Barbecue (BBQ) in the Greater Boston Area

Yep, I agree about grilled okra. We put it in a basket. Charred and crispy is the way to go.

I do wish it were possible to get local okra in the summer. Does anybody know a reliable source? I know it can be found at some Whole Foods fresh but it’s not local. And the local okra is harvested when it’s quite small and less fibrous.

I’ve found local okra only from Flats Mentor Farm in Lancaster. They are usually at the farmers markets in Somerville Union Square and sometimes at Charles River and Central Square markets in Cambridge. They are one of my favorite vendors because they support farmers of many diverse ethnic backgrounds, immigrants and refugees, and they grow many kinds of African, Latin American, and Asian produce…fresh lemongrass, lots of Asian greens and vegetables, Thai chiles, and sometimes okra, among others. Different farmer groups go to each of those markets so they don’t all sell the same produce.

The other issue is that the farm is on a river bottom and floods frequently, wiping out the crops. So some years there are times when they have nothing to bring to the market.

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Yes, a basket is the way to go. We got some last summer at the farmers market in Norwich, VT (across the river from Hanover, NH). Local is better!

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There actually is some good barbecue in New England, at Wilson County BBQ in Portland. That’s Wilson County as in North Carolina, the owner’s home territory. They cook whole hogs over a pit fired by wood calls (they have a dedicated fireplace instead of a burn barrel. They cook other meats and have sweet sauces, and even their NC sauce isn’t free from sugar, but it’s real barbecue. I wrote it pop on my blog, on which if you get hoewsicn, you can read reviews of lots of ENC places. And I’m planning a trip down there later this month.

You know I was looking for your review of Wilson County on your blog recently and couldn’t find it. I know I read it at some point.

If you have space for a garden, you can grow your own okra (And Thai chiles for that matter). I’ve done so often down in DC, and it comes in early enough for a colder climate. Like most vegetables, it tastes best straight from the garden.

I sometimes grill okra and sometimes slice it and sauce it. Both ways work. I don’t fry foods. I do love okra fried in corn meal.

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Yes, fresh, young okra is terrific and lovely raw. I think one problem is that most farmer’s markets start late around here, by which time early okra is now old. @johntannerbbq, is it possible around here to plant okra in the early summer, or must it be done earlier?

I remember hearing about Wilson County BBQ in Portland. Thanks for the reminder! I hope we get to try it before the year is out! And I hoping that okra might sometimes be among the daily rotating side dishes!

I sure hope they succeed.

I’ve planted pretty early — both starter plants and seeds in mid-late April. Harvest a little over 2 months later.

I checked my blog post and we were at Wilson Country BBQ in late July and they had fried okra.

When it started up, I remember B.T.'s Smokehouse in Sturbridge getting very good reviews. Definitely not “greater Boston area”, but since Portland was listed, figured I’d toss it out there. I’ve only been once, years ago, so no idea if they’ve gone downhill since.

https://www.btsmokehouse.com/

Also a place in Worcester:

https://btschickenandbbq.com/

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We have had fresh okra available the last 2 summers through the Heron Pond Farm CSA. They are located in South Hampton NH and set up in several farmers market.

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BTs is still as good as you can get in the general area. Much better than anything in greater Boston. It does get much busier than in the past. You can pick up lunch at BTs and hit Treehouse brewery in one easy trip. Their brisket Reuben will put you in a food coma.

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Just the sound of “Brisket Reuben” makes me weak.

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Two spots near us that advertise southern BBQ

https://www.millcitybarbecue.com/
Have not tried either but both are on the list.
My only experience for carolina bbq was a long time ago on a business trip.
Except for the banana pudding w//vanilla wafers, which made my teeth ache, it was a revelation.
I have been hunting for it ever since!

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Andy Husbands (Smoke Shop) garners a lot of favorable press. He was part of the East Coast Grill team during its heyday.

Just haven’t been wowed at Smoke Shop though.

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I really, really didn’t like anything at Smoke Shop. This is reminding me that my two times trying Sweet Cheeks (years ago) were actually better than Smoke Shop. The Porch in Medford was also better than Smoke Shop. I can walk to the Smoke Shop at Assembly from home but will never go back there again.

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Too sweet? I’ve not tried the Smoke Shop because that is my impression from reviews.

The Smoke Shop is OK BBQ, but quite overpriced. Even before Covid and inflation increased bills while shrinking portions, the Smoke Shop was ahead of its time in picking your pocket.

It’s been called designer BBQ on this board and I enjoy that term.

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Smoke Shop too sweet, and texture not great. We stopped trying a few years ago (pre pandemic) so I have no idea what it’s like now. Not just the pulled pork, but the sides and other dishes just didn’t work for us. If we were interested in the whiskey menu, we might still be trying because it’s so close to us, but I don’t like whiskey of any kind and my husband wasn’t impressed by the single malt scotch; he’s not interested in bourbon, etc.

The Porch in Medford had, the last time we tried pre-pandimic, had an interesting array of house made sauces that were good and one wasn’t too sweet (can’t remember which one). The pulled pork was reasonably good but not worth making a trek for.

Just checked Highland Kitchen menu. We did like the pulled pork with NC vinegar sauce years ago; I mentioned in a previous post that a server urged us away from it because “it’s too sour and people don’t like it.” We did. It’s no longer on the menu now, apparently.

Sweet Cheeks the pulled pork was fairly good but expensive; the biscuits great; the sauces all too sweet for us.

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BBQ is right in my wheelhouse. As a home smoker I don’t get out to a ton of BBQ places. Yes, the locals seem to prefer overly sweet sauce, and at best average places like Redbones. I tend to ask for my sauce on the side, just in case, and I look for NC sauce descriptions instead of Memphis for example.
BT’s is simply fantastic. Nothing in the Metro Boston area compares. I think Smoke Shop is highly overrated. The pork belly is nice, and a good selection of overpriced bourbons. Firefly’s in Marlborough can range from sublime to disappointing, but usually worth a shot. Good fried chicken too. Pit Stop in Mattapan was always solid, but I haven’t been in years. Same with M&M in Dorchester. American BBQ in Rowley, and Rusty Can in Byfield, are pretty good. Blue ribbon has three locations and is consistently pretty good. Tennessee’s is a notch below but OK.

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