The Coolest of ‘Cue Schools

Trying to take notes while talking to four young men who all want to tell you how good the barbecue was at Lexington No. 1, a.k.a. Honey Monk’s, is a little like trying to shake hands with an octopus. “It was sort of tough and crunchy on the outside, but sweet and juicy on the inside,” said Art Richey, a poli-science major from Russellville, Alabama. Or was that Will Foster, a business administration major from Alpharetta, Georgia? No, Will’s the one who had his first taste of pork rinds in the Tar Heel state: “My heart said ‘NOOOOOOO,’ but my gut said, ‘yes.’

“I am here to study barbecue,” said Jeff Vaughan, also a business major from West Palm Beach, Florida. Or was that Matt Lee, a pre-engineering student from Cullman, Alabama. These are smart lads, I thought as I got to know them. Not an English major among ’em. Four fraternity brothers who had talked their English teacher into letting them take January off to cross five states to get a clue about cue. Why didn’t I think of that when I was in school?
“We’ve gotta do a 10 page paper when we get back,” one of them said. Writing’s hard, they observe. “Duh!” thinks Professor BBQ. “It’s really hard for me,” one of them starts the sentence, “Sitting down for 30 minutes before I get anything on paper,” another one says finishing it. But as you can see on their Web site http://www.southernbbqboys.com, multiple portals provide multiple points of view.
By the time they got to Stamey’s they were still stuffed with Lexington outside meat and pork skins, but they liked Stamey’s barbecue and its clean, uncomplicated taste and sauce. Art liked their brunswick stew, which is a personal favorite. The talk turned to sauce and the octopus of voices began, with people from other tables joining in the discussion and giving suggestions about where they HAD to eat.
From Greensboro, they’re headed east to Greenville, North Carolina, where they hope to hook up with my friend, Carl Rothrock and eat at the legendary B’s. Next is The Pit and then Wilber’s in Goldsboro. In South Carolina, they’re going to try Sweatman’s, of course, and I tried to talk them into stopping in at Brown’s in Kingstree. Country Cousins in Lake City is on their list. And then they’re headed to Georgia and back to Alabama.

While they were converting our supper into streaming video and digital images and sound and impressing the heck out of Professor BBQ with their facile handle on technology, the subject of the downside of being forever connected came up. Their teacher, they said, can follow almost every move that they make. “She contacts us through every portal,” one of them said. “There’s no escape.”

Fine Swine Barbecue Wine

“I might have been joking last year,” said Richard Childress, owner of Childress Vineyards and head of the legendary Childress NASCAR team, “when I said I hoped our town might be known as the capital of swine and fine wine.”
Who knows whether his winemaker, Mark Friszolowski, thought his boss’ wisecrack was funny. No matter because Friszolowski and Childress laughed all the way to the bank last year–and then vinted 500 cases for this year’s festival. Made from predominantly merlot grapes, Friszolowski says Fine Swine Wine has a hint of sugar and a whiff of oak: “The semi-sweet, fruity flavor is a perfect match for hickory-smoked barbecue.”
Professor B.B. Cue’s panel of barbecue lovers agreed: “Definitely fruity but dry,” one of them said. “Fruity without being treacly. The spice in it keeps it going,” another opined.
And, surprisingly, the panel thought that it went fine with all three styles of barbecue, two of them North Carolina-based. The majority of tasters thought it went best with the spicy Scott’s sauce, which is a personal favorite of mine. We thought that the ‘cue we’d least like to eat with it was the Memphis-sauced, sweet cue.
The larger question, our veteran cue eaters (and enthusiastic wine drinkers) agreed, is whether any wine really complements classic cue, especially barbecue with a tangy or spicy sauce. “Give me a beer–and a lager at that” one barbecue addict said. “I like the picture of the spotted pig on the label more than the wine,” said another, “and that the proceeds go the Mental Health Association.”

“Nothing brings out the taste of barbecue like sweet tea or good old Coca-Cola, vinted in Atlanta,” said one taste tester with a drawl.

Who Knew? N.C. Western Cue Was Inspired in Deutschland

From Holy Smoke, The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue, The Definitive Guide to the People, Recipes, and Lore:

“The humble creators of the Eastern tradition are known to God alone, but the pioneers of Piedmont-style have names: John Blackwelder of Salisbury; George Ridenhour, Jess Swicegood, and Sid Weaver of Lexington; and, a little later, Warner Stamey of Lexington, Shelby, and finally Greensboro. It’s said that you are what you eat, but it’s equally true that you eat what you are – and in one respect these men were all the same thing:

John Blackwelder’s family had been in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Rowan counties since soon after Gottlieb Schwartzwalder came from Germany to British North America before the Revolution.

George Ridenhour’s people came to Salisbury in 1779 from Pennsylvania, where the Reitnaurs first settled after coming from German-speaking Alsace in 1719.

Jess Swicegood’s family came to America from Germany in 1724 and also passed through Pennsylvania before settling in Davidson County in 1775 and Americanizing their name from Schweissgouth.

Sid Weaver’s antecedents are a little more elusive, although many North Carolina Weavers started as Webers, and his ancestor Andrew was listed as “Andras” in the 1860 census.

The North Carolina Stameys, Warner included, are all descended from a Peter Stemme who came from Germany in 1734 and made his way down the valley of Virginia to what is now Lincoln County in 1767.

