OT: Best BBQ in CT

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Went to Pig Rig BBQ in Wallingford for the first time 2 weeks ago. It was so good I went back the following week. Killer pulled pork and brisket. Great sauces. Smoked mac n cheese with pulled pork in it. Great cornbread. Beans are really good (even though I don't like beans). They're really blowing up... they were only a food truck a few years ago. Now they're a small store and looking to continue to grow.

https://www.facebook.com/PigRigBBQ/reviews/
http://pigrigbbq.com/

Lady Hans, a west TX girl, liked Pig Rig for brisket and I had pulled pork sandwich when we did a recon last summer. We have a pending Living Social for a return on a nice spring day.

 

[UChusky916]

Lady Hans, a west TX girl, liked Pig Rig for brisket and I had pulled pork sandwich when we did a recon last summer. We have a pending Living Social for a return on a nice spring day.

Fantastic food and the guys running the place seemed really nice.

They also have a groupon for $20 worth of BBQ for $8, so basically $12 off... can't beat that.

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah, that's true. Not sure what events he competes in.

He has supreme self-confidence, it appears. Last time I was there, they had the Bear's Challenge. Put up $100, pick a meat and if you eat more than he does in 10 minutes you win $1,000.

 

[Doginaus]

had to include these real bar-b-que joints, though not in Ct. If you're ever in Central Texas, I recommend;

In Lockhart, Texas;

* Kreuz Meat Market and Bar-b-que
* Blacks Bar-b-que
* Smittys Bar-b-que

In Luling, Texas;

* City Market

In Elgin, Texas;

* Southside Market

In Llano, Texas:

* Coopers Pit Bar-b-que

You will not go wrong with any of these, guaranteed!

 

[Walker11]

had to include these real bar-b-que joints, though not in Ct. If you're ever in Central Texas, I recommend;

In Lockhart, Texas;

* Kreuz Meat Market and Bar-b-que
* Blacks Bar-b-que
* Smittys Bar-b-que

In Luling, Texas;

* City Market

In Elgin, Texas;

* Southside Market

In Llano, Texas:

* Coopers Pit Bar-b-que

You will not go wrong with any of these, guaranteed!

I had other worldly brisket at La BBQ in Austin. It sounds snobby, but there is nothing similar here. I am going to try out Hoodoo Brown this week. I have heard mixed things but excited to try it.

 

[pepband99]

had to include these real bar-b-que joints, though not in Ct. If you're ever in Central Texas, I recommend;

In Lockhart, Texas;

* Kreuz Meat Market and Bar-b-que
* Blacks Bar-b-que
* Smittys Bar-b-que

In Luling, Texas;

* City Market

In Elgin, Texas;

* Southside Market

In Llano, Texas:

* Coopers Pit Bar-b-que

You will not go wrong with any of these, guaranteed!

No Salt Lick?

 

[Doginaus]

Nah, Salt Lick is there too, great brisket! Nice little ride out there. But, if you go on the weekends, you're going to be sharing the place with about a 1000 others! La BBQ is excellent as well, the ribs are killer! Another place I forgot to mention is Louie Muellers in Taylor, Texas. If you want a good beef rib, that's the place but, bring your wallet full of cash or the plastic because it's going to cost you. You could probably say that about most BBQ joints, they're proud of their product, and if I could bbq like that, so would I!

I was mostly trying to call out the places around the Austin, Texas area, the BBQ joints that have been established for years. More and more of these establishments are opening up in downtown Austin, which is good for those who don't like to take a drive out into the country!

 

[CTBasketball]

Sitting here in the 6 at Smokin' w/ Chris in Southington.

Beef Brisket sandwich + Mac n' Cheese was to die for. Amazing. I soiled my pants worse than Boeheim.

 

[8893]

NYT raves about Taino; very accurate review imo:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/n...letown-connecticut-taino-smokehouse.html?_r=0

 

[Devland]

Bear's is a pretty crazy story if you haven't heard it. He started out cooking out of the side of Bart's Luncheonette in Windsor. It's basically a hot dog and fries, egg sandwich type little drive-in. Quickly, the word spread about the BBQ this guy was doing and he started selling out and creating a buzz. He started pushing his marketing and was a finalist for a GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercial with Danica Patrick. From there, he opened the Hartford spot, the spot near the airport and now it's just exploding. They actually come to my building at work one day a week and sell it out of the caf. They had a booth at the Traveler's (GHO or whatever it's called), scheduled to be in the Yard Goats park, etc. And I've never really heard anyone say a bad thing. All the feedback is usually good to very good to great. Quality is always consistent. The dude has something going, for sure.

The last couple years they have also had a stand at Rentschler Field. A friend of mine who was a Hartford detective (now retired), told me that the owner is a great guy and quite charitable in the community. He told me several stories including one about him feeding all the residents of an apartment building that were displaced by a fire the day before Thanksgiving a Thanksgiving dinner. The restaurant dining room was not open to the public that day.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm just hoping Bear doesn't get too big, too soon to the detriment of the brisket. There has been no sign of it to date, imo.

