Best barbeque sauce out of a bottle?

[Pei]

In a pinch, what is everyone's favorite barbeque sauce out of a bottle?

I need something relatively easy to find (no more exotic than Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, please) that is sticky, sweet, slightly vinegary, and an out and out crowd pleaser.

This is for something of the pulled pork sandwich variety, served with some slaw and sauteed beet greens.

Thanks!

[Westy]

I once ordered (from either Black's, Smitty's or Kreuz) some BBQ sauce. I kow...I know...TX BBQ is famous for NO sauce. It was obviously NOT a big seller - it came in a plastic bottle, no label or anything. A little thin. Definitely had Worcestershire in it. Not bada tall with beef.

[LynnTTT]

I like Sweet baby Ray's and it's available everywhere

[Southbound767]

Ive tryed 100s and always come back to Rendezvous BBQ sauce

[Leepa]

When did Rendezvous start using sauce?

[LindaWhit]

And water and HFCS are the first two ingredients?

http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Rendezv...

[jtboyd]

They've always had sauce, just not what they're famous for.

[Leepa]

Thanks. I guess most of what I got there were ribs and cheese plates so no sauce needed. Oh, and the shrimp skillet. Mmmm. Haven't actually been there in decades.

[JayL]

SCOTT'S BARBECUE SAUCE !!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!

[jtboyd]

Scotts? LOL

[JayL]

The best vinegar based barbecue sauce you can buy. I usually make my own, but always have a bottle of Scott's on hand just in case.

Just remember to use a vinegar/pepper sauce as a seasoning and not as you would a thick, gloppy ketchup sauce.

Of course this isn't specifically what the OP was looking for, but it would fit within the thread title itself.

Not sure why you felt the recommendation was funny?

[jtboyd]

Because so few people eat that stuff outside Eastern NC. Scotts makes a good marinade for ribs, but I would never pour that watery crap on a pile of pulled pork.

[chileheadmike]

Five years and 175 posts and no one has mentioned Arthur Bryant's?

[bbqboy]

You know, Mike, I thought I had mentioned it upstream, but I only mentioned Gate's hot and Roadhouse.
Of course, to those of us who grew up on the stuff, there really is nothing to compare to AB's.
I can still remember those jugs sitting in the window. :)
Don't know how far beyond KC they are distributed nowadays, but my sis still sends me some to Oregon every year, along with various other KC sauces.

[Jasonmac]

I've read all of these post and most are well known in your local food market. The best BBQ sauce hands down is blue front BBQ sauce from south Florida. You can order it online if you're not from there.

[jtboyd]

Blue Front is very good. I like the hot version, but both hot and mild are outstanding. Good suggestion.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Another agreement on Blue Front

[Jasonmac]

I agree blue front BBQ hot is the best. But both are excellent!

[flavrmeistr]

Kirby's Mojo Criollo is the best. I never come back from West Palm Beach without a case of it.

[blair3b]

Well, pei... as a general principle, I always make sure no High Fructose Corn Syrup... then look at the simpler core ingredient.

[flavrmeistr]

I always use commercial sauce as a base and doctor it up acoording to my tastes and whatever I have on hand--lime juice, dark rum, Thai peppers and garlic, A-1, pineapple juice, mojo criollo, Crystal Hot Sauce--whatever. Concoctions are where it's at.

[MonMauler]

Like many above I generally go with Sweet Baby Ray's or Bullseye if I don't make my own barbecue sauce. I think they are the best widely available commercial barbecue sauces.

[LindaWhit]

Haven't read the entire thread, but I'm now a fan of Bullseye. No HFCS.

[seamunky]

Unfortunately, Kraft has recently reformulated their recipe and it now uses HFCS instead of sugar. Boo! They were my go-to sauce.

[LindaWhit]

Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh: First ingredient now:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/Products/...

I should go to BJ's Wholesale Club and stock up on several of the uber-large bottles. Or try Trader Joe's or Bone-Sucking Sauce.

[seamunky]

It really is a shame. I wish companies would keep their formulas and just up the price. Someone posted a review of Bullseye and included a note they received from Kraft:

"BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce is committed to bringing the flavor you enjoy, while minimizing the impact of rising commodity costs to ensure we're providing the best possible price to consumers. To continue delivering the barbecue sauce you love we are now using high fructose corn syrup in all BULL'S EYE Original Barbecue Sauce."

Sugar used to be the 3rd ingredient (or somewhere thereabouts) but now HCFS is the #1 ingredient. Boo!

The note from Kraft also said "Your opinion about the product is important to us as well and I will share your comments with our product development staff."

Maybe if enough of us write and voice that we'd pay for the old formula, they'll bring it back.

[LindaWhit]

I wrote them tonight on the "Contact Us" link, and told them I and many other people have no problem spending a bit more money on products without HFCS and will gladly do so (gave them a list of other brands I'll buy vs. Bullseye). I also noted that HFCS was the first ingredient on their reformulated product.

And what a surprise - they've changed the product, but haven't changed their food service site which still says it contains "Real sugar — not high-fructose corn syrup — creates a more authentic barbecue flavor in any application." Uh-huh. :-/

http://kraftfoodservice.com/productsa...

[seamunky]

Just wrote to Kraft. Let's see if they reply.

http://kraftfoods.custhelp.com/app/co...

[jtboyd]

Kraft is way underrated by barbecue snobs. It was the best all round sauce IMHO, and you could mix it with anything. I'll write the company too, Lea and Perrins went back to sugar after a huge backlash by consumers, maybe Kraft will listen too.

[bbqboy]

You guys have got to be kidding? Kraft!?!
I'm glad to be a BBQ snob then, but it shall never touch my lips.

[LindaWhit]

Well, perhaps you should have, as it was very good before the HFCS was added.

[jtboyd]

Kraft was great because it mixes with anything, not so with other designer sauces. I just made a habanero puree and poured it right in the bottle. Great stuff, or it was.

