Name the "Best BBQ in the country"? C'mon gang, that is an impossible task. I know, every, and I mean every, establishment and person in the world has to have one superlative claim to fame. But that ain't possible in many claims. Or it is that many claims are just too subjective to be beleivable.

Consider "The best looking woman in the world". Think about how many times you have seen some discussion around that topic. Is (was) it Jaclyn Smith? How about Elizabeth Taylor? Maybe Angelina Jolie? Kate Bosworth? Catherine Zeta-Jones? The possibilities are endless, entirely subjective and dependent on personal taste and what impressed you last.

The same with BBQ. I consider myself a connisieur of southern BBQ, and especially BBQ in the southwest. BBQ is beef brisket, slow smoked and sliced thin. Served plain with the sauce ladled on. Chopped meat stirred with sauce, served on a bun just ain't BBQ. That is MY definition, and I would expect many to disagree with it.

I have had good BBQ in many places. In the final analysis, that is the bottom line. Was it good? Was the place convenient to get to? Was the atmosphere acceptable? When we as pilots talk about BBQ, we are also talking about going to some place we haven't been before. We are going to arrive with headset hair, rumpled clothes and a severe thirst.

Is the parking lot filled with pickup trucks or limos and lexii? Is it permeated with the smell of woodsmoke and cooking meat? Inside, is the prevailing fabric used for clothing, denim or parachute cloth (or, god forbid, wool or silk)? Are the tables or booths bare or plastic covered or linen covered? If the answers are yes or column 1, you are probably in a good place. If it is weekend and you see someone in a tie, go elsewhere.

Since we will be flying home afterwards, the answer to the thirst must be iced tea (the house wine of the south). Is the glass large (12 oz or more)? Is it over cubed ice or crushed ice? Is it clear or cloudy? The answers to these must be the former in all cases. Sweetened or unsweetened is your choice.

Cafeteria style is good, but I have had good BBQ served sitdown. Meat by weight at the pit is good, but so is sliced on slapped onto your plate in front of your hungry eyes. Good coleslaw, potato salad, beans and a dill pickle only adds to the meal. If your W&B will stand it, cobbler is a nice finishing touch. Apple, peach, cherry or blackberry are all good.

Now, where can you get this? Hard 8 in Stephenville, TX. Sanderson's in Graham, TX. A place in Mineral Wells whose name escapes me, but the FBO at Kickapoo Downtown can give you directions. A place in Monticello, AR described by the local chapter of the Airport Bums Society. We have been more places, but those stand out in my memory.