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. 

Fat Boys BBQ - Nashville, TN

Fat Boys BBQ
2733 Murfreesboro Pike
Antioch, TN 37013
http://fatboysbbq.co

Family owned and operated, Fat Boys BBQ has a good local pitmaster in Tony Roney who grew up in Tennessee and promotes the Tennessee style of barbecue.

They serve Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Sliced Turkey, Beef Brisket, 4 Bone Rib, Catfish, Rib Tip and Smoked Sausage. Don't forget the Smoke Bologna sandwich.  They also have some unique items like the FB Highrise. This is cornbread piled high with pork and topped with slaw.  Additional items include BBQ Nachos Pork, Chicken or Brisket Nachos, Jumbo Stuffed Potato, and Brisket Quesadilla.

The pig on the outside tells you where the pig is on the inside.

The restaurant itself is simple and evokes that old school atmosphere where traditional barbecue often thrives.

 I ordered 3 meats and 2 sides with Rib Tips, Brisket and Pulled Pork. The sides were greens and corn on the cob.  And yes...that is a pancake that's on the plate.  This is the first time that I have ever been served a pancake as the bread item on a plate of barbecue.

First up, the pulled pork.  I found this to be straight up good.  Nothing fancy, just good pulled pork. The brisket was nice but not quite as preferred as the pulled pork.  This makes a bit of sense as the pork is more native to the region.  The rib tips were moist and flavorful.  Quite nice.   I wasn't really a fan of the pancake to go with barbecue.  Too corn meal based for my taste.


The corn and greens were quite good.  I'm a big fan of collard greens and they were done well here.  I didn't get a pic of the sauces.  They were fine.  Didn't really stand out but did the job.

So if you ever find yourself on the outskirts of Nashville and you see a high flying pig by the side of the road.  Stop by and you may find yourself with a plateful of barbecue and trying something new.

Blues Brothers BBQ - Frederick, MD

Blues Brothers BBQ
5822 Urbana Pike
Frederick, MD 21704
Phone:(240) 674-5805
http://www.bluesbbqco.com/

Blues Brothers BBQ may be hard to find, but its worth the effort to get there. A food truck stuck in a back yard off of a main road in Frederick.  It's easy to miss.

They've got Memphis Pulled Pork (slow cooked in a tangy BBQ sauce), Carolina Pulled Pork (served with an apple vinegar sauce), Smoked Brisket, Pit Beef, Pit Ham, Grilled Chicken Salad, Breaded Buffalo Chicken, Baby Back Ribs and more.  In fact, the rest of it reads like a barkers menu at a state fair. Fried Pickles, Fried Mac & Cheese, Fried Donuts and multiple versions of a Fried Chicken Breast Sandwich with other fried things on it.  They also have fries, onion rings, collard greens, white & pink beans, hush puppies and more.

 I had the Carolina Pulled Pork sandwich.

Now common with the Carolina style is to put the cole slaw right on the sandwich. It's not for everyone but they do it well here.  The pulled pork was clean and tasty.  The apple vinegar really pulled out the flavor of this sandwich.

So if you have the time to find it, I recommend it as they do make a good pulled pork sandwich.

Mission BBQ - Columbia, MD

Mission BBQ
6270 Columbia Crossing Cir
Columbia, MD 21045
http://mission-bbq.com/

Mission BBQ has a casual but clean barbecue dining experience with down home sides while displaying memorabilia that honors our military and first responders.  It's no coincidence that they opened their doors on Sept 11, 2011.  They maintain quality product, have seasonal changes to the menu and honor our national heroes every day.  They are a strong part of their community and both honor America with their BBQ and our protectors with their message.

   
Walking in you find a very positive energy with people busy and happy to work there and happy to enjoy the product of their craft.

There are plenty of options in their Meat Market with signature sides galore. The menu includes oak smoked brisket, pulled pork, lean & mean turkey, chicken, sausage (original, jalapeno & cheese), salmon, baby back ribs and spare ribs.  For sides there are mac & cheese, baked beans with brisket, green beans with bacon, cole slaw and french fries.  Don't forget to ask about their season sides and deserts.

I guess about the only thing on my sampler plate that wasn't meat or didn't have meat in it was the cornbread and it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't sneak a little pork in the somewhere.

While the sausage is firm and flavorful, the ribs are smokey bones of goodness and the pulled pork is mighty fine, I think it's the brisket that stands out.  Pulled from the fire at just the right time, it's tender yet doesn't fall apart and the smoke is not too heavy.  The baked beans and green beans are just what the doctor ordered and the cornbread is sweet crumbly perfection.



And I guarantee you that you won't leave because of a lack of sauce.  They have 7...yes 7 different barbecue sauces.  Texas Twang, Smokey Mountain, Memphis Belle, KC Classic, Bay-O-Que, Tipelo Honey Heat and their house NC Vinegar. Frankly if I have any criticism, it's that the offering of sauces is a bit over the top.  I don't find that any of them really stick out as outstanding. What it does do is tell me a lot about their research and barbecue cultural references just from the naming and locations of these sauces. 