[chileheadmike]

I don't care for the stuff, way too sweet for me. But when I started doing competitions way back in the 90's, the old school guys would use doctored up Kraft for their barbecue. Both Kraft and competitors have changed a lot since then.

[seamunky]

There's Kraft barbecue sauce and there's Bulls-eye barbecue sauce, also made by Kraft. Bulls-eye was my preferred brand for not having HFCS and being readily available and economical and tasty.

I'm not a fan of the regular Kraft barbecue sauce, of which there are 14 different varieties!

[seamunky]

So I got the same generic response:

"Thank you for visiting http://www.kraftfoods.com/.

The formulation of BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce has indeed changed and I'm sorry you were disappointed with your most recent purchase.

Our staff works very hard to provide the best tasting and satisfying products to the preferences of most consumers. Your opinion about the product is important to us as well and I will share your comments with our product development staff.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts."

[LindaWhit]

Same one I got, seamunky.

[westsidegal]

beg to disagree with you jtboyd

[jtboyd]

This is what I said...."It was the best all round sauce IMHO, and you could mix it with anything." Disagree all you want, I didn't say it was the BEST sauce, if you know of another "all around" sauce that had the versatility Kraft's had before it was reformulated then why are you keeping it a secret? And we are talking about store bought sauce, not your grandaddy's recipe.

[halfship1]

So sorry but in our city of Toronto Canada Diana's rules the flavors are the best love the original is the best.

[jtboyd]

We're talking about barbecue sauce, not seafood.

[jtboyd]

You're all wrong. John Boy and Billy's Grillin Sauce is the best barbecue sauce in the known universe, and I've tried pretty much all the ones ya'll are talking about. Sorry.

[bbqboy]

And where might we find that?

[jtboyd]

Its made in NC, I'm in Florida and we get it at Publix, Winn Dixie, and Walmart. I've found it in Walmarts in Alabama and Tennessee too so maybe they have it where you are too.

It not like any klnd of North Carolina sauce anybody has ever seen, its not a tomato base, its not a mustard sauce, its some freaky hybrid thing that does magic to barbecue, especially ribs and chicken. And it has anchovy paste in it, I am of the opinion that anchovies make everything taste better. Good luck in your search, Amazon has it too... at least you can read the reviews there but its kind of expensive to be shipping around. Its 3.79 in the stores.

[bbqboy]

Thanks. I doubt it has made it to Oregon, but I'll be on the lookout.

[jtboyd]

Yeah, probably not. LOL

I checked the website, Target and Walmart nationally and regional southern chains only.

http://www.bigshowfoods.com/WhereToPu...

You know I couldnt find Grace Hot Jerk Marinade down here, I asked the Walmart manager about it and he looked it up, found it in the system and ordered a couple of cases. They're pretty good about things like that. Oregon needs this stuff. LOL

Cheers,

[Leepa]

Anchovies have a lot of umami, so it makes sense that they make things taste better.

[Dax]

I could not find it at my local Pig here in Birmingham, AL so will have to give Walmart a shot.

[jtboyd]

Aw man what I wouldn't give for a Pig down here in Jacksonville.

The Homewood store at 3000 Montgomery Highway has it. I've shopped there before and I just called and the manager said they had both the Mild and the Hot and Spicy in stock. When I'm in town I usually bring back all kinds of supplies from there, mainly Grandpa Yoders Hot Chow Chow, they dont know what the hell that is in Florida.

[Dax]

I stopped by the Forest Park Pig which is closest to me last night.

The Homewood Pig is not too far from me either but the Walmart is closer. Still, the Pigs here are locally owned so I might have to trek the extra few miles. I will check soon.

[jtboyd]

I'm guessing there hasn't been a mention of White BBQ Sauce in this thread. LOL

[JayL]

Probably because it's used mostly on chicken...and chicken ain't barbecue. LoL

[JayL]

That sauce was the creation of a nice lady around Eureka, NC. Her daughter married someone who started bottling his mother-in-laws sauce and then got in big with JB&B. When the divorce came, the "cook" won the sauce recipe in the proceedings. All legal and above board...just a bit of history.

[jtboyd]

Thanks, its my favorite of all time

[MysticYoYo]

I like to try different brands, but nothing too vinegary like Stubbs. One I seem to like a lot is Bulls Eye. They have a spicy/hot one that's especially good.

I learned a trick a few years ago from some foodie mag: read the ingredients on the label. The first ingredient for BBQ sauce should be tomato sauce and not HFC. I always buy a brand that has more tomato than sugar for sauce.

[Westy]

I second that about HFCS. Every time i read a label that talks about some old family recipe that they "just had to bottle," I read the label and sure enough....first or second ingredient is HFCS.

[swoll50]

Rufus Teague Touch 'O Heat is excellent. It's available locally at my grocery store, but it's on Amazon, too, so that might as well be local.

[piebird]

The BBQ sauces by Guy Fieri are all delicious, except the Asian one which was off-tasting. Available at Shop-Rite. Also, when we can get it, we go for basic Corky's sauce from Tennessee.

[Westy]

I am not a huge Fieri fan, but I agree. The asian sauce though, redeems itself as an add-in for stir-fry. I add it in instead of soy sauce. Really not bad.

[sacwoodpusher]

My favorite bottled sauce is the tamarind date chutney you can buy in a plastic bottle at any Indian grocery story. Tangy, sweet, and a little bit of heat. It's very nice on pork, beef, and chicken.

[Westy]

That....is BRILLIANT.

Thanks. Will try.

[Dax]

Shush, that is my secret weapon in my "home made" barbecue sauce, sometimes with spicy stubbs or sweet baby ray's depending on the thinness I want. Also cider vinegar.

[PenskeFan]

I like Pappy's XXX White Lightnin Barbecue Sauce, sold at Bass Pro shop and probably other places including online. No corn syrup in it is a plus

[melpy]

We like to mix KC masterpiece original with Open Pit for the right mix of sweet and tang.