Can you spot the common element? Of course you can. When you add maternal lines, these family trees are as full of Germans as a Munich beer hall at Oktoberfest. Compare those family names to the big names in Eastern barbecue, good British ones like King, Parker, Jones, Ellis, Shirley, and Melton, no matter whether they’re affixed to white families or black ones. (Did we point out that Pi0edmont barbecue is a business conducted mostly by white folks?)”

From HOLY SMOKE: THE BIG BOOK OF NORTH CAROLINA BARBECUE by John Shelton Reed, Dale Volberg, Reed, and William McKinney. Copyright (c) 2008 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. http://www.uncpress.unc.edu

Father Knows Best

You have to want to go to Springfield, South Carolina, west of Orangeburg in a town that time has seemingly forgot, except for the Governor’s Frog Jump and International Egg Strike and, oh yes, Goodland Barbecue restaurant. Look for the jumble of pickup trucks outside, cueing up to the restaurant like hogs at a trough.

They’re all there to get a week’s worth of food — for $8 on weekdays, a little more on weekends (but a dollar off if you bring your church bulletin). Once you get inside, do like my daddy would have done, look over the buffet before even think about getting in line.

It’s not by accident that the potatoes and rice and hush puppies and other starchy foods are usually first on a buffet. Often the best is last, which is where the barbecue was, along with the pork skins — and what was easily the best thing I ate at Goodland, the ribs.

Next, make sure you’re standing in the line behind everyone else in your party, even if there are only two of you. That way you can issue advisories to those in front of you such as, “Look at that fried okra.” Or “MMM, m, Mmmm: Potato salad made with boiled eggs.” While I usually find fried okra and potato salad disappointing on buffets, that doesn’t mean they always are. So I prey upon the preternatural weakness on the part of my wife for fried okra or my sister’s irrational love of potato salad, even if it’s mediocre, so they’ll pile up their plates and then I have advantage of their opinion without taking up room on my plate or in my stomach. (By the way, Goodland has a sign at the front of the line that asks patrons to wait until they get to their tables to begin eating. That may seem obvious from a sanitary perspective but by the time I got to the end of the line, I needed the reminder to keep me from pinching at the pulled pork.)

Rule two: Be sure to look at what others are doing. As I was checking out the multiple rice choices, I noticed that the woman behind me was using the sweet-potato ladle to dip out the pan juices that had mixed with the barbecue sauce to form a thick gel. They’d sort of caramelized with the sweet sauce in the bottom of the pan. “Is that good chicken,” I asked her, not even noticing it was chicken when I went by. “Gravy’s as good as the chicken,” she said. “Here, let me borrow that ladle while you have it out,” I said.

Rule three — and I don’t need to tell you this, but it’s so easy to say and so hard to do. Take small portions, no matter how good it looks and how much you like it. Unlike church picnic, they’re not likely to run out of something.

Consider doing what I did: As you can see, I got just a little of the gooey chicken, one pork rind to see whether it was potato-chip crunchy, a good portion of the barbecue (It’s very lean and perfectly moist), a big enough rib so I could judge both its taste and texture (I resisting getting two to check for consistency), some rice and, OK, a whole bunch of collards (I could see they were almost chunky with black pepper and shiny with seasoning, i.e., fat back.

By the way, the ribs were cooked to perfection, slightly chewy, so that you had to pull a little to get them off the bone and not in the least soggy. In short, first-rate).

Now look at my wife’s plate.

She loaded up on the first thing she saw, sweet potatoes, which turned out to be too sweet and cinnamony for my taste, but which suited my wife’s sweet tooth; two kinds of rice and lots of it (she IS from South Carolina) a whole bunch of butterbeans and green beans; a hush puppy I induced her to get; a little barbecue, a tiny pork skin and a little bit of barbecue hash, all because she ran out of room — DUH! That’s why she had to get a separate plate for slaw and potato salad.

Which is not a bad strategy. Nothing other than the stares of other people (and perhaps the hostess) should keep you from utilizing multiple plates. However, if you’re an innately shy person like myself, you can, without attracting undue attention, assemble a collection of small bowls to assemble your own mini-buffet. You’ll that notice that, at my suggestion, my wife used a separate bowl for her slaw and potato salad. I’m so glad because the potato salad was a good as I’ve ever had, worth a trip in itself. The decor, in fact, is worth a visit. Instead of farm implements and 19- and early 20-century “junque” collected by some interior decorator, the photographs and memorabilia commemorate the hunter-gatherer culture of this area of South Carolina, with an incredible selection of largemouth bass, photos of catfish weighing more than my first- and second-born children combined, and a marvelous collection of hunting dogs, some nearly as fine as my springer spaniel.

Finally, a word about etiquette. Buffets like this where you can eat fried fish and chicken, three kinds of barbecue, homemade vegetables and side dishes and other delights until you feel as if you’re going to pop will be a thing of the past if we aren’t careful not to waste food. My Pennsylvannia mother had an old saying about this: “Better bad belly burst than good food waste.” The good at Goodland is, in fact, way too good to waste. Y’all behave and be nice.

The Truest of Cue in Orangeburg and Holly Hill, South Carolina

This post from guest lecturer and barbecue obsessive, Wilton Stribling:

Earl Dukes’ BBQ in Orangeburg, SC is a specific style of Q, which has evolved right in the Orangeburg County area. I went to church with Mr Earl and his family in the 60s, and grew up on this Q.

I saw mention of Antley’s BBQ in your blog, so I thought I should throw in my opinion. I went to school at Edisto with the Antley boys, and they’re good guys and their Q is also very good.

