Lucky

[swampsauce]

I've never eaten at many BBQ restaurants in all my traveling. This year I decided to start trying some. Here is what I've found. We are very very lucky to have the knowledge and equipment to to cook BBQ at home. I have has some good, some bad BBQ. Decent side dishes. But nothing close to the BBQ I cook on a bad day. And I listen to the locals when I ask for the best place to eat, how good they tell me it is. I haven't had any that tastes like mop water yet, but most is is edible at best. It is amazing what folks think good BBQ tastes like. Just an observation from a home BBQ cook.

 

[bigwheel]

Double dittos to that. It does not take long for a person to turn into a bbq snob when they get into cooking the stuff at home or at comps on a regular basis. I gave up trying to find any decent store bought bbq years ago. I dont think it exists. If it does exist they keep it hid purty good We have a chain down here called Dickey's. They cook on some fancy commercial Oylers but the brisket comes out like mush. Fortunately they tend to have some good side dishes. The veggie plate with peach cobbler for dessert is the best deal in the house.

 

[Puff1]

Come on up Tim!


(BW, we have a few of those "Dickey's" joints opening up here. Had a line cook that wasn't happy with his financial income at my place of BBQ worship and he went to work at that place. I asked him what it was like and he said "mushy".) Ironic???

 

[dfi]

i hear that...i have been less than impressed most of the time with q restaurants

 

[JWJR40]

You're so right. If I want good food I'll make it myself.

 

[bbquzz]

Tim I gotta say we have some pretty good Q restaurants in Columbus, OH "City BBQ" and I did hit "Q BBQ" Tuffy Stone's in Richmond VA, good too. Next on my list is Puff's I'll report back after my next trip north.

 

[bigwheel]

Well I was beginning to think the crappy store bought bbq was a Texas thang. I have a pal who went on a two week or so eating tour of Kansas City. He said they have much mo betta bbq than us and they are super generous with the portion control. Guess I best send him to Columbus on his next eating foray.

 

[Nick Prochilo]

Tim I gotta say we have some pretty good Q restaurants in Columbus, OH "City BBQ" and I did hit "Q BBQ" Tuffy Stone's in Richmond VA, good too. Next on my list is Puff's I'll report back after my next trip north.

Best "Q" you can cook in an "Easy Bake" oven!

 

[bbquzz]

Tim I gotta say we have some pretty good Q restaurants in Columbus, OH "City BBQ" and I did hit "Q BBQ" Tuffy Stone's in Richmond VA, good too. Next on my list is Puff's I'll report back after my next trip north.

Best "Q" you can cook in an "Easy Bake" oven!

Is that a nice way of saying to skip Lazybones Smokehouse? ... maybe I'll hit Dickey's ... now they do use an "Easy Bake Oven" :roll:

 

[bknox]

TIm, I tell my wife if it is not better than what I can make at home we are paying to have someone do the dishes and keep the beer flowing no matter what kind of food. I can honestly say that I cannot name a BBQ place around here. We have a Famous Dave's but have yet to have eaten there. We had a great Thai place but it just closed. :-( Out of the 20 or 30 Mexican joints we have, there are 2 that can make a burrito worth buying, sad.

 

[bigwheel]

Will agree on the lack of good Mexican Food places too. They are scarce as hen's teeth.

 

[Vermin999]

Only a few BBQ joints here but hundreds and hundreds of Mexican restaurants and 95% all cook the same thing.

 

[Puff1]

Tim I gotta say we have some pretty good Q restaurants in Columbus, OH "City BBQ" and I did hit "Q BBQ" Tuffy Stone's in Richmond VA, good too. Next on my list is Puff's I'll report back after my next trip north.

Best "Q" you can cook in an "Easy Bake" oven!

Is that a nice way of saying to skip Lazybones Smokehouse? ... maybe I'll hit Dickey's ... now they do use an "Easy Bake Oven" :roll:

Buzz it would be great to meet you! Please pay no mind to that man behind the curtain.
I thought Cap banned him. :?

 

[bigwheel]

Well what is the same thing they all cook? It might be ok. Most Gringos do not realize that Mexican Restaurants have their specialties just like Americkan places. For example you do not want to get the enchilada platter from a fajita place or vice versa. That be like ordering a hamburger at the Eyetalian Pizzer Joint. Bound to disappoint. Now being an old S. Texas boy I was raised under the influence of what was borrowed from the Mexican State of Jalisco. Which translates out into cheese and onyawn enchiladas..Carne Guisada..guac..rice and beans etc. Menudo for sobering up on in the wee hours. Now San Antone has a bunch of Mexican joints but 99% of the restaurant owners migrated from El Paso which is much closer to New Mexico style crap which aint fit to eat. There is about 2 places in the entire town which is fittin. Now what the problemo is out in San Diego I aint quite sure yet. Guess I will have to go out there and investigate one of these days. Thanks for the heads up on that deal. My big Brudder was a swabby out there but think all he did was guard the clothes line and wait for the SP to come get him out of jail in Tiajuana etc.

