In search of the BEST barbecue
Courtesy Marshall Astor/Flickr
When I was in college, I dated a guy who knew a guy whose grandparents had a big barbecuefest every October, and I was lucky enough to be invited. When the meat was done, all of the men brought out their knives, placed the meat on a big slab and started whacking away at it. The result was piles and piles of tender, smoky pork barbecue, which was served buffet-style with homemade fries, hush puppies and coleslaw. If I hadn’t been whacked in the face by someone’s volleyball spike just before dinner, it might have been one of the best food days of my life. It still comes close.
The recent closing of Bastian’s BBQ in Salem spurred one reader to ask who has the best barbecue in Southwest Virginia? And it’s a darn good question, one I’ve planned to ask before but was perhaps just a teeny weeny bit afraid because of the overwhelming passion it generates. People have written entire books about the subject and launched barbecue wars – this is serious stuff.
I mean, just think about how many questions can arise from that one question. What is the definition of true barbecue? Which state does it best? Is it Texas? North Carolina? Kentucky? What is the best sauce? Should it be thin and vinegary, mustardy or thick and sweet? Pork or beef? Chicken? Slaw or no slaw? Chopped or pulled? Apple wood or hickory? AAAAAAAHH! Do you see what I mean?
But a person doesn’t get anywhere without trying, so I say the time has come to officially launch this discussion. To get the juices flowing, I will paste (below) the blog comments I’ve received so far about the best BBQ in Southwest Virginia. Come on, y’all. Chime in.
Carol: I love Three Little Pigs in Daleville (they also have microbrews) but it’s so far away from Bbg. Anyplace nearer?
abdnva: In SW Va, the best I’ve found is Due South on Roanoke Road in Christiansburg. They do an excellent job, on par with some of the best of North Carolina barbecue places. Log Cabin Barbecue in Blacksburg is pretty good, too.
Dennis: I too like Three Little Pigs, a LOT. But, they are a long ways from W. Salem where we live. I think that Blues BBQ downtown has really good BBQ, though I haven’t been there in a while. Henry’s Memphis BBQ has good smoked pork, but the sauces and sides are “not so much” for my taste. I love the smoked pork sandwich at the Brambleton Deli! The South Carolina sauce is my favorite, though they have other good sauces as well. Due South BBQ in C’burg is decent and easy to get to for me. NOT a fan of Smokey Bones, or of Wildwood & Pit Boss, but they are options if you like it…
Other John: I love Due South in Christiansburg. Log Cabin in Blacksburg is alright, but not as good as Due South, in my opinion. Not sure about places outside of the NRV or restaurants that serve BBQ but are dedicated joints.
January 7, 2011 - 8:00 AM
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Did you know that in Alabama they have a white barbecue sauce? Yes, indeed. It is made with mayonnaise.
How’s that for something to get things started?
My husband and I are big fans of Bad Wolf Bbq on Williamson Road when we want bbq out. The bbq and slaw are excellent! When at home and need a quick meal we buy a pack of bbq from Sam’s Club, for the price and number of meals it provides it can’t be beat!
Well, admittedly I think the best BBQ around used to come out of my Dad’s kitchen but since he’s moved out of state I think the honor would have to go to Pitt Boss on Brambleton! They’ve got a good base meat and lots of choices on the sauce so everyone goes home happy (and full)!
Due South is the best I’ve found locally. Great meat and a great selection of sauces.
However, the Barbeque Exchange in Gordonsville (http://www.bbqex.com/) is freaking amazing. Their rub is so tasty, sauce actually makes it worse. I even talked the chef into selling me some rub the last time I was up there for lunch. He calls it “Crack”.
I like my BBQ good and smoky and frequently find the stuff around here lacking in that quality. For instance, I like Henry’s ribs but their pulled pork just isn’;t smoky enough for me. Good BBQ should taste good even without sauce.
Who has the smoky stuff?
I haven’t been to some of the places other readers have mentioned, but I think Blues BBQ is the best!
I also like Three Lil Pigs Barbeque. The vinegar sauce is as close to NC barbeque as I have tasted. Too many folks around here make “sweet” bbq which just doesn’t trip my trigger.
Pit Boss is pretty good, but I think I like Bad Wolf on Williamson best. You can’t beat the prices and the food is wonderful, especially their sweet potato fries.
I’ve got to reiterate my choice of Due South as the best locally.
As for the whole barbecue conversation? Wow, Lindsey, if you catch the right participants, that’s an argument that could last for weeks. A few of my opinions – barbecue is pork, and not beef. I know, Texans would shoot me for that, but barbecue originated as a way to prepare cheap meats, and that meant pork. Beef came along later. The original is pork. Brisket is really tasty in its’ own right, but it never equals good pork barbecue.
Also, talking about barbecue is not talking about ribs. That’s a entirely different argument.
