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BBQ Restaurants (1 Viewer)

Joe Bryant said:
The Mueller family is super interesting. John is definitely the wilder one. He was in ICU last week, have you heard anything more? 
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No - I missed that. Do you know why? I hope he's ok. I'll see what I can find.

I always liked his place (when it was in Austin) better than La Barbecue.

 
whoknew said:
No - I missed that. Do you know why? I hope he's ok. I'll see what I can find.

I always liked his place (when it was in Austin) better than La Barbecue.
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Hadn't heard he was in ICU but hope he's OK.  Georgetown closed a couple years ago. Last I heard he was in Granger at a brewery.

 
Ron Swanson said:
BBQ sauce and irony go hand in hand.  Living in Florida I typically will provide sauce when I cook for large groups.  It's far easier than having the conversation ad nauseum.

One time, I decided to offer a whole bunch of sauces as options. So I ordered some Rudy's, Franklin's Espresso, and Mueller's..probably others that I don't even recall at this point.  Now, having been to Mueller's more than any other spot I couldn't even recall ever seeing a sauce there. I think there maybe used to be a pot of an au jus type of thing many years ago but I sure don't see sauce there regularly.  But, they bottle one. It has kind of a french onion/butter flavor to it.  

The results were hilarious.  Mueller's sauce was the runaway winner with my crowd.  They universally hated Franklin's espresso sauce, and not surprisingly Rudy's was too spicy for their delicate palates.

So, maybe I've missed it all these years but I'm pretty sure the wining sauce came from a place that doesn't even provide it in their restaurant (and has no need to).
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You are correct @Ron Swanson Louie Mueller's does a "sauce" that's sort of an au jus with some spices. I've never seen it bottled. But you get a small cup there. They also have hot sauce on the table. And then use the empty bottles for toothpick holders. Back in the Pre Covid day when you put toothpicks out in the open. 

It's the 2nd picture here https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkvERNM3Ro/

 
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whoknew said:
No - I missed that. Do you know why? I hope he's ok. I'll see what I can find.

I always liked his place (when it was in Austin) better than La Barbecue.
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I don't know why. I just heard it from his sister's social media. He's had a challenging time over the last many years. But when he's on, he's as good as it gets. 

 
Joe Bryant said:
You are correct @Ron Swanson Louie Mueller's does a "sauce" that's sort of an au jus with some spices. I've never seen it bottled. But you get a small cup there. They also have hot sauce on the table. And then use the empty bottles for toothpick holders. Back in the Pre Covid day when you put toothpicks out in the open. 

It's the 2nd picture here https://www.instagram.com/p/CNkvERNM3Ro/
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That's right!.  I think I've just ignored that little cup for years.  Or maybe they ask me if I want it at the line and I always just say no. Here's the bottle version.

Not sure when you were last there but I got by there back in late Oct. and they have air conditioned the side room and finished the deck.  The deck was super pleasant in Oct. Weird not eating in the old gym but I had my dogs with me so it was great.

 
RC94 said:
Dr. Octopus said:
I’ve only had BBQ in NYC (Blue Smoke, Virgil’s and Dallas BBQ) and Dinosaur BBQ in Newark, NJ.

I like them all but I’m sure most would say I’ve never had “real” BBQ.
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NYC has very good BBQ, including the places you mentioned, plus Hill Country and The Mighty Quinn's.  There's definitely real BBQ in NYC and it's very good.  It just costs triple what it costs in places like Texas.
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Virgil's and Blue Smoke are good. Not sure about Dallas BBQ. I just assumed it was a tourist trap so I never tried it. Hill Country is excellent if you like that style on butcher paper. I'm not a fan of multiple lines for food and drinks though. Is Mighty Quinns on 3rd and around 35th? Pretty good from what I remember from a while ago. 

 
jamny said:
Virgil's and Blue Smoke are good. Not sure about Dallas BBQ. I just assumed it was a tourist trap so I never tried it. Hill Country is excellent if you like that style on butcher paper. I'm not a fan of multiple lines for food and drinks though. Is Mighty Quinns on 3rd and around 35th? Pretty good from what I remember from a while ago. 
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I think Mighty Quinn's has a few locations in the city.  I went to the one in the village.