[alkapal]

just tried "garland jack's secret six" texas style bbq sauce (original flavor) from kraft. wins in head to head with kc masterpiece (original flavor) in yesterday's test.

good texas-style tangy tomato-based not-really-sweet sauce, with medium not gloppy body. medium spice, with a little heat. having just gotten bbq from texas in south texas, this sauce was a dead ringer for the bbq joint stuff. two thumbs up.

though not tested head to head, i think i might take this over sweet baby ray's.

will do a head to head with cattleman's next.

[Westy]

What did you try in Texas? Most 'que there I had was either un-sauced or the sauce was fairly thin and reminded me a bit of Worcestershire (maybe a bit thicker).

Salt Lick has a good sauce, though. Kinda sweet.

[alkapal]

i will have to look at my photo line-up to see the name of the place we got the bbq from…..it was around lake jackson, where our friends live. it had the same texture/liquidity as this sauce.

we did take out so we could drink the FABULOUS french wines we snagged at a cool place in a houston wholesaler/retailer (before we flew out). <french country wines, 2433 bartlett, houston, 713-993-9500 -- near goode's bbq and the armadillo --THAT road). you need to look for it, people in houston! great folks, knowledgeable and very friendly -- great prices, too). <ps, if you have a chance, get the bandol rosé '10, domaine maubenared -- fabulous dry rosé and great flavor>

yes, at the restaurant and in the take-out, the q was unsauced, but they provide sauce. it is a medium weight sauce. definitely thicker than worcestershire, by …well…how many times can a thickness be past worcestershire? ;-)..

[alkapal]

brian's bbq in clute, tx

[Bill Hunt]

Bronco Bob's Chipolte and Bacon BBQ sauce. Nothing else comes close.

Hunt

[lkarol]

Try Dinosaur BBQ. http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/

[StreetFed]

Smoke Daddy's original bbq sauce...or any of their bbq sauces for that matter, WOW!! They finally have it available online! It tastes like it was just cooked this morning, it's pretty amazing!!

It is head and shoulders above the big box brands, and will give all of the top rated specialty small batch bbq sauces a run for its money!

http://www.thesmokedaddy.com/ourStory...

[laststandchili]

I actually like a lot of Famous Dave's stuff.

http://famousbbq.com/bbqshop.html

[CharlieKilo]

Stubb's Spicy.
End of discussion.

[Alan H.]

Bone sucking sauce hands dow the best look at the ingredients! Get the hot version as it is a little thicker and the hot is not hot at all!

[aynrandgirl]

Exactly the problem: the hot isn't hot, just like every other mass market brand of BBQ sauce.

[bbqboy]

try roadhouse.or gate's hot. plenty hot.

[sizzlegrove]

Both mentioned already, but I have also heard good things about Stubb's and Bone Suckin' Sauce. If you're NOT in a pinch, try making this - http://sizzlegrove.blogspot.com/2010/...

[steakman55]

Cattlemen's

[tnsquire]

as much i am a fan of jack daniels was not real happy with there bar b q sauce.one of my favorites is noh hawailan bar b q sauce. a bit sweet but very good they also have a spicy one as well.

[Leepa]

Big Bob Gibson's Championship Red. I buy it by the case when I'm in AL.

http://www.bigbobgibson.com/Merchant2...

[monavano]

I agree with many of the choices above.
I"ve bought store brand bottles for $.99 and loved them too.
Here's the trick- squeeze fresh lemon juice into the sauce just before you use it. It adds zip and livens the flavors.

[alkapal]

good point -- usually they need a little acidic kick -- and lemon juice or red wine vinegar is what i'll use.

[TripChick]

Another vote for Sweet Baby Rays!

[pickychicky1979]

we really like all of the sweet baby rays sauces

[jmckee]

I enjoy Sweet Baby Ray. I was introduced to it by a doctor with whom my wife works, a woman from Slovakia married to a man from Korea. At our house we say it with a Slovakian accent.

[OldOllie]

I like Gold Star, and not just in a pinch. It's a great KC-style sauce with 80-90% less sodium than the national brands, and it tastes better!

You can get it on Amazon.com. Just search for Gold Star barbecue.

[wineman3]

Try Layrocatchamellow yes it is real and it is good. Google it.

[wineman3]

Lets try this again it is............Lay-Row-Catch-a-Mellow.... made in Chattanooga, Tenn.

[flavrmeistr]

Any bottled sauce is okay if you bump it up with some other ingredients. You would be flat amazed. Here's a list of some of my favorite additives:

mojo criollo (Kirby is best)
Thai peppers and garlic
lime juice
dark rum or good bourbon
white worchestershire sauce
A-1 sauce
pepper sauce (Crystal, Texas Pete's, etc.)
balsamic vinegar
pineapple juice
apricot or papaya nectar
panang curry paste
cream of coconut
fish sauce
hoisin
rice vinegar
recaito
sofrito
Cointreau
lemonade

[alkapal]

peach nectar, too, or oj concentrate....

mmm....cointreau! flavrmeister, let's do some ribs with that, ok? or maybe some maker's mark?

[flavrmeistr]

Did some ribs on the Fourth. Soaked for two days prior in mojo, papaya nectar, Thai peppers and garlic and lime juice. Saved the soak and dipped the ribs in every time the ribs were turned (my usual method). My yard is too vertical to set up a barbecue pit, so I tried doing a couple racks on the top rack of the gas grill on low heat as an experiment. Mercy sakes, they were delicious! Better than I ever hoped.

