Judging a BBQ Joint BEFORE you walk in

[RonB]

A Q restaurant opened near us a few years ago. It's run buy a guy some of you may have heard of, or know - he goes by the name of "Tuffy". It's a nice place, but neither my wife or I care for it. The pork is well cooked, but the flavors are off. I can't quite put my finger on why though. The brisket is better to me, but my wife doesn't care for it either.

My favorite place is called Cowlings and it opened in the early 70's. It's on US 460 between Petersburg and Suffolk in VA - about an hour from us. We don't drive that far to eat, but it's on the way to the beach where we go every year. Great pork, wonderful onion rings, and great fried chicken. Age is a good indicator for a bbq restuarant - but still not a sure thing.

I do use YELP on my phone to get an idea, but just an idea. If the reviews are bad, we don't go. If the reviews are good, we will read the reviews to see if we can get a hint that they might have real Q.

[Obi-Dan]

I'm lucky that I live in Texas and have access to some world-class BBQ joints but Houston has only recently had really good Q restaurants. Historically it has been bad. I have come to the conclusion herein H-town that the more overly "Texan" the decor is the worst the BBQ is. It seems to actually go in proportion. You go to the three famed restaurants in Lockhart and not a saddle in site as a decoration.

[ecowper]

What is your criteria? Reviews only? Brisket on the menu (at least)? Point and flat distinction on the menu? Weapons allowed (haha)? All wood fired? High/Low price?

There's a BBQ joint in Moscow, Idaho that gives you a 10% discount if you come in with a weapon open carry .... Naturally, that is where I go for BBQ when I'm in that part of the world.

The place is CD's Smoke Pit. I'd say they meet @Meathead's criteria

[Pitmaster134]

1) LOCATION!!!! Where is it? is it in a big open lot with lots of room to have cookers outside? is it at the mall either in its own building or a part of a strip mall (there is one good place near me in a strip mall between a real estate office and chain sub shop, so we have an acceptation to this rule)? Is it in the middle of the city on the ground floor of a building under residential apartments?

2) What is the wait like? If you go during a normal time when people are out for dinner, and there isn't a line around the building or a lobby full of people with little buzzers waiting for a table, you have to ask yourself why. If the place is so great, then why aren't they packed?

3) "Award winning" Do they have trophies filling the shelves and windows? Are they even real?? Anyone can order trophies and have them say whatever they want. If I was a BBQ restaurant owner and I had won trophies competing, I would probably keep them at home where they won't get dirty or broken as a result of the hustle and bustle of a dining room or takeout counter. Good food should be able to speak for itself. I don't need shiny plastic doing it.

4) How much do they advertise? This almost plays right along with "award winning", but a personal example I have is a former coworker of mine owns a restaurant that really isn't all that great, and he is always on the restaurant Facebook his own personal Facebook talking it up. Along with clogging everyone's news feed with how great this place supposedly is, he spends an astronomical amount of money on advertising that he isn't getting back in the form of online adds, billboards, in newspapers, and in our local county fair add book. Shouldn't your food and your customers do your advertising for you?

That's just my 2 cents. agree or disagree. Smoke on!

[kingdarb]

I am out in the Toronto, Ontario area. We don't have much by way of good BBQ joints. After getting some gear and learning from AR, I gotta say that the BBQ I can do at home (ribs/butts/brisket/steaks) is better than I can find around me. I'm no pitmaster, but the restaurants around here will boil ribs and then put on artificial smoke flavor before they finish them on the grill and and brisket I have ever seen is done in an oven.

[Argoboy]

I would agree with you around here there are no real or good bbq places to eat, I can cook better at home. When I do go out to eat I usually order a hamburger so I am not disappointed.

[gcdmd]

Turning out large amounts of any culinary product day in and day out is a challenge which few can do an exceptional job at. Hence, what most of us turn out at home, where we can give smaller amounts of meat, etc., close attention and care, surpasses most restaurants in quality.

[Breadhead]

Agreed! Well said...👍

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

Omg, seriously, scottranda ? No concealed carry? Where do you live???!! They sure don't roll like you in the San Francisco Bay Area! Ha ha ha ha. Stunning.

[ecowper]

Concealed carry is pretty normal in most states .... We roll much different than the Bay Area :-)

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

I love that video!!! So awesome. I hope I can give Yankees a better name! Next vacation, gotta do a Southern BBQ tour. Thanks for posting that! ☺

[Potkettleblack]

Hmmm... disqualifiers? I pick em like I review resumes... sell me something, else you're out.

But if I'm going to disqualify, french fries are a huge strike (even though Smoque here in Chicago sells fries... they have a manifesto where they explain why fries are there, which almost makes it excusable).

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

C'mon ecowper !!! Most states? Texas and AZ, sure... But, most? Omg, I'm scared of you guys! Forget dinner at my place! I will have to continue to love you from afar! Ha ha ha.

[ecowper]

Heh, WA is a shall issue state. Anyone over 21, without a felony, is automatically issued a concealed carry permit upon application

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

ecowper ,I had no idea about our peaceful neighbors to the north. Ha.

[OneEyedJack]

We don't have to worry about walking into a bad BBQ joint in the San Francisco Bay Area - they're all bad! The air quality restrictions in this area keeps anyone, except backyarders, from letting any smoke escape from the cookers. Although it would not be unreasonable to expect crack-downs on backyard Qing in the future. There is a chain of Everet & Jones restaurants around, but the quality is nowhere near what you can get in Texas and other reasonable areas. Oh, and CCW, forget it unless you are a politician. I do my best to send fragrant whiffs of sweet smokiness into the central valley especially on our so called "Spare The Air Days." ...end of rant.

[scottranda]

I enjoyed Sauced in Livermore, CA. I do love the city of SF though!

[Atalanta]

On my trips to the bay area I was amazed. For an area that is defined by "hippies" it is so restrictive. They even have prop 65 warnings on wine bottles. [eye roll]

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

I've never gone to a single BBQ joint here. Or anywhere,, actually. I had Armadillo Willy's delivered, tho. That's the only reason I even know what a brisket is! ☺ I know... Pathetic.

[Breadhead]

You're not alone my dear... Millions of people have NO CLUE that BBQ and grilling are 2 completely different outdoor cooking methods.😎

[OneEyedJack]

Girl, now you can do your own and it will be much better than anything you can order-in - even if you don't want to carry.

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

OneEyedJack ,you're so funny! ☺ scottranda ,I'm gonna have to go check that place out. I used to live pretty close to Livermore. Never heard of it!

[ecowper]

GirlpoweredBBQ I'm from central California originally. I never had good BBQ there other than tri-tip. And now that you have a kettle and an SnS you need to cook some tri-tip.... I think it's way more challenging than brisket :-)

that said, you are cooking better Q now that just about anything you will find in California.

Still, the best BBQ is the place that cooks great Q AND gives you a discount for open carry ;-)

[GirlpoweredBBQ]

There are places that reward you for carrying weapons??!! You're making that up! The only weapon I carry is my razor sharp wit! I would like to try tritip. I don't even know where to start. Every time I've cooked it it was impossible to chew.