 

[J-dog]

had to include these real bar-b-que joints, though not in Ct. If you're ever in Central Texas, I recommend;
In Lockhart, Texas;
* Kreuz Meat Market and Bar-b-que
* Blacks Bar-b-que
* Smittys Bar-b-que
In Luling, Texas;
* City Market
In Elgin, Texas;
* Southside Market
In Llano, Texas:
* Coopers Pit Bar-b-que

You will not go wrong with any of these, guaranteed!

So years ago I went to a Texas Bar-b-que in the San Antonio area (sadly. I don't remember the name)… Basically was a gas station/barbeque… My expectation were not high but it ended up being the finest barbecue I had ever experienced… The Texan I was with ordered large bucket of creamed corn which I was super skeptical about. Well, this sweet buttery mix of liquid cholesterol was as memorable as the many fine cuts of beef & pork.

Just wondering if any of the CT Bar-b-ques carry their own version of this sweet concoction???

 

[Waquoit]

@J-dog Was it Rudy's?

 

[pepband99]

So years ago I went to a Texas Bar-b-que in the San Antonio area (sadly. I don't remember the name)… Basically was a gas station/barbeque… My expectation were not high but it ended up being the finest barbecue I had ever experienced… The Texan I was with ordered large bucket of creamed corn which I was super skeptical about. Well, this sweet buttery mix of liquid cholesterol was as memorable as the many fine cuts of beef & pork.

Just wondering if any of the CT Bar-b-ques carry their own version of this sweet concoction???

Oh man - Rudy's "chopped spicy" still haunts my dreams. I think @Waquoit nailed it.

 

[J-dog]

@J-dog Was it Rudy's?

That was it!!!

 

[Waquoit]

To tie it into this board, we hit Rudy's twice during the 2004 FF. IIRC, if you think of the spur surrounding SA as a clock, Rudy's is around 11 or so. My buddy was giving me crap for taking us to a gas station to eat, but spent the rest of the weekend wanting to return. And I remember having no use for creamed corn. Until they offered a taste. It was like a drug dealer offering your first fix for free.

 

[Doginaus]

Rudy's is a chain and it does not compare to the others I mentioned. If you want real Texas Bar-b-que, try those others. If you want an introduction to Texas Bar-b-que, go to Rudy's. I'm not saying Rudy's isn't any good, they are, but they are not in the same class as those others. Rudy's is a chain and they are all over Texas. Trust me, I know good eats when I taste em cause' I weigh in at over 300 lbs, I love Bar-b-que and I didn't get this way by eating salads or sampling - food!

 

[nomar]

OP was spot on: nothing beats Chili's baby backs!

And for dessert, there's nothing better than a home-cooked Hot Apple Pie from Mickey D's!

 

[J-dog]

And for dessert, there's nothing better than a home-cooked Hot Apple Pie from Mickey D's![/QUOTE]

Are you referring to the old school deep fried Hot Apple Pie (v. baked)? That was killer!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

[/QUOTE] News flash: I heard last week in the Westport Y sauna that Bobby Q's has closed. We shared a nice meal there, and our first flight of Bourbon.[/QUOTE]

CORRECTION: I'm currently on Main St in Westport and reports of Bobby Q's death are greatly exaggerated. The kitchen is closed on weekdays between 3-4:30.

They do have a featured quote on their menu touting their turkey, but no mention of ketchup.

 

[August_West]

News flash: I heard last week in the Westport Y sauna that Bobby Q's has closed. We shared a nice meal there, and our first flight of Bourbon.[/QUOTE]

CORRECTION: I'm currently on Main St in Westport and reports of Bobby Q's death are greatly exaggerated. The kitchen is closed on weekdays between 3-4:30.

They do have a featured quote on their menu touting their turkey, but no mention of ketchup.[/QUOTE]
Bobby Q's closing today or tomorrow I think.

Bobby opening another place somewhere I heard. His current location was sold from under him. Look forward to seeing what is next.

 

[Mano]

Anyone been to Gideons in Glastonbury? I live right near it and want to try it but I've never heard anything about it which makes me nervous.

I've eaten there a couple times, the first time I had flavorless, dried out brisket and completely forgettable sides that at the time I just chalked up to it being a Sunday holiday and thusly them not being so busy hurt the food's quality. I had it again more recently, again with the forgettable sides but the pulled pork was at least a little better. My wife thought the BBQ chicken was ok. Their sauces are adequate. I'm no BBQ expert or lover, but I'd go to Bear's 10 times out of 10 over Gideon's.

 

[UConnNick]

Contrary to what Texas fan said, I had some North Carolina friends (who grew up in Asheville) visit us in WNY, and I took them to Dinosaur, and they raved. They actually came up many years ago for the NCAA Buffalo regional where UConn beat DePaul. They were affiliated with Charlotte in the same regional. I was living in Rochester at the time, and so we dropped by Roch.'s Dinosaur. They were definitely BBQ people, and Dinosaur impressed them.

Sorry, but anybody who thinks Carolina pulled pork smothered in malt vinegar and cole slaw is BBQ is sadly mistaken. They are not BBQ people. They'd be impressed with Arby's.

 

[upstater]

Sorry, but anybody who thinks Carolina pulled pork smothered in malt vinegar and cole slaw is BBQ is sadly mistaken. They are not BBQ people. They'd be impressed with Arby's.

Asheville is western Carolina.