Chain Bbq restaurants.

[mneeley490]

There was a Famous Dave's near me for a while. It closed down before I got a chance to try it. It was only there for 8 years.

 

[bill1]

Most of the Dickie's are going out of business by me. And I've got gift cards to use!

 

[noboundaries]

Once upon a time in the Birmingham area there were a plethora of great, small, family owned BBQ joints. Over the last 40 years or so they have pretty much dried up and have been replaced with the new "trendy" places that just don't get it.

HoD, that's sad. I lived in the South my teen years, long ago. My old man traveled to sell phonebook advertising all thru E-TN, N-AL, and N-GA. He'd find these little shack-like roadside BBQ places where everything was served on paper plates with plastic-ware and Styrofoam containers. One place was literally catching catfish out the back and serving it fried up front after a good prep and soak. Best catfish and BBQ I'd ever had to that point in my young life.

I doubt too many, or any, of those places exist anymore, kinda like phonebooks.

 

[Heart of Dixie]

noboundaries, I agree 100%. Those old 2 lane highway, family owned and operated places have pretty much disappeared from the American landscape. Beginning with the growth of the interstate system then on to fast food a lot has changed since I grew up in the 50's & 60's.

 

[Displaced Texan]

Common failure appears to be ... "Chain".
Had Dickies in both Texas and 2 locations in North Dakota. Both ND sites gone as bad food is just not tolerated.
Speaking of "chains". Have you visited any of the "rib fests" featured in your area? Many of them are chain events offered by the same production company that hires the same whoop-de-do bbq comp teams.
The worst (best?) example was Lakeland (FL) Pigfest last year. Wife and I sampled many places and her best comment was "you make better". The best pulled pork was from Publix (a regional grocer).

I went to the Naperville, IL "Rib Fest" once.

Once.

One of the places was from Fort Worth. I was disappointed, to say the least.

 

[daspyknows]

Most of the Dickie's are going out of business by me. And I've got gift cards to use!

try and sell them on ebay. no loss, worst bbq I have ever eaten.

 

[noboundaries]

Remember when Arby's offered a smoked brisket sandwich? It was WAAAY better than ANYTHING Dickey's served.

 

[daspyknows]

But did Arby's have the extra strength iced tea? This was the Dickey's I was fortunate enough to survive in 2014.

Dickey's files federal lawsuit in 'toxic tea' incident

A $5 million federal lawsuit was filed Thursday in connection with the "toxic tea" incident at Dickey's Barbecue Pit that left a 67-year-old South Jordan woman with severe injuries in 2014.

www.deseret.com

 

[hoity toit]

35 years ago I lived in San Antonio and there were
tons of Bill Miller BBQ joints.From what I can remember the food was ok.

Bill Millers is all commissary prepared, but they are consistent on the quality.

HT

 

[BBQwithaView]

Want decent BBQ from a chain when visiting Colorado?, check out Rudy’s in Colorado Springs or Serious Texas Bar-B-Q in Northern / Western Colorado. A smaller chain started in Estes Park called Smokin Dave’s (with several other Front Range locations) is also solid. Things are looking up for BBQ in CO compared to when I moved here 17 years ago. Growing up on Texas BBQ, I was disappointed with the choices. Much better now :)

 

[nxcoastgiant]

I'm in California and we have a bunch of Hawaiian BBQ Chains. Definitly not the traditional BBQ chain yall have been talking about but hey all seem to be pretty decent. L&L is by far my favorite though, need to stop in for their BBQ beef plate.

 

[bill1]

I forgot about Rudy's. Not bad. Some variation from location to location however.

 

[clifish]

We had a Famous Dave's nearby here in NY, OK, not what I would consider real smoked food. Best attribute is we could walk in, sit down and be done in a half hour. I am not one to wait in a line to get in or spend 2 hours on a meal...shocking they are gone now...lol...replaced with an olive garden..

However, after visiting 3 BBQ places in/near Greenville NC (daughter goes too East Carolina U.) that where thoroughly disappointing and hitting a place in Nashville last month that was Meh.. We went to a brewery that partnered with a smoked food joint where my son lives in Keene, NH and it was the best yet. Food produced from a guy from NC and a partner from Nashville. They claim that local retractions prevent them from using an offset/open flame so are doing it pellet. Was really good.

Smoked Brisket, ribs, turkey, PP, jalapeno sausage platter with beans, collard greens, coleslaw and jalapeno corn bread.

 

[TNJAKE]

Where did y'all eat in Nashville?

 

[clifish]

Where did y'all eat in Nashville?

Martin's

 

[TNJAKE]

Martin's

Yeah that's not what I would have recommended. Lots of good places around here

 

[bigfurmn]

We had a Famous Dave's nearby here in NY, OK, not what I would consider real smoked food. Best attribute is we could walk in, sit down and be done in a half hour. I am not one to wait in a line to get in or spend 2 hours on a meal...shocking they are gone now...lol...replaced with an olive garden..

However, after visiting 3 BBQ places in/near Greenville NC (daughter goes too East Carolina U.) that where thoroughly disappointing and hitting a place in Nashville last month that was Meh.. We went to a brewery that partnered with a smoked food joint where my son lives in Keene, NH and it was the best yet. Food produced from a guy from NC and a partner from Nashville. They claim that local retractions prevent them from using an offset/open flame so are doing it pellet. Was really good.

Smoked Brisket, ribs, turkey, PP, jalapeno sausage platter with beans, collard greens, coleslaw and jalapeno corn bread.
View attachment 655370
View attachment 655371

What is the name of the place??? BBQ and brewing, hell ya I wanna go there!

 

[clifish]

Branch and Blade brewing, the bbq was Guerilla grill in the same location. Keene, NH

 

[clifish]

Yeah that's not what I would have recommended. Lots of good places around here

yeah, it was a quick trip that I had little to do with...lol I would have loved to meet up with you and Emily. Friggin cold, hat, gloves and ski jackets... was 45 deg warmer in NH than there at the time. Did not want to wait on the Hattie B line so went to Princes for hot chicken. OK but should have went to hotter sauce. I am too old for Broadway on the weekend, but hitting the bars at 10.30 am for mimosas and a country band was pretty cool.

 

[TNJAKE]

yeah, it was a quick trip that I had little to do with...lol I would have loved to meet up with you and Emily. Friggin cold, hat, gloves and ski jackets... was 45 deg warmer in NH than there at the time. Did not want to wait on the Hattie B line so went to Princes for hot chicken. OK but should have went to hotter sauce. I am too old for Broadway on the weekend, but hitting the bars at 10.30 am for mimosas and a country band was pretty cool.

Next time we will get together. That was definitely a cold weekend. Hattie B's and princes are rivals for who started Nashville hot chicken. Consensus says princes and they are good bud I prefer the modern atmosphere of hattie B's. But there are more hot chicken joints here than you can imagine and a lot of them are wonderful