Top Barbecue In The Philadelphia Area
May is National Barbecue Month, and if you live in the City of Brotherly Love, that means heading out for some pulled pork, savory smoked brisket, or tangy barbecue ribs. No matter your favorite style - be it Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, or Carolina-style BBQ - you won't be disappointed with Philly's barbecue choices. Luckily, Philly folks don't need to travel far to pig out on smoked, savory goodness at a number of spots for, including these five popular venues.
Bitter Bob's
110 S. Main St.
New Hope, PA 18938
(215) 862-0262
www.bitterbobs.com
Serving up brunch, lunch and dinner, Bitter Bob's is just a hop, skip and a jump away from Philadelphia in the town of New Hope in neighboring Bucks County. The menu is brimming with flavorful choices of home-style dishes, like pot roast and meatloaf, and if it's barbecue you want, Bitter Bob's won't disappoint. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken are all on the menu, and dry rubbed and slow cooked is the rule at Bitter Bob's when it comes to cooking the meats. If you're really hungry for some comfort food, try the 'bowl of deliciousness, a heaping helping of mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes or one of the other delicious sides topped with your choice of meat and then smothered in barbecue sauce and cheesy goodness. Dessert is a big deal at Bitter Bob's, and you'll have a hard time choosing between the coconut creme pie and the signature chile-spiced brownie with ginger whipped cream.
Percy Street Barbecue
900 South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 625-8510
www.percystreet.com
Percy Street Barbecue is the consummate Texas-style barbecue restaurant. Located on South St. between 9th and 10th, Percy Street serves up heaping plates with big flavors. A Philly favorite featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," this venue is known for its friendly service and unique take on some traditional Texas-style favorites such as pulled pork, which is served up with its own special slaw here. Other Percy Street specialties include German potato salad, homemade sauerkraut and the extra sharp cheddar macaroni and cheese. Dessert is not to be missed if you love pie, although the chocolate-banana cream bread pudding is yummy, too.
Pig Daddy's Barbecue
693 Burmont Rd.
Drexel Hill, PA 19026
(610) 622-6441
www.pigdaddysbarbecue.com
If you're in Drexel Hill and are hungry for some BBQ, stop by Pig Daddy's on Burmont. The extensive menu includes more tasty takeout items than you can shake a stick at, including the can't-miss BBQ-style cheesesteaks. With both pulled pork and brisket on the menu along with ribs, wings and buffalo shrimp, there is definitely something for everyone here. Like many good Texas-style BBQ places, Pig Daddy's also serves up a mean Tex-Mex menu with nachos, burritos and quesadillas, as well as some mighty fine signature burgers, especially the Superburger.
Smoke'n Dudes Barbecue Co.
3400 Neshaminy Blvd.
Bensalem, PA 19020
(215) 752-5500
www.smokendudesbbq.com
Smoke'n Dudes is an award-winning BBQ joint in the Philly suburb of Bensalem. After winning prizes for their BBQ pork, ribs, beef brisket, and chicken dishes, the family decided to share their savory grub with the rest of the word, opening their restaurant in 2002, and were named Pennsylvania State Barbecue Champion just one year later. Today, Smoke'n Dudes is not just a popular restaurant, they also run a busy catering service, providing food - even entire pig roasts - for hundreds of events each year. The chopped brisket, served with signature apple BBQ sauce, is a fan favorite, but the sampler is mighty good, too, and has ribs, pork, brisket and two sides. Need dinner on the run? You can stop in to pick up a package that will feed a family of four to six, with pints of savory slow-smoked meats, tasty sides and cornbread.
Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse
7500 State Road
Philadelphia, PA 19136
(215) 333-9663
www.sweetlucys.com
Sweet Lucy's is known for serving up authentic Southern-style barbecue infused with hickory-smoked flavor. Favorites include the pulled pork and beef brisket – cooked low and slow – and the smoked turkey. The homemade cornbread - made with real corn in the batter - and other sides, like spicy collard greens, macaroni n' cheese, and baked beans, add just the right touch of down-home goodness to round out the experience. Can't decide between the ribs, brisket or pulled pork, or just hankerin' to try a little of everything? Mosey on down to Lucy's Smokehouse on a Monday night for their all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet.
Christy Ayala covers sports, recreation, the outdoors, and leisure activities in the Philadelphia area. She earned a masters degree in recreation administration from George Williams College and managed programs in the Midwest, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
