Several types of meats being cooked in a pit at a barbecue restaurant

A barbecue restaurant is a restaurant that specializes in barbecue-style cuisine and dishes.[1][2] Barbecue restaurants may open relatively early compared to other restaurants, in part to optimize sales while barbecued foods being slow-cooked by the process of smoking are being tended to by restaurant personnel on premises.[2] In some instances, this can enable the sales of barbecued meats that began being smoked the night before the next business day.[2] Per these logistics, a significant portion of their sales may occur during lunchtime.[2] Additionally, high lunch turnover at barbecue restaurants may occur per the foods being cooked and sold in large batches.[2] Popular food items may sell out earlier compared to others, which may encourage customers to arrive earlier.[2] In January 2015, the U.S. National Restaurant Association forecast "barbecue, Italian food and fried chicken" to be "top perennial menu favorites in 2015".[3]

Etymology

United States

In northern and midwestern areas of the United States, a barbecue restaurant may be referred to as a "barbecue joint".[4] In southern areas of the U.S., a barbecue restaurant may be referred to as a "barbecue" or "barbecue place", rather than as a barbecue restaurant.[4] Some barbecue restaurants may be referred to as "shrines" or as a "barbecue shrine",[5][6][7][8][9] which can refer to those that have earned a strong reputation for purveying high-quality food over the course of several years, and even over the course of generations.[10]

Portugal and Brazil

Brazilian churrasco

A churrascaria is a place where meat is cooked in churrasco style, which translates roughly from the Portuguese for 'barbecue'. A churrasqueiro is somebody who cooks churrasco style food in a churrascaria restaurant.[11] Some churrascarias offer all-you-can-eat dining in a style that is referred to as rodízio.[12][13] They may offer many types of barbecued meats.[12] In Brazil, a churrascart is a food cart that serves churrasco, and they are common in the country.[12]

Operations

Further information: List of barbecue restaurants

England

Some barbecue restaurants in London, England include London's Pitt Cue Co. and Barbecoa, the latter of which is owned by Jamie Oliver.[14]

Mexico

In Central Mexico, barbecue outlets are common and numerous in midsize to large size cities, and often exist at roadside stalls in outlying areas of the metropolitan area.[2] These outlets may not qualify as being restaurants per se, although they often offer the same types of foods.[2] These outlets may offer barbacoa-style foods.[2] In this region, when quantities of meats are depleted, the restaurant or outlet typically closes.[2]

Philippines

Mongolian barbecue restaurants are popular in the Philippines.[15] In 1991 it was suggested that this may be due in part to the economic recession that was occurring in the early 1990s, because Mongolian barbecue restaurants operate as affordable buffets that enable diners to eat as much as they desire.[15]

South Korea

See also: Korean barbecue
Korean barbecue at a restaurant in South Korea

Barbecue restaurants in South Korea are referred to as gogi-jip (English: "meat house").[16] They are very common and popular in Seoul.[16] Daedo Sikdang and Nongoljip are Korean barbecue restaurant franchises that both originated in Seoul.[16]

United States

Meats being cooked at a barbecue restaurant in Chicago, Illinois

Barbecue restaurants may have one or more pitmasters that oversee the preparation and cooking of foods, along with maintaining fire and food temperatures.[17][18] The word "pitmaster" is derived from "the ability to control the fires of the pit".[17] The sizes of barbecue restaurants can vary, ranging from very large to smaller-sized buildings, and some exist as mobile food trucks and food booths.[19]

In the U.S., some restaurant chains exist, such as Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, which is a franchise that in 2010 was the largest barbecue restaurant chain in the U.S. with over 130 stores, Smokey Bones, with over 70 stores in 2010, and Rib Crib, with 41 stores in 2008.[20] Dickey's Barbecue Pit is the largest barbecue franchise in the United States.[21]

