Best Twin Cities Beer and BBQ Combos

Gotta be less dirty, man.

 

Grab some Minnesota brews and get on southbound I35 for about 1200 miles.

There is no good BBQ served in restaurants in Minnesota. At best there is okay BBQ.

 

Ted Cook would disagree with you. Although the beer thing is missing....

 

I would recommend venturing over to my friend's place when he puts brisket on his outhouse size smoker...I will provide the good beer!

 

I would disagree that Ted Cook's is anything above mediocre. The vast majority of Minnesotans have no idea what real barbecue tastes like. I'll admit that there are a small handful of places I have yet to try in the metro, but everyone that I have been to, serve up a bland approximation of barbecue.

 

Northbound is solid beer and decent BBQ

 

There is one exception. As a known curator of fine meats, have you ever been to Piggy Blues in Austin, MN? That's easily the best BBQ I've had in MN. Though that doesn't help the OP any unless people want a good road trip.

 

A local chef that often writes in the Growler magazine (The Minnesota Spoon Articles) by the name of Jon Wipfli (I may have spelled his last name wrong) does stellar BBQ. He does not yet have a restaurant, but following him on instagram leads one to free BBQ that he makes.

 

I agree, you have to make it yourself around here otherwise you aren't going to get good bbq. I do think some stuff at q fanatic is pretty good, but nothing you can't do better yourself.

 

Boy, two purely personal taste things things that create intense arguments, great beer and great BBQ all in one thread!

There is no universal definition of "great BBQ", since BBQ has always been a regional food that adapts to the local preferences. MN BBQ is not KC BBQ. But, then, KC BBQ is not TX BBQ. But then, TX BBQ is not deep South BBQ. But the, deep South BBQ is not ...

IOW, BBQ is not one thing, it is many things, nearly infinite things...

 

You should look into Just North of Memphis. Insanely good. They had a food truck set up in Annandale at Spilled Grain when I went there a few months back. Ribs were to die for. Easily the best BBQ in the area, with ZZQ in Eagan a close second (which might not be a bad option after Bald Man Brewing opens).

 

Very true, I guess my opinion is that MN BBQ is normally quite bland and not smoked/served the way I prefer. While KC, TN and TX are all done differently, I prefer BBQ restaurants I've been to in any of those areas over the ones in MN.

 

I'm by no means a BBQ connoisseur, but Baker's Ribs in Eden Prairie tastes damn good to me.

If you look at the locations they have, there are 9 of them in Texas and one in MN, so I'd think they are pretty authentic. I'm guessing they don't change the menu for the one MN location.

 

While I agree there is no set "standard" type of barbecue, there are most definitely regional differences/specialties, good barbecue is good barbecue no matter where it is served. There is no good barbecue served in a restaurant in Minnesota. If we were to define Minnesota's "style", it would be noted for its gray and greasy appearance and utter lack of smokiness, typically slathered in a high corn syrup and ketchup sauce.

 

Never heard of this place. May be headed there tonight.

 

Right next to Puffy Cream dounuts. Just opened a few months ago, and the owner was really great to chat with when we stopped in.