Some BBQ places have a reputation that precedes them. Others, you just kind of drive by a bunch and decide it’s time to pay a visit. Porkopolis in Scottsdale is the latter, and I finally decided to pay that visit. I was greeted by possibly the friendliest waiter a BBQ restaurant has ever seen and the scent of smoke and meat juices.

After enlisting the assistance of the waiter, I ended up ordering the 3 Meat Platter with the baby back ribs, pulled pork and burnt ends (which is an option even though the menu doesn’t say so!) It was tough deciding between the burnt ends and the brisket, but I felt confident in my decision. I also opted for mac and cheese and mashed potatoes for my sides.

The platter was nothing short of massive, and the ingredients in the platter were also huge. And yet, somehow a couple of pickles managed to squeeze onto the plate and taint the mashed potatoes. I pushed them away, but was unquestionably disappointed to find there was one or two lurking beneath the potatoes. I tried to move on to the rest of the food and the mac and cheese really helped me through that tough time. It was cheesy, stretchy and had just the right amount of char on top.

Of the meats, the pulled pork was the best. This was weird to me because usually I simply don’t love pulled pork. However, it was juicy, smokey and flavorful. I was expecting the burnt ends to be the best, and they were quite good, but just not as delicious as they could have been. The baby back ribs were of the fall off the bone variety and I don’t care what some people say, I love that. The mashed potatoes were…mashed potatoes. No complaints, but nothing special.

I would definitely make my way back to Porkopolis for that pulled pork. I mean, it’s in the name and it makes sense. I’d switch a couple of other things around as well, but would expect that nothing would be less than “pretty good.” Porkopolis may not be a real city, but it still has all of the amenities I need.

Some were household names with tons of locations around the Valley of the Sun, like Grimaldi’s and Zoe’s, but others seemed a bit more special and I sought them out (along with some booze, of course).

The Italiano – Aioli Burger

I’d been hearing murmurings of how great this place was for a while now, and its victory at Burger Battle 2018 further cemented my desire to get there. This burger wasn’t perfect, nor would I expect it to be in such a situation, but the combination of mozzarella, bacon, basil garlic aioli, balsamic reduction and a discarded tomato made me more eager to seek out the real deal.

Mac Daddy – Tom’s BBQ

Is it proper to describe mac and cheese as wet in a bad way? Because that’s how I felt about the Mac Daddy, which is mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Perhaps the measurements went awry in the kitchen, because a dish like this is very hard to mess up. Yet, it was underwhelming, leaving me thinking I should have hit up another spot in the BBQ region.

Carne Asada Fries – SuperFarm SuperTruck

This is a truck that knows how to make fries. The fries themselves were perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, as well as seasoned to perfection. The beef was more ground than steak, but seasoned well, and the cilantro, cheese and sauce all acted in harmony with one another. The lime juice didn’t hurt either. These were easily my booze-free highlight of the festival.

Jollybeez Wings – Good Fortune Kitchen

What can I say? I’m a sucker for Filipino food. And while I can’t say I’ve ever had wings at an actual Jollibee, I have had balut and that should pretty much prepare me for anything. That said, the wing here was pretty good, and while there may have been a little too much focus on the corn and slaw? surrounding the wing, I was definitely a fan of the crispiness, meatiness, moistness and peanut sauce.

Unfortunately, one man can only eat so much. I left the Scottsdale Culinary Festival with not just a full stomach, but also a heart full of hope for the food scene in Phoenix. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like thing are bad in any way, but the variety I saw in places like Good Fortune Kitchen tells me that better foods are yet to come.

In my mind, you can’t have a good microbrewery without good food. It just can’t work. Therefore, I headed to Arizona Wilderness in Gilbert, a brewery with a rustic theme getting a lot of regional traction, to see if it could churn out food on par with the its beer reputation. But of course, I had to start of off with a beer before diving into the menu.