 
I would say if I could take anyone to one spot to "get" what BBQ can be as a baseline Louie Muller's is the place I would go.  It is the essence of perfect execution without getting too fussy, plus atmosphere.

The biggest issue I have (and it's a small one) is that if you order a beef rib, you are on the hook for at least $35 lately.  So it's a once every couple year thing.  I don't really have a solution to get around that.  

I enjoy the brisket so I would probably get that 3 out of 4 times and set aside the rib.  If going with a large crowd, just putting that on the tab can be a hard sell.  Most people just want to get brisket, and often times turkey is for some reason a big draw. 

That being said, what separates top tier briskets is nearly nothing now.  Every place that rates high is just using the Franklin method now and the distinguishing feature might be strictly down to trimming at this point.  I can do a Prime packer brisket on my green egg, it's not rocket science, costs about $80 for a prime packer aged 21 days.  Aaron I think now is playing with the idea of wet aging 45 days.  I still can't cook  a beef rib for anything.  

Cattleack, Pecan Lodge, Heim, Meshack all more or less just copy Franklin.  Hell, a place called 1050 here more or less on their signage says "Yeah we copied it because we couldn't do any better".  You gotta try really hard to mess up a prime beef brisket.

 
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culdeus said:
I would say if I could take anyone to one spot to "get" what BBQ can be as a baseline Louie Muller's is the place I would go.  It is the essence of perfect execution without getting too fussy, plus atmosphere.

The biggest issue I have (and it's a small one) is that if you order a beef rib, you are on the hook for at least $35 lately.  So it's a once every couple year thing.  I don't really have a solution to get around that.  

I enjoy the brisket so I would probably get that 3 out of 4 times and set aside the rib.  If going with a large crowd, just putting that on the tab can be a hard sell.  Most people just want to get brisket, and often times turkey is for some reason a big draw. 

That being said, what separates top tier briskets is nearly nothing now.  Every place that rates high is just using the Franklin method now and the distinguishing feature might be strictly down to trimming at this point.  I can do a Prime packer brisket on my green egg, it's not rocket science, costs about $80 for a prime packer aged 21 days.  Aaron I think now is playing with the idea of wet aging 45 days.  I still can't cook  a beef rib for anything.  

Cattleack, Pecan Lodge, Heim, Meshack all more or less just copy Franklin.  Hell, a place called 1050 here more or less on their signage says "Yeah we copied it because we couldn't do any better".  You gotta try really hard to mess up a prime beef brisket.
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This is all true, except you're paying too much for your brisket, especially in TX . And I'll let you in on a little secret.  Beef ribs are easy, perhaps even easier than brisket. More consistent and faster so easier to plan. The only secret is to use good prime beef. They're actually my go to now for small cooks. No wrapping needed except to hold and very little stall.

 
Joe Bryant said:
Much of what they do is the normal offset indirect cooking style like most everyone in Texas uses. https://youtu.be/IieZmqqfjE0

They do use some direct cooking burning coals and shoveling under the pork steaks and finishing the briskets in the box pits. Good picture here around the 2:20 mark. https://youtu.be/y0WUHRAGJ6s

Agreed for sure that's a more labor intensive way. But it's how all real North Carolina bbq is cooked. That's how they cook everything at Skylight Inn and Buxton Hall. 

This is another well done video from Frank Pinello of Brooklyn Pizza fame. https://youtu.be/rP86Bby9Y9M
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100% serious.  I'd work with Tootsie for free.

 
Joe Bryant said:
Another really great BBQ spot that just missed out on my list is Southern Soul Barbecue in St. Simon's Island, GA.

