It’s a dirty job, but someone has to test out all of the small-batch BBQ sauces from restaurants and smokehouses from coast to coast. Feast your eyes on the 11 winners our lips were lucky enough to taste. Big Butz Original B-B-Q SauceThis Wisconsin Ya Butz sauce gets its mild, tangy-sweet flavor from vine-ripened tomatoes, molasses, and red peppers. ($12.90 for 2 pint jars; bigbutzbbqsauce.net) |
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Roasted Garlic HoneyFounded by three bikers in Syracuse, New York in 1988, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que now sells their popular sauces and slatherings, including Roasted Garlic and Honey, to fans nationwide. ($3.99 for a 19-ounce jar; dinosaurbarbque.com) |
Cahoots Fire In The HiveNot for the fainthearted, this spicy sauce from California’s Cahoots Catering Co. relies on smoky chipotle and jalapeño peppers for its intense heat. ($6.95 for a 13-ounce jar; cahootscatering.com) |
Big Jake's Strong And BoldA blend of hickory, honey and secret spices gives Big Jake’s of Minneapolis, Minn., its smoky, charred flavor. ($6.35 for a 15-ounce jar; big-jakes.com) |
Pork Barrel Sweet BBQ SauceCreated by two Senate staffers from Virginia, this Pork Barrel BBQ sauce has nearly 40 ingredients, including chipotle, ginger, and cayenne. ($4.99 for a 12-ounce jar; porkbarrelbbq.com) |
Sauce Goddess Gluten-Free Big & TangyAlthough Sauce Goddess is produced in San Diego, it is made Carolina-style, with apple cider vinegar and a blend of spices and peppers. ($8 for a 13-ounce jar; saucegoddess.com) |
Angry Nephews BBQ SauceJolokia ghost peppers, the hottest chili pepper in the world, make Raleigh, North Carolina’s Angry Nephew’s BBQ Sauce rank off the charts when it comes to heat! ($6.95 for a 16-ounce jar; nephewsbbq.com) |
Bone Suckin' SauceSweetened with honey and molasses you’d expect for sauce makers in Raleigh, N.C., Fords Gourmet Foods’ includes horseradish, mustard and a secret spice blend. ($6.79 for a 16-ounce jar; bonesuckin.com) |
Sweet Life BBQ SauceMade in small batches in Sorrento, Fla., Sweet Life Sauce Co.’s sauce features raisins, Granny Smith apples, and nutmeg. ($20.70 for two 16.5-ounce jars; sweetlifesaucecompany.com) |
Memphis OriginalFounded by three friends in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., in 1992, Sticky Fingers Smokehouse is famous for their distinctively sweet, tomato-based sauce. ($3.99 for an 18-ounce jar; stickyfingers.com)
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