The BBQ Restaurant Menu Red Flag You Can't (And Shouldn't) Ignore

Visiting a new barbecue spot for the first time can be an overwhelming hit to your senses. From the delicious, meaty smells wafting from the smokers to the clanging of spoons serving homemade mac and cheese, collard greens, and all the best barbecue sides onto the awaiting trays, it can be an absolute cacophony of sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. It makes you want to try absolutely anything and everything on the menu, and, as such, you may be less inclined to pay attention to one important red flag. 

When Tasting Table talked to Robbie Shoults, celebrity chef and third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse in Marshall, Texas, he implied that a menu with too many options can (and should) raise concern for customers. "You don't expect to walk into a barbecue joint and see pasta on the menu. That's usually a sign they're trying to do too much," he said. If you're going to a barbecue restaurant for barbecue, that is what should be landing on your plate. Plus, barbecue is difficult enough to get right — from controlling smoke and crafting the perfect dry rub — so a barbecue joint experimenting with fringe barbecue variations or creations may be a sign of subpar fare.

That being said, Chef Robbie Shoults made one thing clear: "Offering a variety of smoked meats lets customers experience a little bit of everything, while still staying true to what barbecue does best." So if you find a joint that offers a diverse platter with Texas brisket (watch out for this other brisket-related red flag), sausages, and pork, it may be worthy of ordering, but when you get too far from the barbecue realm, you might want to find another spot.

You may want to consider the different regional barbecue styles when deciding what to sample from the menu. For that reason, you would be remiss not to try sweet, slathered ribs in Kansas City or whole-hog barbecue in Eastern North Carolina. Play to what each region does best, but consider sampling beyond just those offerings — just maybe leave the fancy attempt at pasta for another time (and another customer).