Mike Anderson's BBQ

Barbecue is best done the hard way. Sauces and rubs should be made from scratch. Meats smoked for hours under the watchful eye of a pitmaster. Since 1981, that's how the eponymous owner has preferred to do 'cue. Ravenous crowds squeeze into tables and vinyl booths, and on a busy day, they spill out onto the heated and covered patio's picnic tables. Prime on the cafeteria-style menu is the Lone Star State's signature smoked meat, brisket cooked over hickory. The pork ribs are given a dry rub then finished off with a moist baste, leading to what Mike and crew call a "toe curlin'" dish. Pulled pork and 60-40 beef-pork Polish sausage are big-time favorites. The house-made sides are old-fashion with a kick, including barbecue beans, cheesy cornbake, okra and something called the Spudzilla BBQ Baked Potato.