Avoid Ordering These Meat Cuts At BBQ Restaurants If You Want Top Quality

No one ever wants to leave a restaurant disappointed, especially if it's one that specializes in something as comforting as barbecue. Most of us would like to think that these types of places know what they're doing, but sometimes even our favorite restaurants can miss the mark. Luckily, there are a few ways you can tweak your order to avoid a bad experience, and one of those is to steer clear of any cheap cuts of meat on the menu.

Tasting Table spoke to barbecue expert Sloan Rinaldi, pitmaster and owner of Texas Q, about the dishes you should never order at a barbecue restaurant, and one of her top tips was to avoid falling for cheap prices. It probably goes without saying but a lot of the time, the more expensive options on a menu are of a much higher quality. According to Rinaldi, "Prime brisket is pricey, so if you're paying north of $30 per pound, you are likely getting prime." In the same vein, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. "A cheap price usually means cheap meat," explained Rinaldi.

Brisket is one of the most expensive cuts that barbecue restaurants purchase, so if you see cheap menu prices for this, avoid it. The same goes for most beef products. Beef in the U.S. is graded by the USDA on a scale that ranges from Select to Prime. The types of beef you're most likely to find in restaurants are Choice (the middle tier) and Prime (the most highly ranked). Choice beef, which is cheaper, has less marbling, so it doesn't have as much flavor and tends to have a tougher texture. If it's Select (the lowest and cheapest grade) it's likely to be a lot leaner and less juicy than the more expensive Prime option, which is sourced from young, well-fed cattle.

The good news is that some barbecue restaurants run deals on high-quality cuts, so keep an eye out if you're on a budget. Here are the best barbecue restaurants in every state, if you want to keep track of which spots offer the best bang for your buck. Barbecue chain restaurants tend to have more budget-friendly prices, too. 

It's also important to keep in mind that certain types of meats are more inexpensive than others. For example, pork shoulder costs a lot less than beef, so the pulled pork will still taste delicious, despite it being the more affordable option on the menu. Poultry is also cheaper, so you can probably trust any grilled chicken breast or drumstick dishes you see. If you want best quality beef, however, splurge if you can.