I have to say, though, that my favorite BBQ in Orangeburg (and, of course, the world) is at Earl Dukes BBQ on Whitman St (across from the Pepsi plant, a block off 301N). It is the original location where Mr Earl made his Q famous. there have been a number of “Earl Dukes” establishments over the years, since Earl sold it out, including Earl Jr’s. Most of them, unfortunately, did not do the style justice, and actually hurt the genre.

A close second best for me is Sweatman’s BBQ (started by Miss Margie Sweatman)at Crane Pond between Holly Hill and Eutawville in Orangeburg County. Sweatman’s has much better atmosphere, set in an old farmhouse in large oak trees, in the country. Very nice atmosphere, and great food as well.

All of these Qs are the lowcountry-style pulled pork with mustard based sauce, cole slaw, “hash and rice”(more of a sauce and rice), fresh pork skins as long as they last, and best eaten with light bread and sweet tea. In the past 20 years or so, other foods have shown up on the bar, such as fried chicken, etc.

As far as I know, all these places are “take what you want, eat what you take”, and still priced well under $10/person.

With the cultural erosion of the past 20 years or so (downright lack of manners), the format of returning for seconds has been strained by people loading up purses, etc, and taking food with them. They’re still sticking with it, though, and it’s all you can eat, but no taking leftovers.

So, there’s a brief intro of Orangeburg BBQ. As has been alluded to, the best is according to where you are and what you like. I’ve found that the best pork is Orangeburg, the best ribs Memphis area, and the best beef brisket around Center, TX. There’s my two cents’ worth!

Back to True Cue, from Dr. Hoggly Woggly’s to Memphis Minnie’s

When we first invited barbecue addicts to write to Sky, we were flummoxed by the response, as I’ve mentioned earlier on this blog: http://www.delta-sky.com/cueconfessions/reader-recommendations/
Since the June issue when we again invited you to write in and add to the growing list of Reader Barbecue Recommendations (http://delta-sky.com/2008_07/bbq/), True Cue has once again been flooded by enthusiastic emails. What I love is the umbrage and sometimes downright outrage that arises from the true-cue addict when he or she discovers that our readers somehow haven’t heard about some little hole in the wall in a remote part of these United States. And that’s what this blog is all about — sharing spots that you’d otherwise miss if there weren’t a community of barbecue lovers. Here’s just a sampling:

• Dear True Cue,

As I await for my BWI to ATL flight I happen to notice on the header of Sky
Magazine “Barbeque Addicts.” I can’t wait to see what is truly America’s
best ribs touted in your article. To my great dismay not only is Fat
Matts in Atlanta not proclaimed the #1 rib in the U.S., but you say there is
no such thing as the “Best Rib Joint.” Then I realize this could only mean
one thing, you have never entered the hollowed grounds of what is certainly
the ribs that will cause you to never want another rib imitator again.

I hesitated to let you and any others know of this “hog heaven” as the
crowds are already starting to make getting a place to sit and enjoy my
feast, but I felt obligated to being you to your senses. I can tell you are
a true lover of America’s greatest gift to the world, BBQ, so I felt
obligated to let you in on Atlanta’s little secret.

Enjoy!

Mark Adamson

• I’m sitting on a delta flight to atlanta and just read the barbecue addicts article in the sky magazine . . . I spent 4yrs in richmond, va, and had quite a few meals at the houndstooth cafe in hanover, va. This is a little cottage house about 20 miles outside richmond where on a weekend evening we’d drink bottles of beer on the porch waiting an hour+ to get in. Pickup trucks and bmws sharing the small lot. The pulled pork and hush puppies were my favorite… But one had to save room for the homemade derby pie.
I haven’t lived in richmond since ’99 but recently justified a business trip to richmond and forced my group to go there for dinner. Everyone loved it, so I feel I can still recommend it.

Mike Carroll

• You don’t need to head to Austin or Memphis to find the world’s best barbecue. Instead, just hop on a plane to South Korea for the acclaimed Poolside Barbeque at Grand Hyatt Seoul.

The city’s favorite outdoor dining spot provides diners with a romantic setting, overlooking sparkling blue waters, scenic gardens and breathtaking night views of the city. Diners can experience the Poolside Barbeque’s daily catch of ocean-fresh seafood, including prawns, lobsters and sea snails, along with a selection of prime lamb, beef, chicken and sausages, all charcoal-grilled to perfection. http://www.seoul.grand.hyatt.com
Cheers,
Stacey

• I’m a pilot for Delta and get a chance to try barbecue places all over the country. Here are my absolute favorites (in order):
Whole Hog Cafe – Little Rock, AR
Corky’s BBQ – Memphis, TN
Dinosaur BBQ – Syracuse, NY and Rochester, NY
Jim and Nicks – Birmingham, AL
Neely’s BBQ – Memphis, TN

• Your list is missing the best BBQ in Los Angeles – Dr. Hoggly Woggly’s Tyler Texas BBQ. They say the beef ribs here come straight out of Jurrasic Park.

• Back Yard Barbeque in Jacksonville, Oregon

The beef ribs are succulent, meaty, flavorful and tender without being at all mushy.  The smoked flavor is mouthwatering—even driving by the restaurant at night, well after closing, makes one’s mouth water as the smoked meat fragrance lingers over this historic little town.