They're good enough that they get over my mostly ironclad rule that I'll dismiss any restaurant that tries to tell me how soulful or divey or authentic they are in their name.
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:eek:  I'll be in Tybee in July.  I'm already stopping at Rodney Scott's in Charleston.  May have to find a half day to make that trip.

 
Ron Swanson said:
This is all true, except you're paying too much for your brisket, especially in TX . And I'll let you in on a little secret.  Beef ribs are easy, perhaps even easier than brisket. More consistent and faster so easier to plan. The only secret is to use good prime beef. They're actually my go to now for small cooks. No wrapping needed except to hold and very little stall.
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A prime packer is spendy in Texas.  All the restaurants drive the price up.  It's gotten up to 7.99 at points.  4.99 is about baseline.  I'll go shopping and see where things are in a bit.  

 
Seems like a good place to ask.  I bought a nice 14 lb prime packer brisket at Sam's when they had them at a decent price.  Unfortunately it was pre-covid and obviously I haven't had a chance to have enough people over to make it make sense to cook so it's been in my freezer for 13 months.  Is it a lost cause or is it worth giving it a shot on my Big Green Egg? How long is too long in the freezer?

 
culdeus said:
A prime packer is spendy in Texas.  All the restaurants drive the price up.  It's gotten up to 7.99 at points.  4.99 is about baseline.  I'll go shopping and see where things are in a bit.  
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Wow.  That's shocking.  I was buying them at HEB for 2.99 regular price and cheaper than that on sale as recently as late 2019.

If you can't find them, these guys ship nationwide now for 2.98 per pound.  I think shipping is free on $50.00+ orders. If not, you can pay $29 a year for free shipping all year. 

https://wildforkfoods.com/products/prime-beef-brisket?variant=9370978418724

 
pokin said:
Seems like a good place to ask.  I bought a nice 14 lb prime packer brisket at Sam's when they had them at a decent price.  Unfortunately it was pre-covid and obviously I haven't had a chance to have enough people over to make it make sense to cook so it's been in my freezer for 13 months.  Is it a lost cause or is it worth giving it a shot on my Big Green Egg? How long is too long in the freezer?
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You'll be fine.  It will need to be trimmed aggressively anyway so you'll cut off anything that might be freezer burned.

 
Ron Swanson said:
Wow.  That's shocking.  I was buying them at HEB for 2.99 regular price and cheaper than that on sale as recently as late 2019.

If you can't find them, these guys ship nationwide now for 2.98 per pound.  I think shipping is free on $50.00+ orders. If not, you can pay $29 a year for free shipping all year. 

https://wildforkfoods.com/products/prime-beef-brisket?variant=9370978418724
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That's insane.  I don't think restaurants get that pricing.  I was able to get some at cost at beginning of the pandy and it was 3.29. 

 
BigJohn said:
:eek:  I'll be in Tybee in July.  I'm already stopping at Rodney Scott's in Charleston.  May have to find a half day to make that trip.
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Rodney Scott is a rock star in BBQ. His Hemingway spot is an icon. I wasn't impressed at all by the new place in Charleston. If it wasn't Scott's name on it, it would be totally unremarkable. If you're in Charleston, John Lewis BBQ is 10x better in my opinion. 

 
BigJohn said:
100% serious.  I'd work with Tootsie for free.
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Sure. A zillion people would. Lots of people would pay to work with her.

That's the problem. You can get a ton of the same experience just doing it yourself over and over. Or doing one of the weekend schools. 

If I've learned much being around those folks, it's that there aren't a lot of "secrets". Tootsie would teach you to start the fires Friday night, don't sleep and work your butt off. You wrap the meat at ________, pull them off the cooker at _______ and slice them at _________. You know this already. Wayne Mueller prints his rub recipe on his t-shirts. It has two ingredients. Sam Jones, Rodney Scott, Buxton Hall, Franklin BBQ all have cookbooks. The info is there. What's needed is the grind of doing the non glamorous cooking over and over and over. 

 
culdeus said:
I would say if I could take anyone to one spot to "get" what BBQ can be as a baseline Louie Muller's is the place I would go.  It is the essence of perfect execution without getting too fussy, plus atmosphere.

