Saltlick Barbecue - Austin-Bergstrom Airport

Saltlick Barbecue

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

3600 Presidential Blvd, Austin, TX 78719

Saltlick Barbecue is known far and wide as one of the best barbecue spots anywhere and is located on the southern outskirts of Austin, TX.  I personally consider it Mecca for the religious center of barbecue.  But that's just one man's opinion.  But this is not Driftwood. It's an airport where there are more challenges for providing quality smoked meats.  

Airports have very specific restrictions on the kind of cooking that restaurants inside the terminal can do.  Mostly, it does not allow wood smoking...or gas...or other methods of heating that would provide a security risk.  So what do you do and what can you provide.   

The Saltlick provides a pleasant atmosphere and a limited menu but still there are options...

There is Brisket (Chopped or Sliced), Sausage, Pulled Pork, Turkey, Chicken and Ribs. Unfortunately the Ribs are not featured as an option on the 2 or 3 meat platters.  Sides are limited as well to Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and Beans. However all of those sides appear on a platter along with a drink.

Notice the additional take home items of a Whole Brisket in a hot/cold travel pack.

I got the 2 meat platter with Brisket (sliced) and Sausage.  It came with Beans, their German Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and their signature loaf bread (one slice).  The Brisket and Sausage was pre-sauced.

First the sausage.  This was spot on. Just as I remembered it from Driftwood.  It's firm and fresh with flavor without too much spice.  The brisket was a bit tough and lacking in the smokiness that I would expect. (More about that later as I talk about the Take Home Whole Brisket).

The beans were exactly as expected. Good Texas Pinto Beans.  Not baked/BBQ/canned-like beans.  The potato salad was not as "German-intense" as I was expecting.  The flavors seemed to be a bit watered down from what they serve in Driftwood.  I have to admit that I didn't even try the cole slaw. Was just not interested.

However the experience of using that bread to sop up the sauce with a bit or two of meat went down just as it should...the Saltlick way.

Whole Brisket

So I grabbed a take home whole brisket and flew home with it.  The hot/cold pack was very convenient and easy to transport on the plane.  The brisket itself was vacuum packed with sauce and spices.  The instructions were to cook at 225 degrees for 90 minutes. So that's mostly just heating it up.  Now I found it to be very consistent with the brisket experience at the airport restaurant.  However that was still too tough and not really flavorful enough.  I keep thinking that something just wasn't right.  Now without doing a plate to plate comparison of the airport version with the Driftwood version I can't be sure but the result I came to is this.

Saltlick airport brisket isn't barbecue.  It's a good roast brisket but it just isn't barbecue.  Now before you start lighting the touches and waving the pitchforks around and screaming blasphemy, I feel the same way.  How can I say this about a restaurant with the name and history of Saltlick? Let's take the evidence.  They can't smoke at the airport, so they probably bring it in that morning.  But there is no crust, there is no rub, there is no point (the brisket is only the flat) so it's all be pre-cut and pre-processed.  Now that being said, it's probably the best "airport barbecue" that there is, but it's just not the same as eating freshly smoke brisket at an actual barbecue restaurant.  So would I eat there again? Absolutely, I would try the ribs next as I recommend that you do on your way thru the hippest airport in Texas.

I just recommend tempering your expectations based upon the Saltlick name.

Rollin' Smoke Barbecue - Las Vegas, NV

Rollin' Smoke Barbecue
3185 Highland Dr
Las Vegas, NV 89109
https://rollinsmokebarbeque.com/

Vegas can often overwhelm you with glitz and glamour. Rollin' Smoke is just the opposite as a simple barbecue spot in Las Vegas.  It's interesting how few BBQ locations in Las Vegas actually still use wood smoke but this is one of them and the effort pays off.

They offer Catfish, Hot Links, Shrimp, Rib Tips, Brisket (Sliced, Chopped and Burnt Ends), Sausage, Pulled Pork, Baby Back Ribs, St. Louis Ribs AND Beef Ribs.  This place has got it all.

Their list of sides is equally impressive.  Corn Bread, BBQ Beans, Hush Puppies, Green Beans, Fried Okra, Dirty Rice, Corn Nuggets, Collard Greens, Chipotle Cole Slaw, Mac & Cheese, Bacon Potato Salad, Waffle Fries, Yams, Side Salad, Loaded Mashed Potatoes and more!

