different sauces, with or without vinegar, etc.

It is not elitist or ignorant for people to have a very specific definition of barbecue (wood cooked pork shoulder with vinegar), especially if you understand that those definitions, while regional, may also be the most popular among the barbecue crowd itself and still provide for a huge variety of subcategorization. In that framework, if it's not pork shoulder, it's not barbecue. Just as for many American's if the pizza doesn't have tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, it is just not pizza.

I mean, until recently, in Germany, beer had a very specific definition. I am sure people even drank fermented grain beverages made in Germany that everyone else would call beer, but at the time, it was not considered Beer.
posted by mrzarquon at 1:41 PM on January 30, 2009

A couple good places in the southeast:

Jim n' Nick's pride themselves on fresh food. Their restaurants do not have freezers. I recommend the baby back ribs or the Pig in a Tater Patch (baked potato piled high with pulled pork and all the fixin's)

and

Sticky Fingers has several varieties of sauces from around the southeast US. My personal favorite is their Memphis Dry Rub.
posted by Fleebnork at 1:50 PM on January 30, 2009

Famous Dave's isn't even bad enough to be bad. "The Applebee's of barbecue" is a dead perfect description.

Of course, in the upper Midwest, the only name you need to know is Al & Irene's.
posted by MrBadExample at 2:46 PM on January 30, 2009

First Trader Joes... now you're talking BBQ. Damn you, Metafilter! You really know how to make a girl's taste buds homesick.

Best BBQ in LA: Phillip's (used to be Leo's), whose smoker you can smell from about half a block in each direction.

TastyQ - amazing little BBQ place, fried turkey served year round, and absolutely amazing smothered turkey/chicken. Mmmm smothered chicken! Hot links of the gods.

If you have more space than you do bbq skills, or you need some serious Texas style bbq for a party but don't have a clue how to do it yourself, Rick Royce will hook you up.
posted by Grrlscout at 2:53 PM on January 30, 2009

"I smell something mighty sweet, smells like Bar-B-Q!"
And, just because no one's linked to it yet, here's the (previously mentioned on MeFi somewhere) Dallas foodie guide to DFW BBQ with a side trip to Kansas City. And a new topic: best Brunswick stew in Atlanta. Best Brunswick stew I ever had was in the same region that serves the world's greatest BBQ.
posted by CCBC at 2:57 PM on January 30, 2009

Yer not missing much at Famous Daves.
posted by cogneuro at 3:01 PM on January 30, 2009

Chubby's is on US15 in Maryland just south of the Pennsylvania border.

Since discovering this place, I will never again be able to enjoy either Famous Dave's, Red, Hot, and Blue, or probably most other BBQ joints.

In addition to the best main courses I've ever had, the Fried Potatoes w/ sausage and onions and the Sauerkraut & Pork are beyond comparison.

Quite a few celebs have stopped here and have their pictures on the wall, and I understand that Chubby's has supplied a lot of food to nearby Camp David as well.. Not surprising.
posted by imjustsaying at 3:29 PM on January 30, 2009

I thought Tony Roma's was a grill, not a BBQ place?
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:42 PM on January 30, 2009

Dallas BBQ is fantastic. Cheap (for NYC) huge portions, potent large drinks. Exactly what I'm looking for in a BBQ place.
posted by blaneyphoto at 4:15 PM on January 30, 2009

So. . . what are you doing back in B-ham, Flapjax?

Hey, Herodios! Just visiting family, mainly. And eatin' some bee-bee-cue!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:37 PM on January 30, 2009

Bubbalous is absolutely the best BBQ joint in Orlando. They've franchised out a few other locations in the last 10 or so years, though, and even though they all have pretty good beef/pork the best location to me is the original one on Lee Rd. off I-4, as it serves a sliced lamb sandwich to die for.
posted by mcrandello at 4:50 PM on January 30, 2009

ok, portlander/washingtoningtors, this place brings it:

Big Lou's Texas BBQ

and in Portland Citysearch

just sayin'.
posted by oigocosas at 5:04 PM on January 30, 2009

seanmpuckett, Phil's will do until you get to a state that knows how to do burnt ends.

