The Difference Between "Good" & "Great" BBQ Joints

I've said it before.  I eat at a BBQ joint just about every chance I get.  Even if I've eaten there before.  Now I try to be respectful of other folks if I'm out to lunch etc., but given the choice I'll nearly always choose good BBQ over the other food groups.

I also find that in most BBQ joints, the BBQ is pretty decent.  Not always great, but good.  In fact, anyone that knows me knows that I critique the hell out of most of the places we go to.  And, I believe that my BBQ is just as good. 

But sometimes I walk out of a BBQ joint and say, "That was great".  So I've begun to ponder what the difference is between "good" & "great" BBQ joints.  Is it the meat, or is it something else?  I'm not a big sauce guy, so it's not the BBQ sauce.  Every BBQ joint you eat in these days all look the same, so it's not the atmosphere.  Is it their reputation?  I don't think so.  I've eaten in some notable joints and walked away underwhelmed. 

So what's the difference between "good" & "great" BBQ joints?  I'll tell you what I think it is.  It's a combination of all the things I've already mentioned, plus awesome side dishes.  While I can cook the heck out of BBQ, I'm not as good at side dishes.  So I guess I put a high value on the things that I can't do myself. 

If you want to take your BBQ joint from "good' to "great", you have to do all the basics and you have to do them well.  But you have to have great side dishes too.  It's not enough to have good meat, a selection of sauces, a big glass of sweet tea, and a down home atmosphere.  You have to close the deal with some great sides.

I mean, have you had the BBQ beans at Martin's BBQ Joint or the creamed corn at 17th Street Bar & Grill?  Shut my mouth & slap your grandma!  Now that's good eatin', and those are "great" BBQ joints.

Cheers,
Braddog

The Legend & Me

I have the good fortune of living in the middle Mike Mills' BBQ empire.  I've enjoyed the BBQ at his restaurants in the midwest for quite awhile, and frankly it's the yardstick that I use to measure most other BBQ restaurants (not to mention my own BBQ).  I've also had the pleasure of making the virtual acquaintenace of Mike's daughter Amy via the very active BBQ community that exists on the internet.

Last night my family treated me to dinner at 17th Street Bar & Grill, Mike Mills' restaurant, for my birthday.  As I commented via Twitter on the way to dinner, "If I can't BBQ myself then I'll gladly eat at 17th Street".  Amy picked up my message on Twitter and let me know that it so happened that Mike was going to be at the O'fallon joint for last night's airing of "Food Feuds" on the Food Network.  She let Mike know I was on my way and asked him to say hello.

Sure enough, Mike found us shortly after I arrived and I had the opportunity to chat with him for several minutes about the Food Network competition, eating and enjoying other folks' BBQ, and the possibility of joining him for one of his On-Cue classes after the first of the year.

In spite of his accomplishments, Mike was as common as cornbread.  He is exactly who I thought he'd be after reading his book "Peace, Love, and Barbecue".  It was like chatting with an old friend.  Mike even sent around some special appetizers for us to sample and made a second stop by our table just to make sure that things were good.

Mike Mills and his family are perfect examples of the kind of folks that I've had the good fortune to meet along the way as I've enjoyed this uniquely American pastime called BBQ.

Oh, and congratulations to Mike and the crew at 17th Street for the win over Pappy's Smokehouse on Food Feud last night.

Cheers,
Braddog

Review - 17th Street BBQ

I went to college within spitting distance of the original 17th Street BBQ restaurant and never ate there.  It's funny that 25 years later they have opened a restaurant roughly the same distance away from my home.  Today I finally found a way to convince my family to eat there for lunch.

17th Street BBQ is owned by Mike Mills.  Mike is called "The Legend" in BBQ competition circles.  His competition BBQ team, Apple City BBQ, has won a number of Memphis-in-May titles.  Memphis-in-May is the Superbowl of BBQ competitions.  He's been featured in Gourmet magazine and his BBQ is served at Memphis Championship BBQ in Las Vegas.  This is a pit master that knows what he's doing for sure.

The building that they've occupied has been several different restaurants, including a previous BBQ purveyor.  What struck me when I entered the place is that they have completely redone the inside.  There are walls where there weren't before and they've given the place a very traditional feel.  I liked the atmosphere right away.  The only thing that I found odd was the choice of classic rock music in the background.  I don't think I've ever eaten BBQ while listening to Pat Benetar signing "Hit me with your best shot".

17th Street does BBQ in the Tennessee/Memphis style.  Their original sauce is vinegar based and they serve "chow" (a sweet slaw) on their sandwiches.  This is right up my alley in terms of personal preferences and I have to say that they did a nice job with the BBQ.

The side dishes were also very traditional and very tasty.  I had creamed corn and baked beans with my BBQ pork sandwich.  Both sides had a "down-home" quality that I enjoyed very much.  And no BBQ meal would be complete without sweet iced tea.  My only real complaint is that I felt that their prices were a bit high.

Here's my report card for 17th Street BBQ:

• BBQ - A
• Side Dishes - A
• Atmosphere - B
• Value - C+
• Overall - B+

I enjoyed my meal and would recommend 17th Street if you find yourself near one of their locations.

Cheers,
Braddog