I just got back from our local Rib Fest event and I am a bit disappointed.

[rbranstner]

I went to our local Rib Fest even that the city throws on every year for four days and did a little sampling. And I say little because the prices are just crazy. There are 6-8 teams from all over the nation here and I read in the paper about a team from MN that does Memphis style ribs with no sauce so I wanted to give them a try. Needless to say I wasn't very happy. The ribs were nice and juicy and had a bit of pull back but they were pretty bland. I did dunk them in a bit of their sauce to try and help things along but the sauce was bland as well. I also tried the brisket sandwich and I was disappointed with that as well. $7 for three ribs and $6 for a brisket sandwich where were mediocre at best. Oh well what do you expect when you can put out great Q at home. I guess I just get spoiled. My buddy from work was there with me and had the same thing as I did and he said he would much rather eat my ribs. Kind of made me feel good. $22 for a whole slab of ribs (12 bones), $12 for a half slab (6 bones) and $7 for 3 ribs. Pretty spendy in my book.

 

[flash]

I get disappointed with most of the Bar-b-ques joints I go into also.

 

[mballi3011]

Now being in construction we eat all over town and even in many towns too. Now there is one bbq restaurant I would eat at and thats cause I know the owners. But other then that I have never had any BBQ that would compare to any of ours here. I don't know how everyones taste but I have seen alot of bbq in my 52 years running around this here planet. The folks here make some good looking Q and I know what good Q looks like too.

 

[rbranstner]

Its just crazy when you eat at these places and I am totally disppointed and then I hear people just rave about the meal they just ate. Its sad that most people have never actually eaten good Q in their life.

 

[shooterrick]

Same experience at a comp here in Louisiana I attended just to scope things out.  Took a few friends and all sampled lots of average Q.

One thing I do know.  I have a friend that owns a Q joint.  Not bad for a commercial operation.  It is customary I think for Q joints to produce cost effective, middle of the road product for the masses.  He actually preferrs mine to his but just cant afford to produce it in a commercial opperation.  The rub alone would add bucks to his plates so he uses a commercial rub that is just so so. 

 

[pandemonium]

Its not just bbq that people think is good, theres alot of places that should be shut down in my book, all pizza chains for example lol but yet the little local no name places i liked have shut down lately. Maybe people like chain restaurants I don't get it. And yes those prices were way inflated.

 

[venture]

I'm with pandemonium on this one.  I think there are generations of people out there who grew up on MacDonalds  and wouldn't like good food if they ate it.  Hell, they wouldn't even know a good french fry! I almost hate going to restaurants any more.  I always look for and treasure the few good "mom & pops" I can find that are cooking real food from scratch.  I hate paying big bucks for factory food.

 

[meateater]

I just have to say if folks who can't Smoke and BBQ are willing to pay the price for take out... God Bless Them. Thats what this country is all about. I see folks spending 300.00 to 500.00 to go see a concert here when they could go buy a cd for 20.00 and listen to it over and over. It's the USA after all.

 

[duck killer 1]

Same experience at a comp here in Louisiana I attended just to scope things out.  Took a few friends and all sampled lots of average Q.

One thing I do know.  I have a friend that owns a Q joint.  Not bad for a commercial operation.  It is customary I think for Q joints to produce cost effective, middle of the road product for the masses.  He actually preferrs mine to his but just cant afford to produce it in a commercial opperation.  The rub alone would add bucks to his plates so he uses a commercial rub that is just so so. 

i never thought about it that way. i always took it for granted Q joints made their own rubs from scratch. it makes sense tho. i have made the observation that the Q joints around here don't even use a rub, if they do it is very bland. instead it seems they do that because they have their own sauce they want to sell. maybe they have decided their most profitable customer is the person who is not going to go home and smoke their own meat but will do the good old American back yard BBQ, and is most likely going to purchase their sauce to use at home. 

 

[TulsaJeff]

I have learned that you can cook almost anything.. dump tons of barbecue sauce on it and call it barbecue and most folks will rave about it.

I just chalk it up to ignorance.. it was that same realization that caused me to start the Smoking-Meat.com website, newsletter and this forum back in 2004.

 

[duck killer 1]

Its not just bbq that people think is good, theres alot of places that should be shut down in my book, all pizza chains for example lol but yet the little local no name places i liked have shut down lately. Maybe people like chain restaurants I don't get it. And yes those prices were way inflated.

i heard it called a "microwave society" once.

 

[pandemonium]

Very good point about the fact that some people just don't know what good is? I have friends like that and i feed them good food and they just don't get it but yet they are very overweight. I had a roommate once that was an eating machine but ate the worst food you could imagine, he would eat the shrimp skins and leg's lol what a weirdo haha and would always eat my food so i was gonna batter and deep fry cat turds and put them in the fridge haha i wish i had done it!!!
and dont get me going on these chinese take out places that give you yellow rice they call fried rice? bs man

I'm with pandemonium on this one.  I think there are generations of people out there who grew up on MacDonalds  and wouldn't like good food if they ate it.  Hell, they wouldn't even know a good french fry! I almost hate going to restaurants any more.  I always look for and treasure the few good "mom & pops" I can find that are cooking real food from scratch.  I hate paying big bucks for factory food.