That will do for now, but there’s more to come…
I’ve lived in eastern NC, Kansas City, and Texas and have come to love all 3 styles. NC = chopped pork at Allen & Sons or B’s; KC= burnt ends at Smokestack; Texas = brisket and sausage at Pitzitolla’s in Houston. Nowadays I make my own sauce that combines the tangy KC-style sauce with hot peppers & vinegar, so I don’t know much about the places around here. Man, I gotta get the smoker out this weekend…
Editor’s note: The Amateur is passing along a legitimate article about a legitimate concern. I checked it out to be sure. It’s off topic, but thank you very much for sharing, Amateur.
Warnings on ‘Lazy Cakes’ Relaxation Brownies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A brownie called ‘Lazy Cakes’ has a key ingredient that is supposed to help you sleep. But when a 2-year old Memphis child got hold of some of the brownie, doctors say he was lucky to wake back up.
It’s called ‘The Original Lazy Cakes.’ Available in convenience stores, it’s also called the ultimate relaxation brownie. But when a 15-year old Memphian bought one at a store off Macon, it almost spelled tragedy.
15-year old Kameron Cummings walked in and picked one up to try.
“When I went up to the counter I saw the brownie,” said Cummings. “I came here and I ate half of it.”
But here’s where it gets scary for this family. Not knowing what its effects were, Kameron gave a small slice to his 2-year old nephew.
Ann Payne Johnson with Baptist Memorial Health Care says the active ingredient in the brownie is melatonin, and it’s not just a normal dose.
“Could this lead to death? Absolutely,” she said. “The problem with ‘lazy brownies’ is it contains 4 times the adult dosage of melatonin.”
Johnson says giving this product to a child could prove deadly, “it can cause respiratory depression and death.”
When 2-year old Michael ate some he quickly began slipping.
“He just all of a sudden he just stopped and he came over here and laid down,” Cummings said. “I was scared; I thought something was going to be wrong with him.”
Fortunately he was ok, but doctors say to never give this to a child.
“Parents and children should never give small kids this medicine,” Johnson advised.
Thursday night this Memphis family is feeling lucky knowing a taste test could have turned tragic.
The packaging says that the brownie contains 3.9 milligrams of melatonin, and is recommended for adult use only.
_________________
Think like a Professional, Act like a Professional, Fish like a professional, and people will treat you like a Champion.
I’m sure not everyone agrees, but in my opinion there is no such thing as good barbecue. If you have to put sauce on meat, to me that means the meat is no good. I have heard that barbecue was “invented” to cover the taste of rancid meat. Makes sense it was developed in the south as keeping meat in the heat must have been a challenge, at best, before refrigeration. But, it’s a matter of taste. I just have never found any I enjoyed more than a good slab of grilled steak or pork. If I HAVE to eat barbecue, I prefer the vinegar based sauces. Old Virginia Barbecue in Rocky Mount used to have good food, but they went out of business a few years ago. I’ve been to a place on 221, but I can’t remember the name (just south of 419). They had 5 sauces you could pick from. I didn’t use any of them.
Sandy River Pork who visits the market on Saturdays has the BEST pork and sauce in the area, but they do not have it every week. All of their stuff is AWESOME!! http://www.sandyriverpork.com/content/pages/home.php
BBQ Exchange in Gordonsville, VA (outside Charlottesville) is divine and well worth the drive: http://www.bbqex.com/
A little out of our area, but Short Sugar’s in Danville has awesome BBQ!
Slightly sweet, but tangy.
Delicious!
@ Susan: I do not know about barbecue sauce, but the origin of sauces in general was indeed the need to cover the flavor of meat that was going bad.
And I really love a good piece of meat without a lot of adulteration, too. But I can’t deny my love of sauces, barbecue included.
Howard and I were talking about barbecue and he noted that while some restaurants stick to a signature sauce style, others serve up pulled or chopped pork and give the customer bottles of different sauces to try. Is that cheating?
@Lindsey: I don’t consider that cheating– that’s the way it should be. That way I can enjoy the flavor of the meat and add sauce as I like. I, too, am a big fan of sauces, but sometimes the meat is so good I just want to enjoy it on its own merit and save the sauce for my fries, hush puppies, salad, tea, napkin, that little box that holds the Sweet’N Low, or anything else I can slather in sauce and eat before they report me to authorities…
@Susan: South of 419 on 221 with many sauces would be Pit Boss. I only mention it in case you wish to compare your opinion to others who’ve mentioned Pit Boss prior.
Concerning what Susan just said about not liking barbecue, I only have one comment – SHE’S A WITCH! I tell you, we should burn her at the stake! With a nice vinegar based sauce, of course…
Only joking, Susan, of course…
I will tell you about this, as I have a lot of experience with North carolina based barbecue. In eastern NC, it is considered de rigeur to cook a whole hog for several hours – I’m talking 10, 12-sometimes 15 hours over low heat, never higher than about 225 degrees. While doing this, it breaks down all the fats and cartilages in the pork, and that leaves the pig. The meat is then picked off the carcass (thus the phrase ‘pig pickin’) and chopped pretty finely with cleavers.