[alkapal]

i can almost taste them now. WOW! love the fruit, garlic & lime.

the papaya nectar didn't over-tenderize the ribs? these were regular pork ribs i take it? did you use wood chips?

did you drink beer with them? what kind?

~~~~
i love vicarious partying! your ribs made me think of some "rasta ribs" i did once from a steve raichlen recipe. he should rename himself steve "i-rock"-len -- because those ribs were might-t-fine. http://books.google.com/books?id=hzPA...

[flavrmeistr]

Spare ribs from the Giant Eagle. The papaya makes them tender, but not mushy. The low heat and the top rack eliminated flare-ups. Cooking time was about 2 1/2 hours. The occasional dunking in the soak keeps them moist and draws flavor back into the meat. This is the first time I've ever done ribs or pork without wood. Came out with a nice red "smoke" ring, probably generated by the drippings. People went nuts! Had some potato salad with egg, pickled garlic and kalamatas, black beans w/sherry and tomato-cucumber salad. Had a few Stellas (the new Budweiser) and switched to ice water, as it was hotter'n two rats ******* in a wool sock. Fireworks in Baker Park. A highly satisfactory 4th, in all. I'm still getting calls about the ribs.

[alkapal]

congratulations, it sounds terrific.

and the two rats...that's a new one on me. ;-).

[Davwud]

I'll add this to the mix.

If you end up putting something in foil for a while. Don't throw out that juice. Add it to your BBQ sauce.
Works really well if you've smoked whatever it is you're saucing.

DT

[L2k]

Love this stuff

[wekick]

Blues Hog
http://www.blueshog.com/

[subal]

A big second on Blues Hog - we use it on pulled pork
For ribs, we like KC original cut 20% with sour wood honey.

[bbqsaucereviews]

Here's a few of my favorites - by the way I review sauces on a site called BBQSauceReviews.com

Bone Suckin Sauce (5/5)

A magical combination of quality ingredients, simple packaging, clever name, and well balanced flavor. An all natural, fat-free, gluten-free, fragrant blend of ingredients include: tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, honey, molasses, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, onions, garlic, peppers, natural hickory smoke, natural spices and salt.

Mad Dog Original BBQ Sauce (5/5)

Excellent spicy flavor with high quality ingredients and packaging. Ingredients include premium tomato paste, water, unsulphured molasses, vinegar, tamari, natural hickory liquid smoke, garlic, herbs, spices and xanthan gum.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensous Slathering Sauce (5/5)

This one really is unique in that it provides the three major BBQ flavors: sweet, spicy, and sour (tangy). The consistency was thin yet stable and clung to the meat well. There was just enough heat (provided by cayenne peppers) to really add life to really tasty set of wings. If you are looking for something that tastes slightly different, has no preservatives, and supports really loud forms of transportation - this one is for you!

Russ and Franks Sassy BBQ Sauce (5/5)

On the grill, a great sauce transforms into something different, the heat “activating” the flavors together until you taste something you can’t get enough of. Sassy transcends from a great dipping sauce (for crackers, veggies, etc) into a zesty alternative that will please heat lovers and mild sauce aficionados alike. They added the right amount of cayenne and black pepper to add the zest at the end, enough to leave your mouth and lips a bit hot, but not strong enough to burn. For me, I can’t stand eating hot foods that ruin the meal, so you have to drink water along with it… again not the case here. Just enough heat to add to the great flavors embedded in the sauce.

Salt Lick Original Recipe Bar-B-Que Sauce (5/5)

A great mustard-based sauce from Austin - it is still my all-time favorite mustard based BBQ sauce. Instead of simply mixing ketchup and mustard or tomato sauce and mustard, they went about things “Texas style” by going big or not going at all. The thick rich flavor of this stuff is really great and not overpowering at all, so if you are going to try this BBQ sauce, you better go big or not at all, because if you don’t have enough stuff cooked up, you just might regret it later. If you are looking for a great mustard based sauce, you’ve gotta try this one.

Trader Joe’s Bold and Smoky Kansas City Style Barbecue Sauce (5/5)

If you love the sweet/bold/smokiness of Bullseye BBQ sauce, with some additional onion and spice flavors added, you’ll love TJ’s Bold and Smoky KC Style BBQ Sauce. TJ’s has done a very nice job with this sauce and like many of the best sauces I try, it becomes a staple around the house for about a week or so, then I miss it like an old comfortable T-shirt gone lost.. I feel incomplete, like something is lost inside me, like a little boy in the woods who can’t find his parents. Just kidding, I actually don’t really care because I typically have another sauce queued up, ready-to-go. Anyway, this sauce was damn good.

Caribbean Calypso Island Hoppin’ BBQ Sauce & Dip (5/5)

Without the heat of the grill to soften the taste, this sauce is very hot. But after the sauce has been grilled and has had a chance to settle a bit, the taste is wonderful - a complex blend of mango, spices, and peppers (scotch bonnets are used). There’s heat for those who desire heat, and flavor for everyone else. The difficulty is in finding this sauce! Many fans of this sauce report that it is discontinued… :(

Head’s Red BBQ Sauce (5/5)

Great red chili infused flavors in this stuff. I went overboard with this sauce, and it’s versatility as a hybrid BBQ/red chili sauce goes a long way. For my uncooked reviews, I usually use one of the following extremely scientific methods. A) dip a finger into the sauce B) dip a cracker into the sauce. The stuff is sweet, but has just the right mixture of flavors to make a lot of them stand out. Complex yet simply tasty. I ended up putting this on sandwiches (try ham and swiss cheese with a little miracle whip/mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion - wow), and as dipping sauce for various appetizers and roll-ups.

Big Tex Morgan’s Boot Kickin’ Chipotle BBQ Sauce (5/5)

