Little Miss BBQ Sunnyslope
8901 N 7th St
Phoenix, AZ 85020
https://www.littlemissbbq.com/
My wife and I made the trek during the evening rush hour from Scottsdale to North Phoenix to have dinner at Little Miss BBQ Sunnyslope. Let me cut to the chase and say that our patience was rewarded with some of the best barbecue we've tasted this side of Central Texas. I'm not kidding.
At the time of writing, this location is open Tues-Sat 4:00pm to 9:00pm or sold out and Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm or sold out. A staff member said they're hoping to open this location for lunch soon and maybe offer to-go breakfast via a walk-up window. But for now, the Sunnyslope location is the place to go for dinner and the University Dr. location is the place to go for lunch Tues-Sat 11:00am to 4:00pm or sold out.
According to their website, LMB has its roots in competition barbecue, as is so often the case, but there's also a family connection to Austin, TX and inspiration is drawn from the world-class barbecue joints there.
We were lucky to find a short line on a Wednesday night around 5:30pm. The menu is simple: meat is sold by the pound, as a sandwich with one side, or as a plate with two sides. Meats include brisket sliced or chopped, pulled pork, spareribs, turkey, and house-made sausage. Pastrami brisket is available on Thursdays only and beef ribs on Fri/Sat only. Sides include beans, jalapeno cheddar grits, potato salad, coleslaw, roasted veggies, and mac & cheese. The sole dessert is an individual sized smoked pecan pie.
We ordered from the super-friendly guy at the counter: 1/2 lb sliced brisket lean & fatty, 1/2 lb turkey, 1 lb spareribs (4 bones), mac & cheese, pecan pie, and took our number to a table on the outdoor patio. After a short wait, another friendly guy delivered our order. All the meats were moist, tender, moderately smoky, and delicious. Thin tomato-based mild and spicy sauces were served on the side at the table, plus a mustard-based sauce. The m&c was very good, and the pie was lightly smoked and not overwhelmingly sweet.
About five minutes into our meal, I asked my wife if she'd eaten anything bad so far...the answer was an emphatic "No!"
Great food, friendly staff. Cocktails, local craft beers, wine, classic bottled sodas like Dr. Pepper made with cane sugar...I highly recommend a visit to Little Miss BBQ next time you're in Phoenix!
Here are some photos. Enjoy!
Little Miss BBQ sign in the Sunnyslope area of North Phoenix.
First thing you notice when approaching the building is the open pit room. Are those kettlebells being used as counterweights on the pit doors? Cool!
Massive wood-burning outdoor pit.
Sign announcing hours of operation and pointing the way to the entrance. Thankfully, no 2.5 hour line as is often the case.
A view of the outdoor pit from the front entrance.
Two more large J&R pits inside the restaurant. Serious smoking capacity!
Foiled pork butts awaiting transformation to pulled pork.
Short line at the order counter. I'm told the line is often out the front door and down the sidewalk. A stack of folding chairs at the entrance confirmed that fact.
Continued...