It’s served fresh off the cooker, and guests are given bottles of vinegar sauce that is often seasoned with nothing more than red pepper flakes, and some Texas Pete. But the meat is prepared and often served without having ever been seasoned with anything. You season it to your taste at the table.
The point behind that is – if you can taste barbecue without any seasoning and it is good, then you’ve got good barbecue.
Due South has barbecue that is good without the sauce.
Anyway, maybe you’ll find some good Q somewhere, because it really is a heritage food…
The folks in North Carolina do barbecue better than anyone I know. They tend to be overly passionate about it. Even to the point where I’ve witnessed arguments about how to spell barbecue. ‘It should never have a Q in the word!…’ Stuff like that.
Eastern NC uses primarily all of the pig, western NC – ‘Lexington style’ – uses the Butt, as in the pork shoulder. Eastern NC is adamant about never ever letting tomato get anywhere near a barbecue sauce. For them it is ALWAYS vinegar. Western NC gets more into the combo of vinegar & tomato sauce.
A lot of the sauces that you see around here are considered eastern Tennessee style – with more brown sugar, tomato and only a little vinegar.
Thanks, Susan. I know that local BBQ places aren’t serving rancid meat, but IMO if you HAVE to put sauce on it to flavor it, it isn’t good BBQ. If you WANT to put sauce on it, which I do sometimes, that’s your choice, but you shouldn’t HAVE to.
Has anybody else here ever eaten goat barbecue? I had that one time in Mississippi.
If you find yourself in the Martinsville area, check out Pigs-R-Us. VERY good! And they have regular or hot slaw if you like a little kick.
This area is not as passionate about barbecue as some, and I think that explains some of the choices in sauce selection.
At diehard barbecue joints, you only have one choice for sauce. That is it. Around here, most places try to cater to anyone who likes barbecue in any form, so they give multiple choices. I’m happy with that. Like I mentioned earlier, and others have said – good barbecue is good without sauce. The sauce is just an enhancer, like cheese on a hamburger, if you will.
There are times I like a little spicier sauce, and times I like a sweeter sauce. Even times I will use the mustard based sauces, instead of those using only vinegar and/or tomato.
Pit Boss is awesome
In the NE part of Texas we went to Bodacious BBQ several times. It was good, but their sauce (vinegar-based) bothered my stomach. Had to quit going after a while. Locally, we like Wildwood,
Smokey Bones, and Brambleton BBQ. I like a sweet, brown-sugar based sauce the best.
Witch? I’ve been called worse, and I would definitely go well with a vinegar based sauce (GRIN!!). I guess my idea of barbecue is just the sauce. I like the meat with nothing on it. That’s how I ate it at Pit Boss. Figured it was good enough without trying to figure out which sauce to put on it, none of which I liked. But, the meat was good. So, maybe I do like barbecued meat WITHOUT sauce?
Blues BBQ – That is all.
Jack’s BBQ in Salem Rocked!!!
Bastians was no where close to quality and taste Jack did.
Three Little Pigs is good especially in the Spring and Summer with a good plate of BBQ, cold beverage and fine bluegrass by Mike Jones and his group. I like Brambleton deli too.
But the Best? Get invited to a real family pig roast.
For the best BBQ in SW Va. take a ride up to Floyd Va. Just above the Country Store by the Sun Building on most Fridays theres a man by the name of Jon Beegle that sets up as a streetside vendor. He calls his business Bootleg BBQ and its the best by far. He also has Ribs and Chicken and he is well worth the drive!!! He caters too!
I may wish I hadn’t given my secret out!
T
Hey Susan, what do you think about dry rubs? I know some folks prefer a good seasoning rubbed all over the meat before it is barbecued, and then there is no real need for sauce because the meat should not be dry. Maybe you are a dry rub gal!
I lived in NC for years and loved the Lexington BBQ festival. Does any restaurant around here serve that type of BBQ? I think I remember it was the vinegar kind.
the best bbq that i have had and i have had a lot is The Silver Pig in Madison Heights VA. It has some of the best bbq and they serve hush puppies.
@abdnva I think the reason you don’t see much passion about barbecue in this area is that Roanoke tends to be a confluence of different regional styles rather than having its own distinct style.
My personal favorite barbecue was Jack’s Barbeque when it was still open. Bastian’s ended up in Jack’s old place several times before they ended up closing for good.
There’s a few great places I remember from when i lived in Richmondd. Extra Billy’s on Broad(if it’s still there) and buzz and Ned’s also on Broad – best ribs EVER!
Around here I would say Due South – Henry’s used to be alot better – don’t know what happened to them?
Never had Pit Boss but will try it out!
Had Pigs R us at Mville speedway – it was pretty good as well…
It’s a complete shame that he closed his butcher shop, but Pat Price, owner of Custom Meat in Blacksburg still serves up the best barbecue in the area with his outdoor smokers. He only caters now, but it’s still the best!
Bad Wolf is my fav in Roanoke. Sonny’s BBQ in Daytona is pretty good, too. I love that place!
