Arthur Bryant's Barbeque

Written by Leann Pettit

One of those staples (and giants) of Kansas City barbecue is Arthur Bryant's, on Brooklyn Ave. in Kansas City, MO (there's also locations at the Ameristar Casino and at the Kansas Speedway).

We ordered the pulled pork open faced sandwich and the burnt ends open faced sandwich, both of which came pre-sauced and were huge (three slices of bread for an open faced sandwich, and meat piled on).

The pulled pork was very tender and the sauce was on the sweeter side, a perfect compliment to the savory, smokey pork. The burnt ends were mega moist, but because of the sauce on them, lacked that crunchy exterior. The classic sauce was used on the burnt ends sandwich and, again, a perfect, succulent combination of savory, smokey and sweet.

Oklahoma Joe's

Written by Leann Pettit

If you're in Kansas City, you need to make the pilgrimage to Oklahoma Joe's, especially their original, super funky location on 47th Street.

If you are looking to eat at the restaurant, expect to stand in a very, very long line. When we arrived, the line was to the door (about a 30 minute wait), but as we were leaving the line was out the door and down the block. However, if you are willing to take your meal to go, call in your order in advance and save yourself the wait in line.

If you are planning on eating in, it can be tempting to send someone off to grab a table, don't! Tables turn over quickly and you're more than likely to find a table when you're order is ready.

I ordered the Z-Man sandwich, Oklahoma Joe's claim to fame. The Z-Man is a huge sandwich of brisket and provolone topped with two onion rings and their classic barbecue sauce. The sandwich is delicious - meaty and juicy and crunchy, and very, very messy.  It's the perfect combination of savory, fatty and crunchy to satisfy your cravings.

We also ordered fries and creamy cole slaw. The fries are seasoned with a house seasoning (that you can purchase in the adjoining gas station). The mix is absolutely addicting - a smokey, peppery taste that had me coming back over and over again for another. 

The slaw was super creamy and crunchy and I could still taste the individual vegetables in the slaw through the seasoning and sauce. There was also an amazing combination of seasonings on the slaw, which might have been a hint of the french fries seasoning.

Woodyard BBQ

Written by Leann Pettit

Woodyard BBQ was opened by the man supplying most of the Kansas City area with their woods for smoking. The restaurant, which is comprised of an outdoor patio, a biergarten, and a few tables indoors, serves your traditional barbecue fare.

We ordered the two meat platter and chose baby back ribs and pulled pork. The pulled pork was served dry and diners could add their own sauce. The pork was moist and tender, but I, personally, have had better pulled pork at other barbecue joints.

The baby backs were very, very tender. So much so the meat fell right off the bone while being moist and tender with a wonderful smoky flavor.

We also ordered the burnt end three-bean chili, which is a mildly spicy and fresh tasting chili that is topped with burnt ends. The burnt ends are cooked well and are not terribly fatty and very moist, and kept even more moist by the chili. The chili is served in a single (perfect for one person or as a shared side dish), a cup or a bowl.

Smokin' Guns

Written by Leann Pettit

Smokin' Guns, an unassuming, but amazingly delicious, barbecue joint has very fast service, friendly wait staff and very tasty food.

We ordered the "Triple D Platter" - which included turkey, brisket and burnt ends and is served with two sides (we ordered the mac and cheese bites and the potato casserole).

On the tables, Smokin' Guns provided their original house sauce, a spicy sauce (the spiciest of the spicy sauces we tasted in town) and a dry rub.

The turkey was very moist, but a little on the bland side, however, was delicious in the dry rub, which  brought out the turkey's smoky flavor.

The burnt ends were dark, incredibly moist without being overly fatty. They were delicious on their own, but also tasty in both sauces and dipped in the dry rub. The burnt ends at Smokin' Guns were the best we tried in Kansas City.

The brisket was on the drier side, I wouldn't order it again.

All of the meat at Smokin' Guns was served dry and diners could add their own sauce. The restaurant is also very well lit with lots of seating.

Kreuz Market

About an hour drive outside of Austin, and known for the famous sign (above) that states "No Barbecue Sauce, No Forks, No Kidding" is Kreuz Market, in Lockhart, TX. Locals will debate who has the best barbecue in the area: Kreuz or the Salt Lick, and everyone has their favorite.

We ordered a regular sausage, a cheese filled sausage and the highly recommended brisket. Everything is served with your choice of white bread (straight out of the bag) or crackers. We chose bread.

In a separate room, you can order your sides, including mac and cheese, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and more (oh, and where you can grab some forks!).

Honestly, I found the brisket to be juicy, but very fatty, and the sausage tasty, but the casing very tough. The sides weren't very good, either. It was disappointing.

Also, we were there about a hour before the restaurant was supposed to close and as we were leaving, the employees were turning off the lights behind us.

The Salt Lick

About 30 minutes outside downtown Austin, in Driftwood, TX, (and worth every minute of the drive) is The Salt Lick, some of the best barbecue in Texas. We ordered a platter (The Rancher) to sample a number of the offerings and split it between the two of us (it was A LOT of food!).

Our platter came with turkey, brisket, pulled pork and sausage and ordered a rib on the side.

The ribs are double cut, so there is meat on both sides, and they are huge and full of meat. Of the platter meats, everything was delicious, we couldn't choose our favorite - although the sausage and the brisket was definitely a highlight.

For dessert, we ordered a slice (again, huge slices) of pecan pie. Best pecan pie - ever. Don't argue with me on this, just order it.

The Salt Lick offers wine at the winery next door, however, the restaurant is BYOB, so bring your own wine and beer.

Expect a little bit of a wait here. They do offer popcorn outside while you are waiting for your table, as well as live music on the weekends.  Also, be prepared with cash...they do not take credit cards.

Hog Heaven Sports Bar & Grille

A nice surprise off Overseas Highway in Islamorada, Hog Heaven has a menu that varies from (delicious) BBQ to fresh fish. They even have their own house beer.

For lunch, we ordered the pulled pork BBQ sandwich (absolutely fantastic, definitely order this!) and the fried dolphin (mahi mahi, for those not used to proper fish names). Order the onion straws, they were so very good and unlike anything we've ever had.

When you arrive, walk through the bar and indoor dining room to the outdoor patio and deck that faces the ocean, where there is patio seat (under a porch roof) and deck seating (under umbrellas).

Charlie Mac's

Charlie Mac's, located just beyond the Green Parrot in Key West, is a fabulous barbecue find in Key West. The meat is moist, the sauce delicious and the sides actually worth eating (unlike some other BBQ joints).

We ordered the pulled pork and the brisket, both were very good. I also appreciated the large draft menu with included many craft and local brews.

Babe's BBQ & Brewhouse

Babe's Bar-Be-Que and Brewhouse in Rancho Mirage, about a 20 minute drive from downtown Palm Springs, was a surprisingly delicious find, and a fantastic recommendation from our hotel.

The restaurant, which also brews its own beers, has both indoor and outdoor seating and a wide selection of entrees on its menu.

We ordered the tri-tip po'boy with the remoulade sauce (ordered hot) and the Texas Tornado. Both sandwiches were huge! One was almost big enough for two people (almost!). The po'boy was delicious, with hot pork and a creamy sauce and counter balanced with cold lettuce and tomatoes. The combination was fantastic.

The Texas Tornado was very meat heavy, but just the right about of meat. And the barbecue sauce was heavenly - someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing when it comes to barbecue.