Best BBQ Joint

My wife and I are graduate students in Kansas City, MO. We have been sampling the BBQ for several years and have a solid list. Arthur Bryant's is hard to beat. My wife is partial to Bryant's sliced pork sandwich. I love the burnt-ends sandwich. They serve all their sandwiches with a healthy portion of wonder bread, which can be used to clean up your plate (a sign of veteran BBQ technique). Fiorella's Jack Stack offers an upscale dining experience with fantastic ribs and beans. Finally, the locals' favorite is Oklahoma Joe's. This BBQ joint is situated in a gas station, and lines usually form out the door. I am very partial to the sauce!! Best wishes from BBQ heaven in KC!

Welcome to the board!!!

Sounds like you have done your best to sample and review the Q-joints in KC. That's great! I'll have to check out these places myself whenever I get out there.

As for North Carolina barbecue, if you ever get this direction let me know as I've sampled and reviewed about 275 Q-joints all around the state. So any place you are heading here in NC, I can point you to a few places that I think you will like.

Another_Q_Lover

I am going to Myrtle Beach at the end of August and am planning on stopping at Lexington BBQ in NC on the way (even though NC is out of the way as we as coming from Cincinnati). Any other BBQ joints I should visit along the way?

Thanks.
Dave

Welcome to the board, BigMoe and robin!

BigMoe wrote:

Another_Q_Lover

I am going to Myrtle Beach at the end of August and am planning on stopping at Lexington BBQ in NC on the way (even though NC is out of the way as we as coming from Cincinnati). Any other BBQ joints I should visit along the way?

Thanks.
Dave

Hey Dave,

Lexington is okay if you just like smoked pork without any sauce on it - they provide sauce (dip) to add as you like. I much prefer chopped Q that is ready to eat when it is placed in front of me. If you are in the Lexington area, I'd HIGHLY recommend "BBQ Joe's Country Cooking" or "Country Bar-B-Que", both within a few hundred feet of each other in High Point (only 21.1 miles - 29 minutes up I-85 business route). There are LOTS of Q-joints in Lexington, but take the time and go to High Point for the best of "Lexington style" Q.

"Country BBQ" has the best "Lexington style" Q that I've ever tasted, but it is a smoking establishment (degrading the quality slightly). "BBQ Joe's" is only one-tenth off the total of Country's rating, but is a no-smoking establishment so it is a bit more pleasant environment. Country's = 4.9 / BBQ Joe's = 4.8 (on a 1-5 scale).

If you are coming down I-75 to I-40 and over from Knoxville, I'd recommend a couple places along I-40: "The Fiddlin' Pig" in Asheville (28 Tunnel Road) is really good with live Bluegrass; "Stameys Barbecue" in Greensboro (2812 Battleground Ave); "Clyde Cooper's BBQ" in downtown Raleigh (109 E. Davie St.); "Casey's Buffet Barbecue & Home Cookin'" in Wilmington (5559 Oleander Dr.) - really good Q for a buffet.

If you see a "Smithfield's Chicken and Barbecue" check it out! It is a chain of Q-joints all over eastern NC and the quality is really good. Great example of "Eastern NC style" barbecue!

There are PLENTY of other quality joints to check out and if you know of any place in particular you are staying and want info just ask.

In Myrtle Beach - check out "Little Pigs Bar-B-Q" at 6102 Frontage Road (just off 17). A bit dry with nice smoke and some 'dip' spooned over the pile. Not great, but okay.

Good luck and let me know how you liked it!!!
~tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your suggestions. We are going to Myrtle Beach in the beginning of September. I'll let you know where we stopped when I get back.

There is only one good que place in MB? That's hard to believe!

Dave

Hi Tom,

I just got back from Myrtle Beach and wanted to give you an update on the BBQ places I stopped at along the way from Cincy.

I stopped at Lexington BBQ; we got there last Saturday about 11:30 am and just beat the rush. I got the fine chopped bbq and my wife got the rough chopped bbq. The food was alright, nothing spectacular, but we really enjoyed the bbq sauce and even bought two bottles.

We spent the night in High Point. We were going to eat dinner at Country Bar-B-Que but it was closed when we got there at 4:30pm (posted hours were 5:00am-3:00pm. Not quite sure I understand those hours, especially on a Saturday).

We went down the block to eat at BBQ Joe's and that was by far the best BBQ meal I had in a long time! The portions were huge and the cost was cheap. I got the combination of three meats (ribs, bbq, chicken). I couldn't finish my meal, but it tasted great the next day, Joe's BBQ sauce was so good we bought a bottle of that as well (only $2 for a squit bottle full of this delicious sauce!). I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody. Great service and great prices!!!

On the way home, I had planned to stop at Fiddlin' Pig, but didn't as we were anxious to get home.

Thanks again for the info.

Dave

Hey Dave,

Glad you enjoyed!!!

Did you hit any Q-joints in MB?

We get to the mountains much more than the coast, so I'm not sure what MB has for barbecue these days.

You got a GOOD taste of "Lexington Style" barbecue with "Lexington" and "BBQ Joe's"! Next time you'll have to try some "Eastern Style". Just let me know when you are heading this way again and I'll point you to a new place or three!

~tom

Tom,

I wasn't able to fit anymore BBQ onto the menu in MB, per the spousal unit! I need to work that into our schedule when/if we get back to MB.

Thanks.
Dave

Welcome!

Another_Q_Lover wrote:

Hey Dave,

Glad you enjoyed!!!

Did you hit any Q-joints in MB?

We get to the mountains much more than the coast, so I'm not sure what MB has for barbecue these days.

You got a GOOD taste of "Lexington Style" barbecue with "Lexington" and "BBQ Joe's"! Next time you'll have to try some "Eastern Style". Just let me know when you are heading this way again and I'll point you to a new place or three!

~tom

MB's not a good place for 'que. There's one place that either good or crappy depending on the review - Little Pigs off 17. It's attached to a gas station.

In my experience, it OK. Better than a chain, but not better then backyard...

According to Google there are numerous Q-joints all around MB, but the only one that I've been to is "Litle Pigs". I agree that it is okay, but definitely not great barbecue. At least it is more like Lexington style NC barbecue than like South Carolina mustard-based barbecue!

Between Michigan City,IN and Chesterton,IN, on St Rt 20 is a small little place called "Smokey Joe's"! Smokes all his own meats!! Kid Rock stopped there with his tour bus on his way to Chicago one time. Signed the wall with; "Best damn BBQ this side of the Mississippi!" It is very good!!