Joe and Cathy Broom

• Hi True Cue
Check out Memphis Minnie’s BBQ in San Francisco – great slow smoked brisket & pork – fabulous ribs; greens and slaw that a vegetarian would love..and made from scratch sweet potato and pecan pies …not to mention the banana puddin’ …yum
(just picked up the blog article in Delta Skylight magazine – on my way home from Lafayette, LA and places south.)
Minnie’s is in the “Lower Haight” – between Steiner & Filmore Streets. check it out!
thanks!

• The assertion that there is a “best” barbeque is too absolute for true connoisseurs of the fine art of barbeque. Much like art and music, there are many forms of excellence. Barbeque can be, however, assessed in a very binary way. There is GREAT barbeque and there is everything else. Great barbeque can be had in many places and in many forms: for instance, Henry’s Smokehouse in Simpsonville, SC has great smoked pulled pork with a claim for the “leanest butt in town”. One would be hard pressed to find better. Just down the road in the same area is Charlie’s Bar-b-que which is also great, but with a slightly different taste. Then there’s Railhead barbeque in Ft. Worth which has unbelievable (i.e. great) beef brisket.

Bar-b-que has many forms and many flavors but, it’s either great or it’s not (kinda like lukewarm water). One other corrolary in the world of Bar-b-que, I have yet to find great bar-b-que at any national or regional chain restaurant, even those that specialize in the artform.

After going to school in East Tennessee, I was spoiled with the best barbeque in the country. Dixie Barbeque, The Firehouse Restaurant, and Ridgewood Barbecue are some of the local favorites in the Johnson City, Tennessee area. They are hard to beat- a part of true southern tradition (“pork, the other white meat”). Here are the links to these excellent bbq restaurants:

Dixie Barbeque http://www.dixiebarbeque.com/

The Firehouse Restaurant http://www.thefirehouse.com/

Ridgewood Barbecue- I could not find a website for Ridgewood, but found this site with reviews and the restaurant location information:

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=446

Also, when I was in East Texas, I was introduced to excellent beef bbq (they do not serve pork) at Bodacious Bar-B-Q in Longview. Here is a review link, with the restaurant address information as well (I could not find a website location for them either):

http://local.yahoo.com/details?id=18786529

Enjoy!

Walt

• Just finished a month-long trip to Florida from Orange County, CA. In Ft. Myers I was referred by the hotel desk to Famous Dave’s BBQ. Liked the ribs and chicken so much went back on a second day. Only after I got home did I find out that they have locations throughout the US, including two of them not more than 25 miles from my home!

But there is a smaller group of BBQ restaurants, called Lucille’s that is limited to Los Angeles and Orange County, CA locations.

Lucille’s has a website at http://www.lucillesbbq.com We eat at the one in Brea. Food is fantastic, place is always mobbed no matter what time of day or night. I love my ribs smoked, without a sauce, except for the one they cook it in, and falling off the bone. No added sauce on top. Gives me the best chance to really taste the meat the way it was prepared. Sauce is usually either on the table or I ask for it on the side.

Chuck Rosen

• With Delta being an Atlanta based airline, I am embarrassed that Sky would overlook Daddy Dz only two blocks from the “Gold Dome.” Daddy Dz (http://www.daddydz.com/ ) has the following credits:
– Creative Loafing Critics Choice rates Daddy Dz as “The Best BBQ in Atlanta”

– Atlanta’s only BBQ restaurant featured on the “Food Network”

– Picked by USA Today as “The best place to eat”

– Rated “Number One” by the New York Times

– Rated “Best Ribs” by Atlanta Magazine

– Featured in “Good and Cheap” by the Atlanta Constitution

– Featured in Rolling Stones Magazines
I’m sorry your article missed this spot. I hope that you don’t personally make the same mistake.

Regards,

Jim
• Starnes BBQ in Paducah, KY rules!

• Hi TC,
I really enjoyed reading the latest Q & A in the June SKY magazine. I, like you, are a barbeque aficionado, and had to journey away from home and be open minded when it comes to the “best barbeque”. Here are some of my favorites that I hope you can visit and enjoy:

Dreamland-Started in Tuscaloosa and spread to other parts of Alabama and the Atlanta area. I frequent the Roswell, GA location. Get the pork ribs, they are awesome either wet or dry.
Fresh Air Barbeque-Jackson, GA-Best chopped pork sandwich and the sauce is incredible.
Fincher’s-Macon, GA-Great pulled pork sandwich with yummy cole slaw perfect for a “pig special” sandwich (barbeque and cole slaw on toasted bread). Their sauce is also great.
Old Brick Pit-Chamblee, GA-very similar to Fresh Air in Jackson.
Old Clinton Barbeque-Gray, GA (just outside Macon)

I hope these suggestions help. I look forward to hearing how much you liked each one.

Bruce Thigpen

• Yes, after 28 years of travel you get the opportunity to come across some good BBQ joints all over the country. I am a pork bigot but do love a good beef brisket from Texas, or some burnt ends from KC. If you like Brunswick stew and crackling corn bread, you need to go to Harold’s in Atlanta.

If you ever are headed to some place in GA, let me know and I will recommend the best local BBQ establishment. But, you probably know most of them.

