Southern Living mag -- The South’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints 2018


 
Interesting. I've been to a lot of the Texas ones they mentioned, but I don't know about the rest. I know the bar in Texas is pretty high right now.
 
I have tried most of the NC restaurants, and it's good to see that a couple of my favorites made the list.
 
Last edited:
Since when did Kansas and Missouri get designated as southern states? I don't think so, they're midwest states. So says I. :D

47. Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que
Kansas City, KS

42. Gates Bar-B-Q
Kansas City, MO

32. LC’s Bar-B-Que
Kansas City, MO

12. Arthur Bryant's Barbeque
Kansas City, MO
 
I see Bridges in Shelby, NC made the list, but most of the tar heel entries were east of this area.

Haven't tried the Asheville area yet.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Since when did Kansas and Missouri get designated as southern states? I don't think so, they're midwest states. So says I. :D

47. Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que
Kansas City, KS

42. Gates Bar-B-Q
Kansas City, MO

32. LC’s Bar-B-Que
Kansas City, MO

12. Arthur Bryant's Barbeque
Kansas City, MO
Click to expand...



I wondered that also. I guess its Southern Living trying to expand their subscription market :)

And they seem to fly right over my state, when there's at least two joints here that could make that list, but then , I don't consider Oklahoma a southern state. In fact, I really can't put Oklahoma into any category.
 
I was born and raised in Missouri. When I was in school, long ago in the last century, the Mason Dixon Line, as designated in the Compromise of 1850, represented the boundary between north and south states. Slavery was legal in states south of the line. The south included Missouri, what was to become Oklahoma, and Texas. Historically, Missouri is a southern state. So say I and Mrs. Peters, 5th grade teacher.
 
Pretty simple actually.
People living in southern MO live in a southern state, middle, the midwest, and northern MO folks live in a northern state.
I have not looked at the list to see if any StL joints are included, if not, there should be if KC is included.
 
During the Civil War, Oklahoma was Indian Territory, so we sort've missed all that :) , except we did have one small Civil War battle in the northeastern part of the state.

White settlement did not begin here till 1889 and when it did, the settlers came from everywhere. After turn of the century, for some reason which I've never discovered, there was a large migration to southeastern Oklahoma from the south. So many, that part of the state became known as " Little Dixie ".

At the same time, the first white settlers in northeast, were oil workers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and financiers from New York City.

The best description of Oklahoma, is we are a plains state. Southern plains, to be exact. Plains states would be Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota ... maybe Iowa.

I see Texas as part of the southwest.
 
Glad to see Ridgewood Barbecue in Bluff City, TN make the list, #43. Almost a hole in the wall and literally in the middle of nowhere. Surprised they are still open. Haven't been there in 30 years.
 
5 in GA? Cool! Still, VERY subjective. I've eaten at Fox Bros. and Fresh Air (The original one in Jackson) and both are good. Fresh Air is rated in the top 10 in the nation, ahead of Franklin's, but neither would be in my top 5 in GA. This from a Georgia native.
 
It's completely subjective. There's no way that Snow's and Louis Mueller are better than Franklin, at least when I've gone. They are both really good. You have to count the whole experience, I guess. That Franklin line is tough. I can't see doing that again at least not on a saturday. Especially when there are places almost as good with a lot less of a wait. I really wanna try out some of the NC whole hog places. I've never had whole hog.
 
Lists are more click bait than anything, but they are useful to alert you to reputable joints. You can't swing a dead cat in these parts without hitting a barbecue place and it seems that they are all good, bad or middling, depending on the day you show up and the cut of meat they had to cook. Even your place in line can make a big difference. I've had some of the best burnt ends ever at The Salt Lick -- and two weeks later they might as well have served up gravel. Their turkey, however, is spot on every time. Franklin's beef rib is insanely good. A good slice of moist brisket at Black's is a thing of beauty. The links at City Market in Luling will put you on cloud nine. And on and on. I think Dustin said that the bar in Texas is pretty high. That is certainly true for brisket. Not so much for pizza. The local culture plays a big part in the character of the cuisine. And like pizza, brisket is kind of like sex -- when it's good, it's great, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good. :)

Jeff
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
It's completely subjective. There's no way that Snow's and Louis Mueller are better than Franklin, at least when I've gone. They are both really good. You have to count the whole experience, I guess. That Franklin line is tough. I can't see doing that again at least not on a saturday. Especially when there are places almost as good with a lot less of a wait. I really wanna try out some of the NC whole hog places. I've never had whole hog.
Click to expand...

They really go for whole hog down east including south of the border.

I ate whole hog BBQ at a family reunion in Conway, SC, and it was pretty good.
 
PHolder said:
Glad to see Ridgewood Barbecue in Bluff City, TN make the list, #43. Almost a hole in the wall and literally in the middle of nowhere. Surprised they are still open. Haven't been there in 30 years.
Click to expand...

Gosh, I was looking at some of the images from Bluff City, and they were very beautiful.

I must get up there one day.

Have you ate at the Red Pig near the intersection of US 601 and NC 801? (just south of Mocksville) Daniel Boone's parents are buried just a few miles to the north for what it's worth.
 
I have ate at a couple of the Tn places and all have been good,1 was a whole hog place and we had a big variety platter that had white sauce for the chicken ,I would hazard a guess that you can find great Q or bad any where ,not sure I could rank them as styles and smoke profiles and seasonings change the meat flavor. Love all BBQ and try to hit a new place when in a new area
 
J Hasselberger said:
Lists are more click bait than anything, but they are useful to alert you to reputable joints. You can't swing a dead cat in these parts without hitting a barbecue place and it seems that they are all good, bad or middling, depending on the day you show up and the cut of meat they had to cook. Even your place in line can make a big difference. I've had some of the best burnt ends ever at The Salt Lick -- and two weeks later they might as well have served up gravel. Their turkey, however, is spot on every time. Franklin's beef rib is insanely good. A good slice of moist brisket at Black's is a thing of beauty. The links at City Market in Luling will put you on cloud nine. And on and on. I think Dustin said that the bar in Texas is pretty high. That is certainly true for brisket. Not so much for pizza. The local culture plays a big part in the character of the cuisine. And like pizza, brisket is kind of like sex -- when it's good, it's great, and when it's bad, it's still pretty good. :)

Jeff
Click to expand...

I would normally agree. I thought this one different cuz they did not make the reader click 50 times. And its published in their mag. Just as Texas Monthly does on their Top 50 in Texas.

I don't know their methodology or whether this is just one guy traveling around eating barbecue. I've read what Texas Monthly does, and there's quite a bit to how they rate the joints. IIRC, the joint first has to be recommended by a Texas Monthly staffer, then I think three different staffers have to eat there, and then the BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughan eats the barbecue. They make it a big deal.
 
After a second look at the article I feel compelled to note that the hot sauce used at Sam Jones Barbecue in Winterville, NC is Texas Pete, not Texas Peter. The proofreader should be more careful; I can't imagine that many people would want their food served that way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top