There are two, see Kelevra’s post #19. It started in Murphysboro.
I did love Rub Backcountry BBQ in West Rogers Park very much. My best bite of BBQ ever was his beef plate ribs. Anyone in Denver should check out the place the pitmaster runs now:
Cool. If you ever want to meet up there, I’m in.
I’m loving everything about this place. Beer bar? Smoked wings? Housemade hot sauce? Homemade giardiniera? Owner named Ronnie? Smoked Italian beef?! [Rich Koz]Berwyn!?![/RK]
Oh, and Ronnie was a professional wrestling manager/promoter (and has a personality that fits), and the bar definitely has a Son-of-Svengoolie vibe to it. They do a lot of B-movie nights, stand up nights, live music, etc., but they’ll also do sports and MMA nights as well. Website link. And it’s totally unpretentious.
I live in Harlem, so I can’t make it up to Rochester, NY to try their pick. But it can’t be as good as Izzy’s in Brooklyn, unless it’s better than the same chain’s place in Newark, NJ called Dinosaur BBQ. It was just okay, but Izzy’s is excellent. Try it if you come by.
Best BBQ near me? All of them.
I’m in Tucson. Best barbecue near me?
San Antonio
Huh…on my phone everything in the link is on one page and I can just scroll down to find places in my area.
I may arrange a slight detour on my road trip to hit the Kentucky joint.
Old Hickory is very good. I’ve been to all the Owensboro barbecue places (OK, there were only four of them when we went, and I think it’s down to three now: Moonlight, Old Hickory, Ole South. When we went, there was also George’s), and that one was my favorite (we’ve actually been back to it). Western Kentucky is particularly known for mutton barbecue, and is usually served with a “dip” that is based on vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and cuts through the mutton pretty well. Also have a cup or bowl of burgoo while you’re there.
If you Chicago guys do hook up for BBQ please count me in!
Lucky you. It was a single box that would only show one slide at a time on my desktop. Oh well. Let us know how the Kentucky joint was when you go there.
Bump, I remember driving by and seeing the Sally Joe’s sign but dismissed ever going in. (There’s a LOT of bad BBQ in Texas. The Dickey’s mentioned upthread, if it’s a member of that chain, is some of the worst.) I’ll have to give Sally Joe’s a try.
Saucywench, Smokey Mo’s (not affiliated with the reputedly mediocre Texas chain) is supposed to be good. House smoked and brined pastrami, if that interests you.
All I can tell you about Tucson is I wasn’t a fan of the In-N-Out off 10, 15 years ago or so.
IL - Earls is literally four blocks down the alley from my house. It’s nice but for my money the best in the state has to go to Chicago Culinary Kitchen in Palatine. Only open Sat and Sun from 10:30 till the meat runs out. Jared Leonard said it was the best he ever had. My son, whom I like to think I’ve taught a thing or two about food, claims he prefers CCK to Franklin BBQ.
And I’m down for a bbq dopefest as well!
Anytime I see a “best x state by state” I figure Pennsylvania’s will be in Philadelphia and I’ll have never heard of it. Pennsylvania should be three states; west, central, and east.
That’s the actual situation in Tennessee, with there being a Middle vs. Central difference. But TN is set up geographically for that to work better than other states, with PA being an obvious exception.
It might be worth the counting to see how many (and which type) states have a distinct Middle or Central region.
NJ, as small as it is, has at least 3 sections and probably more. NE vs NW vs. Shore vs. Western vs SE. Arguments can be made for anything from 2 to 7 regions. Living in Central Jersey, the most common I hear is 3 regions.
There’s a place near us called 12 Bones. It’s where the Obamas like to eat when they come to Asheville. But we almost never eat there, because another nearby place, Okie Dokies, is way more to our taste.
Their most brilliant innovation is their sign out front. Or, rather, what’s beneath the sign: an active smoker. Driving by in the summer and smelling that slow-cooked pork, it’s real hard to keep on driving.
I live in San Antonio and the best brisket near me is… San Antonio. And Lockhart. And Austin.
Got a plethora of BBQ and brisket places here - Rudy’s is fine, but touristy. Big Bib BBQ is excellent, as are the various restaurants around here with “Smoke” in their name - Smoke Shack, Smoke House, etc.
Don’t bother with the County Line, unless you really want the tourist meal experience. We also had a chain open near me called B-B-Cutie, which sucks. If you tell me “let’s go get some of that delicious B-B-Cutie”, I would have no recourse but to smack you.
And, in case y’all care: The above is based on the quality of the meat only. I don’t review, or even eat, BBQ sauce. If your meat needs BBQ sauce, I’m not interested. Right, B-B-Cutie?
I can vouch for the excellence of Gatlin’s, but even better might be The Hungry Farmer. I frequented both when I lived and worked on that side of Houston.
In my neck of the woods, both AJ’s Meat Market(no web presense - that’s a good sign right there) in Dickinson, and Roosters in Baytown serve some of the best BBQ I have ever eaten.
You’ve just suggested an entirely separate thread to focus on “food aromas” that tantalize more than most. My entry in that hypothetical thread would be the “yeast rolls” that my family specialized in when I was wee. (There ought to be a perfume!)
<< In fact, the idea of “pleasant aromas” reminds me of some old Andy Griffith stories where one had the line, “You know, for a fat girl you sure don’t sweat much.” >>
I’ve heard great things about CCK. Thanks for reminding me. I’m on the total opposite end of town (near Midway), but I’d make a trip to Palatine for some good Q.
Just now seeing this article on a related subject that thread participants might want to
have seen:
Potential new thread, maybe?