re: Competition BBQ vs Restaurant BBQ

I will say that I think BBQ comps and reality TV shows about them have hurt the quality of consumer BBQ. It has increased the demand for BBQ, which has people opening BBQ restaurants that think you can buy a Southern Pride gas smoker and make good eatin BBQ. Not to mention prices at these places. I dont eat BBQ at a place where they dont use a wood fired pitt and I dont eat at a place that has elaborate decor. We recently ate at Skylight Inn BBQ in NC. Three people had some damn fine eatin BBQ for $19. Pound of meat, quart of slaw and cornbread, that also included fountain drinks. If I go to Cleveland to Michael Symons BBQ place a Pulled pork sandwich is $13 and sides are ala carte. I know location and all, but one guy cooks whole hogs over a brick pitt and the other uses a gas powered oven with wood chunks thrown in a basket and it is set it and forget it. The other has a pitt crew working all night smoking hogs. BBQ was always about using cheap cuts and making them eat like more exspensive cuts. Now its about buying $200 briskets and seeing who can get the 5 best slices from the center of the flat in a box of parsley.