The biggest issue I have (and it's a small one) is that if you order a beef rib, you are on the hook for at least $35 lately.  So it's a once every couple year thing.  I don't really have a solution to get around that.  

I enjoy the brisket so I would probably get that 3 out of 4 times and set aside the rib.  If going with a large crowd, just putting that on the tab can be a hard sell.  Most people just want to get brisket, and often times turkey is for some reason a big draw. 

That being said, what separates top tier briskets is nearly nothing now.  Every place that rates high is just using the Franklin method now and the distinguishing feature might be strictly down to trimming at this point.  I can do a Prime packer brisket on my green egg, it's not rocket science, costs about $80 for a prime packer aged 21 days.  Aaron I think now is playing with the idea of wet aging 45 days.  I still can't cook  a beef rib for anything.  

Cattleack, Pecan Lodge, Heim, Meshack all more or less just copy Franklin.  Hell, a place called 1050 here more or less on their signage says "Yeah we copied it because we couldn't do any better".  You gotta try really hard to mess up a prime beef brisket.
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Wet aging brisket sounds impressive but it's nothing more than just taking the regular brisket you buy in the cyrovac wrapping and letting it sit in the refrigerator. Info here. https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/the-year-old-brisket/

 
pokin said:
Seems like a good place to ask.  I bought a nice 14 lb prime packer brisket at Sam's when they had them at a decent price.  Unfortunately it was pre-covid and obviously I haven't had a chance to have enough people over to make it make sense to cook so it's been in my freezer for 13 months.  Is it a lost cause or is it worth giving it a shot on my Big Green Egg? How long is too long in the freezer?
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You'll be fine. As @Ron Swanson said, lots is trimmed away. 

On that note, I'm regularly amazed at how well food freezes. I had extra collard greens and black eyed peas that I froze and forgot about. Pulled them out after a year, thawed gently and when reheated, would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Seemed crazy. 

One more side note, if you're not already doing it, 32 oz deli containers and nothing else is the shark move for leftovers. So much less hassle than a multitude of different containers. 

 
Joe Bryant said:
You'll be fine. As @Ron Swanson said, lots is trimmed away. 

On that note, I'm regularly amazed at how well food freezes. I had extra collard greens and black eyed peas that I froze and forgot about. Pulled them out after a year, thawed gently and when reheated, would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Seemed crazy. 

One more side note, if you're not already doing it, 32 oz deli containers and nothing else is the shark move for leftovers. So much less hassle than a multitude of different containers. 
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16 oz and 8 oz are money as well for sauces.  Interchangeable lids, stackable, cheap, freezable. Started using these about a year ago. So much better than other options. 32 oz are my go to for freezing stock, blanched tomatoes, salsa, etc.

 
Joe Bryant said:
You'll be fine. As @Ron Swanson said, lots is trimmed away. 

On that note, I'm regularly amazed at how well food freezes. I had extra collard greens and black eyed peas that I froze and forgot about. Pulled them out after a year, thawed gently and when reheated, would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Seemed crazy. 

One more side note, if you're not already doing it, 32 oz deli containers and nothing else is the shark move for leftovers. So much less hassle than a multitude of different containers. 
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A few years ago I bought a vacuum sealer. I thought that was a huge game changer for freezing food. No idea what took me so long to get one.

 
Joe Bryant said:
I've wondered about that too. Do you have a recommendation on best one?
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I don’t. I just got the one that was at Costco. It’s a FoodSaver brand. Not sure if it’s the best but it works great. Got it for like $110 or something at Costco. I really love it. 
 

I had some Franklin brisket in my freezer for like 6 months and it was awesome. 
 

