Is there still a niche for simple BBQ in the food business?

[Lake Dogs]

Out here, it is pulled chicken, not chicklen salad. If a BBQ place doesn't have pulled chicken, they often lose business. Matt at Phat Matt's often bemoans the fact that he has to make it, as it costs more to make, takes a lot of time and in his mind, isn't BBQ. But, if he doesn't have it, people will leave, not order other stuff.

Regionality! ABSOLUTELY! Around here, and not teasing this time, BBQ is pork, so the beef products are optional. Ribs and Pulled Pork, a few good sides, some fries, sweet and unsweetened tea, perhaps cold beer, and you have a winner IF it's good.

Other regions, I'm sure in TX you HAVE to have brisket, and pork probably is optional.

Now we know about Calfornya; bunch of chickens...

 

[marubozo]

The simple BBQ niche is working for me up here in the north. My menu couldn't be much simpler. Ribs, pork, brisket, chicken, and sausage. 4 sides and corn bread. Don't even have a fryer, so no french fries even.

When I go through our comment cards every week usually the only thing we get dinged on is menu variety, but I think people are just accustomed to most restaurants having everything under the sun. But I'd rather do a few things well than a bunch of things average.

 

[landarc]

Regionality! ABSOLUTELY! Around here, and not teasing this time, BBQ is pork, so the beef products are optional. Ribs and Pulled Pork, a few good sides, some fries, sweet and unsweetened tea, perhaps cold beer, and you have a winner IF it's good.

Other regions, I'm sure in TX you HAVE to have brisket, and pork probably is optional.

Now we know about Calfornya; bunch of chickens...

And tri-tip.

Talk about a losing proposition in a restaurant. Tri-tip, which everyone wants served at 135°F or 160°F, and hot, and fresh, and right away...ever try and hold a 2 pound hunk of meat at HD temperatures and serve it medium rare from a 155°F Cambro?

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The simple BBQ niche is working for me up here in the north. My menu couldn't be much simpler. Ribs, pork, brisket, chicken, and sausage. 4 sides and corn bread. Don't even have a fryer, so no french fries even.

When I go through our comment cards every week usually the only thing we get dinged on is menu variety, but I think people are just accustomed to most restaurants having everything under the sun. But I'd rather do a few things well than a bunch of things average.

Good for you and your regulars benefit from this small menu. Because I can almost guarantee if you were to add hamburgers, french fries, deli sandwiches, buffalo wings and fried catfish to your menu what you specialize in would take a hit in quality.

 

[oldbill]

My family has issues with eating BBQ out. My wife is allergic to beef so she can't take the chance the ribs or chicken were cooked or sliced on the same grate/surface as the brisket. youngest daughter (17) is so picky about everything that she doesn't really eat there unless they have chicken tenders (I may need to do a dna test on her). My oldest daughter is the only one that will eat BBQ with me outside of my BBQ. So the only time I eat BBQ out is if I am on my own out of town for work and I eat alone. Sometimes I can catch my oldest in Austin for lunch. If there are a lot of other families out there like mine I can understand why they have such a big menu.

Yeah, I think there were some babies that were accidentally switched at the hospital. We have a few people in our family as well who don't care if they ever see another spare rib or a brisket sammich as long as they live. It's just un-Texan or something! LOL!!!
So you're right, there's a lot of families like yours and mine and that's probably why Applebee's and Chilis is packed full every night! Lots of stuff to choose from, maybe not the best quality food on the planet but at least there's something that most people can find to eat in those places. Along with sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads and steaks Chilis is even known for their baby-backs!
I won't eat em' and I think that there's a special place in hell for Texans who indulge in such things as Chili's wannabe Q but you've got to hand it to chains like Chilis and Applebee's, they've mastered the "having something for everyone" philosophy and they take in a LOT of money every day!:shock::-D

 

[oldbill]

Now we know about Calfornya; bunch of chickens...

