Best online retailer for BBQ sauces and rubs?

[Chelnerul]

Good morning all,

I cross-posted this at the Big Green Egg forum, but haven't had as much luck as I"d hoped...

I just placed a couple of online orders for charcoal, rubs and sauces, and I was wondering if there is a consensus on where the best online retailers are for selection and prices are? I hadn't heard of Firecraft before, but I'm very impressed by their selection, prices, and free shipping over $100. I easily spent that.

I'm also impressed with peppers.com, which had a bunch of great hot sauces, rubs, sauces, marinades, dips, etc. Also free shipping on orders over $75. Amazon's got great selections, but I've found they can be at least double and sometimes more for many of the good rubs, sauces, etc.

Where do you all (alt. y'all) make your non-local BBQ purchases?

[smarkley]

Big Poppa has a great selection of sauces... I normally make my own sauces and rubs, but if I am buying some, Big Poppa's is where I go. Swamp Boys and Blues Hog are the ones I would spend retail dollars on.

[Chelnerul]

GREAT recommendation on Big Poppa Smoker's - excellent selection and layout

[Mosca]

Fred's Music & BBQ in Shillington PA is good. His store brand ("Smokin' Guitar Player") sauce is a bit on the sweet side, but his rubs are fantastic, I couldn't blend better myself. And Fred is one heck of a character.

[Chelnerul]

Fun site - thanks!

[The Burn]

I'm going to have to go up there one day. It's about an hour.

[Chelnerul]

@smarkley - thanks for the tips - I'll check them out. Hadn't heard of it.

@Mosca - Funny, I've never actually been to his site, but I've seen a bunch of his YouTube videos, and used his tips to grill my first four pizzas on the BGE. Thanks for the reminder!

Any others, gents? I've made a couple rubs of my own already from Meathead's recipes (the Rendezvous rub, which was a disaster, and the Memphis Dust, which is out-bloody-standing), but I'm still at the early phase of enjoying other people's creativity...

[Mosca]

Don't let the shtick in Fred's videos fool you. The guy knows flavor, and he knows how to massage ingredients into deliciousness. I've visited his store a couple times, and it is like going into a bbq toy store. Right now he has some demo units for sale: a Large Big Green Egg plus nest for $699, and a display model Meadow Creek TS60 for $1869. Every time I go there I leave with a trunk and backseat full of STUFF.

[Mosca]

[Mosca]

[Chelnerul]

That looks like a great store! It's probably a little too far for me, however. You're not the guy from 'ol Virginny that drove all the way up there, are you?

Possible for a visit next time we go up to Gettysburg, but we'd have to spend the night somewhere, maybe Amish country. Then we could raid the pickles and canneries...

[Mosca]

I'm in the Poconos. It's still about 90 minutes for me, and he's not open Sundays and I work Saturdays, so the trip takes some planning. I go about once a year. It's maybe 30-45 minutes from Gettysburg. Hey, when you get up to Gettysburg, do you ever stop at Chubby's in Emmitsburg MD? Tom is a friend of mine, and a great bbq cook. Tell him Mosca sent you.

Chubby's BBQ

[Chelnerul]

Hadn't stopped there before, as I am usually on route 15 from Leesburg to get to Gettysburg - but a BBQ recommendation is worth straying. Never been to Emmitsburg, only know of it from the centrality of the road in the battle. I'm getting my three year old daughter hooked on smoked meats - of course, she calls everything either "steak" or "brisket," but she likes it all. Maybe Tom can whip her up something smokey...