Take care and have a great weekend!
Bruce

• The Antley’s BBQ in Orangeburg SC serves up some of the finest BBQ with mustard based sauce. Also one of the best hash on rices you’ll find anywhere since the revered Mr. Duke died (Dukes BBQ.) A legend in himself. Hooks in Greenville,Al is good for Alabama. Thanks..Woody

• White Swan in Smithfield, NC has the best BBQ…Check us out on the web @ http://www.whiteswanbarbeque.com <http://www.whiteswanbarbeque.com&gt;

• My wife and I were looking for a quick lunch while in Sedona last week and a nice woman at an information both sent us to the Bistro Bella Terra Restaurant in the Shops at Pinon Point, 1 North Highway 89 A Sedona, AZ Phone 1-928-203-7771

We both ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich, smaller size and really were surprised that it was a great BBQ sandwich in the west. Just the right amount of flavorings. Wow.

Rick and Loretta Porvaznik

• Stickey fingers, charleston,sc
It’s fantastic.

Paul Gour

• You should try Darrell’s Bar B Que in the little out of the way town in Rockwell, NC. It’s better than a lot of the better known places in Lexington, just smaller and stuck out of the way. The best NC style BBQ in my not so humble opinion!
Mitch Rowland

• I enjoy your articles in the Sky Magazine about the Cue as I’m from NC and have eaten some of the best between Bridges in Shelby (by the hospital, not on Hwy 74, but it is OK if you need a Q fix and the other one is closed), Short Sugars, Parkers, etc. Recently I encountered a new place in Jacksonville, FL, MoJo’s on University Blvd and it has several nice selections based on NC and Texas Q that I would put in the very good category (excellent meat and no sause is needed). Give MoJo’s a try if you are in the area and the NC pull pork shoulder is a good choice. It comes with a small red slaw and two sides for about $8. Keep writing.

Ray A. Parker

• OK, I have a spot! In Frederick MD there sits a blue truck on the side of the road. I tell you it’s the best pulled pork I have ever had and I’ve had my share-and I know fries aren’t BBQ, but they are addicting. Actually, they call them “crack fries.” I never swayed from the pit beef until the owner told me to try the ribs. For about two months I never swayed from the ribs until he told me to try the pulled pork, now after trying everything I always go back to the pulled pork. Oh, the brisket-Just go! I can’t stop this addiction. You need to go when you’re in the area. They are expanding but plan on keeping the blue truck. I noticed the Buffalo Trace add, In Roanoke they have a restaurant with 80 bourbons. Just wanted to let you know! Q on!!!!!!!
Kimberly

• You have all the best in GA on your list!!!! I was in Asheville last week, if you get a chance to get to 12 bones–Go!!! They have great ribs!!!

“When you meet someone else who loves BBQ -It’s like talking to an old friend right away!!”
-Bob Herndon President Atlanta BBQ
atlbbqclub@yahoo.com

• It amazes me that people fly into NC expecting BBQ, but Raleigh-Durham International Airport doesn’t have any!
Jonathan C Lee

• Hey True –

If Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Que (with not 1 but 2 locations in Terminal B of the Memphis airport) is not on your list, it should be. The chopped shoulder sandwich with a smidgen of slaw and a dollop of their special sauce was just the ticket for two weary travelers on their way home from California.

• earl quicks bbq
1007 merriam lane
kansas city ks 66103
913-236-7228
quicksbbqandcatering.com

best ribs and chili dogs i had in the whole state

• Pigs R’ Us is doing a real nice job with Q in Martinsville – fantastic ribs, too. Nice folks.

melvin bessinger’s bbq
538 folly rd
charleston sc 29412
843-762-0511

also located at

925 houston northcutt blvd
mt pleasant sc 29464
843-881-0549

both should be listed in complete guide to south carolina bbq.

• First – I see Moonlite in Owensboro, Ky is already on your list – so I can
only second that motion. They have a variety of BBQ. Mutton is something
Kentucky BBQ is known for – and they have that and it is good if you like
mutton – but they also have Beef and Pork on their buffet – which is what I
go for – among other things (I think ribs and chicken too). If you do
make it there, however, – you do need to try the Burgoo Soup – different –
but good. If you go on the weekend you will also get Catfish and and
Shrimp and other seafood as well – so if you want to save room for just the
‘cue – better be disciplined or go on a weekday.

Second – I see Bodacious BBQ in Arlington, TX is not on your list – good
Briskit and Sausage. They have other offerings – but if you go there –
that is what you want. Nothing fancy here. Not far from where the new
Texas Stadium is being built – that may turn them into a gold mine – I just
hope it does not change the food.

Third – I always make a point of hitting Westwood BBQ in Hartsville South
Carolina whenever I pass through. This is shredded BBQ – but they offer
both the “vinegar” base and “mustard” base. A few other things there. Is
a little mom and pop hole in the wall – but I like it.

Fourth – This is getting a little out of “traditional” BBQ territory – but
there is a little town in Iowa called Boone (yes – this is where the term
“Boone-Docks” originated – no – really). It is about 15 minutes directly
west of Ames. There is a little BBQ downtown -they make a shredded BBQ
that is very good on sandwiches. It is sauced up – but makes a good,
sloppy, messy sandwich. If you get close to the region and start asking
for BBQ’s – people will likely direct you to Hickory Park – but that is in
Ames – the one I am talking about is a little small place in Boone.

Well as you can tell – I travel a lot and like BBQ. I live in Cinci – and
pretty much have to make my own BBQ to stave off my cravings when at home.
The Montgomery Inn here in Cinci makes great ribs – but ribs is not my
thing.

