Monk: Team applications for Memphis in May are officially open for next year’s festival which will take place in Liberty Park
This of course is after a new, upstart festival has been announced to be held at (plot twist) Tom Lee Park, where Memphis in May had traditionally been held. Forward Momentum are the organizers behind the rival festival which will be held at the same time as Memphis in May, and Carey Bringle of Peg Leg Porkers is on board to compete, even going so far as to say “BBQ in Memphis belongs on the river, and with Forward Momentum, we now have the means and resources to make it happen.”
As for me? If I make either festival it will surely be Memphis in May at Liberty Park.
Finally, in perhaps somewhat related news, the CEO of Memphis in May is retiring at the end of January.
Native News
Congrats to Raleigh’s The Pit, which will celebrate 15 years open this weekend
Phar Mill Brewing and BBQ’s downtown Concord location is now closed to the public and they will focus on the original Harrisburg location going forward
Can’t wait to see this new Jon G’s design on a t-shirt
FoodieScore checks back in with Johnny Ray’s Smokehouse in Fallston
A free gift with purchase from Concord’s SnS Grills
Speaking of gifts, this shirt from House of Swank is a little too reductive terms of barbecue ideology, but I appreciate it nonetheless
Non-Native News
FatStack Smokers, who relocated from California to Texas and has been accused of taking customers’ money without providing actual smokers, has closed up shop
FatStack Smokers, which recently moved operations from L.A. to Houston, appears to have closed up shop with a long list of pre-paid orders unfulfilled (per Redditt & FB user page). The owner previously addressed troubles on YouTube. h/t @KevinsBBQJointshttps://t.co/xkfeJICgpY
Speaking of Houston, here’s J.C. Reid’s top 30 barbecue restaurants list for the city
Here's a new barbecue list, if you're interested. 30 of Houston's top barbecue joints as of late 2023, my latest for the @HoustonChron (gift link). https://t.co/WgCB1XAh5j
One more from J.C. Reid on how brisket makes a Philly cheesesteak even better
Brisket makes everything better, right? It certainly makes classic sandwiches like a Philly cheesesteak better, at least in this Texan's opinion. My latest for the @houstonchron. (free link) #houbbq@RoegelsBarbecuehttps://t.co/NZfZ8lqNF6
Big Dave’s BBQ makes this Eater Essentials list for Greenville, SC
A review of a new type of grill brush
Talk about a #woodpilewednesday
If my measurements are correct and an orange cone is 28 inches tall, I think we are looking at around 16 feet of oak stacked painstakingly by the folks at California Firewood Sales. pic.twitter.com/JVYFiI3zA8
Monk: Elliott Moss’ post-Buxton Hall Barbecue plans have been announced. While he had been busy with opening his latest concepts – the breakfast and lunch comfort food spot Regina’s in West Asheville as well as the sandwich shop Little Louie’s – for the past 13 months, he has seemingly left both less than six weeks after they opened.
With his newfound free time, it seems as if Moss wants to continue his barbecue journey. Enter, Moss & Moore.
According to Moss & Moore’s first Instagram post, the first chance to experience their barbecue will be on the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend with their friends The Hound.
Moss & Moore will also be hitting the road throughout the southeast this fall as well:
September 29-October 1 in St. Simon’s Island, GA for Fire Box Soul
October 22 in Atlanta with Oyster South
October 28 in Dallas with Cattle Ack BBQ
November 11 at Holy Smokes Barbecue Festival in Charleston
Moss is also exploring his family history on the Moss & Moore Instagram page through a set of reels, which is well worth checking out. Glad to see Elliott Moss back in the barbecue game.
Native News
The Tar Heel Traveler’s latest is with Raleigh man Carter Claiborne, who is on a mission to eat barbecue in all 100 NC counties
Firehawk Brewpub with a primer on the unique way they do ribs
Congrats to Courtney’s BBQ, which opened their doors 24 years ago this week
Little Miss BBQ will not be expanding after all
Eater checks in on the rapidly developing Houston barbecue scene
In Houston, the food is changing every day, rapidly showcasing new flavors, techniques, and cuisines from the wide array of people who call it home. (via @EaterHouston) https://t.co/6FxGrsxfvr
Monk: With the recent closures of Richard’s Bar-B-Que in Salisbury and Rick’s Smokehouse as well as Smiley’s BBQ in Lexington, John Tanner shares his updated list of top 10 Piedmont barbecue restaurants.
Off the top, I haven’t tried Dickie Do’s in Haw River or Real Q in Winston-Salem (though I should remedy that), so can’t comment on those. But the rest of the joints on the list I have no qualms with, though while I enjoyed both I was surprised that he liked Clark’s Barbecue in Kernersville and College Barbecue in Salisbury so much.
