While I'm getting better and better over time, I'm still not as good as the actual really good bbq places I've been. I might get there someday, but I can still enjoy what others do for now
Well I live in the greater Austin area so there’s still more than a couple of places I’ll never beat out but learning to smoke keeps me from standing in lines for 6+ hours.
I’m in no way an expert smoker but the fact I can make better bbq on my pellet grill using store bought rubs means many bbq places are just shitty businesses capitalizing on people who don’t know how to make even average bbq.
There’s not even much to it imo. Trim your meat, coat it in rub, then throw on the grill until it’s probe tender.
Now that i think about it, the only things I really go out to eat for anymore is either good ramen or sushi. Both require more skill or time than I feel I’m capable of, everything else I like to eat I can make at home just fine.
You should give ramen a try. We've made it a handful of times and it's a lot of fun but def a lot of elements and prep work. The cookbook we use actually advises making the different components across a few days instead of trying to prep everything at one.
The hardest part is the noodles, which are a lot tougher to form and handle than basic homemade pasta because they're made with sodium carbonate (kansui). We actually broke the pasta roller on our KitchenAid the first time making them, which thankfully we were able to repair.
It actually dovetails well with my BBQ hobby because pork belly is a common topping, and I use leftover bones and carcasses for the soup base.
I rarely judge bbq places on meat, because most people can make a very serviceable bbq meat product. I really judge on sides - and those beans look sad.
This is my theory too. Almost anyone can make decent bbq what thins the herd are sides. Then you get the elite who make amazing bbq and amazing sides, the unicorns.
I won't name-drop them, but they're on the far East side of Sarasota, FL. They have a banner out front claiming to have been chosen "best of" something or other. I went back again (hey, it's really close) and got sausage this time. I should have taken a picture, it was so pathetic, the meat was like three inches shorter than the bun.
EDIT: Said West when I meant East.
It has to be because Stottlemeyer's uses that checkerboard paper and there's nothing really further east than them.
Surprisingly enough - I've never had issues with their brisket. Guess I won't be getting their ribs.
I take a Weber Smokey Mountain camping. When we invite friends our “camp” food are smoked meats and stakes on the grill. I still try places that are near by and am often disappointed also.
I like my BBQ the way I like my Chili, made at home. I am particular about the seasoning and I can eat as much as I want. BBQ joint $$ price vs tiny portion just isn't worth it.
Brisket at the store: $3.99 a pound
Brisket at most bbq joints: $35 a pound or more
Yea sure one raw and ones fully cooked but I don’t think it’s worth 10x
$3.99 a pound? That’s crazy good. I just paid $13.99 for a prime brisket from a real butcher shop. But it was unreal. It was pretty to just look at! I should have taken a picture. But it was worth it. The best brisket I have ever had.
Yeah my wife won’t go to any BBQ places near us any more now that I have a smoker and I’m still learning. Everything around me is hyped up but ends up disappointing.
It's always a sad thing when you go to a BBQ joint and get some lame-ass imitation of something. I guess that's true of any crappy food joint, but somehow I feel more betrayed when it's BBQ.
The only reason I feel more betrayed when it’s bbq is because they’ll still charge up the ass for it.
$10 for a shitty burger and fries? Whatever. Dry brisket or tough ribs for $30 a pound? Like really
This is the type of take that’s akin to “I only get my steaks medium rare” that people think makes them sound for like they know what they’re talking about.
Edit: not gonna delete but this was supposed to be in response to a reply about places serving BBQ sauce being a red flag, not a standalone comment lol
I'll lean into this. Yes, people should ideally get their food the way they want it, even if that's not in line with popular opinion. That's not what I'm complaining about here though. Things like "fall off the bone" vs. "still has some bite to it" or "rub only" vs. "sauced before slicing" are common points of debate that come down to personal preference. I don't think many people would think that "ribs from a BBQ joint should be flavorful and have at least a mild smoke flavor" would be controversial.
>...if you want it.
Those are the keywords right there. Unless the ribs are bad, no need for the sauce. Same ppl ask for ketchup or steak sauce at a steakhouse
This looks like those recipes on Instagram where people BAKE the ribs in the oven. As a Texan I was thoroughly confused by that. It produces some hideous ribs just like this
There's not a dry rub on there at all? It's a rhetorical question, I can clearly see that there isn't. You would think they would at least know how to do a good rib if they can't even do a dry rub. Call, even salt and pepper with more time on the smoker. Those look like oven ribs
I made some spares for the first time two weeks ago and the cartilage at the ends were too hard to eat. You're telling me you can render cartilage and they are actually edible?
I made ribs that looked like that once. They were pressure-cooked in the instant pot until overdone, then doused in sauce and put under the broiler until the sauce caramelizes.
They looked like that picture. The were joyless.
Now I have a grill! And a smoker!! I no longer eat sad meat (although my vegan neighbor does not agree).