• I would add The Brick Pit in Chamblee, Deans in Jonesboro, and Sprayberry’s (the original one in Newnan) to that list of real good barbeque in Georgia. I am unable to pass these without purchasing a pork sandwich at least. If you desire more specifics, or a review, let me know. I’m always happy to share good barbeque with others. Regards, Craig

• I rely on your BBQ directory and thought you should know the following:

As a New Yorker it is a right of passage to go East (The Hamptons) as much as you can from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Its all about the beach and its all about the food. It was always about the lobster rolls and oysters until an unexpected stroke of luck last summer – Townline BBQ. My craving for summer seafood made an unexpected 180 and went to the smoky side. Townline BBQ is as authentic as it gets from the ribs to the brisket to the SWEET sweet tea. They get it right and they do it with the type of service you would hope to receive.

I still crave the raw bar, but I’ll take a Townline pulled pork sandwich over it any day.

Vincent

• Jim n Nicks BBQ – outstanding!!!

The company started in Birmingham, AL and I have personally eaten, many times, at the location in SanDestin, FL. SanDestin is a popular destination for MANY travelers on Delta, by the way!!!!

Jim n NIcks prepare all of their own food from scratch..and put their meats on the smoker every day 365 days a year. Nothing is frozen, etc.

They have restaraunts in AL and GA also, but I bet a story on the restaraunt in SanDestin wouldn’t hurt in the next Sky magazine that featured our FL Gulf Coast as a destination!!

Denny Tutwiler

• Add to the list:
Sprayberry’s BBQ in Newnan, GA

http://www.sprayberrysbbq.com/

• Originally from Atlanta, Ga Tech and the Varsity, but lived all over the South and found great Bar-B-Q…then moved to Denver…took a while, best so far is a small place in Englewood (I25 south to Araphahoe Rd)…Jabo’s Bar B Q.

Here’s more info:

http://denver.citysearch.com/review/37382056

If you make it to Denver, shouldn’t miss it.

H Young

• My entry to your blog is about a place in Putney and Chester, VT, Curtis’ All American BBQ and Restaurant. The Putney cookery is an out doors place open only in the Spring through Fall and located at Exit 4 off I-91. The Chester location is a restaurant just opened last year, but using the same recipe as the Putney location. The restaurant is located on Rt. 103 as you enter into the town of Chester, VT. DAD set up the original.

They have several BBQ sauces which they sell. From my 2 experiences with them, the sauces could be very good, if they were on a better cue. The pulled pork I had at the Puney location was tough and dry. It lacked a good smoked flavor and this is probably due to the fact Curtis was burning the meat over an open grill, flaming away.

In Chester, they have a smoker which is going all afternoon when they are open. The ribs looked delicious and fell off the bone as you tried to eat them. Unfortunately, once again the meat was dry and a bit tough. Even though they had the smoker, that deep smoked flavor was lacking.

They say give a place at least 2 tries to see if it was just a bad day or experience, but I am not sure I wish to return. Since the Restaurant is in its first year I will probably give it another try. Should I have a different experience, I would be sure to let you know.

Tried several while we were in Florida. Sonny’s was not that good, either for baby backs or chicken. Also tried a chain called Woody’s. Very disappointing for chicken and baby backs.

There’s one small chain here in So. Cal. that people rave about and there is always a line waiting to get it, Wood Ranch BBQ, based out of Woodland Hills. Very upscale in appearance and not a ‘ranchie BBQ’ decore. We have eaten at two of them, Anaheim Hills and Cerritos. Chicken is good, but the baby backs were terrible from my prospective. As I said before, I like them smoked and falling off the ribs. Theirs are like to many others, firm meat and have to tear it off with your teeth and not smokey at all.

As for others in So. Cal, we have a number of them here in Orange County. Never truly happy with any of them except Lucille’s, but will re-test and send you results.

Chuck Rosen

Oh, year . . . forgot – esp. since you judged Jack Daniels contest.

Went to the distillery several years go and fell in love with Jack Daniels. Drink their Gentleman Jack now, but love to cook with Jack Daniels original. (Gentleman Jack is the same formula and taste as regular Jack, but with far less bite. The only difference is that they filter it through 12 or 16 feet of maple charcoal rather than the usual 6 or 8 feet. Takes twice as long to drip through before they can barrel it for aging, but removes a lot of bite and leaves the taste. Also it’s only a buck or two more per bottle.) Don’t confuse it with their Single Barrel bottlings. Completely different story and did not impress me for the extra money.

Anyway, as you probably know there are a lot of restaurants now cooking with Jack Daniels. Some good, some not so good. Friday’s restaurant chain seems to have mastered the flavor on both their ribs, baby backs and chicken. They also add a little heat to it with chili’s which I don’t care too much for. Not ‘falling off the bone’ as I like it, but truly good flavor. My samplings have come from their restaurants in Yorba Linda, CA (my town) and nearby Brea.

Chuck Rosen

• King Ribs – Indianapolis, IN

Home

Several locations in Kansas City

http://www.hoggys.com/
Several locations in Columbus, Ohio

Jl’s Bar-B-Q
3 1/2 S Mill St
Pryor, OK 74361
Phone: (918) 825-1829

Neely’s Barbeque
http://www.neelysbbq.com/home.htm
670 Jefferson
Memphis , Tennessee 38103

M & M Catering (sometimes known as Big Daddy Riches)
7409 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, TN 37909

• B and C Creations is a Wichita hideout for great Cue. I travel every other
week for weeks at a time. And this is the place. Get there early though,
the line goes out the door on a regular basis.
Thomas Anderson

Where there’s fire, there’s not always smoking

I come from Reidsville, formerly the home of the plant where American Tobacco Co. made Lucky Strikes, Pall Malls and the cigarette worth fighting for, Tareyton (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArDFVEikL8k). When I went to high school, smoking was practically encouraged on campus and a pack of cigarettes in my father’s shirt pocket was an indication that he supported the local economy. But I’ve had many a meal ruined by the acrid smell of someone else’s pleasure, in barbecue restaurants and elsewhere. And although barbecue restaurants seem to be a last hold-out for smokers — and I wonder why, more blue-collar clients, more hedonists, or what? — I frankly wish smoking were banned in all restaurants. And why shouldn’t it be. Barbecue is slow food and sacred. Food that I’ve often driven miles out of my way to eat. And then to sit down and have it ruined seems indefensible.

