Barbecue Promotes Togetherness!

I love barbeque. Vinegary NC style, mustardy SC style, thick tomatoey Texas style, St. Louis style, pork, chicken, beef--I adore it all. Hell, I'm even a fan of the McRib. I blame it on my teenage Southern phase. Maybe you had a goth phase; having few friends and going to a prep school, I had a Southern phase. Yeah, I know. My dream vacation is a fall or winter driving trip through the South hitting all the bbq joints we can find.

Phoenix is big on barbeque for a lot of obvious reasons: the migration factor, the heat, the fact that people really like to live and eat outside.

There's two places I've been that are good in different ways: Stacy's Smokehouse BBQ on 16th & Indian School and Joe's Real BBQ in Gilbert on Country Club & Gilbert.

Joe's Real BBQ: We went here on December 28th, which was a mistake because the next day was my birthday and Joe's gives you a free meal on your birthday. Free barbeque on my birthday--seriously, what more could I ask for?

Dusie likes any place that has monster baked potatoes available at 11am, and also said their homemade root beer was very good. I had the chopped brisket and the coleslaw. It's very good coleslaw--homemade, shredded, a good mix of cabbage and carrots and not too much dressing. The pit ham is next on my list to try. Aces and my mom had the pork ribs and shared around and they were good, meaty and spicy.

It's a big hall designed to look like a classic barn conversion with fans on the ceiling, a mural, some retro items and wood paneling. It also has a tractor parked in one corner. It's a bit Disneyfied, but a nice looking place.

Stacy's is much more authentic. Aces calls it "seriously, the best barbeque I've had outside NC." She went to college in NC and still laments that she can't get a plate with ribs, a side and a roll for $5 out here.

It's a squat little purple cinderblock building and you can smell the smoked meat as you pass, at least a block in each direction. You walk in and place your order at the counter, go take a seat and wait for them to bring it out to you. It can get very crowded--they only have seats for maybe 15 people. They also have the weirdest little bathroom--it's all modern and marble, but you have to turn the light on outside. There's an arrow and a sign with directions. It's a funny bit of poshness in a modest little place.

I keep having the ribs. I don't know why when there's so much else on the menu, but it's so good. And the coleslaw is the best--shredded red and green cabbage, very little creamy dressing, and a bit of spice on top. I've also had the fries and those are perfectly crispy thick steak fries. Aces says the sweet tea is absolutely right on; I'm not a fan so I have a coke.

Oh, I should not have written this post while hungry...