From the food side of the menu, Arizona Wilderness is known for its fries. Thus, we kicked things off with an order of When Pigs Fly Fries, fried in duck fat and topped with pulled pork and wilderness beer cheese. These were nothing short of savory deliciousness. They were not only packed with great flavor, but the toppings were plentiful. I would say that I was left wanting more, but in fact I was more interested in perhaps ordering more fries.

But I didn’t. I instead waited patiently for my burger. That burger was the After the Hike Burger (rustic, right?) and was topped with white cheddar, pork belly, bacon, avocado, a fried egg, an onion ring and LTO. I ordered without the LTO and stuck with the chips instead of upgrading to fries because I already had an ungodly amount of fries inside me. The burger was a thing of love, and certainly the kind of burger you would want to eat after a hike (or before it). Assuming, of course, that you don’t have to cook it yourself over an open flame because ain’t nobody got the energy for that. Thus, it’s good that Arizona Wilderness doesn’t make you cook your own food.

The chips, though, were really not great. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but they were just…vapid. It’s possible that they simply paled in comparison to the fries, but I am confident that they simply weren’t great.

In all, Arizona Wilderness was a pretty fantastic microbrewery. The beers were great, the fries were more than great and the burger was solid and meaty. Next time I find myself in the real wilderness, I may be wishing I was hanging in a brewery in Gilbert instead.

It’s hard to make BBQ trendy. It is inherently something that people have very specific expectations for, and anything “new” and good is almost always a minor tweak that makes a real difference. So where can innovation come from? Booze. At least that’s what Bootleggers BBQ in Phoenix was thinking, offering a pretty snazzy modern divey bar that also serves up BBQ. It’s like a gastropub meets a BBQ spot and I was eager to see how the meat would hold up.

So, after a couple of beers, we went with the BBQ Sampler for Two. This came with pulled pork, brisket, a hot link, turkey and two St. Louis Ribs. There were also tortillas for some reason and some cole slaw. When it arrived, it looked mighty pretty. I dug right in and was happy with the results. By far my favorite was the brisket, which was juicy, smokey and super tender. In fact, there wasn’t really anything to complain about for any of the meats. Even the hot link, which can often be hit or miss, was solid if not exciting. They used an amazing small wood stove to cook efficiently.

Truthfully, I would have been happy with pretty much any of these meats as my full meal (except maybe the turkey, but that’s more personal preference than anything else). And yet, after I downed half the platter I wanted some mac and cheese. So I ordered it and have to say it didn’t impress me. Just ho hum flavor and simply not cheesy enough for me. Perhaps that is why the sampler didn’t come with a side, but I still would take the good main course over the side on almost any day.

Bootleggers was an impressive, if not overly exciting meal. But having that bar was a great touch, because I got to drink Bell’s Two Hearted Ale and it’s hard to go wrong with that. I’d definitely be willing to make Bootleggers BBQ a regular BBQ stop.

Farm to table is a popular concept and a strong rebuke against processed foods. Of course, factory farms are still called farms, but the point is there, nonetheless. But what do you call a meal at an actual farm? I’m thinking “table on farm,” and remember, you heard it here first. So, when I paid a visit to Pond Hill Farm on the outskirts of Harbor Springs, Michigan, it was quite a delight to eat food around animals that could probably be classified as pre-food.

By far, the best unvegan option on the menu was the Farmhand Burger, made with local beef, pulled pork, bacon-tomato jam and a fried egg. As the farm doesn’t have a deep fryer, they do a rotating menu of sides instead and on this day I went with the spicy peanut noodles.

The burger was a beauty and had a nice balance of the ingredients despite weirdly not having cheese. I found the pulled pork to be a bit dry, but that was possibly because it had been pulled off a squealing pig moments earlier. Aside from that, there was nothing I could conceivably complain about. In fact, I can even do the opposite and proclaim that more restaurants need sides like spicy peanut noodles to go with their burgers and whatnot. Seriously, there are enough fries, salads and slaws out there that the side game could use some real disrupting. Who’s with me? Anyone?