What’s happening in Georgia and South Carolina and Virginia, I wonder. And do the new urban barbecue joints in big cities allow smoking?

Reader Barbecue Recommendations

Carolina Barbecue, 109 Main Street, New Ellenton, South Carolina; 803-652-2919
I have made a habit of sampling barbecue (including so-called barbecue at pretender establishments) all around the country in my travels, and I think I have developed a pretty good taste for what is authentic versus mass-appeal cooking. I have never had barbecue at any of the fashionable restaurants (you know, the ones with a collection of pig statues and farm implements bolted to the walls) that compares to the no-atmosphere family-owned and -operated local cookeries.—Terry Kuykendall, Harvest, Alabama

Stameys Barbecue, 2206 High Point Road, Greensboro, North Carolina; 336-299-9888
Truth be told, if you want to get the best barbecue you just have to stop at the side of any two-lane blacktop road, where it’s being sold out of a large black smoker made from an old oil drum, next to a pickup truck. Or where it is being sold out of what appears to be a condemned building. Look for large groups of vehicles parked every which way on the grass, people dressed in all manner of clothing and everyone licking their fingers. That’s always the best!—Brian Keller, Greensboro, North Carolina

Scott’s Barbecue, 1201 North William Street, Goldsboro, North Carolina; 919-734-0711 — Open only Thursday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
When you’re talking barbeque, you’re talking five imperatives: pork, slaw, hush puppies, sweet tea and North Carolina. There’s other stuff around the country called “barbeque,” but genuine pit-cooked BBQ requires the above five fundamentals. . . . Scott’s is a shining shrine to eastern Carolina cuisine. This is BBQ Heaven.—David Plyler, Jacksonville, Florida

Tar Heel Q, 3865 U.S. Highway 64 West, Lexington, North Carolina; 336-787-4550
You probably won’t get a menu unless you ask, since patrons of Lexington-style barbeque restaurants already know what they want! . . . Enjoy a glass of iced tea with your meal (real barbeque restaurants do not serve beer), and be sure to save room for some banana pudding, the “official” barbeque dessert.—Donald Downs, Arden, North Carolina

Vandy’s Bar-B-Q, Statesboro Mall, Statesboro, Georgia; 912-764-3033
Boyd’s Pit Barbecue, 302 Northside Drive, Statesboro, Georgia; 912-764-9995
Vandy’s, where the ’cue is smoked over an open pit until the outside is burnt and crispy, and the inside is tender as pork can ever be. The two contrasting textures are then chopped into a succulent mixture, drizzled with a tangy, vinegary-sweet sauce worthy of drinking by itself, and served—as it should be—on plain white bread. . . . In the same league is Boyd’s. . . . The sauce is a bit thicker, creamier and milder than Vandy’s. . . . The proprietor, David Colley, always has a tall tale or two to add to the down-home atmosphere of a long-worshiped Southern dining treasure. Go hungry. You won’t leave that way.—Michael Pennington, Birmingham, Alabama

Lexington Barbecue (“Honey Monk’s”), 10 U.S. Highway 29/70 South, Lexington, North Carolina; 336-249-9814
Surely, you must know that the “BBQ capital of the World” is in your backyard. . . . Every time I make it home to N.C., we always go to the Monk for Chopped BBQ and Cheerwine!—Tina Graham Steed, Centreville, Virginia

J.B.’s Barbecue Restaurant, Interstate Highway 10 and Old Highway 90, Orange, Texas; 409-886-9823
Of the many types of BBQ around the country, east Texas is the best for me. J.B.’s barbeque in Orange, Texas, has been there since the ’70s and has all the right stuff. The beef, ribs or “Yankee cow” (which is pork) has that sort of auburn color on the edges from the mesquite smoke. I pick one of those as an entree, add a small side of smoked sausage, coleslaw, “dirty rice,” a scoop of beans, smother the beef with a sauce that has perfect bite to it. Top it all with a slice of fresh cut Texas sweet onion, dill pickle slices and a pickled jalapeño pepper. A small roll for mopping up is a must. Fine eating . . . Big Time every time.—Stephen Meadows, Medina, Ohio

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 246 West Willow Street, Syracuse, New York; 888-476-1662 or 315-476-1662
That’s right!!! The best mouth-watering, succulent, flavorful and addicting barbecue in the country is in upstate New York. The smoke from the outside smokers can be smelled for many city blocks. . . . All of the pork, beef and chicken is slow-smoked to mouth-watering, fall-off-of-the-bone perfection. They don’t drown the meat in sauce. The right amount is applied at the right time to allow you to taste the flavorful meat.—Mark Winschel, Cincinnati

