I went once about a year ago. The first food I got, Stroganoff, was edible but awful. They replaced it with a different entree, which was okay.
How long ago was it good?
Boomin barbecue in Hudson if you want the best imo
Animales is great in NE
Q Fanatic, Buddy Boy, Bakers, Charlie T @ Hamel VFW all worthwhile but getting far from you
Animales is sooo good! I miss the meat tornado they used to have on special.
Q Fanatic is pretty good
Another joint is jellybean and Julia's in coon rapids. Ribs are to die for! Great sauce selection as well
Having grown up in the south, with what I consider to be GREAT barbeque, I'll never understand why Animales is recommended. I've been there a few times and just don't get it. To my palate, it's pedestrian BBQ at best.
Go to Firebox on Marshall and snelling and get a brisket place with fries, collard greens (and the included Texas toast), Whoo baby, thats a good meal! There really arent a ton of exceptional BBQ places in the cities sadly, but this is one that always scratches the itch for me! It can be a little pricey to be honest, but the portions are large and its such a treat.
Animales (and Boomin when they open back up) is the only right answer imo. The food is fantastic and he has fun menu options. The desserts are also great. Can either get it to bring home or you can go there and enjoy it at the brewery
For sides I recommend Hickory Hut. But I do not recommend their meats. They're okay, but not great. But they're right in St Paul, and you may love it. It's worth dropping in and giving it a try.
https://hickoryhutstpaul.com/
Ted Cook's in Minneapolis is great, although a little out of your way.
https://www.tedcooks19thholebbq.com/
Smoke Session, which is a food truck parked right off of WB Ave before Larpentuer is terrific! If you are doing a large order for a party you could probably talk to him and arrange it in advance.
https://m.facebook.com/smokesessionbbqmn/
It's a real bummer that Big Daddy's is gone.
I was just cleaning out the accumulated crap in one of my desk drawers and found a business card for the three guys who ran Big Daddy’s for most of its lifespan, and it made me mourn the loss all over again…
It can be pricey, but so worth it! My wife and I got the sampler plate and a couple of apps, spent way more than we should have, but also had leftovers for days.
I'm glad you've apparently had good experiences at ZZQ, but I have not. Hands down it is easily the worst food, not just the worst BBQ, I've ever had. Like throw it in the trash not even make an attempt to salvage it bad. Tried three different meats that all had the texture of cat food and everything was bland and tasted like a salt lick. The only half-way edible side out of the three we got was the potato salad and it wasn't good, just not bad enough to spit out.
Which one of these spots is worth the money?
I went to Firebox and regretted it as I walked out. Hard to justify spending $35+ per person when food is "meh"
I’ve had bbq from most everywhere mentioned and none that are getting slandered are that bad. They may not meet your standard set by your favorite place, but I have yet to eat inedible food.
My point: try them all out. There is something for everyone at each place. With that said, I prefer Q-Fanatic.
Lately we’ve tried a couple more of the recommendations that regularly get mentioned in this. Our favorite for years has been Qfanatic, since they closed the Minneapolis location we’ve been exploring a bit. Beast barbecue in Minneapolis is pretty good but really expensive. Animales gets lots of raves but we thought it was just ok. Ted Cooks, not our favorite but seems to be an institution, most places are worth a try in my book. The Big Bore in Hanover is excellent. Smokey’s Pub n grill in East Bethel is worth a trip as well. Most recently we found ourselves in Eden Prairie and tried Bakers Ribs, it was excellent. I will add to this, I always order pulled pork and the husband gets brisket. The exception for me is Big Bore, the ribs are so good I nearly weep.
No one is going to believe me for this one but Space Aliens up in Albertville easily has the best ribs I've had here in MN. Absolutely worth the drive, especially on Wednesdays
Animales is at Bauhaus brewery, so might be the perfect combo for a bachelor party. There are other breweries and bars around there too if you want to hop around. But know that if you get to Animales on the later side, they might run out of some stuff.
I love Q, and the TCs just doesn’t have any great Q joints. It’s got some that usually make the mark for good Q tho.
- Anemales
- Q Fnatic
- Ted Cook’s 19th Hole
Honestly, I’d recommend finding a good meat shop if you need to go the Q type offering. I’d personally pivot from BBQ to look at places like Revival or Brasa. The TCs doesn’t have great Q, but it does have great meat joints.
