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Better than any bbq place I have been to

9 (10.8%)

Better than 90% of the bbq places I have been too

43 (51.8%)

Better than 50% of the bbq places I have been to

28 (33.7%)

Not as good as most bbq places I have been to

3 (3.6%)

Total Members Voted: 78

[Kristin Meredith]

Seeing the requests for bbq places to eat around the country got me to thinking -- how do you compare your que to folks who do it for a living?

[GatorDave]

I'm hit and miss.  I've made bbq that is sometimes better and sometimes not as good as restaurants I've been to.  I have never gotten ribs right, but I keep trying.  My first attempt at a brisket was tasty, but had absolutely no smoke flavor.  I'm doing another one this weekend with a smoke tube, so hopefully things go better this time around.

[yorkdude]

I said 50% because we don't eat much BBQ out and honestly don't eat a whole lot of it at home anymore.
We do ribs, butts and a brisket here and there for parties etc. but not anymore as a staple.
We just do different things with them anymore it seems, at least lately anyway.

[SparkyLB]

I'm with Gator Dave and said 50%.  When mine is better, it's amazing, but with my previous grill, I've been fairly inconsistent.  I'm learning more "fun facts," though.  For one, I find that the "floppier" the brisket is raw, the more tender it'll tend to be once cooked. 

Now that I have a pellet grill, I'm hoping my ribs will be a different class.  My Visions Kamado tended to creep up in temperature, and when I once put a probe in there on "smoke" mode, the probe read about 20 degrees higher than the unit's analog thermometer front and center.  So it's anyone's guess what temp I was cooking at.   

I find that my pellet grill doesn't deviate from the set temp, not even by a degree or two.  Now; the only time the indicator changes is when I open the lid. 

This will help me to arrive at a more consistent product, and I'm looking forward to the journey. 

[triplebq]

I like to think mine is the best but in reality I'm just use to my bbq.

[Gringo]

I said better than ANY BBQ restaurant that I have visited, but that's primarily because I don't go out for BBQ very often.  I don't visit many BBQ restaurants because I have found most BBQ restaurants here in MN to be average at best.  I do visit them occasionally because I enjoy BBQ and sometimes I don't have time to make it myself.  Or, sometimes I have friends/acquaintances/coworkers almost beg me to go to a place because they love it and are sure I will too.  Most times,  one menu item can be very good, but when you take in the whole meal,  it just isn't as good as it could be.

In addition, I'm sure it's very difficult to cook BBQ and sides in large quantities to feed a restaurant,  and keep the quality up.  Having food sit under a heat lamp, or in a low oven waiting for someone to place an order for it, has got to take its toll on the quality.  Where I can cook what I need and put it on our plates fresh out of the smoker.  Can't get much better than that!

[Kristin Meredith]

Seems that most responders believe their que is better than most restaurants. This is as it should be for a Pelletfan!

[urnmor]

I have had what I would consider BBQ at one or two places however I would not say any are better then mine.

[Canadian John]

 As the saying goes: There is nothing like home cooking.  For the most part I find eating out expensive and most important, not as good in most cases - BBQ or not. 

[TLK]

I said better than 90%.  I don't go out for Q very often.  If I am in a new city I'll give it a try but as CJ said - there is nothing like home cooking

[glitchy]

I voted 90 because that’s what the wife and kids would say. I know I’m not a fabulous cook by any means, but my BBQ is fresher, more consistent and tuned to our tastes after years of practice. I’ve had some fabulous BBQ in a restaurant, but also had more expensive rotten meals in BBQ joints than any other type of restaurant. I would say by a mile, but ordering steaks out is something I’ll only do at a couple local joints anymore for the same reasons.

I get so disappointed when I order a $25 combo of brisket and ribs and get dry brisket that’s been sitting in a warmer forever and ribs that still have silver skins and are slathered in a sauce that doesn’t fancy me. So, we usually only do BBQ restaurants if we are dining with others that want it...and when we do, I’m usually in the same boat as others above and are judging their sides and sauces more than the meat.

[grilltreats]

At most places I have visited the BBQ tastes rushed and not as smoky or as flavorful as my home cooking.  When traveling, I have been to a few that were really good.  I only go out to take a break from cooking, but don't expect much of a wow factor when I do.  My last steak was at Ruth Chris and I must say it was pretty good, but I thought it was overpriced.  However, it was much better than my Longhorn steakhouse experience so I will probably go back there on rare occasions if I want steak away from home.

[BigDave83]

We make several trips a month to BBQ places through the summer, winter time not much to choose from. Nothing to do an 1.5 to 2 hour drive to try a place we have never been to. A lot of it is trailers, not much in the sit down BBQ places around, unless you count a picnic table or two off to the side.

 Some is good some it really good and some we just try to get the taste out of our mouths and forget we even know about the place.

I do like to go to a place where I can get a some of everything, ribs, chicken, and brisket if they have it.

 I used to go to one place, he did open pit cooking, and some of the food was good some was so so, but the husband and wife team that ran it were really nice people, and it was nothing to go there and be there for 2 hours eating and just talking to them. For me it is the folks that run the place and what type of people they are that says if I will be back, sometimes far more than the quality of the food, and some the food it great and you don't really get the chance to know the folks cooing it.

[cookingjnj]

I voted 50% only because I am still learning the ropes.  The best part is we very rarely go to a chain BBQ or order BBQ in restaurants because I know my Q is at least as good as those and most part better.  I do go to real BBQ joints when travelling and some are better than what I make, and others not. 

[urnmor]

As the saying goes: There is nothing like home cooking.  For the most part I find eating out expensive and most important, not as good in most cases - BBQ or not.

Totally agree.  Unless I am traveling and there is a Michelin rated restaurant in the area I have found most meals do not live up to my expectations.  I am not saying the food is bad it is just not as good as I can make it and at half the price.  Even at our local restaurants the average price for dinner (salad, hamburgers dessert and a drink) for my wife and I is around forty dollars including tip  Last night I cooked a 26 oz dry aged porterhouse and a 16 oz ribeye both prime beef.  That meal would have cost me well over a hundred dollars and more with drinks and wine.  At home it probably cost me maybe 60 or 70 dollars for the beef.  So my recommendation cook at home when you can with the best ingredients you can find and enjoy