You have to walk the walk... to talk the talk!
In October Patti and I tailgated the VA Tech vs. Notre Dame Game (one of my Alma Maters)
Then drove across "Barbecue Alley" from Blacksburg, VA to Austin, TX.
Listed below are this Judges opinion of what we found along the way!
Another good day for another great lunch!
Tailgating a Va Tech game in "The Moose",
our trusty road worrier.
"BBQ Alley"
16 Restaurants over 12 days.
The 16 Restaurants of the BBQ Alley Crawl:
- 12 Bones, Asheville, NC
- Bennett's Pit Barbecue, Gatlinburg, TN
- Jack Cawthorn's Barbecue, Nashville, TN
- Martins Bar-B-Que Joint, Nashville, TN
- Mission BBQ, Nashville, TN
- Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Nashville, TN
- Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, Nashville, TN
- B.E. Scott's, Lexington, TN
- Charles Vargus' Rendezvous, Memphis, TN
- Central BBQ, Memphis, TN
- Blues City Cafe, Memphis, TN
- Franklin, Austin TX
- Blacks BBQ, Austin, TX
- Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Austin, TX
- The Salt Lick, Driftwood, TX
- Louie Mueller Barbecue, Taylor, TX
We'll have to return to Lockhart, TX,
there's just wasn't time for those five highly rated.
Best in Ribs
First Place (dry rub)
The Salt Lick,
Driftwood Texas
Second Place (wet)
Memphis Cafe
Memphis, TN
Third Place
Martin's
Nashville, TN
Fourth Place
Sparks N Smoke
Reno, NV
#1 in Pulled Pork
B.E. Scott BBQ, Lexington, TN
Best of the Best
B.E. Scotts BBQ
Lexington, TN
Scott's can smoke 21 whole hogs at a time for their lunch only and local catering business.
Their pulled pork is layered in a circle on a sandwich that needs nothing more than hands and fingers!
"It just don't get any better"
#1 in Smoked Brisket
"Franklin", Austin Texas
Hands down,
"Franklin",
Austin, TX
(get there early)!
Franklins' smokes these guys for 18 hours. While they can smoke 36 Briskets, along with their ribs and pork shoulder...they still run out of protein by 3pm.
Slicing through two layers of pure beef heaven with a flimsy plastic fork!
That's a top score
of 9 on any day.
Oh my, such good Q.
And it's only 11:30...AM!
Burnt ends, a special treat on this menu
Bennetts, Gatlinburg, TN
Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que
Gatlinburg, TN
Burnt Ends
Burnt ends are the most flavorfull pieces of meat cut from the "point" of a smoked brisket
Bennett's 3 meat plate with burnt ends!
Best Whole Hog Restauant
Martin's BBQ
Nashville, TN
Ahhh, "the pit smell" during a full restaurant tour.
Martin's whole hog smoker ovens,.
Now that's a nice looking pig!
While we don't normally judge "Hot Chicken"
... we can still have an opinion.
we still have an opinion!
Hattie B's
Nashville, TN
Pick your "heat level".
The crispy coating is fantastic!
