Friend Kahuna,
I wuz a barbecue Memphis in May judge fer a while, but then talkin' took over....not frum me. :lol: I would only blind judge cuz I never seen no point in the "on site" talkin'. I always volunteered fer shoulder 'n ribs, but it wuz quite a treat ta judge the open animal division. Mite have eat a dog....'er parrott....'er mebbe a warthog.
The Top Hat Bar BQ over in Bamalama wuz real fine. First time I eat there I seen rite off we wuz in the rite spot. I reckon they wuz 7-8 of us who had run the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior. We wuz houngry (you put a "o" in it when ya near bout starved). Some of us wuz libated up jest a bit.
What I seen took my breath rite off me! They wuz the fattest folks I ever seen in one big room. Next thang I got ta watchin' 'em shovel fried catfish 'n barbecue do wn. Man oh man! Nobody wuz over 400, but they wuz a heap a 350 pounders.
They wuz so busy they never noticed we looked like carnival workers. We camped bout 15 minutes away. We always pitched out tents close to big eatin' spots.
Big Boss Bob's over in Decatur, Bamalama is high on my list, but we used ta hit it on Sunday mornin' drivin' home. Them folks jest got frum church, so they took more notice that something bout us warnt rite. We wuz always loud 'n laughin', but we never talked bad cuz they wuz little pardners listenin'. They folks likely tole 'em to be good so they didnt turn out like us.
In Dillsboro, Caroliney they got a good barbecue spot just down the street frum the Dillard House. Had Heath Schuler jersey 'n pichurs on the wall.
You kin find a good barbecue spot, but ya gotta keep on the lookout. One day we wuz all comin' back frum the Big Piney over ta Russellville Ozarks when we pulled off in a little town out frum Helena. It wuz too small fer a name, but it had a barbecue shack....a good one too.
Finally, they iz Feltner's Whattaburgers in Russellville, jest across frum the college. I aint ever eat a better hamburger. First time I went ta eat there I wuz houngry az a bear. :wink: I wuz debatin' how many hamburgers 'n fries. The waitress sez I caint eat two hamburgers 'n fries too. She wuz rite. They had a heap a plaques 'n awards fer the best hamburger in Arkansas. Rite on Highway 7 that runs frum Branson to Hot Springs.
If ya ever drive this way, let me know. I'm kinda like MapQuest, cept fer barbecue.
:lol:
regards,
bearridge
ramblin' gourmet