 
I have an inexpensive Foodsaver as well and I use it all the time.  Highly recommend it.  I buy a lot of pork butts and beef clods to make bulk sausage and then freeze it for later use. I batch cook and freeze sides for later use.  It makes long sous vide cooks feasible...uh oh, I just mentioned sous vide in a BBQ thread.  I'll see my way out.

 
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Ron Swanson said:
I have an inexpensive Foodsaver as well and I use it all the time.  Highly recommend it.  I buy a lot of pork butts and beef clods to make bulk sausage and then freeze it for later use. I batch cook and freeze sides for later use.  It makes long sous vide cooks feasible...uh oh, I just mentioned sous vide in a BBQ thread.  I'll see my way out.
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Well at least you didn't mention smoking at 150 for 2 hours and then sous vide till finished.........

 
Joe Bryant said:
I'll start with a newer one. I've never been to Matt Horn's place in Oakland but it looks rad. https://www.eater.com/22301580/pitmaster-matt-horn-west-coast-style-barbecue-oakland
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Had never heard of this place.  It's not far from me, so I will probably have to check it out, but damn is it expensive at $30/lb for brisket.  Since I don't think I've ever had what most here would consider "real" bbq I am curious how this stacks up to what I have had.

 
Ron Swanson said:
I have an inexpensive Foodsaver as well and I use it all the time.  Highly recommend it.  I buy a lot of pork butts and beef clods to make bulk sausage and then freeze it for later use. I batch cook and freeze sides for later use.  It makes long sous vide cooks feasible...uh oh, I just mentioned sous vide in a BBQ thread.  I'll see my way out.
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I hate to do this in this thread but - do you freeze food after you sous vide it? If so, how do you reheat it after you take it out of the freezer? 

I haven't tried that yet.

 
Ghost Rider said:
We are lucky here in STL, as we have tons of great BBQ restaurants all over now. I go to Sugarfire the most because I live minutes from one, but we also have Pappy's, Gobble Stop Smokehouse, Dailey's and a bunch more I cannot recall off the top of my head. 
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Beast Craft, Adam's, Bogart's, Salt and Smoke, Smokie O's, Super Smokers are a few more. St. Louis is really in the beginning stages of what will put this town on the map with Memphis and KC. Those iconic places in those two cities established 30, 40, 50 years ago. That magic is happening right now in St. Louis. Some are calling it the BBQ Triangle.

Pappy's started it and spawned a bunch of amazing places that are under their purview, and then Mike Johnson started SugarFire, Tom Schmitt started Salt and Smoke and David Sandusky started Beast Craft. The Pappy's family and those three are producing such amazing stuff and getting all kinds of national attention. It's fun to be in St. Louis right now. 

 
TheFanatic said:
Beast Craft, Adam's, Bogart's, Salt and Smoke, Smokie O's, Super Smokers are a few more. St. Louis is really in the beginning stages of what will put this town on the map with Memphis and KC. Those iconic places in those two cities established 30, 40, 50 years ago. That magic is happening right now in St. Louis. Some are calling it the BBQ Triangle.

Pappy's started it and spawned a bunch of amazing places that are under their purview, and then Mike Johnson started SugarFire, Tom Schmitt started Salt and Smoke and David Sandusky started Beast Craft. The Pappy's family and those three are producing such amazing stuff and getting all kinds of national attention. It's fun to be in St. Louis right now. 
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I'd go to Pappy's if it was more convenient, but I rarely get downtown.  I am overdue for some killer ribs, so I may have to make a trip down there later this week now.  I love Sugarfire which is minutes from me, but as great as most of their stuff is, their ribs are nothing special. 

