Experminted at a BBQ joint today

[kryinggame]

I had the day off of work today, so I jumped on my Harley SG and rode out to Lexington, N.C. to sample some "famous" and "authentic" BBQ.

I've always heard that the best Que is in Lexington and I couldn't wait to sample it.

Sore butt later, I arrived at this famous restaurant. I 'm not going to mention the name of the restaurant.  I got seated, looked at the menu and asked the waitress if they have any brisket (I've been desiring brisket lately). The sassy old woman,  put her hand on her hips and said, "Sonny, we don't sell beef. We're known for pork!"  A family at the next table, turned around and laughed.

Okay, I got my chopped pork, put a bit of the vinegar based sauce on it and...well, it was decent.  I was expecting some mind blowing Que that was going to make me feel like I was in heaven.  I'm not saying that this famous place doesn't make good BBQ but I was disappointed.  First off, the menu said that they only use pork shoulders, which is salted (not basted) and slow cooked for nine hours using hickory and oak wood because this is authentic Lexington BBQ.

Well, I keep my Que simple. I usually get an 8 -9 lbr boston butt, rub it with jeff's rub. Slow cook it at 225 degrees until it reaches my desired temp and have Todd's Pitmaster pellets burning. Then after I pull it, I season it with SoFlaQuer's finishing sauce.  Forgive my arrogance but this recipe is way better than the stuff I ate today.

The point of this thread is, never be intimidated by so called experts. This is a great website and there's tons of great advice on here to teach you how to make "expert" BBQ.

 

[damon555]

I just can't eat BBQ from any place other than my own smoker any more....or from other people I know who can run a smoker too. It's never as good as advertised from the commercial joints. I've always wondered how people could like certain restaurants when they are average at best. Of course McDonalds is still in business even while serving that disgusting rot gut that they call food.

What's the problem with posting the name of the place? It would be nice to know going in what others "in the know"  think of the place.

 

[kryinggame]

I just can't eat BBQ from any place other than my own smoker any more....or from other people I know who can run a smoker too. It's never as good as advertised from the commercial joints. I've always wondered how people could like certain restaurants when they are average at best. Of course McDonalds is still in business even while serving that disgusting rot gut that they call food.

What's the problem with posting the name of the place? It would be nice to know going in what others "in the know"  think of the place.

Okay fine, the restaurant is: Lexington Barbeque"  For the record, this place makes good BBQ. There's nothing wrong with it. The average person is not going to invest the time and money that we do to make our BBQ, so they'll pay for BBQ at a joint. 

What I'm saying is, if one has the time and resources, you can make just as good BBQ as a so called professional place.  I feel good knowing that due to the time I've invested and folks who have taken the time to share their knowledge, I have the skill to make expert BBQ.

 

[nivekd]

We just had the so called "best bbq in Texas" joint open some new stores here. We tried it and it was some of the blandest meat I ever had. No smoke flavor and very dry. The stuff I make at home tastes better than anything I can buy at a restaurant. The people who say these places have the best bbq have never had good bbq.

 

[damon555]

Okay fine, the restaurant is: Lexington Barbeque"  For the record, this place makes good BBQ. There's nothing wrong with it. The average person is not going to invest the time and money that we do to make our BBQ, so they'll pay for BBQ at a joint. 

What I'm saying is, if one has the time and resources, you can make just as good BBQ as a so called professional place.  I feel good knowing that due to the time I've invested and folks who have taken the time to share their knowledge, I have the skill to make expert BBQ.

Agreed, that's what our hobby is all about

 

[smokinhusker]

We work hard at producing and enjoy doing it to get the BEST BBQ! The average family may enjoy and not know what we have all learned.

The BF and some of his co workers have eaten at Rudy's, which is fairly new to Colorado Springs. I've never eaten there personally, while they all said is is pretty good...they all agree that mine is by far way better...and they wouldn't lie to me cause I wouldn't feed them anymore!!!!

 

[LanceR]

I was at Lexington BBQ the day before their BBQ festival this spring and must confess to being underwhelmed.  The best thing that came out of it is the Nancy discovered slaw on pulled/chopped pork so now that is her standard fare when we smoke pork butts. 

I've also convinced her to stop drenching the entire batch in tomato based sauce and to serve the pork naked along with a variety of sauces so folks can pick.  Growing up in a part of the world where folks think cooking hot dogs is barbeque had convinced her that crock pot pork cooked to destruction pork swimming in sauce was genuine pulled pork.  We've been together 11 years and she is still learning about BBQ, smoking and smoke cooking....

Lance

 

[kryinggame]

I was at Lexington BBQ the day before their BBQ festival this spring and must confess to being underwhelmed.  The best thing that came out of it is the Nancy discovered slaw on pulled/chopped pork so now that is her standard fare when we smoke pork butts. 

