Summer's in full swing, and that means the kids are driving you crazy vacation, vacation, vacation! Ditch the tired Caribbean and load up the car for a Southern BBQ trip, where the adventure lies in the journey as much as the destination.
The following suggestions are from a bona fide BBQ connoisseur, from Texas (so he knows BBQ), with a love for North Carolina's vinegar-based sauce. [Note: The suggestions are for the very best of the eastern part of the
South, which includes Georgia, Tennessee, and both North and South
Carolina. Texas is not included in this list.]
But before we get to the list, here are some BBQ facts you should know:
(1) BBQ should never be fancy. (2) The best BBQ comes out of an old building that looks like it will collapse at any moment, because
of the years of smoke damage it has endured. (3) Putting a piece of meat
on the grill, i.e. grilling, is not the same as barbecuing. Barbecuing
requires indirect heat, wood smoke, and a lot of time. (4) The South is famous for having the best BBQ in the country, but it still varies
greatly between and within states in style of cooking, marinating, and
choice of meat.
And finally, for those who don't love food as
much as we do (really?), there are great adventures throughout the South
for you to enjoy as well, like white-water rafting, kayaking, hiking,
bird-watching, blues singing...
Tom Jenkins Bar-B-Q
1236 S. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL
33316
954-522-5046
How could you not begin with this classic?
Fat Matt's Rib Shack
1811 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
404-607-1622
Porker's BBQ
1251 Market St., Chattanooga, TN 37402
423-267-2726
1975 U.S. Highway 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602
828-324-0020
328 W. Davie St, Raleigh, NC 27601
919-890-4500
109 E. Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601
919-832-7614
6309 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27606
919-859-2544
Carolina Barbecue
733 U.S. Highway 70 W, Garner, NC 27529
919-773-0222