Love barbecue, Due South is best in are, although i do like Henry’s pork. On another note, the melatonin BS above is just uninformed. Melatonin is given to adults to promote sleep in 4mg doses, so 3.9 isn’t over the adult dose, and ask any doctor or RPH worth their salt and they will tell you that you could eat a bottle of melatonin and sleep all night safely, its about as non toxic as herbals get. a 4mg dose has no chance of killing a child no matter how small.
Barbeque Grille in Vinton is fantastic. I also love Pigs R Us in Martinsville.
If you’re ever headed to the Greensboro Airport, make time to stop off in Mayodan/Madison for a bite at Fuzzy’s Bar B Que. And be sure to try their homemade banana pudding too!
http://ncbbq.blogspot.com/2007/03/recommended-fuzzys-pit-cooked-bar-b-q.html
Smokehouse in Galax puts the NRV BBQ joints to shame! It is the best!!
Without a doubt Checkered Pig in Martinsville, Virginia has the best barbecue. They are nationally acclaimed and have award winning barbecue. They’re the real deal!
I am a NC transplant and good BBQ is one of the things I miss the most. I stock up everytime I go down there. In Roanoke, I think Henry’s is the best. As an FYI, in NC, there is eastern, Lexington, and western. My favorite eastern BBQ is Allen & Sons in Chapel Hill, Wilbur’s in Goldsboro, or B’s in Greenville. For Lexington, you have to go to the original Lexington BBQ in Lexington. My favorite western is in Blowing Rock at Woodlands or Bridges in Shelby (the one on US 74, not the one by the hospital, although both are very good). If you like sweet iced tea, Bridges has the best that I have ever tasted.
Due South has very good barbecue. But for my money, the best Eastern North Carolina style BBQ in this region is still The Coffee Pot in Roanoke.
They have the best pickled slaw, too.
Susan, don’t ask me why, but when you opined that you’re not a big fan of barbecue, my thoughts naturally turned like those in the mob here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr8DIg3oHFI
All humor intended, of course…
I used to help a friend conduct ‘pig pickin’s', and one hot August day, after we had gotten up at 3 a.m. to start the pig cooking, it was probably about 1 p.m. and we were about ready to take the pig off the cooker. Before we did, we each sampled the tenderloin. You could pull it off in shreds, it was so tender and juicy. I won’t divulge how much of the tenderloin we stood there & ate – shred by shred, but I’d estimate that nobody else got more than an ounce or two.
That was truly one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Easily top five. Right up there with my first pan fried soft shell crab, sorghum molasses on a biscuit, and a tomato sandwich from my own garden…
Thanks for being a good sport, and keep trying barbecue, as I said, the best is that needing no sauce. The sauce is the gravy…
Must be, Lindsey!! Maybe that’s it. Thanks! Makes me NOT a witch, huh? Just confused. Ha! I’ve been called THAT before, too (grin).
Short Sugars in Danville, hands down. Bad Wolf isn’t bad but everything else in the Roanoke Valley is junk. I would just as soon eat Castleberry’s from a can as eat 3 Little Pigs overpriced-undersmoked crap. All the new yankee’s moving into Botetout Co. might call that Q but they are sadly mistaken.
While I can’t say I have a favorite I will say Three Little Pigs, Bad Wolf, Pit Boss, and a few others mentioned all have there niches. An interesting place for BBQ is also Montano’s.
Also as mentioned there is Pigs-R-Us(Martinsville)/Checkered Pig(Danville and there competition group name) that has won some national awards.
I like my sauces with a kick and alot of heat so usually that is a swaying factor for me.
There is this guy who pulls up a trailor with a small smoker kitchen into a used car lot on Williamson Rd. that my buddy runs called America Auto. His BBQ and Potato Salad are definitely one of my fav.’s in the valley.
I’ll agree with those who say Due South in Christiansburg. Not only do they have great BBQ, their sides are the best. The sweet potato casserole is amazing and the fried green tomatoes are so good….
I’m following this thread closely. It sounds like Bad Wolf and 3 Little Pigs should be next on our list of BBQ places to scope out!
Best in the area…Pigs R Us in Martinsville. Best ever period….Cowlings Pit cooked BBQ outside of Wakefield Va on 460.
Three little pigs is good but Short Sugars in Danville is better. It’s quite a drive but worth checking out if your in Danville.
The best BBQ is in Houston Tx, Papas
Went to college in NC, so I dont think anyone around here has the BEST bbq. That said. Big Bad Wolf does some good bbq pork. They got a couple of sauces that are decent and the pork is moist.
That Pit Boss has some of the driest bbq I have ever had in my life. Their saving grace is their sauces.
Henry’s is ok. The bbq on wheels guy–gross.
I do hear that danville has some good ‘cue. might check ‘er out in the sumemr.
That’s why I asked who has the best barbecue in Southwest Virginia. But if anybody rich is out there and wants to sponsor a massive group field trip in search of the best barbecue in the country, I am all for that.