 

I had Burnt Ends and Ribs with Baked Beans and Collard Greens.  The burnt ends were carmelized nuggets of beefy goodness. Although I prefer a dry rubbed rib, these are quite tasty and the crust of sauce is not overpowering.

The beans are a good albeit typical BBQ bean and the collard greens are well prepared.

They have multiple sauces which are well balanced for their purpose.  Sweet Country is more mustard based, Carolina Vinegar is spicy and tart, the Spicy is...well spicy and their Arkansauce is considered their main sauce.

When in Vegas, get off the strip as fast as you can and tackle a plate full of Rollin' Smoke Barbecue.

You'll be glad you did.

Midwood Smokehouse - Charlotte, NC

Midwood Smokehouse
16710 Birkdale Common Parkway
Huntersville, NC
http://midwoodsmokehouse.com/

Just being in the south and having a president and his secretary of state dine at your establishment does not make for good barbecue.  Maybe good marketing but the proof is in the pudding (more about their banana pudding later).

This location has only been here a few weeks (interestingly enough, the took over from a different BBQ restaurant - but they brought in their own smoker). But they do have an app or you can order for pickup online. That's a nice options.  Let's get to the review...

Midwood BBQ is a chain of individual restaurants (meaning they are not cookie cutter locations) in and around Charlotte, NC.  The menu includes some mouth watering items.  For appetizers, there are Pimento Cheese Fries, Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos and BBQ Queso.

For sandwiches there is the Hot Mess (brisket burger patty with creamy bacon jalapeno spread, Monterey Jack & carmelized onions on a bun), Texas Style Brisket (chopped brisket, tossed with Midwood sauce on Texas toast with smoked red onions and choice of cheese (with Pimento as one of the options!), Chicken BBQ (smoked pulled chicken in their SC mustard sauce, slaw and leaf lettuce), BBQ Pork (chopped pork tossed in their NC vinegar sauce with slaw on the side).

For tacos there is Stockyard Tacos (chopped brisket with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, spicy red salsa, cilantro and queso fresco), Red Neck Tacos (chopped pork, slaw, spicy red salsa and cilantro) and El Fuego Tacos (shredded chicken, pico ge gallo, guacamole, stuffed with a bacon wrapped jalapeno and drizzed with ranch).

For plates there is Salmon, Chicken (pulled and lightly dressed in their SC mustard sauce), Carolina Pork (chopped and lighting dressed in their Eastern NC vinegar sauce), Burnt Ends (caramelized cubes of brisket tossed in their house made Fat Tire BBQ sauce), Brisket (sliced) and St. Louis style pork ribs.

For sides there is Texas Toast, Sweet Potato Fries, Smoked Veggies, Collard Greens, Creamed Corn, Crinkle Cut Fries, Hush Puppies, Cole Slaw, Classic Mac & Cheese, BBQ Slaw, and BBQ Baked Beans.

For desserts there is Pecan Cobbler and Banana Pudding.

I just couldn't stand it.  I had to try the Pimento Cheese Fries.  If your standard for an item like this is cheese fries, then they are fine.  However, if your standing is empowering southern pimento cheese towering over crispy crinkle cut fries, then you may find that there is very little "pimento-cheesiness" that embodies this plate full of southern bar food.

I had the Burnt Ends and Ribs with sides of collard greens and hush puppies.

While the burnt ends had a good flavor, technically burnt ends should only come from the point side of the brisket. This ensures they are young and tender tasting as this is the fatty side of the brisket.  While the flavor was good, the texture was tough and came from the flat side of the brisket. Not authentic.

The greens were good and spicy and they had pepper vinegar with which to add flavor.  That was a nice touch.  The hush puppies were very tasty and soaked up lots of BBQ sauce!

The ribs had a nice smoke but were a little tough.  A B- overall on the ribs.

The banana pudding was very good although not good enough to be called 'nanner puddin'.  That's down home Mom kinda good.

