My Top Five All-Time BBQ Joints (So Far)

Some ribs of my own making. (click image for higher quality picture)

I was inspired to do this post since Brad informed me that he was going to serve Memphis-style BBQ at his political re-education camps. With that, I kind of figured: How bad could re-education be?

Anyway, it got me thinking about my favorite BBQ places. These are my top five. I'm not saying they are in this particular order. All I'm saying is that these are the top five places that I've been to. If your favorite BBQ place isn't on here, then it's either a place that I've been to and not in the top five, or I haven't been there.

I've been told that I make some pretty good BBQ ribs and pulled pork, so I (very humbly) feel like I have a good palate for what constitutes good BBQ.

If one of your favorite places isn't on the list let me know! I'd be happy for you to drop some BBQ knowledge on me and recommend some places to try. I really haven't done BBQ in North Carolina that often, hence the lack of North Carolina's representation on this list. That's a glaring problem that I should fix soon. Anyway, here's my top five:

1. Dreamland - Tuscaloosa, Alabama: This place has such a simple menu. Ribs. That's what you get, along with a sauce that is so good, they give you white bread to dip. It's a classic hole-in-the-wall place that has expanded over time. Tons of Alabama football memorabilia adorns this BBQ joint in the home of the Crimson Tide. Great sauce.

2. Rendezvous - Memphis, Tennessee: Classic dry ribs are what you should get here. It's the Platonic ideal of Memphis dry, and I think this place has some of the best coleslaw that I've ever had in my life.

3. Hog Heaven - Nashville, TN: Another classic little hole in the wall BBQ place, there isn't any interior seating. They have some picnic tables out front, but you're not there for the ambiance. You're there for the brisket.

4. Little Pigs BBQ - Columbia, SC: This is my favorite place for BBQ in the midlands. They have every kind of side you could possibly imagine, and their pulled pork is perfect, 

5. Home Team BBQ, Charleston, SC: If I'm down in Charleston, and I'm looking for BBQ, this is where I end up. Great atmosphere, live music is pretty regular, and the BBQ is wonderful, which goes from the traditional sort of brisket, pulled pork, and ribs to other more exotic offerings of sliders, tacos, and wraps.

So much BBQ, so little time.