There’s a new kid on the block that has excellent BBQ and that is the Hillbilly Shack in Boones Mill. If you like your meat just plain or with sauce they both are great. The owner slow cooks his meat to perfection and takes great pride in what he offers. It really is good – check it out!
If you don’t see smoke rising up from your BBQ restaurant, it ain’t the real thing. A lot of the local places are getting their meat trucked in. I won’t mention any names, but you know who you are…
I miss Jack’s, now THAT was good Q.
Smokey’s Bar-B-Que on Main Street in Wytheville has great bbq, Only problem is the ribs are only served on Friday.
I never had good food in TX or CA. Must be the water.
A woman is better with make-up, a barn looks better with paint, and meat is better with a sauce!!
And . . the Best BBQ is in Kinston, NC or Wilson. But Durham is good enough.
THAT’S easy. What is hard is how to get a photo on with a Times online comment ! !
Sorry to see Bastians close. They used to make a good bbq, but they had slipped the past 2-3 years. I’m a real fan of Pitt Boss locally, but I can’t tolerate 3 Little Pigs or Bad Wolf. I echo those who recommend Pigs-R-Us in Martinsville and Fuzzys in Madison-Mayodan. Because of the recommendations of Due South, I’m going to give it a try next week.
Due South in Christiansburg! Great tasting meat with a good smoky flavor AND you choose your own sauce (if so desired). They have a good selection of those, too. My hubby prefers vinegar-based and i like the molasses–but we can both have our favorite here. Their fried green tomatoes ROCK–and are perfect with the Q.
WILDWOOD in SW County is awesome. Try their “Gold” sauce it’s incredible !!
Galax Smoke House on Main Street in Galax.
Have had all the above and BBQ in many states. Hands down the best in this area is Bootleg BBQ in Floyd, runner up is Due South in Cburg.
Galax Smokehouse best BBQ place in SWVA
You have to come to Tennessee to get the best Barbecue
Pigs R Us in Martinsville is hands down the best Barbeque of any I’ve tried all over the east coast and they have the awards to prove it…..I highly recommend the Ribs and Pulled Pork Combo…..My second favorite would be Farmers Barbeque in Charlotte,NC
And Cowlings in Waverly on 460 is incredible!! Ditto any Jim n Nicks in TN,SC or AL.
You can buy Sunnys barbecue sauce at Sams and make your own bbq.
Put the meat in a crock pot along with sauce and let it cook. I do chicken that way and we can’t tell that it’s chicken.
Have had Silver Pig from Lynchburg . It is some of the best but don’t care for the sweet hushpuppies.
dbb is right. If you ever are near East Tennessee for the Bristol race or for any other reason, you have to try Ridgewood in Bluff City, Tn just outside Bristol. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-14982678R
Want good BBQ? Come to Galax!!!! We have TWO awesome spots! You can’t go wrong with either Squealers Restaurant or The Galax Smokehouse…. Finger Licking good!!!
Big Bad Wolf on Williamson Rd (near Happy’s on opposite of road) is really, really good. Pit Boss on 221 just off 419 going up towards Floyd is good, too. I’ve eaten both with and without sauce and loved it either way. I like my BBQ smoked!
Pigs r us in martinsville is the best BBQ I have ever had!
Has anyone ever correctly guessed the secret ingredient in the Banana Pudding at Galax Smokehouse?
Well both of my parents are from Houston, Texas, and I spent alot of time there as a kid, and growing up n all that. To me the best kind of B-B-Q, is Pit cooked, BEEF Brisquet, with no vinegar in the sauce, which seems to be the norm in Virginia and this part of the country.. sorry but gimme the ‘farther south, like Texas’ style any day of the week, n make it beef n not pork, thanks. We had “RADSUES” in Salem on Main Street, there a few yrs back, and RAdford and Sue Ellen, who were both from Texas, and had been University of Texas Prof. and had thier own special, home made secret sauce. And then there was a Dickie’s BBQ place closer to Walmart in Salem on Main, and it closed down after not being opened very long, I believe. So I/we were dissapointed to see them go, as well. My new Pastor’s wife is from Sheperd, Texas, and knows how to make it home made, which they have not made for us has of yet, but I suppose that shall be the only way that we are able to get some Texas, beef brisquet BBQ, unless there is some place i dont know about yet. God bless everyone in JESUS Name and have fun. We do like Memphis up by Towers Mall, and Bad Wolf, that moved from Plantation, out to Williamson, down by Happys Flea market, but it still aint Texas style and not beef, neither.. Gary in Roanoke, VA
Galax, Virginia is home of the Virginia State Barbecue Competition and also home of the Galax Smoke House. It is certainly worth the drive to try this place. World Class ribs, brisket, stew and chicken.
Well, in North Carolina, we have two great styles: Piedmont and Eastern. And if you just can’t decide, you can order both from the boys at http://www.ncbbqcompany.com/
Why battle when you can eat the best of both, I say?
Great post, too.
BAD WOLF BBQ!!