They had several different sauces. Some, Midwood sauce, the Fat Tire (too tart) and Vinegar (too thin) were right on the table, there were others they brought in dishes. The SC mustard (very good) and the Jalapeno BBQ (not too spicey but really flavorful) were better.  Much better.

Overall I have to give this a very passable rating.  Some things were better than others (my friend said the wings were very good) but definitely a place to visit if in the Charlotte, NC area.

Backwoods Brothers Authentic Texas Cuisine - Hamburg, PA

Backwoods Brothers Authentic Texas Cuisine
272 S Fourth St, Hamburg, PA 19526
http://www.backwoodsbbqsauces.com/home.html

Backwoods Brothers is a little BBQ spot in Hamburg, PA that I sought out while driving through Pennsylvania this year.

 They are very active in the community doing road shows to promote their barbecue sauce.  They also have several recipes online that encourages branching out barbecue's culture and flavor into different cuisines not known for barbecue.  A 30 minute BBQ Pasta Dinner for example.

You may notice that, in my first paragraph, I left off the Authentic Texas Cuisine from the name.  That is an omission of choice as I found their barbecue far from authentic...by anyone's scale.

The ribs were old and dry (likely from earlier in the day as I dropped in for supper around 7pm), the brisket was pulled, not sliced which makes it harder to identify quality and I found the quality to be lacking.  However, the sausage reached a new low.  This sausage was green. Just look at it.  I found it almost inedible.  The greens were mediocre and the beans seemed out of a can.

I can't say much about their sauces as I found the meat so inhospitable that nothing could rescue that from the culinary abyss that I found in Hamburg that day.

Now maybe lunch is better but I certainly found this meal unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.

Smokey Dreams - Greenville, SC

Smokey Dreams
2131 Woodruff Road A
Greenville, SC 29607
http://www.smokydreamsbbq.com/

Smokey Dreams is a family owned and run restaurant and that family atmosphere shows.  They started with a passion for backyard barbecue and turned it into a successful barbecue restaurant.  Kudos.  

In typical South Carolina fashion, they offer pulled pork, chopped chicken, smoked jumbo wings, baby back ribs, chopped or sliced brisket. Sides include slaw, baked beans, green beans, chips, mac & cheese, sweet potato crunch, and potato salad.

They have a dining room and a take out window with outdoor seating.

The smoker out front is the one that they use for catering gigs.  It's also their overflow smoker when things get busy.  

When ordering, there are 4 different sauces to choose from. Smokey Dreams which is a Alabama White sauce traditionally used for chicken although they recommend mixing it with one of the other sauces (usually the hot vinegar) to create a hybrid sauce.  The mild tomato is pretty standard, the spicy mustard was quite good and the hot vinegar was fine but I'm not a big fan of a vinegar only sauce. I would have appreciated more tomato base in it.

Now to the meal. I had baby back ribs, sliced brisket, baked beans and the sweet potato crunch.
The ribs had a good smoke and flavor although the texture of the meat wasn't quite what I was looking for (but I'll admit that I prefer a spare rib).  The brisket was good but not quite as tender as I would have liked.  The baked beans were solid and the sweet potato crunch was...oh my god...good.

You can see the meat better here.  It definitely had a good smoke, just check out that smoke ring.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and a great conversation with the son than runs the place.  If you find yourself in Greenville, SC, do checkout Smokey Dreams.  You'll sleep better that night.

Ten 50 BBQ - Dallas, Texas

Ten 50 BBQ
1050 N Central Expy
Richardson, TX 75080
http://ten50bbq.com/

Ten50 BBQ exploded onto the barbecue scene bringing Central Texas barbecue to North Texas.  Here is an excerpt from their website...


Salt, pepper, smoke, and time – that’s all you need for true Texas barbeque, and that’s all you’ll find in our kitchen. Before your plate reaches the table, know that our pitmasters labored for 12+ hours to make sure your meal is not just great – it’s memorable. From our fresh sides and homemade desserts to the modern atmosphere and Southern hospitality, everything about the Ten50 experience is made to surprise and delight. If you’re looking for a taste of Central Texas, save yourself a trip down south – stop in and see us.

I have to say that this is one of my favorite spots in Dallas.  Not only is the food excellent, but it embodies that Central Texas barbecue style in a comfortable friendly atmosphere.

