Why A BBQ Joint Can Be Judged Solely On The Brisket

Smoked meat enthusiasts throughout the United States are often eager to debate the merits of their preferred regional style of barbecue, but outside of specific specialties and sauces, how can you determine if a barbecue restaurant is at the top of its game? To find out, we reached out to barbecue aficionado Robbie Shoults, a celebrity chef, third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, and owner of restaurant High Horse 1898 and the historic Marshall Mercantile building.

Shoults explained that a certain dish can instantly tell you if a restaurant knows what it’s doing. “I believe that brisket is the holy grail of barbecue, and if they can smoke a brisket correctly, everything else about the restaurant should fall into place,” he said. Brisket comes from the front part of the cow, in between the shanks and chuck cut. It can be purchased as a full beef brisket, or in separate pieces: the first cut (or flat cut), and a second cut also known as the deckle.

Since brisket is known for being notoriously tough (both in texture and in terms of cooking it the right way), there are plenty of mistakes you could make that might ruin it. But Shoults says that if you’re at a restaurant that’s smoking it right, you’re likely to be able to tell when you lay eyes on it — look for a nice dark bark on the outside and a pink ring around the meat, just underneath the black layer.

Of course, your taste buds can also clue you into whether a BBQ joint knows how to handle the tricky brisket. Robbie Shoults says a well-smoked brisket will be chock-full of flavor and its texture should be moist and tender. But if you’d rather not pay just to find out if a restaurant is worth its salt (and smoke, and spices), Shoults has some tips for deciding if you should step inside. Just a glimpse of the exterior can give you some hints: “From the outside, does the joint look like it’s on fire?” Shoults asks. “I mean, a really good barbecue restaurant is going to have smoke boiling out from somewhere!”

A lack of smoke is definitely a suspicious sign that your food will also be lacking in smoky flavor. “Another thing to notice from the outside is the parking lot overflowing,” Shoults adds. After all, unless it’s a grand opening that everyone has been eagerly anticipating, a packed parking lot at an established eatery can be a solid indicator that the place is cooking up quality meals. If you’re going to a BBQ truck or a small spot without parking, look for long lines instead. Meanwhile, if you’re trying to figure out from afar if you should visit a barbecue restaurant, Shoults recommends the tried-and-true method of perusing online reviews and ratings.

Outside of Robbie Shoults’ solid suggestions, there are a few other ways to see if your smoked meat experience at a barbecue restaurant is likely to be a good one. If you’re already scrolling through sites to find reviews, try clicking over to the restaurant’s page to take a look at their menu. While it’s obvious that you should take a gander at what the spot has to offer, you can also garner valuable insight into what to expect in terms of quality.

Look to see if the meats and other ingredients are sourced locally, and check whether or not the menu is mostly focused on barbecue. If the back-of-house is distracted by whipping up a laundry list of other dishes, the BBQ — which should require a lot of time and attention to detail — might suffer. A restaurant that’s mainly concentrated on mastering smoked meats is likely a better choice.

If you’re traveling or have relocated to an area that’s new to you, take Anthony Bourdain’s advice on finding restaurants and ask the locals. Whether you sidle up to a restaurant’s bar to chat up the bartender for recommendations, flip through magazines for local food writers’ opinions, or seek out hype on social media, other diners can guide you to beloved barbecue restaurants that have smoke billowing out the roof and brisket with the best dark bark.