Biffle's Smoke House Barbeque in Concordia, MO has the cartoony animals thing. Very fine BBQ, too.
posted by scruss at 5:21 PM on January 30, 2009

I live in Memphis dude. I don't need BBQ websites. All I have to do is drive down the street.
posted by Bwentman at 6:23 PM on January 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

We have good barbecue west of Lexington too. Twelve Bones. Truly awesome, almost as awesome as the late lamented Big J's Bubba Q on Sweeten Creek Road, which had the best fried chicken in the known universe. And for a day of it, the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival in Tryon.

It was years before I understood that WTF BBQ - I always just assumed it was some weird ass inside joke, you know, what the fuck barbecue? And really, well, it is true: what the fuck barbecue?
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:27 PM on January 30, 2009

Allmans' Bar-B-Q in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the early 1980s at least, had an absolutely wonderful pulled pork sandwich. The pork could come unsauced on a bun and had a soft, delicate flavor. The barbecue sauce that one could put on the pork was flavorful and debatably enhanced the flavor of the pork.

I've been to the Dinosaur in Rochester. I much prefer the barbecue pork I got at Allman's way back when.
posted by millardsarpy at 6:28 PM on January 30, 2009

Just reading this page has started me salivating... Add to that the fact that it's nearly lunchtime here and I'm dying to go back to the States for a pulled pork sandwich or two...

Anyone looking for good barbecue around Richmond, VA, Buz and Ned's is pretty good (especially for ribs, I'm told) and centrally located, but my personal favorite is the VA Barbeque Company. Unfortunately they're franchising all over the place so I can only recommend the Ashland and Fredericksburg locations. Both these places have NC style sauces, but if you want VA style get thee to VA BBQ.

Anyone up towards DC needs to get down to Woodbridge to Dixie Bones. They apparently do a Sunday buffet, but ordering a la carte is the way to go. Worth the drive.
posted by armage at 6:43 PM on January 30, 2009

Sonny Bryan's in Dallas
posted by mrducts at 6:43 PM on January 30, 2009

Angelo's in Fort Worth, Texas
posted by mrducts at 6:46 PM on January 30, 2009

Since you're in the Yucatan you might be able to find some barbacoa.
posted by mrducts at 6:51 PM on January 30, 2009

I second Daddy D'z in Atlanta, it kicks Fat Matt's ass any day.
Dinosaur BBQ in Rochester was well smoked, good choice of sauces, and an authentically kitschy decor. I don't know what they know about BBQ in NY, but it was pretty good.
Smoky Bones is good, but they apparently don't use real FIRE, which is a no-no in my book. If you don't use fire, you're not a real man (talkin' to you, Shane's Rib Shack)
If you're ever in the far northern suburbs of Atlanta, hit up Dreamland BBQ (i think the original is in Birmingham) - their meat, sauce, smoke is probably the best I have ever had.
Honorable mention if you're on a layover at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in the A , take a cab to The Shack on Main - Real hickory wood smoke, and choice of 3 sauces, chicken and a fish-fry on fridays. It is a shack, and it is damn good, worth the $12 cab ride.
posted by so_articulate at 8:40 PM on January 30, 2009

The original Dreamland is in Tuscaloosa. There is a franchise in Birmingham.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 1:05 AM on January 31, 2009

For my money, LC's is Kansas City's finest. Just look at it.

The Woodyard, too.

(Plus the usual suspects... I'm looking at you, Bryant's, Jack Stack, OK Joe's, and Gates...)
posted by cosmonaught at 5:24 PM on January 31, 2009

Maybe it was just the location (in Fairfax) but the Red Hot & Blue I had a few months ago was terrible. Like sub-par Famous Dave's terrible.

As mentioned above, Sticky Fingers is a chain, but I ended up at one once and enjoyed it.

My boyfriend speaks fondly of Carsons.
posted by cabingirl at 11:34 PM on January 31, 2009

Ridgewood. Went to a place here in L.A. that was supposed to have good BBQ, disgusting... still in the fridge. Oh, anybody have home canned pickled beets?
posted by zengargoyle at 6:01 AM on February 1, 2009