I’ve traveled more than most people across this great country in search of some of the best barbecue places in America. I’ve been to Kansas City, St. Louis, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri, all in search of good barbecue.
I know my way around the block when it comes to what makes for a good barbecue smokehouse and what does not. Some of the best barbecue I found was right here in Utah.
Right from the get-go, I was impressed with Rod and Roger Livingston’s R&R BBQ joint when they first opened up. These co-founders and brothers focused on getting the right quality meats and getting the right quality smoker. You see, many people think the “secret’s in the sauce” for good barbecue, but the sauce is just an afterthought, and I think really good smoked meats don’t need sauce at all!
To have good smoked meats, you have to start with the right smoker; one that will keep the temperature just right for that long slow cook. Then, using the right hardwood and a lot of tender loving care produces the best-smoked meats. Period. Even though R&R BBQ has now expanded to nine locations, they still keep the same “competition-style barbecue” meats on their menu.
R&R BBQ should be complimented on its ability to produce “competition-style barbeque” in a chain restaurant. You can usually find these types of barbecued meats only at a local BBQ cookoff, state fairs, or other cooking events where local folks come year after year to show off their newest combinations of spice rubs and hardwoods. This is where you can find the absolute best-smoked meats you will ever have, much like at R&R BBQ.