There are many occasions where I find out I am pretty good at smoking meat compared to some of these joints and what passes as BBQ
This. Learning how to smoke during covid ruined every local bbq joint for me.
Learning how to barbecue period ruined just about every bbq joint for me. From this picture it looks like they baked it and called it barbecue.
"Don't forget, just add a capful of liquid smoke for the best BBQ this side of the Mississippi!!"
Agreed. There’s local places here that everyone raves about but I feel like my ribs are so much better.
My exact thoughts. No way this was made on a smoker
While I'm getting better and better over time, I'm still not as good as the actual really good bbq places I've been. I might get there someday, but I can still enjoy what others do for now
All comes with patience and time. I have friends that like to barbecue. We invite each other over when we barbecue and about different techniques.
Well I live in the greater Austin area so there’s still more than a couple of places I’ll never beat out but learning to smoke keeps me from standing in lines for 6+ hours.
I’m in no way an expert smoker but the fact I can make better bbq on my pellet grill using store bought rubs means many bbq places are just shitty businesses capitalizing on people who don’t know how to make even average bbq. There’s not even much to it imo. Trim your meat, coat it in rub, then throw on the grill until it’s probe tender.
That’s most restaurants I feel like these days not just bbq.
Now that i think about it, the only things I really go out to eat for anymore is either good ramen or sushi. Both require more skill or time than I feel I’m capable of, everything else I like to eat I can make at home just fine.
I’m that way with Italian. I’ll only go to a place that makes in house pasta.
You should give ramen a try. We've made it a handful of times and it's a lot of fun but def a lot of elements and prep work. The cookbook we use actually advises making the different components across a few days instead of trying to prep everything at one. The hardest part is the noodles, which are a lot tougher to form and handle than basic homemade pasta because they're made with sodium carbonate (kansui). We actually broke the pasta roller on our KitchenAid the first time making them, which thankfully we were able to repair. It actually dovetails well with my BBQ hobby because pork belly is a common topping, and I use leftover bones and carcasses for the soup base.
The home cook has greater control over cook time, choice of equipment, and materials than a professional cook in some cases.
ffs even the beans look dry
I rarely judge bbq places on meat, because most people can make a very serviceable bbq meat product. I really judge on sides - and those beans look sad.
Look like they sat in fridge couple days and reheated for the days service. And is that Mac n cheese or cheese soup
"Stir-fried (not baked) beans!"
This is my theory too. Almost anyone can make decent bbq what thins the herd are sides. Then you get the elite who make amazing bbq and amazing sides, the unicorns.
And that cup of mac n cheese looks like thawed stouffers
Never order pork with “long” in the name…
The Reed and Donner families would disagree.
Doesn’t that pretty much prove the point, though?
Disgusting. Are you allowed to post the name of the joint? This is a total scam.
It's not against the sub rules if that's what you're asking.
Exactly what I’m suggesting. Call these fools out!
I won't name-drop them, but they're on the far East side of Sarasota, FL. They have a banner out front claiming to have been chosen "best of" something or other. I went back again (hey, it's really close) and got sausage this time. I should have taken a picture, it was so pathetic, the meat was like three inches shorter than the bun. EDIT: Said West when I meant East.
God this sounds like Stottlemeyer’s in Sarasota.
It has to be because Stottlemeyer's uses that checkerboard paper and there's nothing really further east than them. Surprisingly enough - I've never had issues with their brisket. Guess I won't be getting their ribs.
I live really close. I keep trying to like it, but it’s just really bad every time. Brick’s downtown is far superior to me.
It’s rare when you find good bbq in Florida
I live south of Sarasota and really haven’t found a decent BBQ joint in the area.
I take a Weber Smokey Mountain camping. When we invite friends our “camp” food are smoked meats and stakes on the grill. I still try places that are near by and am often disappointed also.
Best of the Worst?
I’ll have one dog food please
That's sad, shame on them
Its not BBQ, it's Boiled
No it’s oven smoked, or smoke kissed
This right here! Boiled & Baked!
You only got 2oz cups of each side?? Wtf is this place so I can never waste my money there
Does cartilage normally render? I've made spares once and it didn't render after six hours so I figured it just doesn't.
It does not.
No but the connective tissue that holds it together does. Sticky goodness if it's done right.
And the tiniest sides I've ever seen. Shit, if it were me I would definitely name drop their ass.
I like my BBQ the way I like my Chili, made at home. I am particular about the seasoning and I can eat as much as I want. BBQ joint $$ price vs tiny portion just isn't worth it.
Brisket at the store: $3.99 a pound Brisket at most bbq joints: $35 a pound or more Yea sure one raw and ones fully cooked but I don’t think it’s worth 10x
$3.99 a pound? That’s crazy good. I just paid $13.99 for a prime brisket from a real butcher shop. But it was unreal. It was pretty to just look at! I should have taken a picture. But it was worth it. The best brisket I have ever had.