The qualm that I do have is the lack of inclusion of The Barbecue Center in Lexington, though John acknowledges he may be in the minority here and links to his story for reference on his experience and thinking. Regardless, John Tanner is a well-trusted source on barbecue and NC barbecue in particular, so head on over and check out his list.
Native News
The land where BBQ King in Charlotte sits is up for sale for $4.2M
The latest Jon G’s pop-up is today at Vaulted Oak Brewing
Two big barbecue festivals this weekend: the Houston BBQ Festival and Hogs for the Cause in New Orleans
Big weekend for BBQ fans! @HouBBQ Festival happens for the TENTH time this Sunday, and @Hogs4TheCause happens Friday and Saturday raising money for a great cause. If you don't have plans yet, get out to one. pic.twitter.com/vj0KYmtyAB
The history behind Hogs for the Cause, which turns 15 this year
It started 15 years ago with one hog, 3 kegs of beer and two guys who, upon honest reflection, confirm they had no clue what they were doing. This weekend @Hogs4TheCause returns with 90 cookoff teams and a festival unlike any other. https://t.co/FDeJPmMR6a
Name: Truth Barbeque Date: 1/7/22 Address: 110 S Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007 Order: Brisket, turkey, Carolina whole hog, pork ribs, house sausage link, brussel sprouts, green beans (link) Pricing: $$$
Speedy: I have a tradition whenever I travel. The first thing I do is text Monk, tell him where I’m going and ask, “Where should I grab some ‘cue?” On this day, while I was waiting to board in the Nashville airport, Monk responded almost before I even hit send, “Truth Barbeque.” So it was on.
Monk: While I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Truth yet, it received high praise when I recommended it to a friend of the blog a few years back. Not to mention it was #3 on Texas Monthly’s most recent Top 50 list from 2021. So I knew it was definitely going to be the place for Speedy and co.
Speedy: Our party arrived at exactly 11:00 on a Saturday morning, which is exactly when they open. There was a sizable, but not daunting line out the door. We waited about 30 minutes until it was our turn to order at the cafeteria style counter.
Our group went with a pair of 2 meat plates and added a sausage link so we could try all the meats (save for the beef rib special) and ordered a variety of sides. After getting through the line and taking our pick of tables in the sizable dining room (we chose indoor seating, but outdoor is available), we were ready to eat.
Since this is a Texas joint, we have to start with the brisket. It’s good. Like really good. Peppery, tender, but *maybe* could be slightly more moist. We got the lean cut (we weren’t asked, but others did specify fatty and got that). Was this brisket as good as any I’ve had outside of Texas? Probably. But we’re in Texas, and the standard is different. So I can’t put it in my holy quadrumvirate (Franklin’s, La Barbecue, Pecan Lodge, Killen’s) but it was damn close.
Monk: Damn, the fact that Speedy has been to enough Texas places to even have a quadrumvirate of Texas places of such high esteem is making me question my life choices.
Speedy: The turkey, on the other hand, was the best I’ve had. Peppery, tender, moist, melt in your mouth deliciousness. I’ve gone on record lately expressing that turkey is the lost meat of barbecue, but at a place as highly lauded as Truth BBQ, I didn’t expect it to be my favorite part of the meal. But it was, and that’s not to take anything away from the other meats. It’s a must order, period.
Monk: I too am on the turkey train now and this sounds amazing.
Speedy: The house sausage was also very solid. House-made, this sausage had good snap and nice garlic-y flavor. It had a little bit of grease, but was a solid effort. The pork ribs were also good, although ultimately my least favorite of the meats. The ribs were cooked and seasoned well, and had good flavor, but ultimately didn’t have anything outstanding or unique.
The surprise of the meal was the Carolina whole hog (a Saturday special). Being in Texas, I didn’t expect much here, but when I bit into that hog and closed my eyes, I was transformed back to eastern NC, tasting delicious chopped pork with just the right coating of vinegar-y sauce. This was the best pork I’ve had outside of North Carolina. What a treat!
Monk: I know that Texas places will use whole hog as a differentiator to stand out from the pack, but glad to hear this was a successful version of it at Truth.
Speedy: Of the sides, I enjoyed the brussels most, but they were roasted and mushy instead of crispy (which I prefer). The mixed in brisket helped with the flavor, and I would order them again, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way for the sides. My party ordered the tater tot casserole and gave it high marks, so if you tolerate dairy, that’s probably the order.
One other thing worth talking about is the “Texas gut bomb,” or the tummy ache and sleepiness after any big Texas bbq meal. I did not feel this after Truth BBQ. I’m not sure if this was because of minimal grease, the high volume of turkey I ate, or some other reason, but my stomach was a happy camper all weekend.
Monk: Aww, great to hear about your happy tum tum, Speedy!
Speedy: Overall, as usual, Monk was correct…
Monk: …oh I like the sound of that!
Speedy: Truth BBQ is a truly great barbecue joint and definitely worth a visit. And do yourself a favor and order extra turkey!
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