I've also convinced her to stop drenching the entire batch in tomato based sauce and to serve the pork naked along with a variety of sauces so folks can pick.  Growing up in a part of the world where folks think cooking hot dogs is barbeque had convinced her that crock pot pork cooked to destruction pork swimming in sauce was genuine pulled pork.  We've been together 11 years and she is still learning about BBQ, smoking and smoke cooking....

Lance

Huh?

 

[LanceR]

Like you, I was not much impressed by the product at Lexington BBQ.

I also commented on my wife's journey from thinking that mass produced "BBQ" sauce was made thing BBQ.

Lance

 

[rabbithutch]

Not all Q is create equal!

Take that Harley down through Eastern NC and check out some of the old school places. You'll find that some are great and some just average but SOMEBODY will claim that every one of them is the best in the world.

I was born and spent the first 50 years in Raleigh. While I ate Q in the Western part of the state many times, I always found that produced in the East suited me better. I never quite got a taste for anything other than whole hog Q in a restaurant. Now I do butts and shoulders (prefer butts) at home and think I've got results to compare with the best restaurants in the Carolinas, but I'm not doing them on the scale that the restaurants do.

 

[bomftdrum]

There are only 2 places for que in my town and neither are as good as I have made. Both places pork taste bland with zero flavor. The brisket isn't much either. Nothing like homemade in my opinion. When I was a kid there was a place called Top Hat Barbecue in Alabama tahtwas good though. In Florida. Not many good places however.

 

[htrisna]

I certainly have experienced what you guys had in other states, but I have to say, John Mueller and Aaron Franklin's in Austin, TX... I still have yet to be able to beat. They are the real deal IMHO.

The biggest disgrace was Dallas BBQ in NYC. I was skeptical, but our friends that lived there swear by it, and treated us there.

 

[freaky]

You know, here in Vegas this isn't any place for BBQ as good as my backyard IMHO. OK, not so humble opinion :) Seriously though I haven't found much worthy of eating unless I'm just not in the mood to cook. We have the typical Famous Dave's and Memphis BBQ but not much for anything above par quality wise. The wife, friends and I went to Lucille's a few months ago for a night out. I swear on everything dust flew out of my brisket sandwich as I took a bite. And that was after it was sauced:eek:

Honestly the quality at these places isn't the highest priority. The way I see it, if your running a fast casual bbq place most people are looking at the bottom line $$$. I spend all I need to in order to make a product that I love and others love to eat. If it came down to making money that might change the story a little.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

 

[kryinggame]

By the way boys, here's are pictures of the love of my life, Black Betty, aka Sweet lou lou

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• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

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• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

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• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

 

[kathrynn]

Here in Madison County, Al there are several Q joints.  I think there are 5 that we have gone to and eaten what we thought was great Q for years.  I still think Gibsons BBQ (not Big Bob's)...has the best Brunswick Stew I have ever eaten.  But know that I am learning how to do my own....dont even want to go anymore for BBQ....except for stew.  Gonna learn how to make that soon with some left overs.  Anyone have a good recipe?

 

[rbranstner]

My boss was taking me out for lunch the other day and for some reason we went to Famous Daves BBQ to eat. Every since I started making my own Q I can't stand to eat at BBQ restaurants as they just aren't any good. Well as I expected the meal was horrible. Well the brisket was horrible that's for sure. So fatty and soggy. It must have been sitting in a crock pot or something for hours. The ribs weren't bad but they were just OK. None of the meat  had any hint of a smokey flavor at all to me.  The best part of my meal was my corn bread muffin. It's funny because before I started making my own my wife and I and her parents though that Famous Daves was pretty good. Not anymore.

 

[scarbelly]

My boss was taking me out for lunch the other day and for some reason we went to Famous Daves BBQ to eat. Every since I started making my own Q I can't stand to eat at BBQ restaurants as they just aren't any good. Well as I expected the meal was horrible. Well the brisket was horrible that's for sure. So fatty and soggy. It must have been sitting in a crock pot or something for hours. The ribs weren't bad but they were just OK. None of the meat  had any hint of a smokey flavor at all to me.  The best part of my meal was my corn bread muffin. It's funny because before I started making my own my wife and I and her parents though that Famous Daves was pretty good. Not anymore.

The best thing at Dave's is the pickles LOL 

 

[af23]

Here near cincinnati we have a few "BBQ" places. Its funny how a dried out piece of pork cooked in an oven with some liquid smoke is know as the best BBQ around. A fire in the fire place helps giving that smoking smell in the air. I heated some leftover brisket at work and when people say our break room smells like a camp fire, you know that don't come from a restaurant.

 

[frosty]

Beautiful bike!  Some of the "experts" are riding their reputation and nothing else.  Any place that has an attitude will get no more of my $$$.  Enjoy your rides and smokes!!!  Good luck.

 

[onebadmofo]

By the way boys, here's are pictures of the love of my life, Black Betty, aka Sweet lou lou

SG-1.JPG

• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

SG-2.JPG

• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

SG-3.JPG

• kryinggame
• Aug 19, 2012

Nice ride.

Got a Road King Classic currently.  Looking to get a street glide soon....ride safe!