re: Best BBQ?

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LOL, what greats say that? I've done competitions for years and on pork, all the greats last flavor profile is sauce. Now I don't use any sauce on Brisket or any beef. TX is famous for beef.

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Texas people say it because they are a beef dominated region. You sauce pig.

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Which city/region of N. Carolina will you be visiting?

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I'll be in the Raleigh/Durham area, but I'm willing to drive up to an hour if it's worth it. Will only be in town for a couple days on this trip, but will be visiting monthly for work until the job is done.

East of Raleigh about an hour is Rocky Mount, Wilson and Goldsboro. They each have places that serve traditional, vinegar based, pork bbq.
Rocky Mount - Gardner's
Wilson - Parkers
Goldsboro - Wilbur's, McCalls and a little way out of town in the middle of nowhere is Grady's (only open 10-3, 4 days a week).
A little further east, just south of Greenville, NC, in Ayden is Skylight Inn.
I've eaten at all of those.
In Raleigh is The Pit which serves whole hog bbq but I have not eaten there.

West of Raleigh, about 2 hours is Lexington. There sauce is more tomato based but not like KC. They also typically just cook shoulders. Down east some places do whole hog but not all of them.

This is a video link to a story about Sam Jones' new place in Winterville, just south of Greenville. They also own the Skylight Inn, which has been featured on various TV shows.
LINK

Wilbur's in Goldsboro has also been on TV shows because they have been in business since the 50's and cook it the old way; i.e., with all wood. There are environmental restrictions on newer places so less wood I think. I'm not a big fan of Wilbur's but they do whole hog.

You will find that many bbq places also serve fried chicken. I guess it is just tradition to do that. Probably goes back to colonial times.

Gardner's and McCall's have buffets. McCall's has vegetables, chicken (fried & bbq), fish, ribs sometimes, brisket sometimes (not good), deserts in addition to pork bbq. It has been a while since I ate at Gardner's so I'm not sure what they have.

I have not found any really good ribs in NC, at least not consistently.

There is a chain; Smithfield's Chicken 'N BBQ, and it is pretty good, especially for a chain. If you are short on time it would not be a bad option.

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Texas is the most overrated. Too many shitty bbq places popping up all over that give it a bad name.

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I think you're right, and wrong. The elite Texas BBQ places have converted me from pig first, to beef first. Killen's Beef Rib is an absolute masterpiece of BBQ. But, I lived here for 12 years before finding BBQ of that quality. And in a city the size of Houston, with as many BBQ restaurants as we have, I don't think it should have taken that long.

The majority are just very average, IMO.

I appreciate the info man. I'll try to check them all out.

We were near Greenville, NC last weekend and stopped by Sam Jones' new bbq place. The one mentioned in the video I posted.
That's it below, the smokehouse is on the side.
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I got the pork and chicken plate, my wife just got chicken.
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His bbq is a little different than most eastern NC bbq, the sauce is red and many others are mostly clear (as clear as vinegar) with pepper flakes mixed in.

The chopped pork was very good and they mix little pieces of crackling in it which I liked a lot. Not everybody does that or they don't do it as well. The chicken had a spice rub on it that seemed to have a lot of chili in it. She liked it more than I did and mine was a little drier than hers. They were out of dark meat.

The mac n cheese was excellent. It was hot when it came out and was not quite as good as it cooled but still very good. She got a sweet potato muffin which was fresh & tasty. The 'corn bread' I got was ok and it's kinda unique as a lot of places serve hush puppies. The beans were ok but not the best I have had and I did not care for their style of potato salad.

If I go back I'll get the mac n cheese and cole slaw, but it is a little far from home.

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I live half an hour from Hemingway and go there once a month.

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Lucky bastard.

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People sometimes have a misconception that South Carolina is all mustard based, but the Pee Dee region of SC is strictly pepper vinegar. Where I'm from, putting mustard on BBQ is considered a crime.

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I've actually combined both styles. I'll create a pepper vinegar based "finishing sauce" that I put over the pork just after I pull it, then I let that soak in. When I'm ready to serve, I put a good pile of the pork on bun with just a bit of my own mustard-based sauce on top. You get a really good blend of both sauces, and everyone who's tried it has loved it.

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Killen's Beef Rib is an absolute masterpiece of BBQ. But, I lived here for 12 years before finding BBQ of that quality. And in a city the size of Houston, with as many BBQ restaurants as we have, I don't think it should have taken that long

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Check out the new place Feges BBQ. Their brisket is awesome but haven't been there for a beef rib special yet.

Also, Truth is reportedly opening the Washington st location in about 6-8 weeks.

I've been in Houston for about 8 months, and I've tried pretty much all the BBQ places in town.

One guy's opinion:

Houston-area elite places:

Truth BBQ
Killen's
Feges
Corkscrew (brisket alone - don't like the ribs or sides)

2nd tier:
Tejas Chocolate
Pinkerton's
Willow's (truck at Big Star Bar)
Roegel's
Pit Room
Victorian's

3rd tier:
Ray's BBQ Shack
Jackson St
Rudy's
Brookstreet
Harris County General store * (tried popup downtown, not their restaurant)
Gatlin's

meh tier:
Pizzitola's
Pappas BBQ
Hickory Hollow
Demeris

haven't tried: Harlem Road, Brisket House, Burns, Blood Bros, Brooks' Place, Luling City Market,

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went to Bob Gibson's in Decatur, Al. and fond the chicken to be good, but not worth gong out of my way for again. They have all manner of 4-5 foot trophies in the restaurant for pork, but what they serve in their restaurant is an embarrassment. Bland and flavorless. Terrible.

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Big Bob's is pretty terrible. The chicken is still okay, but their pork is awful. What they serve in the restaurant isn't close to what they do in tournaments.

My favorite chicken and white sauce is probably Miss Myra's in bham.