 
Ghost Rider said:
I'd go to Pappy's if it was more convenient, but I rarely get downtown.  I am overdue for some killer ribs, so I may have to make a trip down there later this week now.  I love Sugarfire which is minutes from me, but as great as most of their stuff is, their ribs are nothing special. 
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Considering SugarFire is one of my clients, I'll refrain. But yeah, Pappy's and Bogart's ribs with the blowtorch treatment are excellent. I get the Big Muddy at SugarFire. I'm not usually one for a ridiculously over the top sando that is a huge mess to eat, but holy smokes, that one is fantastic. 

If you ever get a chance to get a Fort Taco Puffy when they do the burnt end special, it's a must. They get the burnt ends from Sugar Fire a couple times a year for this. 

I had my first meal at Dailies not to long ago and it was fantastic. Oh, and the brisket sando at Beast was off the charts good. 

 
whoknew said:
I hate to do this in this thread but - do you freeze food after you sous vide it? If so, how do you reheat it after you take it out of the freezer? 

I haven't tried that yet.
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Yes, I plunge cool right after it's done cooking to avoid danger zone issues and then I freeze. For most things I reheat via sous vide, some things I will use the oven/broiler or flat top if crispiness is desireable.

As an example, I had some potatoes yesterday that were beginning to sprout and no plans to use them for at least a few days.  So I made up a vacuum bag of sliced potatoes, milk, butter, chives, salt, white pepper, and some garlic. Sous vide at 190 for an hour, plunge cool and into the freezer. When we use it I'll reheat it at 150-190 for 15-20 minutes, mash or smash them and mix in any other ingredients and we have a quick side. And no wasted potatoes.

Meat is similar but really only worth it for long cooks. For instance I'll sous vide chuck roast or short ribs for 48 hours.  That takes a lot of planning. I use it in pho, etc. So I sous vide it in portion sizes, plunge cool it, and then I can reheat it in 15-20 minutes via sous vide, and give it a quick sear for lunch or whatever.

 
Desert_Power said:
Got an add on Facebook the other day that they actually will ship too. Haven't been there since the last weekend before Covid started up :kicksrock:
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Sounds like that's the place for the next time you are in town.

In The Zone said:
Of all my trips to Charleston I have never been to Lewis BBQ. I've been to Rodney Scott's a couple of times and it was good. @Ron SwansonLast July 4th I had the pleasure of passing through Hemingway SC and stopping at Scott's BBQ. The pulled pork and the ribs were both fantastic. I need to get back. 

I've heard some good things about Brown's BBQ in Kingstree SC. This is a buffet but you can also order off the menu. Well today is the day that I get to try it out for lunch. We'll be stopping by on our way from Florence to Charleston on HWY 52.

#NoBreakfastForMe
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Florence to Charleston on 52 is about the only way you could ever be passing through Kingstree.  That's one of those places where you have to be going to, not usually passing through.  I've never been to Brown's though.  One day.

 
Every May ushers in the Owensboro KY BBQ Festival where locals feast on the regional specialty of chopped mutton.

I grew up on mutton sandwiches and still remains my favorite BBQ because of the uniqueness. There are admittedly many far better BBQ restaurants across the nation, but for me it will always be mutton that is king.

If I were picking a favorite it would be one of the Catholic church cooking teams like St. Pius X or Blessed Mary's. When they do a fundraiser cook, you go. For the rest of the year, you're looking at a place like Old Hickory, and if you can't make it into town all that often (like us down here in Nashville) you could order from Moonlite Bar-B-Q - undoubtedly the most famous in the area.

 
Mjolnirs said:
Sounds like that's the place for the next time you are in town.

Florence to Charleston on 52 is about the only way you could ever be passing through Kingstree.  That's one of those places where you have to be going to, not usually passing through.  I've never been to Brown's though.  One day.
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That is correct. My wife travels from MUSC in Florence to MUSC in Charleston every weekend for her job. I travel along for the food. Unfortunately we didn't get to try Brown's. We got delayed by a wreck on I 20 on the way to Florence. 

BTW, I appreciate you turning me on to Page's Okra Grill a little while back. I believe that it is my favorite restaurant in the Charleston area. 

 
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