I should also add that Pond Hill Farm is more than just a place to grab a burger carved right off of a cow. There’s a petting zoo, playground and other fun family activities, with vineyards in the works. So go for that, but definitely stay for a bite of the good stuff.

It would have been much more convenient to go to Blue Tractor BBQ in Ann Arbor. After all, I seem to get there about once a year. The trouble is that every time I’m there I can’t help but stop at Zingerman’s, with an occasional other restaurant thrown in once every blue (or maize) moon. Instead, I went to the location a number of hours further away in Traverse City, Michigan, not far from Sleeping Bear Dunes.

It began with Tractor Twists, which are not at all your typical BBQ food, but that should in no way cheapen their deliciousness. These are twisted bread sticks that are stuffed with monterey jack cheese, coated with garlic and herb butter and served with marinara sauce. You could basically call them deconstructed pizza twists, and that would sound and taste just as good as these did.

I kept the twist theme going with my main course, which was the Pork Mac & Cheese (get it? the macaroni noodles are twisted!). This meant that the mac, which was cheesed up with a smokey gouda bechamel sauce, was topped with smoked pork shoulder, which was then topped with tangy BBQ sauce, kind of like an inception situation. And while the portions were impressive, to be honest, my first bite was disappointing. The bit of pork shoulder that I got was dry and the mac and cheese wasn’t creamy at all. But as I dug in, I realized that the creaminess had settled towards the bottom of the bowl and just needed my assistance for proper dispersion, while the pork shoulder was plenty juicy on the interior. My theory is that the dish was simply plated a little too quickly compared to my eating companions and spent a little too long under the heat lamp or elsewhere. It’s situations like these in which I wish we didn’t just wait for all food to be ready to be served. Alas, this is America, and for some reason this is a custom that lives in.

But I digress. Once I got into the thick of my meal, it was super delicious. It combined basically everything you need to survive – meat, cheese and carbs – and did so well, at least after a bit of stirring. It’s definitely a place I would recommend for someone looking to get smoked up in Northern Michigan.

Alpharetta, Georgia isn’t exactly a food blogger’s destination of choice. Yet, when the day job sends you off to such an exotic place, you make do. And that’s what I did when I made my way to Smokejack, a BBQ that I hoped would represent The South well. Smokejack is located in what can best be described as Alpharetta’s Main Street (because it is), and while all the other restaurants nearby looked good, Smokejack just drew me in.

Fortunately, I was with a fellow BBQ lover and we proceeded to order the biggest platter possible to split. It was called The Jack and came with 1/4 lb. pulled pork, 1/4 lb. burnt ends, 1/4 roasted chicken, 1/4 rack spare ribs, 1/4 rack baby back ribs and 4 sides (I suppose to keep the 4 theme going). We picked Mac and Cheese, Pimento Cheese Grits, Baked Beans with Bacon and Corn Pudding for our sides, because we had no need for greens.

Yet, Smokejack seemed to disagree, because when The Jack arrived, it cam with a boatload of pickles tossed in one corner. I did my best to ignore these as I dug into the meat. While each item seemed to borrow BBQ styles from other places, they were all great. The Memphis-style spare ribs were fantastic, as were the baby back ribs. The burnt ends probably could have been a bit more tender, and the pulled pork could have used more flavor, but then again the rubs were so great on the ribs that the pulled pork probably would have tasted better on its own. The chicken was even pretty good, and super juicy.

As for the sides, I was pleased with all of them. The baked beans did not fall into the nasty habit of being overly sweet and the mac and cheese didn’t amaze, but still tasted solid. The pimento grits were probably my favorites, being creamy, textured and flavorful.

I left Smokejack packed to the brim, and happy with the quality as well. Atlanta locals may not think Alpharetta has good BBQ, but this transplanted Los Angeleno was impressed.

Somehow it took me nearly a year of working in Pasadena to discover Braise and Crumble just down the street from my office. It’s truly shocking because after discovering the place one day, I was back just a couple days later to get in on it again. Because of that, you actually get to see how two meals unfolded at this place.

