Go to for choosing a Q Joint?

[jfmorris]

Locally I can only think of ONE local BBQ joint that isn't a chain (such as Jim 'N Nicks), that sells brisket or sausage, and its top notch but a bit pricey. Other than that, local BBQ joints in north Alabama for the most part are dealing in pulled pork, ribs (spare usually) and chicken. I will judge most by their ribs. If the ribs aren't good, next time I end up there, I will just go for the pulled pork or chicken.

Another thing that I LOVE but which is seasonal in these parts is Brunswick stew, which only a couple of the BBQ places around here seem to carry. Back in Georgia, I think it was available more year round than it is here. That's another thing I always try if it is on the menu.

[klflowers]

+1 on the Brunswick stew. When I was working at Bellefonte, before they shut it down for good (maybe???), I used to go to a place called Mud Creek BBQ in Hollywood and they had some pretty good Brunswick stew. Plus it was the first time someone served me slaw on a pulled pork sandwich. I said what the heck is that, she gave me the famous you not from around here - I could hear damn yankee in her voice...

[FireMan]

That it exists. There is one a couple hours away in a town called East Troy (I have posted pics of LD’s). There are one or two in Milwaukee, but I never get down there. And yes, there is one in the budding metropolis of Fond du Lac, but he opened in a dumb location & cooks his grub in a town 1 1/2 hours away & trucks it in. Haven’t been there & not enticed to go. Not when I can make it at home. I absolutely refuse to eat Wibs outside my personal confines. Well, maybe I could be lured but it would take some big convincing.

[BFlynn]

For me it's pulled pork and ribs. My wife judges a places based on brisket and sides.

I think we've only ever found 1 place where we thought the brisket, pork, and ribs were all A+.
That was in Jacksonville Florida. But the owner is from Georgia and his wife is from the Texas Hill Country. So he learned brisket from his inlaws.

[N227GB]

I'll check out their online menu. If it says something like "come early because we usually sell out" that's a good sign to me.

[klflowers]

Ribs. If they can't make good ribs, IMO they can't make anything. And I haven't had a good rack of ribs from a BBQ joint in quite a while.

[BourBonQ]

Collard greens!

[fzxdoc]

If you can’t smell smoke don’t stop.

I make my husband drive around the back of a new BBQ place so I can spot the smokers.

For me, it's pulled pork. If a BBQ place can't get that right, they can't get anything right, IMO. Unless it's the banana pudding, I guess.

Kathryn

[tiewunon]

The drive around back for a look-see is a veteran move.

[Panhead John]

In one regard, I guess I’m lucky here in Houston. We have an almost embarrassment of highly regarded BBQ places. And most all of of them are burning wood. We have the "Texas Trinity" we look for, which of course is usually in this order, Brisket, Ribs and Sausage. Each one is important though. Just a few places here in no particular order are Killen’s Barbecue, Corkscrew BBQ, Gatlin’s BBQ, Pinkerton’s BBQ, Tejas Choclate Craftory, (don’t laugh, google them, #6 on Texas Monthly’s top 50 BBQ list) Roegels Barbecue Co. and the Pit Room. And there’s whole lot more here as well. Most all of them damn good. If you sell mediocre BBQ in Houston, you won’t be here long. All of those I listed made high rankings in Texas Monthly’s top 50 in Texas. I’m a sausage freak though, so that’s important to me as well, and they have to have good sides. No canned beans or Kroger potato salad for me.

[rickgregory]

what about the clam chowder???

[Panhead John]

Those were just the BBQ joints. The list for highly regarded Clam Chowder Joints is even bigger! Local consensus is......”PJ’s Clam Chowder Inn” is the best.........Very few people have died after eating there.

[smokin fool]

Panhead John Guess I'm unlucky up here the GTA where there's an embarrassment of very very few BBQ places. I just googled the best three, in my estimation, BBQ joints and happily they seem to be surviving this plague we're stuck with. On vacation next week so I'm going to order up from those places and give them a helping hand.
Otherwise I would have been in Dallas next weekend for Texas A&M - Arkansas, my nephew usually takes me to a couple of pits over the weekend. Sadly that's off.