@munihack7 Bayport was solid. Again not great but solid. It was tough to see them close as they were truly a small town bbq joint.
@happykamper storm king was solid not great though, i think the price point scared ppl away especially since it was on eat street.
For those thinking it, i will say it. Yes i am aware we aren’t in KC, Memphis, SC, or TX so maybe my standards for what great bbq is in MN is a bit high but I call it as i see it. Also my preferred style of bbq is TX BBQ (Beef, salt, and pepper)
I went to the St Paul Revival location shortly after opening and was very excited to order their brisket after hearing they were smoking some good beef. They brought it out sauced and I almost sent it back (honestly, should have). It was fine but not how brisket should be served (ie let diner ruin it with sauce if they want).
Unsure if was just a rogue line cook or if they’ve changed how they’re serving it but it’s seared in my memory.
you should reverse these two posts and it would read much cleaner. Also some bbq might be overrated in TX. I can’t speak to alot of places down there but when i travel for work i normally try to make it to one or two of tx monthly top bbq places. Some have been overrated (Micklethwait) but some have been accurately rated (Cattleack)
@bobs219 good TX should have no sauce imo. I know plenty of good places have sauce on the side but i don’t want it…not if its good. KC, Memphis, SC different story.
Ive had to create a google maps list of all these places I just need to try now. As always, you all are my kind of people.
While we are on the subject, what is everyones cream of the crop restaurants in the cities? like not just good but truly great. Ill throw them in a shareable google maps list.
Probably should throw mine out there. I think Pajarito in west 7th is truly incredible. I dont know if its authentic mexican or not but its the most interesting food Ive ever had in that style.
We’ve cut down on Minneapolis dining substantially the last couple of years.
Tenant has been our go to for new, interesting food.
There are 3 dishes at Hai Hai that I dream about weekly.
Otherwise if I go to Minneapolis for food it’s probably pizza (Black Sheep and Young Joni) or a pork bowl at Brassa.
I need to stop reading this thread. It’s got me craving BBQ now.
Apparently there a TON of local spots I’ve never heard of and need to check out.
One place I need to get back to, and should be a mandatory stop for any trip to Duluth is https://omcsmokehouse.com/
I miss Bayport BBQ. Was an early adopter of theirs. Saw a couple of good shows there as well. The family running it was interesting. It was definitely a labor of love for them, but I also don’t think they really understood ever what the City would and wouldn’t let them do in regards to concerts and outside noise etc. Strong libertarian streak in that one. They used to do freezer meals as well on the side that we bought a couple from them. Best part of going there was getting extra leftover BBQ to go and buying a loaf of their fresh bread to go with it. Though this was back before they went buffet style. Also, in a roundabout way I can take credit for Bayport ending up on Triple D.
Handsome Hog is an interesting one for me. My office window literally looked out at their Mears Park location. It was everything I should have wanted in a restaurant next to the office. But I couldn’t do it. It was always trying too hard, but at the same time not meeting the expectations it was setting. I had some good meals there as well as some terrible ones, including being served a plate of brisket that was closer to jerky than it was brisket. The root of the issue might have been that I never forgave them for taking my favorite meal off the menu. As much as I wanted to love the place and make it my home, 9 out of 10 times I’d walk past it to the Bulldog.
I kind of felt similar things for all of the Madison Equities/Justin Sutherland restaurants in that strip. They were all just trying too hard. They all need the Paul Rudd stop do less.gif. Subtract your nose from your ass by about 33% to 45% less than it currently is, come up with a slightly more normal menu at slightly more normal prices and for the love of god stick to a set happy hour. One would think that after years of the Bulldog being consistently packed next door that one of these restaurants might get a clue.
I also struggle with paying for expensive BBQ. It’s not supposed to be expensive, in fact it was born out of the fact that the cuts of meat were tough and took a ton of time to make edible.
From a restaurant standpoint, and I thought Surly was the worst offender of this, it shouldn’t be that expensive. You’re making it in advance and in bulk, and similarly the sides are largely made in advance and in bulk. It’s coming out on paper plates by a server covering approximately 18 different tables. Everything about that screams economy of scale/lowest overhead possible, but yet they had the audacity to charge $25 + about 18% in Minneapolis sales taxes for two pieces of crappy bbq meat and a couple of lukewarm sides. Go fuck yourself with that shit. I’d go there with my brother when he was an employee and get 50% off food prices and I’d still feel like I was overpaying. Anyways that’s my rant for today.
Edit: Should have been directed toward @tj_denawli
I agree i liked OMC, good call.
I agree with everything but this.
You are 100% right. it was born by taking shitty cuts of meat. But good BBQ should be expensive for the sheer amount of time an waste that happens with a good BBQ place. Unlike a lot of restaurants the prep and food you make ready for the day can’t be prepared the next day this means higher waste (if they don’t sell out, which revisits my original comment I try not to eat at BBQ spots if they don’t have “until we sell out” on their menu) so the customer ends up paying for that (reads; democrats)
@munihack7 go to animales OMC is great but not the best
Animales has been top of my list for awhile, but they basically only offer ribs and beef cheeks whenever I look, I like a variety. Still need to get there though.
You think so? I’m just not sure I see it that way. I think a chef is spending way more time tending to the appropriate cooking of a steak which they’re doing in essence individually for each order, versus smoking a brisket that is going to be the entirety of their offering for a huge number of people.
This is me with no professional experience just talking out loud.
Have you ever smoked a brisket? Trimming, seasoning, smoking, wrapping and cutting is a bitch and takes 16 plus hours. Cooking a prime ribeye to perfection takes 15 minutes.
Pork butts are the easiest to do, which is also why they are the cheapest menu item at BBQ places.
If we’re talking trimming and seasoning, is prepping a brisket much different than trimming and breaking down a full prime roast for steaks? So lets say we’re even on prep time between the two.
For easy math lets say its an 8 pound brisket that takes 16 hours to smoke, and will be served in .5 pound increments. So essentially your spending 1/hour of smoke time per 1 serving (of .5 pound). Yes that’s 1/hour per serving but how much of that is active work? If its 15 minutes I’d imagine it would be a lot, but it would put your on par with what it takes to make a steak using your example above. Now throw two briskets in the smoker, and you’re halving the number.
Also, I’m talking commercial application, not you or I at home stressing about if we’re about to ruin dinner for the family. In a commercial application I’m willing to bet the amount of active staff time per serving for a plate of brisket is less than it is for a steak.
I’m more of a Memphis/KC gui and reeaaalllly like Rooster’s in St. Paul. They only do pork and chicken but both are exceptional. They pressure-fry their chicken from raw (most places par-bake and then fry because open frying raw chicking would take an hour) and it’s unfuckingbelievable.