They are the BEST, COLESLAW too!!! NICE Place to eat, very cozy; and they also have a buffet.
You have got to try them.
Tomato Based and VInegar
Fat Daddy’s Bar-B-Q in Bedford
I have eaten BBQ at every joint mentioned in here aside from the one in Wytheville, and will say hands down that Bootleg BBQ from Floyd is the best.
The pulled pork is the best I have ever had, and his ribs are incredible.
There are several locations where the Q is sold in Floyd, and he does catering also. Come to Floyd on a weekend and grab a sammich!
I’ve had Due South and a whole bunch of other barbecues across Southwest Va.
and my favorite is in Galax and its not the Smoke House.
It’s Squealers Authentic Barbecue. I wouldn’t recommend
the sides etc. but the barbecue is papillae and belly pleasing.
There is a man named Dean Newman in Harrisonburg, Va,that makes the most amazing, slow cooked pork BBQ. We tailgate at some Emory & Henry games. The secret seems to be the slow, low temp cooking, plus the sauce of your geographic area to top it off.
Whooo-wee! Great comments, everybody. Keep ‘em coming! I’ll be approving all weekend long.
I’ve eaten at many of these places and I have to say my favorite is BootLeg BBQ in Floyd. The pork is SO tender and flavorful that you do not need sauce. To me that is the true test. Any place can cook meat and dounce it in a sauce. The flavor of BootLeg BBQ’s is cooked into the meat, so it’s just amazing. He also has a white sauce that is great–more of a Southern thing than SWVA–so it was new to me. SO glad I tried it!
Drive up to Floyd on the weekends and he is often set up somewhere selling. He’s available for catering too. We have hired him for a party this spring and we are so excited to share his work with our friends! He has a facebook page too if you want to look him up!
Henry’s Memphis
The dry rub and potato chips are second to none. A hometown treasure.
gdad, try Due South for smoky BBQ. Their chicken, beef brisket, wings…all great without anything added. The smoke flavor and dry rub they use for a touch of seasoning is awesome as is. I’ve not had the pork bbq there, but I hear it’s just as good and can stand alone without their sauces, which are pretty darn good too. I personally like the sweeter sauces like sweet red and brown, but hot red and Lexington style sauces are really good too. My wife likes their mustard-based sauce too, though that’s more a low-country SC thing.
A few years ago ” Tanks BBQ ” had it going on ..I ‘m partial to ” Henry’s ” now .
Ridgewood Between Bristol Tn and Elizabethton Tn is AWESOME .
Best Pork – was Bastians
Best Beef – Blues
Best Chicken – Logans
Best Turkey – Memphis
Best Ribs- Pit Boss
Best Beans – Smokey Bones
Best Fries – Blues/Memphis
Best Sports – Pit Boss
Best Music – Blues
Best Value – Blues/Pit Boss
Pigs ‘r Us in Martinsville or Checkered Pig in Danville, both owned by Tommy Houston are excellent. Tommy has won or placed in several national competitions and was featured on the Food Network last year. great ‘que, ribs,and brisket.
http://www.checkeredpig.com/
Short Sugar’s in Danville is pretty good, Due South in Christiansburg is worth going to. But the only place worth really going out of your way for is Bootleg barbeque up in Floyd. Unfortunately, I think he’s hung it up ’till spring, since nobody in their right mind goes outside in Floyd in the winter time.
I second Smokey’s Bar-B-Que in Wytheville very good Q and the baked beans are the best you can ever get.
As far as white barbecue sauce It’s a regional thing in Alabama (Northern) I’ve tried and it’s best with grilled chicken.
White Barbecue Sauce
2 Cups Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper
6 Tablespoons white vinegar
6 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons white sugar
Mix all ingredients together and stir well.
I LOVE PIT BBQ but people around here have no idea what I am talking about.. It’s smokey, for sure, and requires no sauce. Most often served on a bun, thinly sliced. Pit turkey, pit beef, pit ham…beef being my favorite… Anyone know of a place to find pit beef south of Maryland?
I don’t think most people know that Tinnel’s has BBQ in Tuesday’s and it is pretty darn good
Blues BBQ – Best I’ve had in around here – sounds like a trip to Due South is in the making with all the mentioning of it -
Carter Brothers in High Point, NC has some pretty good BBQ. Worth the stop if you are in that area
I have to say I am also on the Bootleg BBQ bandwagon. Cowlings was my fave for years until discovering Bootleg right here in Floyd. White sauce is unbelievable.
I agree w/ Kenny, who commented WAY back up this thread: SONNY’S BBQ!!! It is our all time fav., and we’ve been eating there since the 70′s! They are a southeastern chain, we first found them in Daytona but they have a place in Charlotte, and in Mooresville, NC just this side of Charlotte. The “sliced pork sandwich” is absolutely to die for!
And all of the sides and other food is awesome!