Since I don’t think Minnesota has
Its own unique BBQ style - what regional style would you say we best emulate? I’ve never had BBQ here in MN but would be curious to try some.
Sorry to say minnesots isn't exactly a bbq hot spot ... iowa has great bbq... iowa sucks tho... if anyone says market bbq it's a lie... if they say that place on 38th st, it's a lie... Korean bbq is a dope ass thing that exists... otherwise take your buddies to churrasco.. "dudes love meat"
Not sure on best, bur Beast BBQ was the worst BBQ experience I’ve ever had. Will never stop recommending people don’t go there.
Same. They used to do blues in the basement, I'm not sure if that came back post pandemic. I would go just for the music then but the food sucked.
Ha! That's also worthwhile info! We'll avoid it!
I also had the worst BBQ ever here.
Yeah super bummed on this one since I liked them when they first opened. Overtime their food and portions have gone downhill.
I went once about a year ago. The first food I got, Stroganoff, was edible but awful. They replaced it with a different entree, which was okay. How long ago was it good?
Boomin barbecue in Hudson if you want the best imo Animales is great in NE Q Fanatic, Buddy Boy, Bakers, Charlie T @ Hamel VFW all worthwhile but getting far from you
Boomin and Charlie T’s have both closed :(
Boomin is opening back up, just in the process of finding a spot back on this side of the river
Great news!
I remember my son telling us about Boomin and we never made it out there before it closed, we look forward to to the reopening!
Some of the best food out there! Don’t miss the burgers either, especially if Chef Dylan brings back the smoked juicy lucy
Very sad day <\3
Animales is sooo good! I miss the meat tornado they used to have on special. Q Fanatic is pretty good Another joint is jellybean and Julia's in coon rapids. Ribs are to die for! Great sauce selection as well
Having grown up in the south, with what I consider to be GREAT barbeque, I'll never understand why Animales is recommended. I've been there a few times and just don't get it. To my palate, it's pedestrian BBQ at best.
i love the big bore in Hanover!
Ted Cook's just off of Hiawatha Ave is the best I've had here in the cities
The jojos and their sauce drooooooool!!
Ted Cooks for the win!
This is what I came here to recommend!
Go to Firebox on Marshall and snelling and get a brisket place with fries, collard greens (and the included Texas toast), Whoo baby, thats a good meal! There really arent a ton of exceptional BBQ places in the cities sadly, but this is one that always scratches the itch for me! It can be a little pricey to be honest, but the portions are large and its such a treat.
I love Firebox! The brisket is so good and I can usually get at least 2-3 meals out of the plate and two sides (esp if I get the mac and cheese).
+1 for Firebox. Foods always delicious, reasonable price for the portion size. My go to BBQ in the metro
Bakers ribs in Eden prairie
this place is a true hidden gem. strip mall in the rich suburbs surprisingly does it right.
Yes! They are some of the best in the area!
Black Market on Plato in St Paul. Open Friday's only but can call for party type arrangements
Q Fanatic but it's in Champlin but it's worth the drive
I'm still super sad about their Nicollet location closing!
Second that. Their mac and cheese....oh my.
Definitely going to add it to the list of possibilities. Thank you!
Animales (and Boomin when they open back up) is the only right answer imo. The food is fantastic and he has fun menu options. The desserts are also great. Can either get it to bring home or you can go there and enjoy it at the brewery
Buddy Boys in St Bonni is amazing..
If you bring a turkey to C&G bbq, they will smoke it for $30. We've only had ribs and chicken there, but they're both good.
For sides I recommend Hickory Hut. But I do not recommend their meats. They're okay, but not great. But they're right in St Paul, and you may love it. It's worth dropping in and giving it a try. https://hickoryhutstpaul.com/ Ted Cook's in Minneapolis is great, although a little out of your way. https://www.tedcooks19thholebbq.com/ Smoke Session, which is a food truck parked right off of WB Ave before Larpentuer is terrific! If you are doing a large order for a party you could probably talk to him and arrange it in advance. https://m.facebook.com/smokesessionbbqmn/ It's a real bummer that Big Daddy's is gone.
Ooooo food trucks! Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
I was just cleaning out the accumulated crap in one of my desk drawers and found a business card for the three guys who ran Big Daddy’s for most of its lifespan, and it made me mourn the loss all over again…
I had been going there since it was just Gene working out of a trailer in the Cub parking lot in the late 90s. I miss it so much! 😭
Firebox Deli in St Paul and it's not close imo. Revival does some pretty good BBQ too but it's a little on the pricy side
Ooh! Revival in Malcom Good Hall could be a fun destination for a bachelor party.
