A variety of barbecue and side orders awaits a group of four Birmingham-Southern College students at Byron’s Smokehouse in Auburn, Ala., Wednesday. The students, self-named the “Southern BBQ Boys,” have spent January visiting some of the South’s finest barbecue restaurants for course credit in an unusual writing class that combines eating barbeque with academics. (AP Photo/Jamie Martin)
Sorry to cut in on the food blog, but this story on Barbecue 101 caught my eye and stomach.
Four college students spent January visiting some of the South’s best barbecue restaurants for course credit from Birmingham-Southern College in a self-designed class that combines heaping mounds of meat with academics, all spread across five states. Click here for the story of the trip and a list of spots they visited. Two things came to mind about this …
One, why wasn’t I smart enough in college to come up with something like this?
Two, where would I go if I could go on a NeMiss food tour?
I posted a few of my ideas in the comment section and hope you will tell us where you would go. A warning – reading the story above and participating will make you hungry.
Todd Vinyard
Online Editor
Journal Publishing Company
12 Comments
February 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Tough choices in NeMiss and I’ll miss plenty. But here are a few off the top of my mouth …
Romie’s Grocery – Tupelo
City Grocery – Oxford
The Veranda – Starkville
The Grill – Tupelo or Columbus
Place I haven’t been but wish I had …
Big Bad Breakfast – Oxford
Stretching NeMiss range for a good spot …
Old Hickory Steak House – Columbus.
Great places the Southern BBQ Boys went …
Germantown Commissary — Memphis, Tenn.
Neely’s Bar-b-que — Memphis, Tenn.
Corky’s BBQ — Memphis, Tenn.
Sticky Fingers RibHouse — Chattanooga, Tenn.
Dreamland Bar-B-Q — Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Look forward to reading your favorite and why. I’ve got to go eat something now.
February 16, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Depends on what you go for:
Blueberry Muffin : Joe Joe’s in Tupelo or Bottletree Bakery in Oxford
Atmosphere: Yocona River Inn Oxford
Catfish: Countless Places, but Taylor Grocery in Taylor is pretty unique and good.
Barbeque: Countless Places, but I frequent West Side in New Albany a good bit.
Most Unique Dining: Sirs outside Pontotoc… expensive and requires 12 people, but man it’s good.
Overlooked and Great Place for a Date: Saint Clair at State Line Marina, Pickwick.
Doughnuts: Harlow’s in Corinth
I could go on and on I guess. NE Mississippi has numerous great places.
I can’t find a REALLY good steak place…. many places to get a steak, but no one that I know really, really specializes in it. Como Steakhouse in Como is OK, but not great.
February 16, 2009 at 2:40 pm
One of the best barbeque places I have ever seen is a small place on Hwy. 32 right before the intersection of Hwy. 15 between Houston and Houlka. The name is Country Boys Barbeque and it is EXCELLENT!!!
February 16, 2009 at 3:48 pm
You can also read the full story and see photos in Wednesday’s Daily Journal. The story will be featured on the Food & Dining front. (Todd, we probably should have communicated about this one!)
February 16, 2009 at 3:51 pm
How about the White Trolley in Corinth for slugburgers?
I would add Vanelli’s just for it’s history in Tupelo.
Danny’s Italian Beef in Booneville, just because it’s my guilty habit.
February 16, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Couldn’t help myself when it comes to BBQ stories. Sounds good Ginna. Hope folks will look for that in the Food section.
Some good ideas here, thanks!
February 16, 2009 at 4:23 pm
For BBQ a small family run business in Ripley. No finer than Bell’s.
For fine steak and friendlyness Taylors in New Albany.
February 16, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Southern Foodways Alliance has put together a BBQ trail for the South. You can see it here:
http://www.southernbbqtrail.com/
There’s also the boudin trail, the hot tamale trail and the gumbo trail. See them all here:
http://www.southernbbqtrail.com/visit_other_trails.shtml
Doesn’t look like any of them venture into NeMiss. The Biz has an interview slated for this week with the SFA to see why we didn’t make the cut. Until then, y’all have a lot of good ideas to get my eat on.
February 17, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Eli’s BBQ, Dairy Kream, Johnnys – Tin Lizzie Cafe in West Point
Oh and not NE MS but have to throw these in:
Purple Onion in Birmingham, AL
Chee Burger Chee Burger in Collierville, TN
Dixie Queen (Memphis, TN and surrounding area)
Bill’s Greek Tavern in Jackson, MS
Juans Flying Burrito in New Orleans, LA
March 1, 2009 at 10:33 am
Just passing by.Btw, you website have great content!
_________________________________
Making Money $150 An Hour
March 2, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Well, since no one else has mentioned them, I’ll add the ribs at Lep’s barbecue in Pontotoc, potato salad and pimiento cheese at Finney’s in Tupelo and the cheese plate at the Rib Cage in Oxford (formerly in Tupelo). And Connie’s fried chicken tenders. And the hamburger steak at Johnnie’s Drive In.
March 26, 2009 at 2:45 pm
anthony’s – west point
abe’s – corinth
i been hitting the bbq pit in olive branch while on the road for work….solid q.