C-Dub's National BBQ Guide
This weekend, I was able to get home and enjoy my fill of great Texas food, and yes I'm watching my calories and making sure to work out a little extra this week. Needless to say, I've had some Mexican, some Greek (there's a famous place in Montrose called Niko Niko's that's crazy good - and was on Diners Drive-ins, and Dives), and of course some Goode Company BBQ :-)
I do miss Texas BBQ. I really do. Not that my new home doesn't have good BBQ - it's just not the same and that's okay. I'm sure that you know some folks that when you say the word "barbecue" automatically think about something that may or may not be foreign to your experience, so having been around I'll give you a little lexicon.
"Southern" Barbecue (Tennessee/Georgia variety)
This would be slow smoked pulled pork with a sweet sauce, most often served with macaroni and cheese, french fries, collard greens, or a plethora of other sides. Those just happen to be my favorite.
Good Places to get it! Pooles BBQ in Ellijay, GA, The Barbecue House in Auburn, AL, The Commissary in Germantown, TN
"Carolina" Barbecue
This is very similar to the southern variety, but they really like to chop their pork (versus pull it) and top it off with a very thin, vinegary sauce. More often than not, you're going to want hush puppies with these piggies. The pups are pretty fantastic.
Good Places to get it! Hannah's BBQ in Lenoir, NC
"Memphis" Style Barbecue
Ribs, and especially dry rub ribs. The best places for ribs will automatically have those bad boys falling off the bone and making your hands messy "as all get out."
Good Places to get it! Fat Matt's in Atlanta, GA, Corky's (the original) in the Memphis area (I'm a little light Memphis places, because I'm not as much of a rib fan)
St. Louis Style Barbecue
Like Memphis - RIBS, but more saucy.
Good Places to get it! I've really never had any St. Louis barbeque that didn't come from a chain, so I'm going to refrain from making any recommendations. Feel free to comment if you have a good pick.
Kansas City Barbecue
K.C. is known for it's BBQ, and most famously for "burnt ends" which are char-broiled beef butt. It's really good if you can find it tender, smoked, and melting in your mouth. I've never had decent burnt ends outside of Kansas City. Also, K.C. tends to pare it's BBQ with more "casserole-style" sides than others (unless you count baked mac & cheese as a "casserole") - the cornbread casserole that I've had at Jack Stack is pretty ridiculous.
Good Places to get it! I've only been to Jack Stack, so far, and it was amazing. There are tons of great places but I'm only going to endorse a place I can vouch for.
Texas Barbecue (the one I'm partial to)
Since I am a Texan, I'll keep it brief. Texas BBQ is like Southern BBQ in a way but we don't smoke pork butts; we smoke brisket. The best Texas BBQ is brisket that is cooked throughout, melts in your mouth, and has a reddish smokey flavored layer on the outside of the meat. The other staple of Texas BBQ, coming from the influx of Germans and Czech immigrants into central Texas and the Hill Country, is smoked sausage "links." These are mostly beef links or pork links laced with jalapenos. Those guys are hard to find where I live now, even though I have found them at One Star Ranch and they're not bad.
Good Places to get it! Goode Company (Houston), The Salt Lick (Driftwood, TX, outside of Austin), Meyers (Elgin, TX), Rudy's (for "fast food" - they advertise themselves as the "Worst in Texas" which isn't too true, but even if it's true makes it far better than the 1/2 of the country mentioned below).
Everywhere Else (especially "up north")
Barbecue means...
Cooking food outdoors.
------------------------
If you've ever had any question on why people are weird about their foreign versions of barbecue or if they give you a deer-in-headlights look when you explain that barbecue is a multi-regional cuisine, now you have some ammunition to take with you in your effort to ed-u-macate them. Enjoy! :-)
I do miss Texas BBQ. I really do. Not that my new home doesn't have good BBQ - it's just not the same and that's okay. I'm sure that you know some folks that when you say the word "barbecue" automatically think about something that may or may not be foreign to your experience, so having been around I'll give you a little lexicon.
"Southern" Barbecue (Tennessee/Georgia variety)
This would be slow smoked pulled pork with a sweet sauce, most often served with macaroni and cheese, french fries, collard greens, or a plethora of other sides. Those just happen to be my favorite.
Good Places to get it! Pooles BBQ in Ellijay, GA, The Barbecue House in Auburn, AL, The Commissary in Germantown, TN
"Carolina" Barbecue
This is very similar to the southern variety, but they really like to chop their pork (versus pull it) and top it off with a very thin, vinegary sauce. More often than not, you're going to want hush puppies with these piggies. The pups are pretty fantastic.
Good Places to get it! Hannah's BBQ in Lenoir, NC
"Memphis" Style Barbecue
Ribs, and especially dry rub ribs. The best places for ribs will automatically have those bad boys falling off the bone and making your hands messy "as all get out."
Good Places to get it! Fat Matt's in Atlanta, GA, Corky's (the original) in the Memphis area (I'm a little light Memphis places, because I'm not as much of a rib fan)
St. Louis Style Barbecue
Like Memphis - RIBS, but more saucy.
Good Places to get it! I've really never had any St. Louis barbeque that didn't come from a chain, so I'm going to refrain from making any recommendations. Feel free to comment if you have a good pick.
Kansas City Barbecue
K.C. is known for it's BBQ, and most famously for "burnt ends" which are char-broiled beef butt. It's really good if you can find it tender, smoked, and melting in your mouth. I've never had decent burnt ends outside of Kansas City. Also, K.C. tends to pare it's BBQ with more "casserole-style" sides than others (unless you count baked mac & cheese as a "casserole") - the cornbread casserole that I've had at Jack Stack is pretty ridiculous.
Good Places to get it! I've only been to Jack Stack, so far, and it was amazing. There are tons of great places but I'm only going to endorse a place I can vouch for.
Texas Barbecue (the one I'm partial to)
Since I am a Texan, I'll keep it brief. Texas BBQ is like Southern BBQ in a way but we don't smoke pork butts; we smoke brisket. The best Texas BBQ is brisket that is cooked throughout, melts in your mouth, and has a reddish smokey flavored layer on the outside of the meat. The other staple of Texas BBQ, coming from the influx of Germans and Czech immigrants into central Texas and the Hill Country, is smoked sausage "links." These are mostly beef links or pork links laced with jalapenos. Those guys are hard to find where I live now, even though I have found them at One Star Ranch and they're not bad.
Good Places to get it! Goode Company (Houston), The Salt Lick (Driftwood, TX, outside of Austin), Meyers (Elgin, TX), Rudy's (for "fast food" - they advertise themselves as the "Worst in Texas" which isn't too true, but even if it's true makes it far better than the 1/2 of the country mentioned below).
Everywhere Else (especially "up north")
Barbecue means...
Cooking food outdoors.
------------------------
If you've ever had any question on why people are weird about their foreign versions of barbecue or if they give you a deer-in-headlights look when you explain that barbecue is a multi-regional cuisine, now you have some ammunition to take with you in your effort to ed-u-macate them. Enjoy! :-)
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