The first time, I went with the Oink and Moo Sandwich. This was named for the sounds that the meats made before they were meat and were living, breathing animals. The pork was pulled and the beef was short rib. It was also topped with jalapeno puree, mayo, tomates and lettuce. I had no need for the latter two ingredients, but the others were just fine. The result was magical, with both meats popping with flavor and the jalapeno puree adding a nice little kick.

Yet, I had to get back to try the fried chicken. Instead of a sandwich, on my second visit I went for the Hunka Hunka Fried Chicken Love. It’s essentially a basket of three pieces of boneless fried chicken (dark, white or mixed), a biscuit and a side. I chose the mixed and gorgonzola potato salad for my side. The fried chicken turned out even better than the Oink and Moo. And that goes for both the white and the dark meat. Each piece was juicy, flaky and flavorful. Really, what else could you ask for than that? I suppose you could ask for a biscuit and potato salad, but these really were just sidekicks to the chicken.

After downing three animals in two trips to Braise and Crumble, I was happy to have found a little gem in Pasadena. In fact, it might just be my new go-to lunch spot.

BBQ is a wonderful thing. And while most great BBQ is nowhere near LA, there are certainly great spots to be found. A newcomer on the scene just recently popped up in Culver City (in a corner where restaurant seem to die), calling itself Chop Daddy’s. The place has all the makings of trying to become a chain, which isn’t always the best when you’re looking for authenticity, but all I cared about was getting some good ‘cue.

I wasn’t in the mood for a slab of ribs, so I can’t speak to those, but a number of their sandwiches really caught my eye. None moreso than the Big Daddy, which was a brioche bun stuffed with pulled pork, bacon, tater tots, cheese sauce and a spicy aioli. It almost seemed like too good of a sandwich to be true.

But it was true, and as I dug into my first bite I was overwhelmed with just how good it was. Pulled pork might be the easiest BBQ dish to make well, but when it combined with all that other deliciousness it just worked…really well. Each flavor, aside from perhaps the bacon, could be tasted in each gratifying bite.

Unfortunately I don’t live in Culver City anymore, but if I did I’d probably be taking down a Big Daddy weekly. It might not be what you would find at a more traditional BBQ joint, but in this case there’s no reason to complain.

It all began with a quick stop for some Medalla Light beers and some appetizers, but after taking a look at the menu and seeing the food our fellow customers were eating, it became apparent that Bananas in Esperanza would become our dinner that night in Vieques. Bananas, like Duffy’s from the night before, is kind of like a beach bar with mainland American influence.

But again, it all began with some appetizers. The first was their Mofongo Spring Rolls, which were basically a spring roll shell filled with mashed plantains, manchego cheese, bacon and caramelized onions with a horseradish sauce. We didn’t order without the onions, because, well, travel and fortunately the taste was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, the bacon was pretty tough to find as well and these ended up just kind of tasting like fried plantains with cheese. Not a bad thing, but not as good as they could have been either. But we also ordered the Jerk Chicken Rangoons, which were basically dumplings filled with jerk chicken and some mango ginger chutney for dipping. These also sounded much better than they tasted, with much less flavor than I had hoped for, but enough to give me hope for the main course.

And the main course was truly something. I ordered the Tripleta Burger and while I know you may be getting upset at me for once again not getting something truly local, I have to explain to you what comes in the Tripleta. It begins with a really solid (and perfectly medium-rare cooked) beef patty that certainly seemed to be made in-house. Then it is topped with roast ham, pulled pork, swiss cheese and fried plantains. The pulled pork was surprisingly amazing, which made up for the fact that the fried plantains were just plantain chips. Moreover, it all just worked perfectly as a burger, especially with the great BBQ sauce it came with (that tasted weirdly similar to Kansas City’s Gate’s Hot BBQ Sauce).

If you’re looking for a good burger in Esperanza, Bananas is far superior to Duffy’s. It’s a little more costly, but definitely worth it. As for the appetizers, they’re good for getting in touch with the Puerto Rican side of the restaurant, but otherwise it’s best to just skip to the main course.