420688 Thu Jul 12 23:53:50 -0700 2007 81 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2745665 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! Thu Jul 12 23:53:50 -0700 2007 11577 Pei 1 2745866 I always stock up on Trader Joe's brand bbq sauce. Good flavor for a bottled sauce! Fri Jul 13 05:56:22 -0700 2007 2745665 28182 stacylyn 1 2745878 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. Fri Jul 13 06:01:34 -0700 2007 2745665 82243 ArikaDawn 2 2745929 I second this...we buy the original. I think we got it at one of the giant warehouse stores (Sam's maybe?). Fri Jul 13 06:24:37 -0700 2007 2745878 17481 QueenB 3 2746301 Thirding! I also get the original. I don't use BBQ sauce on most red meats, but it makes great bbq's chicken! Fri Jul 13 08:19:33 -0700 2007 2745929 83462 Lixer 4 2746808 fourthing? I actually was mixing the Hickory/Brown sugar and the Honey and it came out really well. Fri Jul 13 10:36:19 -0700 2007 2746301 23771 JRSD 5 2746879 Looks like a trend, here! We use it for pulled pork in the crockpot with a shot of beer. Fri Jul 13 10:48:47 -0700 2007 2746808 12365 jessicheese 6 2747707 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. Fri Jul 13 14:07:01 -0700 2007 2746879 94455 THenderson 7 2748097 i use it too. good stuff. Fri Jul 13 16:04:42 -0700 2007 2747707 72668 phant0omx 7 2762167 Stubbs smoky mesquite is Good Stuff... Wed Jul 18 14:33:03 -0700 2007 2747707 67657 Kajikit 2 2758393 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 Tue Jul 17 13:29:27 -0700 2007 2745878 11291 Davwud 3 4539888 I love Sweet Baby Ray's honey barbecue...have to try the hickory brown sugar Thu Mar 26 07:31:29 -0700 2009 2758393 46235 Johnresa 3 4574556 I tried the hickory brown sugar SBR last week. It was okay but i think I prefer the honey barbecue :-) Tue Apr 07 07:39:07 -0700 2009 2758393 46235 Johnresa 2 4489742 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. Mon Mar 09 21:54:25 -0700 2009 2745878 272897 djfrizz 1 2746009 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. Fri Jul 13 06:52:53 -0700 2007 2745665 51489 Jimbosox04 2 2746017 I agree with you on this one. I also like Jim Beam BBQ sauce Fri Jul 13 06:56:42 -0700 2007 2746009 26725 swsidejim 1 2746098 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 Fri Jul 13 07:23:13 -0700 2007 2745665 15132 OrganicGal 2 2746315 That's a good one too. Fri Jul 13 08:25:20 -0700 2007 2746098 17481 QueenB 2 2747287 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. Fri Jul 13 12:20:57 -0700 2007 2746098 26699 cackalackie 3 3047087 This one is the best. I go with the HOT and get it Whole Foods. Thu Oct 18 12:32:46 -0700 2007 2747287 18697 Snowflake 2 3064647 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. Wed Oct 24 17:15:17 -0700 2007 2746098 69475 chazzer 1 2746236 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. Fri Jul 13 08:03:45 -0700 2007 2745665 50333 tomishungry 2 3050948 tom is not only hungry, tomisright.....Stubb's is great Fri Oct 19 15:09:00 -0700 2007 2746236 12296 steakman55 3 4884115 I too like Stubb's a lot. I also like Roadhouse. Thu Jul 23 10:12:23 -0700 2009 3050948 113176 jmckee 1 2746279 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. Fri Jul 13 08:15:10 -0700 2007 2745665 111555 MyLittleKitchenStore 1 2746472 My family loves Gayles Sweet and Sassy - available at Gelsons. Fri Jul 13 09:03:38 -0700 2007 2745665 94887 whatsfordinner 1 2746912 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. Fri Jul 13 10:55:16 -0700 2007 2745665 46062 Rocknrope 2 2747313 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. Fri Jul 13 12:28:34 -0700 2007 2746912 103870 Fussy Foodie 2 2749866 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. Sat Jul 14 13:35:39 -0700 2007 2746912 16852 jim1126 3 4574609 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. Tue Apr 07 07:52:33 -0700 2009 2749866 178033 JanPrimus 2 3047089 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. Thu Oct 18 12:32:58 -0700 2007 2746912 110450 smhenson2 1 2746944 Sweet Baby Ray's, Stubb's, and Bone Suckin BBQ Sauce (preferably the hot) Fri Jul 13 11:01:32 -0700 2007 2745665 16399 Biggie 1 2747638 ROADHOUSE! the best by far. http://www.hotsauceworld.com/roorbbqsa.html I like the hot and spicy and the southern even better than the original. 