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Summertime meat
The smoked, the sauced and the deep-fried
By Angele Sionna
Published on 05/28/2009
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As a Texas native, barbeque is an essential meal in my rotation. Going without those slow-cooked, tender meats smoked for hours with love would just be a shame. So it’s no surprise then that for me nothing says summer more than great barbeque eaten outdoors on a picnic table. While Flagstaff’s barbeque restaurants don’t actually have outdoor seating, you can still find that down-home feeling in the food.
Big John’s Texas BBQ
1740 E. Rte. 66 (just east of Enterprise)
I was so excited when I found Big John’s Texas BBQ, though he’s not an official restaurant by any means. Big John runs his joint from a movable trailer with a giant smoker attached. He parks his rig/movable restaurant on Route 66 just east of Enterprise three days a week (usually). Most Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the weather is good, you can smell that sweet, sweet smoke in the air as you drive near. And the taste of Big John’s brisket is even better. He takes his BBQ-ing seriously and you can taste that careful slow cookin’ in every bite.
Big John’s also serves up ribs, pork, great potato salad, barbequed baked beans and Texas sweet tea. Mmmm mmm good! You can buy the meat by the pound (which is how I like to do it for a great family meal) or you can get just a sandwich. Be sure to call ahead for hours at 699-2707.
The Smokehouse
3404 E. Rte. 66 (In the Museum Club parking lot)
The Smokehouse has been around for about two years but only recently came into my world—and I’m so glad. Their meats melt in your mouth and are slow cooked in the back of this trailer-turned-smokehouse restaurant. Like Big John’s, there’s nowhere to sit at the Smokehouse itself. It’s a drive up and go situation, which makes for a great picnic. The owner/chef, who hails from Austin, Texas, makes both the tasty and tangy mild and spicy sauces himself in the back of the place, along with his cole slaw and spicy pinto beans, and, of course, all the meats which are smoked there too. The choices here are plentiful—and like all the best Texas barbeque spots—makes sliced turkey brisket, along with other classics like beef brisket, sausage, pork, ribs and more, if you can believe it. For the back of a trailer, this place serves up lots of great stuff! Can’t wait to go to the Smokehouse again (but not on Sundays, ’cause they’re closed). Check out the menu at www.simplythebestbbq.com.
Flagstaff BBQ & Catering Co.
9001 N. Highway 89 (at Silver Saddle Road)
About eight miles north of downtown sits the modest Flagstaff BBQ (formerly known as Pig in a Poke BBQ). Next to a gas station/convenience store, this place has that southern barbeque feel as you drive up. Flagstaff BBQ cooks up Kansas City style ’que. It’s the place to come for a great deal and great tasting barbequed chicken. For $5.99 you get a half chicken and two sides. Their onion rings and curly fries may add to your thighs but they taste great and compliment the chicken nicely. The brisket sandwich is too dry for my liking, so I’d opt for Big John’s or the Smokehouse if that’s what you’re craving. Flagstaff BBQ is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Bigfoot Bar-B-Q
120 N. Leroux (in the Basement of the Old Town Shops)
Bigfoot has been awarded the best barbeque restaurant in Flagstaff for several years running. But truth be told, they really haven’t had much competition until recently. Bigfoot boasts on its menu that their “truck stop creations” are “influenced, inspired and outright stolen from some of the most auspicious gas stations across the south.” I’ve eaten at many of those gas stations they compare their grub to, and Bigfoot doesn’t come close. Still, Bigfoot does have a lot to offer. The best things here are the sides. I don’t think I’ve tasted better onion rings or fried okra anywhere in town, and they could definitely give some of the sides at real Southern joints a run for their money. Their brisket and ribs are in need of moisture, but the sauce is sweet and tangy and definitely spices up the meat enough to make a good meal. The atmosphere at Bigfoot is casual and relaxed, definitely adding to the charm. Plus, for something stronger than sweet tea, they also serve beer and wine. Check out the menu at www.bigfootbbq.com.
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