Fantastic. The dark flavors of brown sugar, chipotle peppers, onion, and garlic had a party in my mouth. This is another one of those sauces that turns into the household standby. Having a sandwich - get out the BBQ sauce. Having a burger - get out the sauce. Having some ice cream - well, just kidding.

Three Little Pigs Huff and Puff Competition BBQ Sauce (5/5)

This was really nice and I was so inspired by the uncooked flavor of this sauce that I tried a few neat new BBQ-based recipes. A prime-rib sandwich with Three Little Pigs Mayo, lettuce, tomato, and Chipotle Cheddar cheese on wheat. Nice. Added some to baked beans (normally a summer food for me, but what the hell). Excellent. Made a BBQ Burger topped with cheddar and this stuff. Awesome.

[Davwud]

I only know of a few on your list and I don't like them. That's all personal preference of course.

I do not, nor will I ever "Get" Dinosaur BBQ.

I don't care for the KC style sauces either.

I'm quite interested in they Carribean style sauce though.

DT

[bbqsaucereviews]

DT,
Caribbean Calypso Island Hoppin’ BBQ Sauce & Dip (5/5) is now called Barbados Burn and can be found here.

http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=...

[TonyO]

Nothing to "get" with Dinosaur, you either like it or not...............

[abf005]

This May, I went to compete in a KCBS event in Alton, IL with Heads Red BBQ. Using his sauce we won Grand Champion with 1st place brisket, 2nd place pork, 2nd place chicken & 3rd place ribs.

It really good stuff and I now use it exclusively for all my home & competition bbq.

I would describe it a slightly sweet & tangy sauce, not sticky or over thick, it glazes the food rather than coats and masks it. Allowing the taste of the meat you worked so hard to cook stand on its own.

It's available in stores throughout Chicagoland and other US locations listed on his website plus online at bbq sauce of the month.com

http://www.headsredbbq.com/

http://www.bbqsauceofthemonth.com/car...

[sunangelmb]

I am throwing another sauce into the mix. Pappy's sauce for sissies. It's mild sweet spicy and delicious. They have 2 others that are spicier, and i've heard are awesome, but alas I am a sissy!
http://www.firehotsauces.com/shop-by-...

[rednyellow]

My fav. is Crazy Cajun. Most sauces list corn syrup or tomato as a first ingredient. Crazy Cajun's first listed ingredient is coffee! They make a regular and a spicy version. Both are great.

[alkapal]

i like sweet baby ray's, pat's ho-made (NOT kidding, get it in florida at publix!!!), combo of cattlemen's natural sweet + texas pete hot sauce. sonny's in florida.

bull'seye won america's test kitchen challenge. i don't know if i ever tried that one.

[MattInNJ]

I am a big fan of Stubs and Sweet Baby Rays

[duck833]

The current sauce that is the rage on the Big Green Egg site is carnivore. I ordered a case of it, a little sweet start with some heat in the background, good stuff.

http://www.carnivorebbq.com/

[Sean]

Cowboy ketchup

http://www.onlyinrhodeisland.com/newe...

[jumpingmonk]

I used to LOVE Canadian Club's honey and garlic, but this has become a little hard to find recently. Ditto Cowboy BBQ Meat Moppin' sauce (another old favortie of mine). Nowadays I use Angus Barbecue Sauce, either the cowboy classic or the texas twister (I find the other flavors a bit too spicy for my taste). Another good one I found for when I have a bit more energy (six it requires as little prep work) Is to take a bottle of Vic Cherikoff's Downunder BBQ bash (An Australian sauce avalibe at some whole foods) run it trough a seive (to remove the whole mustard seeds) and then mix it (in about a 1:1 ratio) with Ellen's Family recipe Barbeque sauce (a rather odd honey based sauce that tastes eerily like char siu (chinese roast pork) sauce (though it's not red) The combination actually works very well, the vic leands it's smokiness and cut a bit of the ellen's sickly sweet and salty notes, while the Ellen's helps tame the Vic's fire.

[applehome]

Assuming your pulled pork has plenty of flavor from being in the smoker all day, don't use bbq sauce at all. Use cider vinegar and a little bit of brown sugar and some of your rub mixed in (if your rub had a lot of brown sugar, don't add any more here). Add salt as necessary. It's tangy - sweet and sour. No need for acidic or tomato flavor at all. The pork flavor, along with the rub, comes through wonderfully.

[Axalady]

Red Parka Pub BBQ Sauce

http://www.redparkapub.com/rpp-produc...

It has a great flavor, smokey with a bit of spice. Nice consistency to, not too thick, not too thin.

[ScoreYourLife]

My absolute favorite is Montgomery Inn Barbecue sauce. It's from Cincnnati and I live in Los Angeles so I have to order it online and have it shipped out. I love it because it doesn't have the smoked flavor added. the consistency is really nice- not too thick. It's a really simple, sweet, and natural and works great with pork, beef, and chicken. I've actually seen it on the grocery shelves of some regional markets like Dallas and Detroit. I keep hoping it be available soon in the LA market.

[jfood]

jfood used tobuy a variety of Sweet Baby Ray's but little jfood developed a pineapple allergy and we can not buy any longer.

There is a Dinosaur brands that jfood has tried and it's pretty good.

[aynrandgirl]

Legends BBQ Habanero
http://www.legendsbbq.com

Great spicy flavor, medium heat, low sweetness

It's hard to find a sauce that isn't syrupy-sweet. It's only somewhat of an exaggeration to say you could substitute pancake syrup for most BBQ sauces these days.

[Mandymac]

The best thing for pulled-pork is a really simple vinegar sauce, with some red pepper flakes, dash of ketchup. Google for recipes.

That said, for a bottled sauce, I've got to go with Stubbs.

[rfneid]

RedTail Ale makes a pretty good bottled bbq sauce.

[smhenson2]

I always made homemade b/q sauce until I went to a friends house and her husband told me the sauce was Krafts, That has been my favorite ever since. One of my daughter has become a trader, now she likes Cattleman's.

smhenson2

[abf005]

I have to join the masses on Sweet Baby Rays.

I also highly recommend the Cookshack line of BBQ sauces and rubs if you want real authentic Texas style BBQ:

http://cookshack.com/index_product_ty...

[TonyO]

Dinosaurs lineup is all good except the bleu cheese bbq sauce which is quite gross. The Wango Tango habanero seems to vary in hotness (some bottles were mild while others were "break out in a sweat hot". The original is real good. I just add some bourbon, maple syrup, and hot sauce and it as good as it gets.

[bullygirl]

I'm a huge fan of just about anything Dino - especially the Wango Tango. It's hot with just the right amount of sweetness. If I'm making something where I'm concerned the sauce could be too sweet I cut it with Open Pit.

[Brian S]

I'm partial to Head Country. Everyone in Oklahoma is. Head Country comes from Ponca City and I'm not sure how easy it is to find outslde the state, though. Among national brands found in every supermarket in the USA, I'd go for KC Masterpiece.

http://www.headcountry.com/

[bblonde]

THIS IS THE SAUCE!! And, yes, I'm from Oklahoma. Nothing like that good, sweet, thick sauce. Really, nothing quite like Head Country. Although I'm not a fan of the overly-mesquite sauces. I like my bbq sauce to be sweet and a little tangy.

[juster]

Head Country (original) is the best! I mentioned it in another thread, and nobody else did, so I figured I was the only one, or maybe it wasn't available in a lot of places. I'm in NM, so very close to the source, but it's only sold in certain stores.

One thing I like about it is that while it has some sweetness, it's not too sweet, and has more zip/tang than most. Tiny bit of kick, but we can add more if we need it. Also just very flavorful with spices and not thick. Mmmmmmmmmm. We recently tried a different variety of theirs with a yellow label (hickory?) and were not enamored. It was too sweet and one-dimensional.

Anyway, happy to hear the Head Country love! Keep spreading the word.

[rob133]

I know I already answered this but the other sauce I would seek out would be Everret and Jones, it is a Bay Area restraunat and they sell there sauce at various local supermarket chains and also via mail order. I admit I have never bought it as I love the sauce so much at the restraunt I don't want to take away that enjoyment of eating it how they intended it to be served (ie with their cooked meats etc). Anyway the sauce is good, I recommend the hot, but warn you it comes with a good strong heat.

http://www.eandjbbq.com/index_everett...

[Westy]

My favirites:
Sweet Baby Ray's. Great.
Maull's: I had heard great stuff about it. Ordered a half case. Original and bits of onion are both very fine. Tangy, sweet. Best Missouri sauce going.
Carolina Treet: Definitely a regional thing. It is a cooking, not a finishing sauce.
Best for variety: Jack Miller's. A ton of ingredients, and not easy to categorize. A little thick, not overly tomatoe-y) flavor. Despite it being from Louisiana, not spicy at all. Most interesting sauce I have had in a long time. Stay away from his seasoning salt. Red salt. That is it.

[jfood]

Jfood's BBQ sauces on the door to the fridge currently include Sweet Baby Ray's, Stubbs, Bulls Eye, Bone Sucking and Montgomery Inn. Depending on Jfood's mood, the bottle in hand varies.

This is another brand that jfood loves, Hoboken Eddy's, but that may be regional to the Northeast. Its about $7-9 per bottle so a little higher price point, but the flavors are fantastic.

Someone once posted this link but jfood has never ordered from here.

http://www.bbq-festivals.com/bbq_sauc...

[jmckee]

You are clearly an aficionado. Except for -- ugh -- Montgomery Inn.

[PurpleTeeth]

Bone Sucking Sauce. We mix the regular & Spicy

[meatn3]

I conducted a taste-testing of a number of sauces for a natural foods store last year, the winner (by a huge margin) was Dinosaur brand. You should be able to find it a Whole Foods.

[Indy 67]

Also available at Wegman's stores. Dinosaur Barbecue is a restaurant located in Rochester, NY. Ditto the corporate headquarters of Wegman's. Ergo...

[tunapet]

Dinosaur is my favourite too.

[Enigma3]

Dinosaur rules! I like Wango Tango and their chipotle. Can be ordered easily online.

[sr44]

Only way to go.

[revsharkie]

Interestingly enough, Famous Dave's bottled bbq sauces are pretty good. You can get several of the ones that are on the table at the restaurants. The basic Sweet 'n Zesty is a good all-purpose sauce. If I'm doing "pig sandwiches" (reminiscent of the ones we used to get at the little pit bbq joint on the east side of Coffeyville, now I'm sure completely destroyed by the recent floods there, with sliced pork loin, lettuce and tomato on a buttered and grilled bun), I like the "Texas Pit" variety. You can also get Devil's Spit in a bottle; as the name suggests, it's HOT, but has its place.

I also like KC Masterpiece; but here locally we also have Cookie's, which is probably the best ever, especially on a pork burger with bread & butter pickles. (www.cookiesbbq.com if you want to check it out.)

[lboyd]

I have tried just about every bottled sauce mentioned.
I have 2 favorites:1. Big Bob Gibsons championship red sauce. My local grocery quit carrying it, so I get it directly from the restuarant by the internet.
2. Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet. I can usually get it at the grocery. It seems to be something that most people really enjoy.
I really recommend trying both.
Happy Q'ing

[widehomehi]

Believe it or not my favorite is Fred Meyers version of K.C. Masterpiece they practically give it away too its like 2 bottles for a dollar.

[widehomehi]

I also like H.D.Hotspurs sauces they sell it in some stores here in Washington its a local BBQ place.Very good sauces if you can get them.

[Pei]

REPORTING BACK:

Went to the supermarket with a list of the first five or so recommendations. There were only two at the Ralph's, so I picked Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Brown Sugar.

Delicious! It's just what I wanted for pulled pork sandwiches. Thanks all!

[ArikaDawn]

I am so glad it worked out for you!

[Pei]

The sandwiches were a huge hit! Everyone agreed the sauce was not only flavorful, but not too salty. Bottled anything is almost always too salty!

photos: http://www.chezpei.com/2007/07/myster...

[rcallner]

