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Barbeque

Festivus Miracle

Festivus Miracle

Sophomore
Mar 12, 2014
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I haven't seen this thread in a while. Let us name the best barbecue restaurants in Kentucky/Tennessee. Owensboro will be having the International BBQ festival soon (some time in May) and there are many, many little BBQ places all over Kentucky and Tennessee. I am starting with two favorites in my area:

Smoky Pig in Bowling Green (amazing shoulder and great vinegar cole slaw).
R & S BBQ in Tompkinsville.
 
Went to what was supposed to be the best BBQ in Owensboro one time. They didnt even know what shoulder was. I believe ill stick to the Lake when it comes to BBQ now.
 
The best I can tell, shoulder is rather indigenous to the Southern Kentucky area. Maybe I am wrong. I love good, crispy shoulder dipped in some hot sauce. When I was in college (many years ago) we made the Saturday morning trip to Monroe County where a lady cooked shoulder on bed springs. The health department was a little concerned about it and, along with her getting much older, she finally shut down. But it was awesome.

IMHO, Moon Lite is very, very overrated. The dessert bar is good and the sides are good, but the bbq can't even touch Old Hickory. Both are rather expensive.
 
^^ Are we talking about a different type of shoulder? Boston Butt is another typical name for shoulder, but everyone that cooks BBQ, regardless of location, should know what pork shoulder is.

I haven't had any KY bbq, but the Perfect Pig in White Bluff, TN is some of the best I've had. My favorite sauce remains to be from Alabama... Dreamland's BBQ sauce. Their meat was not cooked all that great, IMO, not quite enough smokey flavor, but I love the sauce.
 
I know some people chop their shoulder. I suppose what I am referring to is sliced shoulder smoked and treated in a colon searing sauce.
 
^^ Interesting. I am not sure that I have seen it sliced. Pulled and chopped are the usual ways. I have seen the "pork collar" sliced, but not the entire shoulder. The collar is basically just the muscle at the end of the shoulder. It is excellent, but I don't know that many restaurants actually take the time to cook that part properly. Still, got to love a great hot, vinegary, bbq sauce.
 
As I said, when we venture out of the Southern Kentucky area, I never see the sliced shoulder. Below is a pic of pork shoulder, extra crispy, dipped. This is a pic from R & S BBQ in Tompkinsville, Ky.

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Two slabs of shoulder on bread. Shoulder sandwich. When I hear BBQ thats what I think of and thats what I want. Ill take BBQ from a little shack in this area over any BBQ restaurants.
 
I used to be a big fan of the pit in Edmonton but havent been as much a fan here lately. Backyard in Tomkinsville is good as well. Dont think I have ever been to the places you mention Jason. Where is the one in Tompkinsville?
 
R & S is right down from the football field. The old high school. I THINK, Frances is on 4th Street. Jason probably knows better.
 
Knoth's period is the best in this state.

Here in Louisville Id say shack in the back over in fair dale.
 
Originally posted by JasonSpear:


Originally posted by Festivus Miracle:

R & S is right down from the football field. The old high school. I THINK, Frances is on 4th Street. Jason probably knows better.
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R&S is great. I graduated high school with the guy the "R" is for. Think he left Monroe Co as the 2nd all time scoring leader for basketball. His sister, the "S" is a couple years older.

Back Yard is great.

Frances used to be on the highway halfway between Tompkinsville and Celina, TN. It burned down. Then they reopened at a spot just between the old Houchens and the Tompkinsville Elementary School. It burned down a month or so ago. So either they hire really careless workers, have bad electrical, or like to college insurance money.

JayDees in Gamaliel may top all the BBQ I've had in Monroe Co. I consider myself a bit of a BBQ snob. Had it all over the country. Monroe Co has the best BBQ in general of any one place I've ever eaten in my life. Would like to try Memphis sometime soon since I moved to Nashville.
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Keep telling 'em Jason! Monroe CountyBBQ!
 
I try BBQ everywhere we go. I am with you, Jason. None better so far than the Monroe County BBQ. And many have tried to replicate, but can't get it done. Closest for me is Smoky Pig in Bowling Green. The new place over in Glasgow is trying, and while it is good, it is not R & S. Smoke Shack in Scottsville also professes to be the "Monroe County" recipe. It is good.

We ate at a BBQ place called "Southern Soul BBQ" on St. Simons Island, Ga not too long back that was outstanding. Maybe the best outside of Monroe County that I have had. But basically, what we do is accept that we live in an area with the best BBQ in the nation, and others are just going to come up short.

I haven't tried Jay Dee's. I will have to get over there.
 
I dont venture into Tville often, I used to be there every monday for the mens basketball league. I cant remember the last time I made it to Gamaliel but if I ever do again Ill be sure to get a shoulder sandwich
 
Yeah, kids ballgames are the only reason I head that way. It's kind of a long, hard drive. The BBQ is kind of the carrot in front of the mule.
 
-Frances BBQ has no plans of rebuilding or reopening. Sad. They have the best shoulder. R&S has the best chicken. This is not debateable.

- Smoke Shack in Scottsville is Monroe County style run by Monroe County people. It's good, but it isn't on the level of R&S or Frances. Every once in a while though, they can whip up a batch of shoulder that rivals anything T-ville can put out.