They offer starters of Chicken or Brisket Torpedoes.  Smoked Meats include Prime Brisket, St. Louis Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Smoked Chicken, Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, House Sausage and Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage. You can order sandwiches and plates but it's a lot more fun to just order the meat options by the pound.  There are also the Filthy Rich Potato (with 1 meat) and the Silver Bowl Salad (chicken or turkey).  

Sides include Brisket Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Slender Slaw, Snap'd Green Beans, Five Cheese Mac, Corn on the Cob, Little Green Salad, Hand-Cut Fries, Skinny Cut Rings, Fried Okra, Baked Potato and Hot Southern Yeast Rolls.

Deserts include Pie of the Day and Banana Pudding.

 
My meal team and I had a sampling of their pork spare ribs, the regular sausage, sliced brisket and brisket torpedoes. We also had pinto beans, mac & cheese and their fabulous fresh rolls.  

Everything was high quality and delicious.  The ribs are as advertised, smoked with salt, pepper, smoke and time (not the spice).  

I've eaten here several times and it's always fabulous.  So check it out next time you find yourself heading north out of Dallas on 75 and have just past 635.  You'll be glad you did.

Sonny Bryan's BBQ - DFW Airport

Sonny Bryan's BBQ
DFW Airport - Terminal E
Dallas, Texas
http://www.sonnybryans.com/

Sonny Bryan's BBQ is a staple in Dallas.  The name has been around at "The Original" location since 1958.  They started branching out several years ago and now that have locations all over the DFW Metroplex including the airport.

I often talk about "airport barbecue" as a sub category of barbecue that has a lower quality of meat than most non-airport locations.  While ordering, I asked the server where the meat was smoked.  The answer was "I have no idea. I'm just covering from another counter".  So there you have it.  He's just filling a slot and has no stake in the game.  Now I'm not blaming this employee as much of it is due to the way the system is setup.  However, it does affect the quality of the meal.

FYI, the airport location is not listed on the website.  Hmmm...I wonder why?

While Sonny Bryan's has many great smoked meat options Brisket, Sausage, Ribs, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Ham and Turkey as well as sides of BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Mac & Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, Fried Okra, Mashed Potatoes and French Fries. The menu at the airport will be limited.  Don't forget those famous Onion Rings...these ARE available at the airport location.

I knew that I would be disappointed with a traditional selection of brisket, sausage, pulled pork or similar so I tried the turkey.  It's well cooked and has a heavy cracked peppercorn crust.  I liked it but it could be too heavy for some folks.  The onion rings were fabulous as always.  These are very typical of what you would find at any of the Sonny Bryan locations.

So the moral of the story is that you don't necessarily have to skip barbecue at the airport. Just be a bit selective and if you stay away from the items that you are highly critical of, you will likely find a meal that you would be happy to take to the exit row.

Smokey Jack's Barbecue

Smokey Jack's Barbecue
1386 Indian Trails Road #300
Norcross, GA 30093

Smokey Jack's is in the NE suburbs of Atlanta and provides solid barbecue options for a lunch spot.

For sandwiches, they have pulled pork, sliced chicken, sliced brisket, sausage and the Big Jack. Their combo plates include all that plus pork spare ribs or you can buy by the pound.  Sides include fries, potato salad, mac & cheese, greens, fried okra, cole slaw and baked beans.  There are a few additional items on the menu that are worth mentioning.  Texas Toast (slice or a basket), Jack's Grilled Cheese, Bunswick Stew, Loaded Fries and The Super Jack.  They do offer some sweet tooth options of Banana Pudding and various cake flavors.

While the work place proximity brought me in, it was the atmosphere that reeled me in.  It's very comfortable and a neighborhood spot.  You can tell that it's run by a family, whether they are connected by blood or culture the folks running the place are comfortable with what they are doing and happy to be there.  This shows through in the food that they deliver.

I had a 3 meat combo with ribs, pulled pork and sausage.  Combine that up with greens, fried okra and Texas toast...well let's just say that there was little room for dessert.

The meat was all well prepared.  Good smoke, fresh flavor and delicious.  Actually I have to say that everything was delicious and what one would expect from a quality barbecue restaurant in Georgia.

