There was a time when candidates for office in Virginia wooed Virginia voters with barbecue, beer, and brandy. The voters wisely elected people like Washington, Madison, and Monroe. But where are the barbecues of yesteryear? By the late 20th century, when I moved to Washington, what little “barbecue” there was seemed to be cooked in ovens or crock pots, hardly a diet for another generation … Continue reading Ten Best Barbecue Places in Virginia
Before I give you the list a little background is in order. The demise of Rick’s and Smileys, two grand North Carolina Piedmont barbecue places, has weighed on my spirit. Then a new horror arose, and prompted me to doff my sackcloth and ashes, and write this post. I will get to the list, I promise, but bear with me for a few paragraphs. I … Continue reading The Ten Best Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Places
I’m reminded that it’s getting to be Spring Break time again, and many of you will be driving south along I-95, and some will go on as far as Key West. You’ll be in a hurry to get there, but you’ll also want to avoid a steady diet of fast food. Trust me on that. To make your journey more pleasant, I once again have … Continue reading Where to Eat Near I-95 between Washington DC and Miami, and on to to Florida, February, 2022.
Barbecue has taken off in Washington. When I arrived in late 1974, the only way to get good barbecue was to make it yourself, as I did annually on Independence Day, or to head South. “Barbecue” places cooked with ovens or pots rather than over brick pits fired with hickory. Even at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the cafeteria initially served … Continue reading The Best Barbecue Places in the Washington, DC, Area
Daniel Vaughn’s quinquennial list of the Top 50 Barbecue Places in Texas is now out, and there are dramatic changes. You can see the list here. The Top 50 list has been one of the if not the most reliable “Best” lists around. I relied heavily on it when I spent a term teaching at Baylor Law School, a position that left me plenty of … Continue reading The Texas Monthly Top 50 List is Out: Big Changes!
The invaluable Barbecue Bros website has a post identifying the top five barbecue places in Nashville. This adds to their existing rankings for Charlotte, Lexington (NC), and Austin, and is a great resource for anyone planning to go through, anywhere near, or to Nashville — as everyone should. The Barbecue Bros – Monk, Rudy, and Speedy – grew up in High Point, North Carolina. You … Continue reading Barbecue Bros’ Top 5 Barbecue Places in Nashville
Winter looms, so I have updated my list of alternatives to fast food for those driving south (and back north) along the East Coast. And, indeed, normally the only sensible thing to do when the weather promises to chill the very marrow in your bones is to head south. In light of COVID issues, special care and consideration must be taken before you decide to … Continue reading Best Places to Eat Near I-95 from Washington, DC, to Florida
Ryan Cooper had an article recently (October 7 — kinda recently) in the Smoke Sheet about a few of his favorite barbecue sauces that you can have shipped right to your front door. Brother Cooper co-founded the Smoke Sheet newsletter and is the genius behind the BBQ Tourist, two great sources for barbecue information. I’m sure you will like some of the sauces highlighted in … Continue reading The Best Barbecue Sauces
Let me recapitulate the results of the 2020 World’s Best Shrimpburger Competition for those who joined us late. I confused things when I led off with the ultimate winner, and only later — several barbecue posts later — started with the countdown: 3d runner-up, 2d runner-up, etc. I did that so you could try the very best before you left the beach. That first post … Continue reading The 2020 World’s Best Shrimpburger Competition: Recapping the Results
Southern Living has long published annual “Best of the South” lists, notably of barbecue places (which we’ll visit in depth), small towns, best cities, best beach towns, and, for the first time this year, the Best Catfish Restaurants. You can see the article here. When I was in the Justice Department, I did a lot of voting rights work in Mississippi. I traveled all over … Continue reading Southern Living Picks the South’s Best Catfish Restaurants
John Tanner's Barbecue Blog 