While they are a chain, you can generally find a good lunch at Mission BBQ.  I definitely recommend stopping by and grabbing a plateful.  You'll be glad you did.

Cranky Frank's Barbecue Company - Fredericksburg, Texas

Cranky Frank's Barbecue Company
1679 US-87
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
http://www.crankyfranksbbq.com/

Right in the middle of the pack of Texas Monthly's 50 Best Barbecue Restaurants in the World, is Cranky Frank's.  I've spent quite a bit of time in the Hill Country but had never heard of Cranky Frank's so I had to check this place out.  

 
They use all mesquite wood for a thick and flavorful smoke which blackens the outer layer of each piece of meat.

And like many good Texas barbecue joints, they close when they run out of food.

They serve brisket, chicken, sausage, pork roast, pork ribs and they claim to be famous for their chopped beef.  I find this interesting as chopped beef is not something that is commonly emphasized in this part of the country.  They have sandwiches a plenty and stuffed potatoes but their plates include all you can eat sides that are served up buffet style.  They offer pinto beans, green beans, potato salad, cole slaw, corn, and chocolate pudding for desert.  

I chose ribs, brisket and pinto beans.  I can't emphasize enough the importance of the Central Texas barbecue tradition of having onions and lite bread available on the table.  
The offer two different barbecue sauces. Original and a German style barbecue sauce.  The original was fine.  The German was....well...just foreign.  It wasn't like anything I've had before.  It was watery and sharp. Not what I'm looking for.

However, the meat was worthy of the Texas Monthly rating.

  Notice the moist pinkness on the ribs and the spice covered bark.  The ribs were just about perfect and the moist brisket was definitely moist, flavorful and well marbled.

It pulled apart very easily but didn't fall apart under it's own weight.

This was a wonderfully perfect Central Texas barbecue meal.  Just what the doctor ordered.

Black's Barbecue - Lockhart, Texas

Black's Barbecue
215 N Main St
Lockhart, TX 78644
https://www.blacksbbq.com/

Black's has been serving up some of Texas' finest barbecue since 1932 here in the "Barbecue Capital of Texas". They are family owned and operated for four generations and that tradition can be tasted in every bite.

From the moment you walk in, the wood floors and walls guide to down the aisle to the catering line where the sides and deserts are selected. Then you head to the ordering counter where the server at the butcher block fills your deepest barbecue wishes from the offering of 9 different meats.  They offer beef brisket, pork spare ribs, smoked turkey breast, chopped beef brisket, giant beef ribs (and I do mean giant), pork baby back ribs, barbecue chicken, pork chop, and home made sausage (original, garlic or jalapeno cheddar).  Their sides are potato salad, cole slaw, pinto beans, green beans, black eyed peas, mashed potatoes, Mexican rice, sweet potatoes, and sweet pickles. For desert they have peach cobbler, pecan cobbler banana pudding and ice cream.

I selected a typical Central Texas offering of pork ribs, original sausage and brisket with a side of black eyed peas.

From the moment I sat down, after serving myself iced tea, lite bread (what I grew up calling white bread) and raw onion, I knew I was in a place that I could call home.

The jukebox was playing and at the very moment that I took my first bite I heard...

"There's no place that I would rather be than right here." 

That's the opening line of an old country song that I grew up listening to and at that moment, I knew that I had come to the right place...at the right time.

The ribs were perfectly smoked and cooked.  The sausage was classically home made.  If the casing were removed, the meat would crumble on the plate to be scooped up with the nearest utensil.  The brisket was also well smoked and a little on the lean side.  After the first bite, I actually was a little disappointed.  Feeling that it lacked a bit of flavor. I felt like the sauce was a little thin and without any punch. However, about half way through the meal, I felt it change.  Yes. There it was.  It was all gelling together at that moment.  The texture, the flavor, the sauce, the bread, onions, atmosphere...all of it. It was congealing into a very well rounded and balanced barbecue experience.   It was a gentle reminder to slow down.  That it takes time not only to make greatness but to enjoy it.  

By this point, the jukebox was on to the next redneck song.  I didn't mind one little bit. I was in my Zen space.  Enjoying each bite of rib, brisket (sandwiched between two fingers of bread heavily sauced) and sausage.  It was then that I realized that I was going through a lot of sauce.  That it was balanced just right for heavy use.  Something that many establishments miss.  They make it too heavy.

 While I didn't try the beef rib (something that I'm questioning now), I felt that I received a very exceptional and traditional Central Texas barbecue experience. So if you want to know what Central Texas barbecue is all about, you can start your journey right here.

"No we don't fit in with that white collar crowd
We're a little too rowdy and a little too loud
There's no place that I'd rather be than right here
With my red-necks white socks and blue ribbon beer".