Top 5 Restaurants: BBQ on Food Network


 

Which of these would be your #1 BBQ joint to try?

  • #1: The Bar-B-Q Shop, Memphis TN (Ribs)

    Votes: 5 20.8%

  • #2: Killen's Barbecue, Pearland TX (Brisket)

    Votes: 7 29.2%

  • #3: Skylight Inn BBQ, Ayden NC (Whole Hog)

    Votes: 4 16.7%

  • #4 Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, Decatur AL (White Sauce Chicken)

    Votes: 3 12.5%

  • #5: Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Q, KC MO (Burnt Ends)

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .
Haven't tried any of the ones on the list, but I find it hard to believe that Arthur Bryant's isn't among them.
 
Looks like they made sure to spread them to different states.
I'll give a shout out for Pappy's in St Louis, haven't been to any of the others.
 
I've been to Big Bob Gibson's. I have to admit Black's would trump it on my list. I've not been to others on this list.
 
I was surprised to see Killen's on there of all the ones from Texas although I've heard very good things. It's one though that I could fairly easily check out so its just not going to be a "dream joint" for me. It looks like they did a mix of different states and a mix of old and new. It's not nearly as ridiculous as the Best Ever bbq episode where they went out of their way to not pick anything traditional. So for me it's between Big Bob Gibson's and Skylight Inn. Part of the bbq without a doubt is the great food, but the history and tradition and the journey are all part of the experience.
 
Chris Allingham said:
I watched Top 5 Restaurants: BBQ on Food Network. They listed these as the Top 5 barbecue restaurants in America. Which would be your #1 joint to try?

The show runs again June 26 at 4:30pm ET and June 27 at 7:30pm ET.
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I was delighted to discover that the Skylight is (or could be with some creative navigation) on the way to or from visiting family in North Carolina. So, the next time we go down there, I hope to cross it off my list.

As for the others...if I ever make it to Alabama, BBG would be great, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way for any of the others. With a few rare exceptions, I don't usually plan out where I'm going to eat when traveling because it's usually those hole-in-the-wall places that never make it onto these lists that have the best food.
 
I haven't tried any of these. One of the best I've had is the Pecan Lodge in Dallas. I have family there and they kid me that I only visit to eat the BBQ. They're right:wsm:
 
Killen's is about an hour away from me, but I haven't ever gone down to check it out. I have Corkscrew BBQ and Godfather's nearby my house. Corkscrew is highly regarded as well. So highly regarded that there is a 2 hour line on the weekends. I don't like BBQ that much.
 
Granting them the geographical diversification, I wonder if their choice of Killen's over Aaron Franklin has anything to do with the fact he's on an opposing network?

That said, as a die hard Kansas City Q fan, I have to give a tip of the cap to traditional Texas brisket. I've had it in three or four central Texas locations (Austin - San Antonio ish), and it is a truly special treat. They create a crust on those big open pits that I've not seen matched on anything else. My favorite (so far) is Salt Lick in Round Rock. Franklin cooks his more like a KC or Memphis place, smoking in an offset. Those enormous open pits found only in Texas are something unique.

My personal opinion is that Texans don't know what to do with a pork shoulder, but they've got brisket cooking and sausage stuffing nailed down.
 
Between those 5, I'm not sure but the #1 BBQ place I want to go to is Aaron Franklin’s joint in Austin Texas for his Brisket and Beef Ribs
 
It was hard to pick just one!
And I was also surprised that Franklin's wasn't on there as well! I've told Pammi several times that we need to do a Texas barbeque trail. Franklin's,Kreutz and Miller's.
 
Never eaten at any of them, but I've seen several "top BBQ joints in GA" episodes on different programs and have eaten at several of them. They all have good Q, but I think it's as much about popularity and reputation as it is about the food. The best I ever had was at a hole-in-the-wall in NC. Don't remember exactly where (I was motorcycle touring), but it was in the middle of nowhere and was packed with locals. It will never show up on a "best of" list, but I've never had better restaurant BBQ anywhere.
 
I live close to the Skylight in Ayden and there are better restaurants in the area. I have only eaten at the Skylight about 5 times, and none in the last 5 years. They are a "tradition" and most folks will not criticize them, but I will.

Do not know how they got selected.

Ray in Greenville, NC, about 12 miles from Aydemn.
 
Ray Crick said:
I live close to the Skylight in Ayden and there are better restaurants in the area. I have only eaten at the Skylight about 5 times, and none in the last 5 years. They are a "tradition" and most folks will not criticize them, but I will.

Do not know how they got selected.

Ray in Greenville, NC, about 12 miles from Aydemn.
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I agree 100% with Ray. We did a one-day barbecue tour around Greenville, and Skylight came in 3 out of 4. They didn't seem to take any care in the preparation of their product. There was gristle and other unappetizing bits left in the meat.
 
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