Bobby Lynn says check it out.

Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ - CLT

Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte, NC

While I generally don't put a lot of focus on airport barbecue, I do find that they are some offerings that are generally better than the expectations of the category...which is generally pretty low. I do find that I will venture into the world of Brookwood Farms - Carolina Pit BBQ when I find myself in the Charlotte Airport.

Some in the North Carolina area may be more familiar with their offerings at the grocery store.  They prepackage and sell pork, brisket, ribs and more. 

I chose the pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, hush puppies and they include a fried pickle slice for good measure.  The pulled pork is average but that makes it above average for airport food.  The cole slaw is fine but I always enjoy hush puppies and these are no exception.  The fried pickle is a nice diversion with the mix of fried batter and sour dill.

I can't tell you if it's a worthy meal because it's in North Carolina or because of the Brookwood Farms name, but I often find that airport workers are not necessarily passionate about the food culture.  They are there to have a job and I'm happy that our country and provide these jobs due to the amount of travel that many of us do, but it has crossed my mind that due to this being a barbecue restaurant and being in Charlotte, you may attract some employees that are from the barbecue culture and that means that they are more likely to care about the quality of the food that they serve and I believe this shows through.

Peace N Hominy Q Shack - Belmont, NC

Peace N Hominy Q Shack
403 E Catawba Street, Ste 200
Belmont, NC 28012
http://www.peacenhominy.com/menu

Peace N Hominy is in the heart of pork country but that doesn't mean that brisket is off the table.

The sun was shining the day that brought me to PNH as I settled in to discover what they had to offer.

The menu was varied but not complete.  They offer pulled pork, ham, bacon (yes...bacon), pulled chicken, carved turkey and carved brisket.

Sides include slaw (house, BBQ and jalapeno), cheesey grits, creamed corn and bourbon beans. There is also fries, chips, hush puppies, mac, stew, chili mac, onion rings or a side grocery salad.

I opted for pulled pork, bacon (...bacon...), and brisket with cheesey grits.  At this point I settled in on the back porch to wait.

To my surprise, they had an appetizer menu that included pimento cheese! served with tomatoes, cucumbers and crackers.  The texture was a little too smooth but the flavor was very good.

While waiting for the meal, I took a look at the sauces they had available.  The traditional sauce "Original" was tomato based, thick and beautiful.  The vinegar was a bit lacking in body. It was mostly vinegar and spices. The Hot was more to the body of the original but spicier.  3 Amigos is a balance of the other 3.  It was good but the original was my favorite.

Here's a shot of the complete meal. It was a great to start a trip to North and South Carolina.

 

I was completely blown away by the brisket.  First, it was mostly from the point which is the smaller and moister part of the brisket.  If you ever have burnt ends, they are from the point side of the brisket.  It was moist, tender and spot on flavorful.  The pulled pork was clean, moist and as tender as I have ever had.  The bacon was thick cut, beautiful and tasty. Even the hush puppies were just as expected.  Fresh and flavorful.

 

So if you find yourself headed west from Charlotte and can stop by Belmont, NC, I highly recommend grabbing some cue at Peace N Hominy.  You'll be glad you did.

City BBQ - Lexington, KY

City BBQ
2187 Harrodsburg Rd
Lexington, KY 40504
CityBBQ.com

City BBQ is a typical southeast restaurant chain that provides better than what you would expect out of a chain.  There. I said it.

The have 2 locations in Lexington but are in Indiana (5), Kentucky (5), North Carolina (8) and Ohio (18). They offer Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Lo Lo's Pulled Pork with Slaw, Turkey Breast, Pulled Chicken with 'Bama Sauce, Smoked Sausage and Pork Ribs.

Sides are Fresh Cut Fries, Green Beans with Bacon (how else do they come?), Mac and Cheese, Sweet Vinegar Slaw, Corn Pudding, Hush Puppies, Cornbread, Collards with Pork (same question), Potato Salad, Side Salad, Baked Beans with Brisket and Gumbo.

 I had brisket and ribs with beans and collards.  Just looking at the picture makes my mouth water at the marbled brisket.  It was great. Just tender and moist as it should be.  The ribs were spot on as well.

