Best BBQ...Ever!

OK, this entry is dedicated to a loyal reader who recently posed the question about my favorite BBQ. Since "I eat therefore I blog" I thought I would go beyond just giving him an answer and instead turn it in to a full-fledged entry. So, here it is, for all those who like it low and slow:

#1 ??? (Neosho, MO)

As much as it kills me to admit this, I cannot remember the name of this place! I remember calling it "The Pit" but I think that is just the local nickname for it. I looked online for an hour trying to find even a phone listing - Nada. Not that it should be hard to find. Neosho is a tiny town in Southwest Missouri outside of Joplin. It is home to an even tinier BBQ restaurant. How tiny? Well, suffice it to say that the smoker is bigger than the restaurant. I'm not kidding! There are, like, two little tables in this place, and a gigantic smoker out back. The smells coming from this place are otherworldly, and the food is mouthwatering, moist, and succulent. I can't even remember what I had, I just remember that I vowed to return one day. That sounds dramatic, I know, but I was serious about this. And I still haven't been back, so anyone who wants to pony up the travel expenses is welcome to join me. That's how good this place is - I would honestly travel cross-country just to get a morsel of perfection. Best BBQ I've ever had, in the last place I thought I would find it!

#2 Dink's (Bartlesville, OK)

The batting average is up to .500 now, which is pretty dang good if you ask me! I actually heard about this from a friend in college who had spent a couple of years in the Sooner state. We started our journey to Tulsa from Joplin, which I am now nominating as the official BBQ Central staging point, because even though it does not have any great BBQ itself, it is within easy driving distance of Neosho, Bartlesville, and Kansas City - all BBQ meccas. If you are wondering where the Joplin connection comes in, it is where my older sister played college softball and we went back to see her play once a year...and maybe sneak a few tender, smoky morsels along the way. So, as I was saying, our story takes us to Tulsa. Now, if you have pulled out a map at this point, you are just about to realize that Bartlesville is most certainly NOT on the way from Joplin to Tulsa. Well, my friends, you have the wrong map. If you had a map made by foodies, you would discover that Bartlesville would be listed as a mandatory stop whenever one happened to be within, oh, a day's drive. Why? Dink's, of course!
Dink's has been using the same ol' pit out in the back to make their hickory-smoked BBQ since 1982. It is certainly much nicer and much bigger than my #1 spot, and I found the atmosphere to be quite welcoming. For starters order some onion straws. They are thin little crispy stings of tastiness, and offer a good excuse to drench something in Dink's incredible sauce. Scoop them up with your fork and savor the goodness. The meat should be the star at any BBQ place, and it is here, but this gets the nod over a few others because of the sauce. Put it on anything. Beef? Check. Pork? You bet. Chicken? Got you covered. Cookies? Why not! I think I need to call them up for a case.

#3 - TIE - Rudy's/Angelo's (San Antonio/Fort Worth)

I put these together because I can't choose. These are both amazing places. I have already reviewed them in my 'Texas' section, so please feel free to check that out while you are here. Bonus nugget: Turkey is fast becoming my very favorite BBQ meat, and I would do things too uncivilized to mention here for a bite of the turkey at Angelo's. I've gotta go, I've said too much....

#4 Sugarhouse BBQ (SLC, UT)

Hahahaha, I just realized that when I put this place on my top places list, I said that a review was coming soon. Better late than never, eh? This is my favorite local joint, and ranks just barely below the top 3. The smells are mesmerizing. Seriously, I could just hang out here all day and smell the lovely aroma from the smoker. This place used to be called Red Bones, but they found out that another place had the same name, so they changed it to reflect their location instead. The reason that this place comes in just below the others is that there are hits and misses. Definitely more hits, but a little knowledge does not hurt here. Lucky for you that you have me :) The one thing that will keep me coming back here is not something immediately associated with BBQ joints: Wings. The cherry wood smoked wings here are to die for. They are smoky and spicy and have unreal flavor...you have NEVER had wings like this. The meats are are finely prepared and come "dry" with sauce on the side. There are four sauces here, all of which are great. Try the House Sauce, which is rich, sweet, and spicy, with some excellent Turkey or Brisket. Pulled Pork is very good and made even better with a Carolina-style vinegar sauce or a tangy Mustard sauce. Chicken is also nice and goes well with the house, mustard, or the fourth sauce, which is a fiery red Hot Sauce. The ribs are good, but I like the Tennessee Tangos (Appetizer portion of the burnt ends) better. All of your dishes come with sides, and that's where you can go hit-or-miss. First the hits: Do NOT, under ANY circumstance, leave this place without getting Greek Oven-Roasted Potatoes. OMG! These little cubes are soft, moist, and have about 25 flavors (that's two more than Dr. Pepper if you're counting) hit your tongue at once. I could eat these things for every meal of every day and would never tire of them. Mmmmmm. As for the others, I would recommend getting Jambalaya as your other side. They do it as a main dish, but will give you a side portion if you ask for it. It is not quite Bourbon Street worthy, but not a bad addition to your meal either. The beans are about what you would expect from a BBQ joint, which means they are pretty tasty. Now, for the misses: Cornbread comes with every meal, which is too bad because the cornbread here is really dry and hard to get through. The cucumber salad seemed like a nice idea but it is too weighed down with mayo and not very appetizing. Finally, avoid at all costs ANY other Cajun dishes outside of the Jambalaya. This place really ought to stick to just BBQ, and even though the aforementioned Jambalaya is a success, I have found myself regretfully sucked in to, at various times, decidedly un-tasty versions of Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice, and Gumbo.
Misses aside, order the right things and you will find yourself making excuses to go to Sugarhouse again, and again, and again.

Utah Caveat: I don't know why people love Pat's and Q4U. I've said it before and I will say it again. Even the food critics seem taken by these two places. I have been to both after countless prodding from everyone that I know and I am just not impressed. This is really average BBQ. Disagree if you will, I'll save what it would cost me for either of these overpriced places and get far superior food for less money at Sugarhouse
One more thing, and this just has to be said: The gentleman who prompted this post, we'll call him "Nick", says that the best 'Cue he's ever had is Gates BBQ in Kansas City. Having not been to KC for a very long time, I cannot say that I have ever been there, but since I trust his judgment I felt it was necessary to give Gates a mention here, and you can bet your sweet behind that I will track it down if I do happen to be in the area anytime in the next 50 or so years