Casey’s Barbecue, 327 East Nakoma Road, San Antonio; 210-490-1200
The original location has barbecue that is so good that they drew a crowd even before they got air conditioning two years ago. Remember to wash it down with a cold Shiner Bock.—Jim Garity, San Antonio

Brown’s Barbecue, U.S. Highway 52, Kingstree, South Carolina; 843-382-2753
Brown’s Barbecue has a flavorful bite that will wake you up if you’re not already. . . . We pick up five pounds of chopped pork each time we head to the beach and bring it home to savor on soft buns. When we’re out we just consider it a good reason to head back to the beach.—Diana Noriega, Columbia, South Carolina

Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, 13441 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Kansas; 816-942-9141
Kansas City, Kansas, and K.C., Missouri, have at least 80 BBQ joints, and I have only been able to try 21 of them, so far. t is by far and away the finest BBQ area in these United States. ou may have heard about Arrowhead Stadium (home of the K.C. Chiefs football team) having the best-smelling parking lot in the NFL. he smoke from the tailgaters BBQing ribs, brisket, sausages and steak is fantastic.—Harold Patrick, Aloha, Oregon

Starnes Bar-B-Q, 1008 Joe Clifton Drive, Paducah, Kentucky; 270-444-9555
I am 68 years old and I have eaten barbecue for most of those years from coast to coast. Never have I found any barbecue that compares to Starnes’ from Paducah, Kentucky! I and my family will drive literally hundreds of miles out of our way to visit this very unimpressive “diner” restaurant, and after having the barbecue, we never regret the extra miles! I only wish they had a branch or two closer.—Joe Middleton, Sarasota, Florida

Coopers Country Store, U.S. Highway 521, Salters, South Carolina; 843-387-5772
The completely authentic old store is without dining room, but you can step over the dog on the front steps and go on in to get you a sandwich and a Yoo-Hoo to go.—Dr. Corinne Taylor, Atlanta

It’s Greek To Me

Professor B. B. Cue says that we may think of barbecue as an American phenomenon and the word may well have sprung from the New World when Spanish explorers adopted the word “barbacoa,” a raised frame used by Arawakan Indians to dry meat, but let’s face it, the patent office hadn’t opened it doors when the first caveman decided that leg of woolly mammoth tasted better barbecued than raw. Like mankind, barbecue got its start on the other side of the Atlantic and I’ve had some mighty good meat cooked low and slow over coals in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and, especially, in Greece. After I’d come in second in the Olympic Games held for amateurs in Nemea, Greece, I stopped for lunch in a souvlaki stand on the edge of town. Ever since I went to Greece in college, I’d been trying to duplicate the souvlaki I’d eaten on the streets of Athens with no success. And while back in Greece this time around, I was determined to find a street vendor with enough English to share his recipe with me. In Nemea, I met a vendor who had once lived in the U.S. and immediately was able to tell me what I was doing wrong. “It’s American briquet charcoal that’s your problem,” he said. “Feel this,” he said, taking the back of my hand and putting it over the fire. Instantly the smell of burnt hair filled the air and I jerked my hand away. “See if you can’t find some charcoal made from hardwood,” he said. Actually he was talking about hardwood lump charcoal and that did the trick. My recipe was spot-on, he said (Here‘s one that’s pretty close). Use lemon, olive oil and oregano as a marinade, he said. But I did notice that when he took the spits off the fire, he poured oddles of olive oil over the skewered meat and sprinkled them liberally with course salt. European barbecue: You gotta tell me about the best and better yet, where to get it.

Clues to True Cue

“Does the world really need another blog?” That’s what my friends have been asking me when they’ve called to tell me that the fish were biting or that it was Thirsty Thursday at the baseball game — and here I sit, pounding these sauce-stained computer keys.

“Only if it’s good,” I reply, “and has a worthwhile premise.”

To tell the truth, like a lot of journalists, I want to change the world, same as I did when I started out in this crazy business called journalism back in the 1970s. But now my goal is just a little bit less ambitious than it used to be.

So the main business of this blog will be to help people find the best spots on the planet where they can sit down and eat barbecue that’s as good as it gets. I’ve already got a running start with hundreds of recommendations from Sky magazine readers who, over the years, have enthusiastically recommended their favorite cue joints — in almost as many places as Delta flies.

And that’s what I’d like to do here: Host a lively conversation about barbecue and barbecue places that meets a simple rule, one that you hear often if you judge barbecue: Would you drive 75 miles out of your way to eat cue like this again ( especially with gas prices the way they are)?

As I said in the June issue of Sky where I kicked off Cue Confessions: “There’s definitely a whole lot of bad cue out there, and it’s spreading like kudzu. If like me you travel a lot, you find out that there are numerous ways to ruin good meat — too sweet is my pet peeve, but I’ve also found it undercooked, overcooked, flavored with artificial smoke, too mushy, too dry, way too hot. . . . You name it.” More about that in an upcoming post (Although I’d love to hear where there’s barbecue that’s hot enough — a rarity in my book). Let’s start with the essentials of what elements are common in true cue.

I’d begin with meat that’s cooked low and slow over a constant source of heat — can you say traditional? I’d add that cue is better if the fat hits the fire, imbuing the meat with that savory something that makes anything grilled better. And I think it needs a sauce, something to make the tongue sizzle just a little bit, whether from cayenne, habaneros, chipotle or plain old salt and black pepper. What am I missing?

And let’s get the cue queue going. Where are some places with an address and phone number where you can get characteristic, traditional barbecue at its most elemental?