 

[Brian in Maine]

TIm, I tell my wife if it is not better than what I can make at home we are paying to have someone do the dishes and keep the beer flowing no matter what kind of food. I can honestly say that I cannot name a BBQ place around here. We have a Famous Dave's but have yet to have eaten there. We had a great Thai place but it just closed. :-( Out of the 20 or 30 Mexican joints we have, there are 2 that can make a burrito worth buying, sad.

We have a Famous Dave's here. My wife and I went for lunch once. The ribs were edible, my wife's reaction to my brisket was: "Gross! How can you eat that?"
That being said, I would go back again (and order a burger) as they are good corporate citizens. I work with people with disabilities, and the employ 4 of our consumers. Brian

 

[boar_d_laze]

Mexican food in the greater San Diego area:

There's certainly no shortage of great Mexican food there.

Is there anything in particular you're looking for? Have you been to Oaxacan places? Mariscos places?

There are plenty of choices which don't involve a pound of melted cheese on the beans.

If you want something beyond the usual gabacho-friendly choices, try getting out of the gabacho neighborhoods. If you hear a lot of unaccented English, it's a warning. English in general, directed to anyone other than you, is also not a good sign.

If you choose anyplace which does a big margarita trade at happy hour, you deserve the food.

If you choose anyplace located within an "historic district," or any other touristy destination, you deserve the food. Giant malls aren't usually happy hunting grounds either. Strip malls, on the other hand, are. Any restaurant within two strip malls of a large Mexican market -- especially if there are other restaurants as close -- is a decent wager.

If you insist on prissy levels of cleanliness, you will unnecessarily limit your choices.

Look for places advertising "tortillas hecho a mano, that's not a sure bet, but it's a start. If they advertise mariscos, cocteles , cheladas, micheladas, jugos frescos, and/or licuadas as well, you're half way home.

Start drinking cheladas.

Don't be afraid of stereotypes, as long as their accurate. Look for places where a high percentage of the men are wearing straw "cowboy" hats. Women with braids -- each hair as thick as rope is good. If it's grey hair with one long fat braid down the center of the back, even better.

Embrace offal.

You're asking in the wrong place. Join chow.com -- peruse the threads already there, then post the same ol' same ol' questions and get fresh answers from new people. Yelp can be helpful, but Chow is better.

If you're asking, "What's a gabacho, you're a gabacho. Worse, if you think you might be a gringo, you're the epitome of a pinche gabacho. H/t "Ask a Mexican."

Get in touch with your inner sureño, you'll be fine.

BDL

 

[Captain Morgan]

and you're the walking definition of a pompous douche bag.

 

[boar_d_laze]

Not really no. But in any case, better than the pinche guey you are.

BDL

 

[Captain Morgan]

and you know me that well?

You are posting on a board that clearly does not like you.

You continue to post...because?

Your wish to help people learn to cook?

or your need for attention?

 

[Puff1]

Mexican food in the greater San Diego area:

There's certainly no shortage of great Mexican food there.

Is there anything in particular you're looking for? Have you been to Oaxacan places? Mariscos places?

There are plenty of choices which don't involve a pound of melted cheese on the beans.

If you want something beyond the usual gabacho-friendly choices, try getting out of the gabacho neighborhoods. If you hear a lot of unaccented English, it's a warning. English in general, directed to anyone other than you, is also not a good sign.

If you choose anyplace which does a big margarita trade at happy hour, you deserve the food.

If you choose anyplace located within an "historic district," or any other touristy destination, you deserve the food. Giant malls aren't usually happy hunting grounds either. Strip malls, on the other hand, are. Any restaurant within two strip malls of a large Mexican market -- especially if there are other restaurants as close -- is a decent wager.

If you insist on prissy levels of cleanliness, you will unnecessarily limit your choices.

Look for places advertising "tortillas hecho a mano, that's not a sure bet, but it's a start. If they advertise mariscos, cocteles , cheladas, micheladas, jugos frescos, and/or licuadas as well, you're half way home.

Start drinking cheladas.

Don't be afraid of stereotypes, as long as their accurate. Look for places where a high percentage of the men are wearing straw "cowboy" hats. Women with braids -- each hair as thick as rope is good. If it's grey hair with one long fat braid down the center of the back, even better.

Embrace offal.

You're asking in the wrong place. Join chow.com -- peruse the threads already there, then post the same ol' same ol' questions and get fresh answers from new people. Yelp can be helpful, but Chow is better.

If you're asking, "What's a gabacho, you're a gabacho. Worse, if you think you might be a gringo, you're the epitome of a pinche gabacho. H/t "Ask a Mexican."

Get in touch with your inner sureño, you'll be fine.

BDL

Working at a BBQ 'raunt the owner /Chef and I peruse these sites daily. (Well....every other day) They are informative. But when it comes to 'Q and well ....every other form of cooking in the industry that is cast out to the internet for folks to comment on......some folks you just can't please no matter what you do. You just have to call ******** once in a while.
Tim, good post. 8)