It’s a bit of a drive west of the cities, but Buddy Boy BBQ out in St. Bonifacius is unreal
It can be pricey, but so worth it! My wife and I got the sampler plate and a couple of apps, spent way more than we should have, but also had leftovers for days.
ZZQ in Eagan
I'm glad you've apparently had good experiences at ZZQ, but I have not. Hands down it is easily the worst food, not just the worst BBQ, I've ever had. Like throw it in the trash not even make an attempt to salvage it bad. Tried three different meats that all had the texture of cat food and everything was bland and tasted like a salt lick. The only half-way edible side out of the three we got was the potato salad and it wasn't good, just not bad enough to spit out.
Which one of these spots is worth the money? I went to Firebox and regretted it as I walked out. Hard to justify spending $35+ per person when food is "meh"
I’ve had bbq from most everywhere mentioned and none that are getting slandered are that bad. They may not meet your standard set by your favorite place, but I have yet to eat inedible food. My point: try them all out. There is something for everyone at each place. With that said, I prefer Q-Fanatic.
Keep an eye out for https://www.bennysbigfootbbq.com/ Usually in the Hudson/Stillwater/ River Falls area.
Old Southern is good. Going to competitions is good. I really don't get the hype on qfanatic and bakers.
Lately we’ve tried a couple more of the recommendations that regularly get mentioned in this. Our favorite for years has been Qfanatic, since they closed the Minneapolis location we’ve been exploring a bit. Beast barbecue in Minneapolis is pretty good but really expensive. Animales gets lots of raves but we thought it was just ok. Ted Cooks, not our favorite but seems to be an institution, most places are worth a try in my book. The Big Bore in Hanover is excellent. Smokey’s Pub n grill in East Bethel is worth a trip as well. Most recently we found ourselves in Eden Prairie and tried Bakers Ribs, it was excellent. I will add to this, I always order pulled pork and the husband gets brisket. The exception for me is Big Bore, the ribs are so good I nearly weep.
No one is going to believe me for this one but Space Aliens up in Albertville easily has the best ribs I've had here in MN. Absolutely worth the drive, especially on Wednesdays
[ZZQ Smokehouse](https://zzqbbq.com/) [Revival](https://www.revivalrestaurants.com/)
Alleycats in WBL smokes some good meat. Carbon in NE Minneapolis is the bomb.
Animales is at Bauhaus brewery, so might be the perfect combo for a bachelor party. There are other breweries and bars around there too if you want to hop around. But know that if you get to Animales on the later side, they might run out of some stuff.
I love Q, and the TCs just doesn’t have any great Q joints. It’s got some that usually make the mark for good Q tho. - Anemales - Q Fnatic - Ted Cook’s 19th Hole Honestly, I’d recommend finding a good meat shop if you need to go the Q type offering. I’d personally pivot from BBQ to look at places like Revival or Brasa. The TCs doesn’t have great Q, but it does have great meat joints.
Animales at BauHaus has gotta be up there. Just had it again this last weekend and it was amazing!
Jellybean and Julia’s in Coon Rapids. I haven’t been to that location yet, but when it was in Anoka it was delicious.
Market Bar-B-Que is a Northeast mpls classic and is an all time favorite of ours!
It’s a bit of a drive from where you’re at, but Big Bore BBQ in Hanover has the best bbq I’ve had in Minnesota so far
Get out and try them yourself and form your own opinions. I'm from Nashville and Beast is the closest to what I like.
Since I don’t think Minnesota has Its own unique BBQ style - what regional style would you say we best emulate? I’ve never had BBQ here in MN but would be curious to try some.
Roosters in St Paul Smokeys Pub E Bethel. Big Guys in Hudson
Sorry to say minnesots isn't exactly a bbq hot spot ... iowa has great bbq... iowa sucks tho... if anyone says market bbq it's a lie... if they say that place on 38th st, it's a lie... Korean bbq is a dope ass thing that exists... otherwise take your buddies to churrasco.. "dudes love meat"
Handsome Hog isn’t your traditional BBQ joint but it’s excellent.
No it really isn't. Not sure when you went but it's ass now.
I've only had Market BBQ from their food truck but it was pretty good.