Cuisine

Further information: List of barbecue dishes

In the United States, barbecue restaurants may offer dishes that are slow-smoked or barbecued over a grill. Fare includes barbecue sandwiches, brisket,[2][22] barbecue chicken, pulled pork, pork shoulder,[2] pork ribs, beef ribs, beefsteak[23] and other foods. Various side dishes are typically available, such as baked beans,[24] macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and corn on the cob, among others. A variety of barbecue sauces may be available, and some barbecue restaurants bottle their own sauces for customer purchase.[25] Some barbecue restaurants prepare their foods without any sauces, and may not offer any as condiments.[26] This may occur per a preference for the flavor of the meats to stand on their own, rather than being accentuated with flavors from sauces. Some barbecue restaurants use a dry spice rub to flavor meats.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ Miller, T. (2014). Barbecue: A History. The Meals Series. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 91–103. ISBN 978-1-4422-2754-5.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Cowen, T. (2012). An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules for Everyday Foodies. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-101-56166-9.
  3. ^ "Barbecue, Italian food and fried chicken are top perennial menu favorites in 2015". National Restaurant Association. January 2, 2015. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ^ a b Caldwell, W.W. (2005). Searching for the Dixie Barbecue: Journeys Into the Southern Psyche. Pineapple Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-56164-333-2.
  5. ^ The Rotarian. Rotary International. February 1996. p. 16. ISSN 0035-838X.
  6. ^ Stubblefield, C.B.; Heyhoe, K.; Grablewski, A. (2007). The Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook. John Wiley & Sons. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-471-97996-8.
  7. ^ Witzel, M.K. (2008). Barbecue Road Trip: Recipes, Restaurants, & Pitmasters from America's Great Barbecue Regions. MBI Publishing Company. p. 179. ISBN 978-1-61673-116-8. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  8. ^ Browne, R.; Bettridge, J. (2002). The Barbecue America Cookbook: America's Best Recipes from Coast to Coast. G - Reference,Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series. Globe Pequot Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-58574-689-7.
  9. ^ Berry, W. (2013). The Kentucky Barbecue Book. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-4180-0.
  10. ^ Mills & Tunnicliffe 2005, p. 130.
  11. ^ "Our History". Fogo de Chão Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse. Fogo de Chão (Holdings) Inc. Archived from the original on 2014-06-05. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
  12. ^ a b c Let's Go Brazil 1st Edition. St. Martin's Press. 2003. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-312-32004-1.
  13. ^ Nogueira, Cristiano (2014). Rio For Partiers: The Visual Travel Guide to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For Partiers travel guides. p. 142. ISBN 978-85-89992-13-8. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Sissons, Jemima (July 13, 2012). "The Latest Barbecues Are Smoking". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  15. ^ a b Walker, H. (1991). Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1991: Public Eating : Proceedings. Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery. Prospect Books. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-907325-47-5.
  16. ^ a b c Park, Jaysen (September 26, 2011). "Seoul's 5 best Korean barbecue restaurants". CNN Travel. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Veteto, J.R.; Maclin, E.M. (2012). The Slaw and the Slow Cooked: Culture and Barbecue in the Mid-South. Vanderbilt University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0-8265-1803-3.
  18. ^ Mills & Tunnicliffe 2005, p. 129.
  19. ^ Mills & Tunnicliffe 2005
  20. ^ Moss, R.F. (2010). Barbecue: The History of an American Institution. University of Alabama Press. pp. 237–238. ISBN 978-0-8173-1718-8.
  21. ^ "Dickey's Barbecue Brings in Record Thanksgiving Sales". December 14, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  22. ^ Blaskovich, Sarah (December 29, 2014). "Barbecue businesses in Texas wrestle with high beef prices". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  23. ^ Walker, H. (1991). Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1990: Feasting and Fasting : Proceedings. Prospect Books. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-907325-46-8.
  24. ^ Thorn, Bret (October 22, 2013). "New barbecue chains make their own traditions". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  25. ^ Garner, B. (2014). Foods that Make You Say Mmm-mmm. John F. Blair Publisher. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-89587-630-0.
  26. ^ Engelhardt, E.S.D. (2010). Republic of Barbecue: Stories Beyond the Brisket. University of Texas Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-292-78214-3. Retrieved March 17, 2015. Quote: "Though sauce does appear around the pits and on the plates at Central Texas barbecue restaurants, one of the most venerated among them, Kreuz Market, in Lockhart, has stood by its policy of “NO SAUCE”—with the capitals reflecting the..."
  27. ^ Meek, C. (2014). Memphis Barbecue: A Succulent History of Smoke, Sauce and Soul. American Palate. History Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-62619-534-9.

Bibliography

Further reading

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