Yeah, and I'm sure that there's someone out there somewhere who's tinkering with,..... GULP,..... VEGAN Q!!!!!! Oh the humanity!:sad:uke:

 

[Bamabuzzard]

Yeah, and I'm sure that there's someone out there somewhere who's tinkering with,..... GULP,..... VEGAN Q!!!!!! Oh the humanity!:sad:uke:

OFF WITH THEIR HEAD!!!! :mmph:

 

[landarc]

We have Vegan soul food already

 

[gtr]

Very true

Is it at least Smoked Chicken in the Chicken salad??:roll:
I have been known to smoke a Chicken just to do that from time to time:tongue:

I hear ya - I will never apologize for my love of smoked chicken salad. :twisted:

A little green onion, a little celery, s&p, a little mayo, smoked chicken - done!

 

[pjtexas1]

Yeah, and I'm sure that there's someone out there somewhere who's tinkering with,..... GULP,..... VEGAN Q!!!!!! Oh the humanity!:sad:uke:

I would have thought there was a filter in place that any post submitted with the word VEGAN would be deleted

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I would have thought there was a filter in place that any post submitted with the word VEGAN would be deleted

Or the poster's screen and keyboard would explode in front of them. :caked:

 

[oldbill]

We have Vegan soul food already

Man that's just all kinds of WRONG! Taking pork, chicken and a host of other critters out of soul food is like taking the cream out of ice cream! These are sad times my friends,... sad times!:tsk:

 

[oldbill]

Or the poster's screen and keyboard would explode in front of them. :caked:

So THAT'S what happened!?!?! I thought I accidentally spilled my beer on the keyboard or something! LOL!!!:icon_smile_tongue:

 

[Blythewood BBQ'er]

Here in B-wood we have the Seafood and BBQ EMPORIUM. IVE NEVER AND PROBABLY will never go there even tho those are definitely my two favorite food "groups". Also I've never seen anyone go in or out, hum wonder why? It just seems wrong to me. We had a bbq buffet for awhile but the owners just seemed to loose interest in it. You could tell when they slowly started to replace items with canned stuff. They had awsome homemade fried chicken which didn't bother me because it was awsome. Sadly they even started buying pre fried chicken from somewhere. They took their usual summer vacation and never came back . Every now and then I dream of opening up something, it would be almost a total rip off of the old style chop house. You order and pay my better half, I shred, slice or chop it, slap it on butcher paper, give ya some bread and the sause is over there somewhere!

 

[early mornin' smokin']

is there still a niche? I believe there is, but not so simply done. We run a bbq place on LI. Chicken, ribs, pulled pork, brisket, are our staples. We do have a fryer, and little kids love fried stuff so we have pickle chips and french fries.
Along with made to order mac and cheese, and pit baked beans.
We run specials weekly, and the demand is there. Hoping it keeps up. Simple is best, but location is paramount. Finding a town that has very limited food options, with tired consumers is key. For us limiting our hours keeps the demand high. We could open tues-sun as opposed to our current fri-sun, but I know it'll be only a small increase in the bottom line after paying staff, etc.

 

[oldbill]

For us limiting our hours keeps the demand high. We could open tues-sun as opposed to our current fri-sun, but I know it'll be only a small increase in the bottom line after paying staff, etc.

That's smart! There's a place in Lexington TX called Snow's BBQ and they're open only on Saturdays from 8:00 A.M. until they run out of Q which is around 10:30 or 11 A.M.! They're considered by many to be the best in Texas.:wink:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxA-sF4wV3M"]Best Barbecue in Texas? Snow's BBQ in Lexington - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Hey BB, the best BBQ I've found locally is Bodacious BBQ on Barksdale Blvd. about a mile or two up from the Jimmy Davis bridge. Their menu is not small but it's not big either. Growing up here as a kid there used to be one called Pioneer BBQ which could not keep enough BBQ for their business but they are long gone.

I'd like to try your Friends BBQ. What's the name of his place?

 

[landarc]

Man that's just all kinds of WRONG! Taking pork, chicken and a host of other critters out of soul food is like taking the cream out of ice cream! These are sad times my friends,... sad times!:tsk:

there

 

[Blythewood BBQ'er]

^^^ I think I would rather eat the container!

 

[dwfisk]

Allen & Son BBQ just north of Chapel Hill NC is kind of a bastion of NC Q which of course is pork, period. I'm trying to remember the menu but it goes something like this:
BBQ Plate w/2 sides
BBQ Sandwich w/1 side
Sweet tea or sodas
and an assortment of coblers and pies.
That's it!

PS: I got the plate:thumb: