Which region of the United States has the best BBQ?? (better, compared)

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Exactly right, CF! I'd rep you again if I could (did it on another post a little earlier! LOL).

I am "copying and pasting" below a post I wrote some time back which relates to what you say. That is, the "disconnect" between how Southerners and northerners often translate the term "soul food." Here is is:

Back in the 60's, was when that expression "soul food" first gained some popularity in the American vernacular. With most of the media and TV concerns being in the NE and California, it became associated with blacks in much of the national mindset outside of the South.

The thing was, it confused many of us Southern whites because WE had eaten this great crusine described as "soul" all our lives! LOL

Well, there was (and this is a true story, remember) there was some huge plant up in Michigan (maybe they made cars) which employed so many folks they had a company cafeteria. There were all races/ethnic groups represented, including many blacks and whites originally from the South (particularly from Alabama, Tennessee and Texas).

Anyway, because of this natural diversity, there were special "food days" set aside for the respective cultures. For instance, there would be a "Greek Day" or "Italian Day" featuring the specialized foods.

Ok. Well, a group of Southern whites went to the cafeteria managment and asked about having a "Southern Day", which would feature certain good stuff like fried chicken, catfish, black-eyed peas, greens, okra and grits and cornbread! (damn, makes me hungry just to think about it! LOL)

Anyway, it was agreed to do so, and the day was posted on the company bulletin board. Problem is though, it happened to fall on the Dr. Martin Luthur King holiday!

This was just pure happenstance. But, the way it was translated to many northerners was that Southern folks from Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, etc., wanted to have a menu that, on MLK Day, would include such things as fried chicken and watermelon!

Oh man! Many northerners got "offended" and thought this was an intended insult...since none of them had any experience with the South. Their whole whole way of thinking was that what they regarded as "soul food" was to be exclusively associated with a so-called "negative stereotype" of blacks, with the same mindset being that the Southern whites were making fun of them. Maybe they even expected a minstrel show...

As it turned out, not surprisingly at all, it was a group of Southern blacks who smoothed things over. They explained to management that "hey, down where we come from, ALL of us homefolk, black AND white eat this food. There is nothing racist about it."

And again, as you say CF, what we in the South (white and black) might call "soul food" is pretty much limited to the items you mention! Otherwise, with both, it is just "Southern" or "country" cookin'!

Thanks for the understanding, Texas Reb.

To be honest, I never heard the term "soul food" until I was in college. It sounded alien to me, hearing people from other regions refer to food that I had eaten by a term that was never used by anyone I know.

[desert sun]

so anyone ever eat here?

The Rib Crib

[Spade]

Originally Posted by nycricanpapi

Gosh I think that NE has the best BBQ though.

Oh I get it, you're joking. Very funny.

[logcabindreamer]

Originally Posted by nature's message

Which region of the United States has the best BBQ??

north carolina for pork and TEXAS FOR beef bbq.

[JustCallMeTC]

Carolina...

[grapico]

well this is one category where the south does win, even over the midwest imo... I remember going to several of the "best" supposedly bbq joints there and it wasn't up to par at all. Now chicago can hang with soul food though.
I've had some pretty good "tri tip" bbq out here, its certainly not bad, but not the best in the country.

[clean_polo]

North Carolina pulled-pork is the best bbq I've ever had. Give me that, some hush puppies and a sweet tea damn I had some good food when I visited NC lol.

[koopi5]

Memphis

[Agingwell]

Little Rock

[adavi215]

Can you imagine any other region in the US having better BBQ than the South? That's what we do. The question is, which region in the South does it the best? And the answer to that my friends is NC.