Nice pictures and enticing recipe, Pei, thank you!

[rob133]

Personal favourite is 'Woody's', it might technically be a marinade rather than an out and out sauce but it works either way. It's not always available and recently a nice bottle of stubbs has been doing the job. A nice little kick to it and not that swet stuff that most sauces tend to be.

TJ's do (at least) 2 versions of sauces, one is weak and far too sweet the other is very smoky in flavour - the smoky one is actually a third choice if stubbs or woody's aren't available

[dalaimama]

Oh man, I adore Woody's Cook-In sauce.

Hilarious Woody's story: Friend and I are in Whole Foods looking for BBQ sauce - a tough proposition given the whole "no additives" thing. Friend is all dolled up and cleavaging mightily and turns doe eyes to the meat counter and asks, "Y'all got any Woody's?" Meat counter collectively cracks up. Friend is not very bright and has to have the whole thing explained.

[Gareysgal]

Ha Ha....thanks for the laugh. :0) I love Woody's marinade sauce too!

[medford]

Cattleman's original-sweet and spicy. My prior favorite was Bulls Eye but the Cattleman's is wonderful. Just made a beef brisket in the crockpot with just the bbq sauce as a pulled beef served with a side of slaw....heaven!

[wendy8869]

Cattleman's is my fave too, but my hubby loves Sweet Baby Ray's.

Cattleman's is a bit sweeter.

[adrienne156]

Has anyone seen the Cattleman's Gold around? I've looked at all the local (larger) stores except for Berkeley Bowl, but no luck...

[Boccone Dolce]

I picked up a huge jug of it at Big Lots ($2.50) - my husband asked me to pick up more but I haven't been back yet to see if they have any left.

I don't really care for it myself but he loves it. I do like the Sweet Baby Ray's, and I picked up the new A-1 with Lea & Perrins in it. Actually I can't think if it's A-1 or not- but I had a coupon... Will report back once we get to it. It came with a free brush which my husband liked for the no-nag clause that comes with it. (I'm really particular about the cleaning ritual of MY basting brush...)

[alkapal]

i don't know if i already mentioned this here, but original cattleman's blended with frank's hot sauce makes an unusual but mighty-fine-tastin' dip for raw carrots (and other veggies, i presume -- e.g., cukes or summer squash).

[Jimbosox04]

Jack Daniel's has a variety of 5 different ones not very expensive at all and great characteristics. Steakhouse being my favorite.

[slacker]

Yes, the Jack Daniels one is really good, I think I tried the regular original.

[rruben1]

MIkee's has a good line of sauces. I find their straight BBQ sauce to be a killer on beef ribs. A lot like Open Pit, but kosher!

[weinstein5]

Just an FYI Open Pit is kosher - my goto out of the bottle has always been KC Masterpiece Original - sweet and tangy -

[valerie]

I like KC Masterpiece Original too. But I just might have to try out Sweet Baby Ray's.

[liu]

After having tried many, our vote also goes to KC Masterpiece -- any flavor. But just this morning I bought some Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory Brown Sugar to try. I found it at Gelson's Market in Southern California.

[Gareysgal]

I like both of those brands. If you like adding corn syrup or brown sugar to your sauce, try Sweet Baby Ray's. You won't need to.

[danhole]

KC Masterpiece is our favorite as well. It comes in a variety of flavors, but we like original and mesquite.

[laliz]

KC Masterpiece is my favorite too. Glad I'm not the only one.

[bbqboy]

ROADHOUSE! the best by far.
http://www.hotsauceworld.com/roorbbqs...
I like the hot and spicy and the southern even better than the original.
4 kinds in all. Southwestern too.

[Biggie]

Sweet Baby Ray's, Stubb's, and Bone Suckin BBQ Sauce (preferably the hot)

[Rocknrope]

If you're looking for something widely available, America's Test Kitchen recently updated a tasting of supermarket sauces, which included Bulls-eye, Stubbs, Lea & Perrins, Texas Best, Kraft, KC Masterpiece, Sweet Baby Ray's, Hunts, Open Pit, and Jack Daniels.

The one that was Highly Recommended was Bulls-eye. Stubbs and Lea & Perrins were Recommended, and the others were either recommended with reservations or not recommended.

[Fussy Foodie]

I've tried soooo many different brands, including most of the brands mentioned above, and I always go back to original Bulls Eye. But I prefer sweet and thick BBQ sauces as I like to baste the meat while grilling.

For a pulled pork sandwich I'd probably want something more sour and thin like a stubbs.

I saw the budwieser sauces at Safeway yesterday and I was skeptical, but maybe I'll give it a try next time.

[jim1126]

I have a bottle of Bulls Eye (which is a Kraft product) Smokin' Chipotle in my fridge right now and it's fantastic, but I checked the label and ingredient numero uno is HFCS. I don't think I'll be buying it again.

[JanPrimus]

I checked all the bottles for HFCS at the Market the other day and the only one I saw that did not have HFCS as a major ingredient was the Bulls Eye Original Sauce. I did not see any on that ingredient list if I remember correctly.

Anyways the store makes it own Sauces...I get two of them...

One is a Bacon BBQ Sauce and the other is a Raspberry Chipolte Sauce BBQ Sauce. They are too good to go back to mass produced sauces.

[smhenson2]

I saw the show that day too, My taste buds do not care for Masterpiece at all, Bulls-eye is satisfactory, I never heard of Stubbs, but curious, haven't taste Lea & Perrins like their steak sauce, haven't had TX Best, Love Kraft. Curious obout Sweet Baby Ray's, Hunts do not deserve a comment from me, Open Pit ok, Jack Daniels if I remember It was okay.

[whatsfordinner]

My family loves Gayles Sweet and Sassy - available at Gelsons.

[MyLittleKitchenStore]

I have always liked Open Pit original recipe. Not too sweet and not too tart. If you like you can always add herbs/spices to taste, but the original to me is just great! If you cannot find it in your grocery store, try www.openpit.com.

[busterbestdogever]