After reading most of these enteries I am amazed at the number of people who like Due South in Christiansburg. My family has eaten there three times and did not enjoy it in the least. The only reason we gave it three chances is because it came so highly recommended. We found the hush puppies to be the only pleasing thing about the meal. Each time we went, there was something different that we liked the least. Found the pork to be very dry, the sauces to be to thin and thought the slaw was just plain bad. Sorry folks, but I refuse to give them a forth chance!
Bad Wolf BBQ on Williamson Rd has the best BBQ.
I have to put my vote in for Due South. By far the best barbecue I have had in a long time! The sides are excellent too! Of course not everyone is going to be happy with any place, but I hope the overwhelming support of Due South on this blog gives the nice folks who work there some business.
I always recommend Bootleg Bar-B-Q in Floyd, VA It’s the best slow smoked mouth melting authentic south west Virginia Bar-B-Que I know of!
The best that I have had in many moons is made by Blues BBQ, down on the Roanoke City Market. They make real smoked barbecued pork and brisket. ‘The Pure’, in my opinion. When I make pork barbecue, my ‘gold standard’ is Blues BBQ’s barbecue. If I could only make it as good as they can…
I recently stopped in for ‘The Honcho’, a massive hamburger piled with succulent barbecue. I told the owner that I’d been dreaming of a ‘Honcho Burger’ since some time last year. It was magical, as always.
I agree with Walker’s comment from above. The absolute best meat that I have had (except a home-done pig pickin’) is from Extra Billy’s in Richmond. Couldn’t remeber the name until I saw his post. Really smokey, tasty meat and don’t even use a sauce on it. Just some tabasco because I like it hot! Around Roanoke, not many that I care for. Bad Wolf is OK, but I never could get it without them mixing a sauce in it when they were on Plantation. Haven’t been to the one on Williamson yet. Best brisket that I ever had was from a vendor at Blue Ridge Winery in Eagle Rock (may have been Dean’s). AWESOME Beef brisket sandwich…
Three little pigs…great sauces and sweet tater fries and Blue’s BBQ downtown — they have the most tender pork bbq, great sauces and just the right amount of smokeyness….and their ribs are the bomb!
Good news, BBQ lovers! The search is over; I already found the best BBQ in Roanoke. It’s a food truck on Williamson Rd that’s located in a used car lot next to the Pancake house and across from the True Value store with the cast iron skillet on the front. The name of the business is “Smokehouse BBQ”. His sandwiches are $5 each and they will amaze you. Easily the most intense smokiness that you’ll find in the valley. Try it, you’ll love it.
Due South hits the mark.
Galax Smokehouse is the best BBQ I’ve ever had.
I like Bad Wolf BBQ on Williamson Rd
We have several favorites in Roanoke – for different things. Pit Boss has always been number 1 for us in the beef brisket category. Plus, his sauces are incredible. Oddly, we liked the food a little better when he was in the little hole in the wall where Burger in the Square is now.
Best ribs in Roanoke? Wildwood. Hands down. Especially when they’re running their full rack + 2 sides special for $14.99. That’s easily three meals right there. The bone slides cleanly out of the meat and the ribs just melt in your mouth. No need for sauce at all.
Blues BBQ (not to be confused with Blue 5) downtown is also a major favorite. The atmosphere, service and food are all excellent. It hits the trifecta in that regard. We prefer the pork from there.
Three Little Pigs in Daleville is…nice. I guess. We’ve been several times and it’s been hit and miss. The service was phoned in – the servers were more interested in huddling at the kitchen door to chat. The food tasted more like commissary to us. On a one to ten scale, I’d give it a six for service, seven for food. The BBQ nachos have a good taste.
The best thing about reading all the comments here is that I now have several new places to look forward to trying out! I’m on the hunt for somewhere in Roanoke/SWVA that does -good- hushpuppies. Slightly sweet with some good onion, not too dry, not bitter.
Sounds like I have several places to try. Everyone’s has different taste so I’ll have to try them for myself.
Pit Boss and Blues BBQ top my list for places in Roanoke. I had Three little pigs (it was catered) and was not impressed. Bootleg and Due South if I’m ever in the area.
Bastian’s BBQ lost me years ago. The did go down hill as there were great at one time. I ate there several times and where I work had it catered several times. Everyone loved them the first two times, hated them the last. Bad Wolf lost me 10 years ago due to VERY poor service. Though I’m tempted to try them with the buffet.
Henry’s Memphis BBQ was once great. Haven’t eaten there in about 2 years. The last rack of ribs I got there were over cooked and dry. I hear they no longer smoke their meat on location so I see no reason to return. I was never impressed with their sides.
Maybe once this thread dies down you can do one on ribs as I’m more of a rib man myself.
Henry’s has the best BBQ(pork) in our area, but their slaw is no where as good as NC BBQ slaw. Slaw is an essential, as anyone who has had NC BBQ knows.
