Is there any better way to celebrate National Barbecue Month than with a guest post from our friends at New Jersey Going Strong? We didn’t think so! If you have more great barbecue spots to suggest, please leave a comment.
The Jersey Shore boasts culinary creations worth traveling for including some of the best barbeque joints along the East Coast. In honor of National Barbecue Month, here are three of the most mouth-watering barbecue restaurants you’ll find along the Jersey Shore.
Belmar: Jersey Shore BBQ
Winner of too many barbeque competitions to list, the restaurant serves everything fresh. From the desserts to sides, everything is made fresh on a daily basis and the only item you’ll find in their freezer is ice cream. Ninety percent of the menu is gluten free and the variety of entrees is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Owner Doug Walsh knows “time and patience is the key to good barbeque” and he supports that statement by smoking his creations for 12 to 15 hours over local hardwoods. Going strong for four years, this haunt is also a perfect option for catering needs. Jersey Shore BBQ, 811 Belmar Plaza, 732-894-9009.
Must Try: It’s a toss-up between the brisket and the St. Louis ribs.
Neptune: Local Smoke BBQ
This bustling restaurant brings the best Texas-style brisket, the best North Carolina-style pulled pork and the best Midwestern-style rib to the Jersey Shore. Each BBQ item is complimented with homemade dry rubs and sauces. Owner Steve Raab says the secret to barbeque “is a combination of the perfect cut of meat, complimented with the right combination of rub, smoke and sauce. Passion and love go into the cooking process and that all creates mouth-watering BBQ. BBQ is truly an art and not a science.” This 4-time New Jersey State champion establishment just has to look to the smiles on their customer’s faces each day to know they’re doing something right. Local Smoke BBQ , 719 Route 35, Neptune City, 732-455-8888.
Must Try: The jalapeno poppers are stuffed with cream cheese, BBQ sauce and pulled pork filling, wrapped in dry-rubbed bacon and smoked for two to three hours. To create their pulled chicken, we brine whole chickens, then apply the dry rub slow and smoke them for three hours. The chicken is pulled off the bone and sauced and the flavor is amazing.
Point Pleasant Beach: Shore Points Coastal BBQ
New to the Jersey Shore scene this April, Shore Points Coastal BBQ’s claim to instant fame is their ability to create sauce and flavor combinations that take traditional barbeque to a coastal level. Calling themselves beach bums at heart, their shore-inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner options are a must-try for the upcoming summer season. Not many would think to visit a barbeque restaurant during breakfast hours, but the California Hash (pulled chicken, potato, peppers, onions, bacon, avocado and cheddar) and the Porky Benny (eggs benedict with tender pulled pork) are not to be missed! Shore Points Coastal BBQ, 16 Arnold Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, 732-899-RIBS.
Must Try: The barbeque ribs or chicken with one of their signature sauces, including blueberry BBQ (pictured) or rum and Coke.
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