Ardie A. Davis My Favorite BBQ Joints Volume 29

Youve got to be excited when someone as influential in the world of BBQ as Ardie Davis agrees to contribute to your weekly feature, My Favorite BBQ Joints. Its truly an honor and I cant thank him enough for taking time out of his busy schedule to be a part of my site. What I like most about his list is that he gave me specifics on the BBQ items he likes best and focused on a list of his favorites no matter if they were a chain or not. People do tend to lean towards what would leave the best impression on readers when Ardie shoots straight as to what he actually likes.

If youre not familiar, Davis founded the Diddy-Wa-Diddy National Barbecue Sauce Contest in his backyard in 1984 (it was later renamed the American Royal International BBQ Sauce, Rub, & Baste Contest once it became part of the American Royal). He is also the author of the official judges oath that is taken at all competitions sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and writes a monthly column in the National Barbecue News and the Kansas City Bullsheet, which is the official newspaper of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Here are Ardies favorite BBQ joints in his own words:

So much barbecue, so little time, comes to mind when Im asked to name my favorite barbecue joints. Ive been to many, but by no means all of the more than eight thousand joints that specialize in barbecue in the USA. My list is a snapshot of what Id love to have for lunch today. Other places may be added as time goes on, and no doubt Ive missed some excellent establishments. I look forward to experiencing many more really great places. My list is not prioritized from number one favorite, on down. It is like the FBIs Ten Most Wanted list. All are wanted in whatever order they can be captured. I like all of these bbq joints in no particular order. Here goes:

Arthur Bryants KCMO Brooklyn Street location beef & rib combo with fries
Oklahoma Joes KC KS 47th Avenue location Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich; Z-Man Sandwich; ribs; fries
Jack Stack KCMO Freight House behind Union Station wood-fired grilled steaks; prime rib; Denver lamb ribs; pulled pork or burnt end-stuffed baked potato; cheesy corn bake
BBs Lawnside KCMO chicken, gumbo, beans, beer & blues
Johnnys Mission KS ribs; beef on white with seasoned fries, beans
Big T KCMO sausage & beans
Smoki Os St. Louis MO pig snoot & rib tips
Charlottes Rib St. Louis MO ribs, pork steak, fries
Head Country Ponca City OK brisket, ribs, beans
Iron Works BBQ Austin TX brisket, beans, chili
Smittys Market Lockhart, TX brisket, beans, coleslaw
Louie Mueller Barbecue Taylor TX brisket, beef ribs, spareribs, original sausage; pinto beans and a frosty Lone Star Beer
Coopers Llano, TX sirloin steak; brisket; sausage; pinto beans
Rudys Leon Springs TX brisket; spareribs; sausage; beans; cold beer in a longneck
The Salt Lick Driftwood TX ribs, brisket & beans
The County Line on Bee Cave Road Austin TX beef ribs, spareribs, beans, bread pudding with whiskey sauce
The Bar-B-Q Shop Memphis TN bbq spaghetti
Paynes BBQ Memphis TN chopped pork sandwich, coleslaw, fried pie
A&R on Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis TN pork sandwich, fried pie
Cozy Corner Memphis TN Cornish hen, ribs
Toms BBQ & Deli Memphis TN rib tips, rib tips & rib tips
Johnny Harris Savannah GA Brunswick Stew; fried green tomatoes; 1924 Salad; bbq combo platter
Maurice Bessingers Piggie Park West Columbia, SC Little Joe Pork Sandwich; Carolina Hash over Rice; hushpuppies
Allen & Son Chapel Hill, NC chopped pork, coleslaw, cobbler
Stameys High Point Road, Greensboro NC chopped pork, coleslaw, beans
Bs Barbecue Greenville, NC chicken, pulled pork, coleslaw
Kings Kinston, NC pig in a puppy
Skylight Inn Ayden NC chopped pork with cracklins & skillet cornbread
Speedys Barbecue Lexington, NC chopped pork, slaw, beans, & banana pudding
Righteous Urban Barbecue NYC fried green tomatoes, bbq ribs
Boneys Denver CO pulled pork, ribs, collard greens, hush puppies
Daddy Bruces Boulder CO ribs & beans
Arapahoe Caf & Pub/BonnieQ BBQ Dillon CO ribs, Firecracker Coleslaw, beans
Big Papas Littleton CO bison ribs, bbq beans, mustard greens, sweet potato casserole

Ed Mitchell in eastern North Carolina wherever Ed is cooking whole hog, I want to be there. He is no longer at The Pit in Raleigh. I dont know where he has settled for his next venture.

Places on my to-do list
Melvins Charleston, NC
Big Bob Gibson Decatur, AL
Tin Roof BBQ Hoover, AL
Sorry Ass Wilsons BBQ Homewood, AL
Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q Birmingham, AL
Golden Rule BBQ Irondale, AL
Whole Hog Caf Little Rock, AR
Jones BBQ Marianna, AR
Bigmistas Barbecue Los Angeles CA
17th Street Bar and Grill Murphysboro, IL
Bogarts St. Louis, MO
Swinging Door Bar-B-Q Richmond, TX
Dinosaur Syracuse, NY
Holy Hog Tampa FL
Scotts Bar-B-Q Hemingway SC
Smoque Chicago IL
Sweatmans Bar-B-Que Holly Hill SC
Curtis 9th Wonder of the World Putney VT

What do you think of his list? Have you been to any (or perhaps all) of his picks? What BBQ joints on are your must visit list?

Heres some additional info on Mr. Davis:
Ardie A. Davis, aka Remus Powers PhB, was teethed on rib bones in Oklahoma City. His dad, Art Davis, taught him how to barbecue in a hand-built homemade brick pit in the backyard. After leaving Oklahoma for college and a varied career as a teacher, community organizer, & YMCA executive in eastern Iowa, Freeport NY and New York City, respectively, his barbecue career was reignited when he moved to Kansas City, his home for the past 35+ years. In 1984 he launched a national barbecue sauce contest in his backyard patio. Three years later the Diddy-Wa-Diddy National Barbecue Sauce Contest merged with the American Royal Barbecue, where it was renamed the American Royal International Barbecue Sauce, Baste & Rub Contest. He became a charter member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) in 1987 and served three terms on the board of directors. He is a board member emeritus and was inducted into the KCBS Hall of Flame in 1992. Davis proposed a Certified Barbecue Judge (CBJ) program and curriculum while on the board. After the board adopted the proposal, Davis and Ed Roith developed the CBJ curriculum and conducted the first series of classes. He penned the Official KCBS Judges Oath, adapted from the original 1984 barbecue sauce contest oath. In keeping with a longstanding tradition, Davis as Remus Powers PhB administers the judges oath at the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, the American Royal Barbecue, and the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational Barbecue. When invited and his schedule permits, he administers the oath at several other contests in any given year.

Davis most recent books are: 25 Essentials- Techniques for Grilling (The Harvard Common Press, 2009); 25 Essentials- Techniques for Smoking (The Harvard Common Press, 2009); Americas Best BBQ, with Paul Kirk (Andrews McMeel, 2009); 25th Anniversary Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook, with Paul Kirk & Carolyn Wells (Andrews McMeel, 2010); Americas Best Ribs, with Paul Kirk (Andrews McMeel, 2010).

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