brisket

Smoking Pig BBQ – 4th Street, San Jose, CA

January 6, 2017 by Ole Leave a Comment

I wasn’t going to write about this restaurant since it is about 400 miles away from Riverside, but recent Instagram posts from this place changed my mind. Now it is on my brain.

Smoking Pig BBQ Company on 4th Street in San Jose, California served me the best brisket I have ever eaten. This is not meant to take anything away from Badlands BBQ in Norco, which serves my favorite brisket in Southern California. In all honesty, if brisket from both places was sitting on a table in front of me I’m not sure I could pick a favorite. Since these two places are separated by about 400 miles, I’m not sure how I could arrange this heavenly brisket faceoff, but a man can dream.

Look at this brisket:

Why was I up in San Jose? Last July, my sons played in the USA Water Polo Junior Olympic Tournament up in Northern California. Since my sons were staying with their teams, I was on my own at meal time. Luckily, I found this place on my first night.

I ended up going back four more times.

Day 1:

I showed up at dinner time and the place was crowded. I screwed up and ordered at the counter, thinking that the food would be served at the table. Nope. I ordered take out. They were nice and set me up at a table anyway.

I also tried the Wolf Turds – jalapenos stuffed with cheese and sausage, wrapped in bacon, and smoked.

Day 2:

This time I sat at a table and ordered the right way.

I knew this was a great place when the server asked me if I wanted my brisket fatty, lean or mixed. They get it.

Day 3:

I thought about trying a new place, but ended up here again. Instead of the stuffed jalapenos, I tried the Chicken Lollipops, which are marinated mini drumsticks wrapped in bacon and smoked. A little too sweet for me, but very tender.

I finally realized they serve Cajun fries. After pondering my failure to realize this fact during my two previous visits, I enjoyed some of the best fries I have ever eaten. The brisket kept getting better with each visit.

Day 4:

My oldest son’s last game was in the morning, so we were able to enjoy a post-tournament meal. Big surprise, I took him here. He loved the brisket and Cajun fries. We reminisce often.

We then went to watch my youngest son’s last game in the afternoon. Before we hit the road for the long drive south, we decided to share our new spot with him. This time we celebrated a great tournament with some Peanut Butter Pie… and some more amazing brisket.

Smoking Pig BBQ Company
1144 N. 4th Street
San Jose, CA 95112
smokingpigbbq.net

Badlands BBQ, Norco

January 3, 2015 by Ole 4 Comments

My first post of 2015 is about one of my favorite subjects… Barbecue.

I recently stumbled across Badlands BBQ in Norco, which is located in the spot formerly occupied by Hickory Joe’s Smokehouse.

Before I go on, let me cut to the chase…

Brisket.
Amazing Brisket.
Consistently Amazing Brisket.

While some of the fixtures remain from the Hickory Joe’s days, Badlands has an updated look. I like it much better now.

On my first visit, I tried the triple threat with brisket, baby back ribs and a hot link.

The real star for me was the brisket, which is what I order every time I visit Badlands. The brisket does not disappoint.

Sliced…

or chopped… the brisket is awesome.

Although I’m not a big fan of baby
back ribs (I prefer the St. Louis style), the ribs were tender and meaty.

** Update: We went to Badlands a few hours after I posted this. We tried the ribs again, and they were devoured before I could even get a picture. Some of the best ribs I have ever eaten. **

Here’s another picture from a subsequent trip:

Each table has condiments, including two different barbecue sauces: Memphis Magic and Habanero Chipotle. I prefer the Habanero Chipotle, which is a little sweet with a hint of a kick.

There are a variety of sides to choose from, including onion strings, brisket baked beans and jalapeno bacon mac n cheese. For a little extra, you can also order a salad as one of your sides.

Although we haven’t tried everything, there is much more than brisket at Badlands, including…

Wings:

Burgers:

Chicken:

I plan to go back many times.

Badlands BBQ
120 Hidden Valley Pkwy, Suite D
Norco
badlandsbarbecue.com

Wood Ranch – Dos Lagos, Corona

November 2, 2013 by Ole 1 Comment

We have been going to Wood Ranch in Dos Lagos since it opened. Not often, but at least a few times each year. This is a nice place, with good food.

These rolls make me wish I never gave up bread. Fresh, hot and delicious. I ate my fair share before I gave them up. Now I have to watch as my family devours them.