I grew up in eastern VA and have always been a fan of NC style BBQ. The best NC style BBQ in the hear area is at the Silver Pig in Madison Heights. The local BBQ seems to be just chopped port, some smoked some not, and lets each add his/her own sauce…To me that is just genericly cooked pork and people can sauce it to taste. Genuine BBQ is seasoned with vinegar and pepper and then if by choice or not the person can add his/her sauce of choice. Local BBQ has missed the point andtries to put out a product that people can “customize.” Probable the best for business, but not for the BBQ. I am anxious to try one of the BBQ mentioned in this column, both in Christiansbury and Floyd.
Have not eaten Coffee Pot BBQ in a long while but will try that sometime real soon.
So it seems I really need to add Due South to the list of BBQ places to try. The Bootleg BBQ guy sounds promising as well! I can tell already that I’m going to get fat trying to find the perfect Q for our wedding in September!
Bailie, the good news is that – if cooked right – pork is as good for you as chicken breast, or at least in the same range. To add to that, remember that barbecue – cooked the right way – is cooked for a long time at a low heat. That causes the fat to mostly render off, leaving a very lean product. Thus eating pork barbecue is actually pretty good for you.
The kicker is when you add sugar based sauces, deep fried hush puppies, banana puddin’, etc. But then, what is life, right?
http://www.ncpork.org/pages/consumers/pork_facts.jsp
@abdnva – and french fries. Don’t forget french fries
Wow! A friend sent this link to me. Thanks for all the nice words. I’m honored to be mentioned in this thread. We try very hard to provide the best service and best tasting bbq in the area. We’ve only been doing this professionally for a little over a year but the response has been quite a pleasant surprise. Looking forward to seeing some of you and can’t wait to go to some of the places mentioned in the article. Since we’re roadside vendors we won’t be open again until the Spring but come visit us on Facebook to keep up with our schedule and get on our mailing lists for special cooks during the winter. Shameless plug:)
In the Shenandoah Valley (AKA Harrisonburg) in the summer there are churches & organizations that hire BBQ masters who have been doing bbq in the valley for decades and they sell half chickens (poultry capital of the world…) that are so good it melts in your mouth. They sell at gas stations all around town, if you are up that way on a Saturday, go thru town and pick up a few. You will be sorry you only got a few! Get a bag of ice and bring a cooler and stock up. You won’t find anything better anywhere.
Good one, Lindsey, but I subscribe to most of the eastern NC philosophy about barbecue…
It’s got to be pork, it’s got to be slow cooked (I’m not a freak about wood fired v. gas). It’s got to be served on a white bread bun (hopefully Merita), it’s got to have milk based cole slaw (none of that vinegar, tomato or mustard poison in the slaw!). It’s got to come with hush puppies (not the onion kind), collards, butter beans, ‘new’ (red) potatoes, and for dessert I want ‘nanner puddin’ that is nothing more than a #10 can of vanilla cream, some whipped cream and Nilla wafers with a single banana sliced into the mix.
Not that I’m picky or anything…
Bootleg, before I drive all the way over to Floyd in search of you – tell me about your barbecue! Tempt my taste buds!
Is it whole hog or shoulder? Is it cooked over wood, charcoal, or gas? For how long? Do you chop it, or just pull it? What kind of sauce do you use or offer? What are your sides? How often are you open for bidness?
I love bad wolf bbq they are yummy
abdnva…I use Boston butts cooked over hickory wood heat for 12-13hrs. My pork is pulled and lean. I offer a southern style vinegar sauce, Alabama white sauce and SC style sweet mustard sauce. My sides are smoked baked beans and slaw, both home made of course. Occasionally I offer Atomic Buffalo Turds and corn on the cob. We work seasonally from April to December and are in the process of building a vending trailer that might extend our season. Thanks for the interest!
Um, OK, I will admit that I had never heard of Atomic Buffalo Turds. And of course I was curious, so I Googled it. It appears as if they are fresh jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and a cocktail weiner, then wrapped in bacon and cooked in the smoker? Hello, sign me up for some turds, please.
ABT’s as they are affectionately referred to are always the biggest hit on the appetizer table. The heat of the jalapeno is controlled by the number of seeds left in the pod once it is split but the key ingredient is the smoked bacon…but lets get back to BBQ!
Love the ABT!!! Hey on the BBQ subject….everyone has a favorite, but I was in Boones Mill on 220 North and had some of the best BBQ. The guy bakes his own bread roll, smokes pork, chicken and beef on site. all his sides are homemade and sauce is on the side so you get to taste the meat. I had a sandwich, with about a half pound of pork BBQ, crunchy slaw, mac and cheese and potato chips for including tax $6.23 AWESOME!
I have to agree with Steve C, the “Smokehouse BBQ” truck is definitely some awesome stuff.
My friend and I found him on west main st in Salem a couple weeks ago, but I have seen them all over Roanoke and Salem.
As soon as you see his overalls you know you’re in for a treat. It’s the perfect mix of meat, (just enough) sauce, and slaw on a high quality bun.
I just wish I could find a schedule of where his stops are.
Does anyone have the recipe for the red slaw that was served at Jack’s BBQ in Salem? I miss that place.