Yup ! the good old days when Open Pit was the only sauce on the shelves! Stubbs is good as well. As for the sweet ones,now we know where half the worlds supply of high fruitcose corn syrup is going ... Much like tooth paste , far to many to choose from .. Yup, the good old days .. Crest,Colgate,Stripe and a few others. and Open Pit BBQ which could be used as a base by adding what you needed to your taste.

[Westy]

I had forgotten Open Pit. The color is what I rmembered most. And that dad Boiled the meat. Then finished it on the grill. With plenty of Open Pit.

I do not recall "slow cooked" anything. Nor a rub. Just boiled chicken and fluorescent bottled sauce. And oh how we loved it.

[Gareysgal]

Oh thanks for the memories, especially of Stripe toothpaste! :0) I remember my dad using Chris' & Pitt's BBQ sauce when I was growing up here in California. He soaked cut up chicken parts in it all day long and then cooked them on an old charcoal grill. Good times!

[tomishungry]

Stubb's, available at almost any market nowadays. A lot less sweet than other barbecue sauces, so you can actually taste the meat and spices.

[steakman55]

tom is not only hungry, tomisright.....Stubb's is great

[jmckee]

I too like Stubb's a lot. I also like Roadhouse.

[Bada Bing]

Stubb's is actually a little too thin and non-sweet for my usual tastes, though sometimes I do value that. It is, at least, distinctively flavored and good for when you want a bit more tang than sweet.

[RealMenJulienne]

I'll throw in my hat for Stubb's as well. It has just the right amount of sweetness, with a bit more emphasis on the vinegar tang, and many layers of spice flavor.

Sweet Baby Ray's is too sweet out of the bottle but it's easily improved with some sauteed garlic, apple cider vinegar, and hot pepper.

[THoey1963]

This here is my go to bottled sauce:

http://www.stubbsbbq.com/products/sau...

[OrganicGal]

If you can find it, try out Bone Suckin' Sauce. It's made in North Carolina, but starting to become more available outside the Southeast. I just checked their website, and apparently you can find it, of all places, at Cracker Barrel. It is truely delicious stuff!

Website is www.bonesuckin.com

[QueenB]

That's a good one too.

[cackalackie]

This is the one I use. I always get the Hot variety. It's not really hot; most people would call it medium.

I think it's just sweet and vinegary enough. Not too tomatoey or gooey.

[Snowflake]

This one is the best. I go with the HOT and get it Whole Foods.

[chazzer]

Bone Suckin' is the best. They even have international distribution. But you sure don't need to go to Whole Paycheck's to get it.

[jennlshelby]

Without a doubt the absolute BEST bottled sauce I've ever had! Bone Sucking Sauce can be found at Central Market in Dallas also! I prefer the HOT...heat with wonderful flavor!

[Bada Bing]

I agree that Bone Suckin' is good stuff. It's harder to find around here in Indiana. I've noted that it can be had at Cracker Barrel shops, and also at some Amish gorcers around here at a slightly better price and in more varieties. In any case, it's pricey here. Not sure exactly, but maybe $5+ per bottle?

[Jimbosox04]

Seems new to the area but Budweisers Beechwood Aged sauce is terrific, minced onion and garlic that you can actually see in the bottle, a nice zing to it too, I found mine at a Walmart Supercenter.

[swsidejim]

I agree with you on this one.

I also like Jim Beam BBQ sauce

[howlin]

x2 on the bud ,tasty tasty.cattleboys is good too,lots off chunks floating around in the bottle.

[ArikaDawn]

Sweet Baby Ray's is the favorite in my family. The Hickory and Brown Sugar is my personal favorite, but the Original sounds like it might fit the bill and is also very easy to doctor.

[QueenB]

I second this...we buy the original.
I think we got it at one of the giant warehouse stores (Sam's maybe?).

[Lixer]

Thirding! I also get the original. I don't use BBQ sauce on most red meats, but it makes great bbq's chicken!

[JRSD]

fourthing? I actually was mixing the Hickory/Brown sugar and the Honey and it came out really well.

[jessicheese]

Looks like a trend, here! We use it for pulled pork in the crockpot with a shot of beer.

[THenderson]

yep...we use sweet baby ray's for bbq chicken and ribs - when we grill.
For smoked meats - such as pulled pork, we use stubbs original or spicy.

[phant0omx]

i use it too. good stuff.

[Kajikit]

Stubbs smoky mesquite is Good Stuff...

[westsidegal]

i like stubbs because i am NOT a fan of sugar on my meat.
stubbs (i usually get the original variety) is more acidic and less sugary/salty than most.

[Davwud]

I believe I would be eighthing this.

SBR Hickory Brown Sugar is simply the best bbq sauce I've had. Period, out of a bottle or any kitchen.

DT

[Johnresa]

I love Sweet Baby Ray's honey barbecue...have to try the hickory brown sugar

[Johnresa]

I tried the hickory brown sugar SBR last week. It was okay but i think I prefer the honey barbecue :-)

[djfrizz]

Yes I also buy sweet baby rays, i like a lot of their flavors. Very good, if I'm not making my own that is.

[breakfastfan]

years later, sill Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce,/marinade. pick a protien, or a veg and grill to your hearts delight.

[Bada Bing]

I'm also cool with Sweet Baby Ray's when I have no time to make a sauce (I've only tried their traditional one). I understand that it's too sweet for many people, but I have yet to encounter someone who didn't gobble up whatever I've prepared with it.

[mcap]

Another for Sweet Baby Ray's. Good out of the bottle, and adding a little cider vinegar gives it that bite perfect for pulled pork.

[tullius]

Sweet Baby Ray's for sure tho its not hot enough for me (none are) I add Louisiana Hot Sauce.

[tzakiel]

Dunno why but we had to return the bottles of sweet baby rays we bought at Costco... no one in my family liked it. Guess it's a regional taste?

[Steve Green]

We also like Sweet Baby Ray's (original hickory), despite it containing HFCS, which we otherwise avoid. We first found it as a condiment at a Chuy's (small chain) in Bakersfield, CA. What they had in S.B.R. bottles at the tables tasted just like the BBQ sauce at the late, great Flint's of Oakland, CA. The stuff at the store is a bit different -- still very good, but it doesn't quite take us back to Flint's.

[stacylyn]

I always stock up on Trader Joe's brand bbq sauce. Good flavor for a bottled sauce!