Shipman's favorite Albuquerque barbecue joints

No two barbecue sauces are the same, and different people like different things. Your mouth may vary.

• Big John's***. Formerly located on South Broadway, this is my current favorite for great meats in the city. Their new location is on the south side of Central opposite the fairgrounds, just west of Louisiana. The pork brisket is out of this world, but it's all good. Do not miss the peach cobbler.
• Powdrell's***. Powdrell's is definitely the hottest, and it has a great flavor, and the meat is fairly lean and well cooked. Powdrell's is a local chain. There is also a new place called Willie Powdrell's, run by the original founder's son, but I haven't tried Willie's.
• County Line***, at the corner of Tramway Road (which runs east-west) and Tramway Blvd (which runs N-S), is my second favorite, close after Powdrell's. They put out an excellent product with an unusual but tasty sauce, and the meats are a trace leaner. The service is also first-rate.
• Quarters***. Quarters, on Wyoming just north of Montgomery, does a pretty decent middle-of-the-road barbecue, not terribly hot, and pretty popular with most people. I'd rank them third for my taste, but this doesn't mean it's bad---I like theirs a lot. They sell a lot of takeout, and it's ready in short order. Main drawback is the crowds.
• Rudy's**. On San Mateo just north of I-40, on the west side. It has the classic "BBQ joint" atmosphere, with picnic tables and the food served on butcher paper. Not bad. I recommend the pork loin.

None of these places can touch The Red Chimney in Carlsbad, NM, though. Hands down, best barbecue in the state.

There's another place I haven't tried:

• Robb's Ribs. The noted raconteur and gourmet, my friend Bob Knight, says ``Robb's Ribs has my vote. Hot sauce, lean meat. Robb's cool, too. And he hauls his hickory in from back East.'' Located on the northeast corner of San Pedro and Candelaria.

Last updated: 2007/06/03 19:05:41
URL: http://www.nmt.edu/~shipman/food/abqbbq.html