- I'll have to try JayDee's in Gamaliel. Speaking of Gamaliel BBQ, Bow's was the hottest BBQ I've ever tried anywhere. Lit my little ass up when I was in middle school. Collin's BBQ was always more consistent, or so I thought. Loved their burgers.
 
I keep my 'que simple. If the joint has a pit boss...I'm pulling up a chair. If the place has a 'grill master', it's on to the next one.

Charleston has fair to middling 'que...not great. The best in our area is Sweatman's up in Holly Hill, but it's an hour from the Charleston metro. If you want to drive an hour and a half, Lake City has some SERIOUS pit bosses, and most of them just have a pit with a shack built around it. Just the way I like it!

Here's my test of good BBQ. If you're in a 'que coma 20 minutes after you finish eating, you've had some GOOD BBQ. I'm usually the driver, so I take mine to go (but I do indulge enough to be sociable) Nothing like driving back to Charleston with 3 or 4 unconscious passengers in your car.
 
Originally posted by Get Bucket$:
Starnes in Paducah.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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Yes. I actually like it a little better than Knoths. The BBQ ham is also excellent.

BBQ on the River in Paducah is the bomb. Occurs in September. The best of 4 states show up and set up booths.
 
The best BBQ Ham in Paucah area is at Harned's. too many great BBQ places to list in the Paducah area so it is hard to narrow it down.

- Corbin has one that I thought was good. Maybe because I like the sweet sass - Smokey Bears(or something like that).
 
JasonSpear, totally off the bbq thing for a second, I went to middle school with a fellow from around your area in the 1970's. He played on my little league basketball team and was a good athlete and a great guy. He switched schools to, I think, Gamaliel, and I remember hating to see him go. He had an older brother as well.

BTW, I also worked with a gal (don't remember her name) that pronounced the town "Guh-male". I always heard it as "Ga-male-yah." How do you pronounce it?
 
Nicky's in Fulton (Hickman Co). Not sure if its still open, I last visited there circa 2012 and it was absolutely a wreck as far as maintenance was concerned, but the food was as spot on as ever. Huge plate of BBQ, two sides, and unlimited sweet tea for 6$.
 
I like my bcue to have a very smokey taste. Most of the places we go are okay, but usually not enough smoke. Any good mom/pop places that really put the smoke to their meat?

Father-in-law introduced me to real barbecue about 25 years ago in Hartford. A little spot that looked like an old tasty freeze building. He had a little shack out back. Great bcued mutton. Father in law liked it pulled. He'd fix a sandwich with a slab of onion and several homemade bread and butter pickles.
 
Originally posted by Festivus Miracle:

I'm over near Murray State quite a bit. I'll have to look that up. Ate at Patti's numerous times.
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Yea Patti's is good for that Pork Chop, sweet potato and asparagus. Great meal! Around Christmas time they have a nice festive setup too that we get to every year while visiting family down there.
 
Down here in Chattanooga Shuford's Smokehouse is fantastic. It's a downhome, very basic place to eat lunch Sticky Fingers is the upscale BBQ place and their ribs are awesome. We go there for dinner. If you're traveling through it's right off I75 at the Hamilton Place exit.





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This post was edited on 4/17 10:43 PM by Deeeefense
 
One of the perks of living in Cumberland county was that Monroe was next door. Frances was just plain ole good, Dale Hollow One stop is pretty good, Hunters in Clinton county is good. Love BBQ in summer time and at the lake. I go with the wife on the yard sale that runs thru Monroe county just hoping to find some guys doing some bbq cause it is always good to.
 
Originally posted by Deeeefense:
Down here in Chattanooga Shuford's Smokehouse is fantastic. It's a downhome, very basic place to eat lunch Sticky Fingers is the upscale BBQ place and their ribs are awesome. We go there for dinner. If you're traveling through it's right off I75 at the Hamilton Place exit.





ec


This post was edited on 4/17 10:43 PM by Deeeefense
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Isn't sticky fingers a chain?
 
I was in K.C. once, I love a good smoked brisket.

arthurbryants.beefsandwich.jpg


Was in Smithfield N.C. and Holt Lake BBQ and Seafood was pretty good.
Family style place where they brought out pitchers of sweet tea, baskets of finger hush puppies and brunswick stew.
 
I will vouch for the guys down in South Central KY, there BBQ is awesome. That sliced shoulder is amazing. My wife is from Glasgow and the first time we visited her mom that's what we ate. They serve it with a spicy vinegary sauce that is runny instead of thick that just goes perfect with it. There is a grocery in Crestwood that sold the shoulder sliced up like that, which I have never seen anywhere else. I used rib rub I like to use and seasoned them up and cooked them on the big green egg for about 30-45 minutes on 300 with a heat diverter and replicated what they do. Man it is good eating.

The moral of the story is when someone from South Central KY says they are eating shoulder it is not pulled or chopped pork they are talking about it is this sliced variation.

Also imho, if the meat needs sauce for moisture then it is not good BBQ, also if the restaurant ran out of sauce you should still be just fine eating their BBQ without it, that is the true test of how good the place is.
This post was edited on 4/18 7:45 AM by dgtatu01
 
A good BBQ place is something we really lack up here in northern KY. If we want to hit up a good BBQ place have to head across the river to Eli's, Velvet Smoke in Findlay Market and one place I haven't tried yet is Alabama Q in downtown Cincy.

Heading to Western KY for a wedding this summer looking forward to some good BBQ.
 
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