A GTB First

On this drab and dreary Wednesday, GTB is happy to present not only the first post from a non-GTB contributor (great timing because I've got nothing today), but the first food-focused post ever (I think, I'm in no way going to check through the "archives"). Without further ado, GTB presents...

Sonny's BBQ Review (take a wild guess what part of the country "Sonny" is from) ...
If you ever find yourself traveling through the mid-south, and have a hankering for some good pork let my taste buds be your guide...

Rendezvous
Memphis, TN
Featured often on cable television travel and food shows, the Rendezvous is one of Memphis’ and America’s most famous rib joints. What is the Rendezvous’ secret? Really there is no secret. They prepare their ribs in the true Memphis style: dry as a bone. The ribs are covered in a dry rub placed lovingly in a charcoal smoker. The atmosphere of Rendezvous is fantastic. As long as you’re not with a very large group, you’ll be seated quickly. The service is impeccable. You’ll likely be served by an old black man, probably a lot like the one your grandfather used to go fishing with on Saturdays. Rumor has it that most of these gentlemen have been working there for decades and make more money than you do, but I digress. Rendezvous is famous for its ribs not its waiters. The ribs can range anywhere from delicious to tough. Sometimes the ribs are kept at the bottom of the smoker for a little too long and get tougher than boot leather. The beans are of the cold variety, and the cole slaw isn’t quite up to snuff. If you’re in Memphis, you have to stop by the ‘Vous if for no other reason than to say you’ve had BBQ in a Memphis alley, but you’ll find a much better plate elsewhere in town.

Pig Pit Barbecue
Arkadelphia, AR
This is one of several places that you will have never heard of as of my writing this, but if you ever stop there you’ll be glad that you did. The Pig Pit is a no frills, no faults joint. Before you venture there I suggest you take up smoking, and not just a cigarette or two a day, I’m talking about two pack-a-day; cancer cranking; teeth yellowing smoking… you’ll need to be able to handle lots of this kind of smoking when you walk through the door of the Pig Pit. Once you’ve passed through the smoky force field and find your way to the tables (the ones that advertise local businesses on the table tops) you’ll be prepared for some of the finest BBQ sandwiches in southwest Arkansas. The waitress is that pseudo-hot, slutty girl you went to college with. You know the one, she was always banging the skater guy that lived down the hall from you in the dorm. Yeah, her… they kept you awake all night at least once a week. Now she’s taking your drink order, and maybe just maybe she has that look in her eye when she asks you if you want hot or mild sauce on your que. Once again you’re reminded why sluts are hot… because they are sluts. Anyway, the chopped pork sandwich is good here: very large and very juicy. The beans are decent, and the cole slaw is a nice compliment to this better than average sandwich. The sweet tea is to die for, and served in an environment smacking Styrofoam cup. You’ll get out for less than $10 no matter what you order. Hey, and when you stop by tell the waitress that Sonny, that lived down the hall from “Chaz”, says hello.

Sims Barbecue
Little Rock, AR
How much do you like barbecue? Do you like it in the way that you might order ribs at the Chili’s in suburbia, or do you like barbecue so much that you will swim the river, crawl naked through a briar patch before going down a razor blade lined water slide into water that has so much Morton’s salt pored in, it makes McDonald’s french fries look bland? If you like barbecue this much Sims in Little Rock is for you. It’s located right off Main Street in southern Little Rock, now this probably isn’t a big deal to you unless you remember that old HBO special “Gang Bangin’ in Little Rock,” which was basically filmed in the Sims parking lot. All the 40’s that they poured out for their homies in “Bangin’,” were bought with their chopped pork sandwich from Sims. Why? Because 40’s are all they have to drink there besides rancid tap water. At Sims they use a vinegar based sauce which is an interesting choice for a joint in the mid south where if you use sauce at all it’s typically molasses based. The meat is chopped rather than pulled, but it is very moist and delicious. Sims is a can’t miss for a those looking to experiment with different tastes in southern barbecue. But for heaven’s sake don’t go after dark.

Neely’s Interstate Barbecue
Memphis, TN
This is the place where professionals go to eat, and when I say professionals I don’t mean guys who wear suits, work in tall buildings, and spend hours upon hours in airports. (However, you can eat with Jim Neely if you’re ever in the Memphis Airport) When I say professionals I mean the guys who have smokers on trailers who travel around all spring and summer to different towns to barbecue in competition. Furthermore Neely’s offers the widest menu of any of the aforementioned restaurants. They barbecue spaghetti, hot dogs, sausage, pork butts, ribs, hell they could probably barbecue old man Neely’s leather boots and they would taste great. Neely’s is truly the BBQ palace of the Mid South. If you ever make it to Memphis, make sure you stop by.

Whole Hog Café
Little Rock, AR
Ah, the Whole Hog, quite possibly Arkansas’ finest BBQ establishment. It’s owned and operated by a group known as the “League of Southern Gentlemen.” How do I know this? Because in 2002 The League won best ribs at the World Championship BBQ cookoff at Memphis in May, The Super Bowl and Daytona 500 of the BBQ world. Come for the ribs, stay for the sauce. The Hog offers 6 different types of sauce featuring 4 different styles of BBQ conveniently placed at each table. You can sample the Carolina Mustard Sauce, the Brown Vinegar Sauce, or the more standard area Molasses Sauce. Furthermore, some of Arkansas’s elite frequent the hog for lunch. From Rockefellers to Rockettes most everyone in Arkansas agrees that Whole Hog serves some of Little Rock’s finest.