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JOHNSON’S BOUCANIERE, LAFAYETTE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT With Cajun recipes and barbecue and smoking meat techniques passed down through generations, you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. The brisket and pulled pork are slow-smoked for 12 to 14 hours. CITY PORK, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Somehow, these restaurants blend fine dining — and cheese and charcuterie — with the casualness of barbecue, which they incorporate into a range of creative and delicious dishes. TJ RIBS, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Restaurateur TJ Moran made baby back ribs a Baton Rouge must-order when he opened in 1986. The baby backs here are still some of the best, and you can get seriously delicious smoked St. Louis-style. BRQ SEAFOOD AND BARBEQUE, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This restaurant from Michelin-recognized Chef Justin Ferguson has consistently been named Best BBQ in Baton Rouge by 225 Magazine . Don’t fill up on the pickles and chips because you will want to eat everything. BRQ’s pulled chicken easily rivals the pulled pork. BBQ brisket meatballs are served with

creamy mashed potatoes and hot sauce fried onion rings. And all-in options include combos and platters. SONNY’S BBQ, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The Baton Rouge outpost of this Florida chain has been slow-smoking favorites like pulled pork, ribs and brisket since the 1970s. JAY'S BAR-B-Q, BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This long-time local favorite is known for its thin barbecue sauce, made with ketchup and vinegar, for sweet and savory in every bite. A must-try. HANNAH Q SMOKEHOUSE, PRAIRIEVILLE AND BATON ROUGE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT The 18-hour smoked brisket is king here, but don’t sleep on the buttermilk fried chicken. COU-YON’S BBQ, PORT ALLEN ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Great barbecue and fried fish, but it’s the smoked Idaho potatoes loaded up with pulled pork that really make this restaurant worth the drive from anywhere. LA 23 BBQ, BELLE CHASSE ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT This smokehouse on LA Highway 23 just outside of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base is a great spot for Texas-style barbecue.

The menu has brisket with just the right amount of bark, ribs, pork, chicken and sausage. Meats are cooked over oak in custom-built smokers, and served with sauce on the side. UGLY DOG SALOON, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Delicious, smoky BBQ in the heart of the Warehouse District downtown. CENTRAL CITY BBQ, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT When Central City BBQ opened in 2016, it put New Orleans on the national barbecue map. A broad menu covers everything from meaty pork ribs, beef, boudin and USDA Prime Kansas City brisket burnt ends to Hogs for the Cause award-winning smoked wings, which are served with white BBQ sauce and Cotija cheese. Pit house plates come with choice of meat and side — get the sweet corn spoon bread, or creamy mac and cheese topped with bacon, umami pickles, sliced onion, and sliced white bread. BLUE OAK BBQ, NEW ORLEANS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT After operating out of Grits Bar and Chickie Wah Wah music club in its early days,

30 ROUSES SUMMER 2022