 They had multiple kinds of sauce.  In the back is a mustard based and a vinegar based.  Up front they were all pretty similar. It was hard to tell much difference so I'm not much sure about it.  Just know that the original sauce was good, the mustard wasn't my favorite but the vinegar was spot on for any pulled pork you might jump on.

I was very impressed that, for a chain, they had good hi quality barbecue served up just the way it should be.

Enjoy.

Jessie Rae's BBQ - Las Vegas, NV

Jessie Rae's BBQ
Las Vegas Style BBQ
5611 S Valley View Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89118
https://jessieraesbbq.com/ 

The owner of Jessie Rae's named the restaurant for his wife.  The website says it's the best BBQ in Las Vegas.  Let's go inside and take a look.

It's a very small restaurant with big flavor.  It's one of the few places in Las Vegas that still smokes it's meat the old fashioned away.  No electric or gas burners here!

For Salads they have a Caesar Salad and a Southwest Salad.  For their Loaded in Las Vegas section which is all about fries there are Maniac Fries (Brisket), The Duke (pork), Big Belt Buckle (chopped brisket), The Jive Chicken (pulled chicken).

For meats they have Pulled Pork, Brisket, Chicken, Hot Links, Beef Bone, Pork Spare Ribs and a Full Rack of Beef Ribs.

There are lots of sandwich options: The Jessie Rae, The Jessie Mac, the We Pork'd In Vegas Sandwich, Household of Three Sandwich, the Double Brisket Sandwich (both point and flat), the Jive Chicken Sandwich, the Hot Link Sandwich, and the Rip Tip Sand.

For combos: Two Meat and one side, Three meat and one side plus the High Roller Combo (for 2).

They have BBQ Street Tacos, BBQ Nachos, Platters for 4, 6, 10 or 20 people!

Sides are waffle fries, coleslaw, corn with smoke butter, BBQ beans BBQ mashed potatoes, tater tots, and Lexington red slaw.

This is their Maniac Fries.  One of their most popular items.

I had a combo with ribs, brisket and pulled pork and a side of baked beans.

The brisket was very tasty and moist.  In fact, all of it was moist.  The pulled pork was tender and clean.  The ribs were well smoked and very tasty.

Some other items at the table were...

...beef ribs.  They were well smoked and tender.  They were part of a 2 meat combo with brisket and mac & cheese.

They have 3 sauces. Fallen Angel (spicy), God Sauce and a Carolina Style Vinegar Sauce.  All were good.

So if you ever find yourself in Las Vegas and want to avoid the strip like I do, give Jessie Rae's a try.  You'll be glad you did.

Nic's Outpost BBQ - Bridgewater, NJ

Nic's Outpost BBQ
793 US-202
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
https://niks202outpostbarbeque.eat24hour.com/

Nic's Outpost BBQ was discovered by chance on a drive by.  It's been a barbecue joint since 2016, before that it was a NJ diner.  That may be all the 'splainin' I need to do about this but let's explore further for the folks inclined for more detail.



As is typical for a diner style establishment, they have a rather larger number of items on the menu.

For apps they have Onion Rings, Fried Pickle Chips, Cheese Sticks, Quesadilla Bites (pulled pork or chicken), BBQ Smoke Wings, Loaded Texas Fries, Brisket Stuffed Portobello, BBQ Rib Tips, BBQ-Nachos, BBQ Ribs to Share.  They have Chili or Brunswick Stew and a Brisket topped Texas Caesar Salad.  

Hint: Any item on the menu that has Texas in it, has beef on it. Subtle...very subliminal.

Then there was a confusing section called "Lighter Fare". Offerings were, Pork or Chicken Carnitas, Portabella Carnitas, Crunchy Fish Carnitas, Beef Brisket Carnitas, Mutton Carnitas.

While the word "carnitas" comes from a Mexican dish that originated in the state of Michoacan and literally means' "little meats", the current day definition doesn't separate this from it's pork origins.  Therefore I take exception to calling anything other than braised/simmered pork as carnitas.  However, I guess you can do whatever you want in the great state of New Jersey.