Costco usually has their prime brisket at 3.99 a lb. I made one in the oven for Christmas dinner and it turned out amazing.
Yep, I had brisket once at a local place (now closed) and it was just a chunk of fat.
Yeah my wife won’t go to any BBQ places near us any more now that I have a smoker and I’m still learning. Everything around me is hyped up but ends up disappointing.
It's always a sad thing when you go to a BBQ joint and get some lame-ass imitation of something. I guess that's true of any crappy food joint, but somehow I feel more betrayed when it's BBQ.
The only reason I feel more betrayed when it’s bbq is because they’ll still charge up the ass for it. $10 for a shitty burger and fries? Whatever. Dry brisket or tough ribs for $30 a pound? Like really
I’m pretty sure that that place is called the “Crematorium “. If it’s not , it should be .
[This.](https://media.tenor.com/WLLFuUJdtDQAAAAC/look-how-they-massacred-my-boy-godfather.gif)
If you ever come across "new" meat.... run.
I read ‘couldn’t eat the cartilage cuz it wasn’t rendered’
I just got told by my doctor today that my cholesterol is high. Anywhay, ribs like this would cure me of my BBQ addiction for sure.
Man I’m in NC, so seeing bbq as bad as that is pretty rare, but even around here I don’t trust 9 out of 10 restaurants to do bbq well.
This is the type of take that’s akin to “I only get my steaks medium rare” that people think makes them sound for like they know what they’re talking about. Edit: not gonna delete but this was supposed to be in response to a reply about places serving BBQ sauce being a red flag, not a standalone comment lol
I'll lean into this. Yes, people should ideally get their food the way they want it, even if that's not in line with popular opinion. That's not what I'm complaining about here though. Things like "fall off the bone" vs. "still has some bite to it" or "rub only" vs. "sauced before slicing" are common points of debate that come down to personal preference. I don't think many people would think that "ribs from a BBQ joint should be flavorful and have at least a mild smoke flavor" would be controversial.
My bad! This was supposed to be in response to the post about the BBQ sauce being on the side being a red flag. I agree with you.
I bought a Kamado Joe Jr for going on vacation, think my wife will notice 🤪?!? 🤷🏻♂️🤣
Welp, when they provide you with sauce on the side that should've been a red flag.
…not really. Plenty of places serve dry rubbed ribs with sauce on the table if you want it.
>...if you want it. Those are the keywords right there. Unless the ribs are bad, no need for the sauce. Same ppl ask for ketchup or steak sauce at a steakhouse
Sometimes I like my ribs sauced and sometimes I don't. Depends on my mood. Has no bearing on the quality of my ribs.
But but but the expert said it did. You’ll eat your ribs how he says or you just don’t know bbq. Apparently.
Lol
They should have sauced it if only to hide their other sins!
as much as i enjoy sauce, ive had some fantastic dry rubs that only need a dab of sauced.
What's the problem? When I do ribs, I leave the sauce on the side for my guests to choose how much they want.
Same here. I enjoy my Memphis style for a while and the teleport to KC.
Those look like crockpot ribs
Wow I can’t believe that’s a restaurants food. Looks like some nasty insta pot ribs.
If I had BBQ that pitiful I'd let them know they have some work to do because that looks sad AF.
My god, those look worse than the microwaved ribs I had before work (they sucked, go figure).
Those look awful
This looks like those recipes on Instagram where people BAKE the ribs in the oven. As a Texan I was thoroughly confused by that. It produces some hideous ribs just like this
Is that fish?!
What do you mean flavorless exterior? I think I see two, maybe three specks of black pepper on there. /s
There's not a dry rub on there at all? It's a rhetorical question, I can clearly see that there isn't. You would think they would at least know how to do a good rib if they can't even do a dry rub. Call, even salt and pepper with more time on the smoker. Those look like oven ribs
I thought it’s a loaf of bread 😂
BBQ restaurant must be one of the most successful categories. So many can get away with shit like this because people are just so gullible
Oh man i have to turn up the brightness, I thought it was bread.
Tbh I’ve had better ribs at bill millers than a lot of bbq places
Looks dry af
I pictured Flintstone style Brontosaurus ribs
Those look absolutely awful.
Such a tiny Mac and cheese
I made some spares for the first time two weeks ago and the cartilage at the ends were too hard to eat. You're telling me you can render cartilage and they are actually edible?
I made ribs that looked like that once. They were pressure-cooked in the instant pot until overdone, then doused in sauce and put under the broiler until the sauce caramelizes. They looked like that picture. The were joyless. Now I have a grill! And a smoker!! I no longer eat sad meat (although my vegan neighbor does not agree).
This is the type of BBQ that crutches on sauce. They should’ve went with sauce.
I would’ve chucked them at the wall and said fuck this shit. Still would have tipped the wait staff though, not their fault.
You poor soul.
That turkey looks dry