 

[rio_grande]

As far as the comps o I have been to 3 now. My experience at all was poor. Average at best food and I never met one semi friendly individule at any of them. I guess I am just jused to the Jeepin comuntity never met a stranger there.  Regardless after buying sandwiches from the "pulled pork champion team" at one of the events I realized that there is conciderable diffrence between good q and competition q. They can have it and their snooty additudes as well.

If we go to another one we wont be buying the food. inflated price and average at best food.

 

[rbranstner]

My buddie and I were wondering yesterday if all of those teams put out average ribs for the masses just because they need to produce so much product and then when its time to give the judges their product they must produce some of their best ribs you would think? What do you guys/gals think? They always have the Peoples Choice and then the Judges Choice for winners. But the peoples choice is a joke because most people just try one place because its soo expensive so they just end up voting for the place they ate at. Unless they go several days then they might try a few different places. .

 

[duck killer 1]

so i'm getting the impression that these competitions aren't worth going to much less competing in them? 

 

[rbranstner]

so i'm getting the impression that these competitions aren't worth going to much less competing in them? 

I don't think you can just enter and smoke at this event I believe it is invite only or something like that. There are only so many crews that show up so there must be some type of restrictions. There are only around 8 teams. I know the local Famous Daves always wants to be in it but they have only been in it one year that I can remember. Its more of a fun event for the communities with bands, beer etc.

 

[deltadude]

I have to agree with the comments about eating at BBQ joints, often they are very disappointing.  Of the 4 or 5 that are close to me, none have served product that I or my family consider better than what we do at home.  The problem around here is the amount of business prevents these small places from cooking and serving really fresh out of the smoker Q.  So it gets down to meat holding management, the joints that have figured out how to hold meat for 8 hours and still have a great taste are going to do better.  Home bbq/smoking have the advantage of cooking and serving fresh.  Even if we do hold a pork butt or ribs, we still have an advantage because we serve it to satisfy our individual tastes

 

[caveman]

My buddie and I were wondering yesterday if all of those teams put out average ribs for the masses just because they need to produce so much product and then when its time to give the judges their product they must produce some of their best ribs you would think? What do you guys/gals think? They always have the Peoples Choice and then the Judges Choice for winners. But the peoples choice is a joke because most people just try one place because its soo expensive so they just end up voting for the place they ate at. Unless they go several days then they might try a few different places. .

As I have never been to a competition but I would think that a competitor would try to put out his / her best product for any judge.  I always thought you should put your best in whatever it is you do no matter who is watching, listening or checking.  But IMHO, my preparations & smoking skills have increased 50 fold since joining this site & now I don't bother eating anyone else's cooking.  At least, I should say, I have not ventured forth to try a new place or eat at any of the old places I used to frequent.  I feel I can just flat out do better, hands down.  And that very well may be the mentality of everyone else here as well.  People who don't cook for themselves, eat other people's slathered down Q or over seasoned food & claim that it is the best they have ever tasted.  Of course your mind will tell you that after you paid a King's ramson for a plate that you did not prepare.  Just my thought process going haywire maybe.  I don't know.

 

[ak1]

I have to agree with the comments about eating at BBQ joints, often they are very disappointing.  Of the 4 or 5 that are close to me, none have served product that I or my family consider better than what we do at home.  The problem around here is the amount of business prevents these small places from cooking and serving really fresh out of the smoker Q.  So it gets down to meat holding management, the joints that have figured out how to hold meat for 8 hours and still have a great taste are going to do better.  Home bbq/smoking have the advantage of cooking and serving fresh.  Even if we do hold a pork butt or ribs, we still have an advantage because we serve it to satisfy our individual tastes

You've hit the nail on the head!  Restaurant's cannot serve fresh Q. Think about it. Imagine your self as the owner. How do you know how many customers are going to order ribs or brisket or whatever, and when. 

 

[squirrel]

I eat out when I'm on the road and I try to find the "mom and pop" joints, but sometimes if I'm doing a shoot for a fancy schmancy private club with a restaurant I get to eat for free so I'm all over that, minus the tip though. These are supposed to be 5 star restaurants, you know the one's that don't even put the prices on the menu's. I swear my smoked filet mignon beats that $40 steak any day. It's a nice, tender steak but absolutely zero flavor. And there famous "wedge" salad for $18 is 1/4 of a head of iceburg lettuce with about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. That's it! All I can say is y'all better get up off some bacon bits and feed a girl! Gimme a ham hock to gnaw on or something, durnit.

I'm also shocked at how many BBQ joints don't even smoke their butts, they cook them in the oven with some liquid smoke. And the veggies all come from a can. It baffles me how these people stay in business, but I think alot of it has to do with the fact that families are so busy and they don't have time or don't want to cook so they settle. Very sad.