For sandwiches, Pulled Chicken, Pulled Pork, Sliced Kielbasa, Hot Links, Mutton, Brisket, "Off the Bone" Rib-Wich.

They have platters with all the meat options above plus Beef Ribs as well as 3 different sampler platters, Country Boy (Pork, Chicken, Kialbasa), Memphis Man (Chicken and Ribs), Outpost BBQ (Pork Brisket Chicken Ribs for 2 or 4).

There is entire menu for Crabby Abby's Seafood. You know...Clams, Shrimp and stuff.

Hot Dogs: Naked, Outpost, Atlantic Dog, Louisiana Pup, Georgia Dog, Tennessee Pup, Texas Dog, Alabama Dog and the Harambe.

6 different burgers, 4 golden fried platters and sides galore...Bacon BBQ Beans, Fries, Coleslaw, Fried Okra, Potato Salad, Side Salad, Mac & Cheese, Corn on the Cob, Sweet Potato Fries, Texas Toast, Steamed Broccoli and Corn Bread.

We tried the Pulled Pork Nachos.  They were actually tasty but typical. (Who puts lettuce on nacho's? Diner people!)

 I had the rib sandwich.  It was fairly tasty but as it was smothered in sauce, it was hard to get a good sampling of the subtleties of the smoke.

 The surprise of the day was the sauce offering.  They had Texas Sweet, Memphis spicy, Kansas City smokey and yes...a Alabama White.  I was so impressed with the Bama White.  It was a good option for chicken.

It just goes to show you, keep your eyes open and look for barbecue opportunities wherever you are.  You just never know what you are going to find.

So if you want diner BBQ, come to NJ. The capital of diners.  However, it is not the capital of BBQ.

 

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse - Dallas, TX

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse
2202 Inwood Rd.
Dallas, TX 75235
http://www.sonnybryans.com/

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse has long been one of my favorite BBQ spots in Dallas. Started in 1910, this is the original location has lots of good memories for many folks in Dallas.

They serve Hill Country Brisket, Classic Brisket, Sausage, Jalapeno Sausage, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Ham and Turkey.  They also have a Meat Potato, Frito Pie, Rib Sandwich, Po-Boy Plate and more. Their sides are Homemade BBQ Beans, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, French Fries and their world famous Onion Rings. (They really are good).

A few years ago, they added the 2nd dining room (to the left of the sign) and that was fine.  It expanded their dining capacity even if it didn't have the flavor of the original school desk seating.  It's the latest change that I was more disturbed by....24 hours, 7 days a week.  When I saw this, I thought...oh man...this can't be good.  But wait...this is Sonny Bryan's. It's still got to be some of the best around right?  Well...unfortunately, if you are trying to keep the meat fresh 24 hrs a day, you are not going to serve very good barbecue.  I was sorely disappointed in the quality of the meat that I got and I've been eating here for decades with nairy a complaint. 

I know the plate looks good. I had beef brisket, ribs and jalapeno sausage with sides of beans and fries. (the fresh roll is quite good). It's too bad that this 24 hr model doesn't work.  I'm sure they are likely selling more meat but the quality is not near as good as it used to be.  It's always been about starting the meat in the middle of the night and having it reach juicy perfection for lunch and then serving happy customers until you sold out.  Now they have expanded and expanded and expanded until it's 24/7 and barbecue just doesn't lend itself to this very well.

Progress is not always progress.

Whitt's Barbecue - Shelbyville, TN

Whitt's Barbecue
758 Madison St.
Shelbyville, TN
931.684.0235
http://www.whittsbarbecue.com/

A family owned Nashville tradition since 1978 cooks it's meat for 24 hrs over hickory smoke.  They have been voted "Best of Nashville" every year since the contest started in 1988.

The menu is typical for Nashville barbecue and includes pulled pork, beef brisket, turkey, chicken, and ribs.  For sides the offering stays with the basics of cole slaw, beans and potato salad.

As I was on the run, I just grabbed a quick pulled pork sandwich with potato salad and beans.

While the beans were ordinary, the potato salad was good and the sandwich was good clean pulled pork.  Nothing fancy but a solid sandwich. 

Whitt's Barbecue was a welcome stop on a long drive back to Nashville.