4 kinds in all. Southwestern too. Fri Jul 13 13:51:09 -0700 2007 2745665 10651 bbqboy 1 2747768 Jack Daniel's has a variety of 5 different ones not very expensive at all and great characteristics. Steakhouse being my favorite. Fri Jul 13 14:27:34 -0700 2007 2745665 51489 Jimbosox04 2 2747939 Yes, the Jack Daniels one is really good, I think I tried the regular original. Fri Jul 13 15:22:15 -0700 2007 2747768 13957 slacker 3 2747945 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! Fri Jul 13 15:24:10 -0700 2007 2747939 27748 rruben1 4 2748079 Just an FYI Open Pit is kosher - my goto out of the bottle has always been KC Masterpiece Original - sweet and tangy - Fri Jul 13 15:59:25 -0700 2007 2747945 11622 weinstein5 5 2760500 I like KC Masterpiece Original too. But I just might have to try out Sweet Baby Ray's. Wed Jul 18 08:06:55 -0700 2007 2748079 10205 valerie 6 2761188 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. Wed Jul 18 10:51:08 -0700 2007 2760500 14014 liu 5 3050165 KC Masterpiece is our favorite as well. It comes in a variety of flavors, but we like original and mesquite. Fri Oct 19 11:56:42 -0700 2007 2748079 80937 danhole 6 4491945 KC Masterpiece is my favorite too. Glad I'm not the only one. Tue Mar 10 13:39:54 -0700 2009 3050165 109905 laliz 1 2748036 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! Fri Jul 13 15:50:37 -0700 2007 2745665 25422 medford 2 2749436 Cattleman's is my fave too, but my hubby loves Sweet Baby Ray's. Cattleman's is a bit sweeter. Sat Jul 14 09:40:23 -0700 2007 2748036 10703 wendy8869 3 2749603 Has anyone seen the Cattleman's Gold around? I've looked at all the local (larger) stores except for Berkeley Bowl, but no luck... Sat Jul 14 11:15:10 -0700 2007 2749436 43515 adrienne156 1 2748096 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 Fri Jul 13 16:04:35 -0700 2007 2745665 58434 rob133 2 2749623 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. Sat Jul 14 11:26:20 -0700 2007 2748096 71196 dalaimama 1 2748145 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! Fri Jul 13 16:22:16 -0700 2007 2745665 11577 Pei 2 2748483 I am so glad it worked out for you! Fri Jul 13 18:55:31 -0700 2007 2748145 82243 ArikaDawn 3 2748826 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/mystery-meat-pulled-pork-sandwiches.html Fri Jul 13 22:19:43 -0700 2007 2748483 11577 Pei 4 2749427 Nice pictures and enticing recipe, Pei, thank you! Sat Jul 14 09:37:38 -0700 2007 2748826 54251 rcallner 1 2748863 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. Fri Jul 13 22:54:31 -0700 2007 2745665 98401 widehomehi 2 2749833 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. Sat Jul 14 13:23:33 -0700 2007 2748863 98401 widehomehi 1 2749357 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.) Sat Jul 14 09:02:21 -0700 2007 2745665 32586 revsharkie 2 2749467 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 Sat Jul 14 09:58:15 -0700 2007 2749357 104197 lboyd 1 2749880 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. Sat Jul 14 13:40:53 -0700 2007 2745665 111267 meatn3 2 2759331 Also available at Wegman's stores. Dinosaur Barbecue is a restaurant located in Rochester, NY. Ditto the corporate headquarters of Wegman's. Ergo... Tue Jul 17 18:23:47 -0700 2007 2749880 61567 Indy 67 2 2761949 Dinosaur is my favourite too. Wed Jul 18 13:40:33 -0700 2007 2749880 18739 tunapet 1 2759280 Bone Sucking Sauce. We mix the regular & Spicy Tue Jul 17 18:04:43 -0700 2007 2745665 59001 PurpleTeeth 1 2760555 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_sauce.html Wed Jul 18 08:19:48 -0700 2007 2745665 11290 jfood 2 4884119 You are clearly an aficionado. Except for -- ugh -- Montgomery Inn. Thu Jul 23 10:13:45 -0700 2009 2760555 113176 jmckee 1 2760583 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. Wed Jul 18 08:25:58 -0700 2007 2745665 18069 Westy 1 2761024 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_everettandjones_main.html Wed Jul 18 10:13:14 -0700 2007 2745665 58434 rob133 1 2761932 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/ Wed Jul 18 13:37:06 -0700 2007 2745665 11362 Brian S 1 2762203 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. Wed Jul 18 14:42:17 -0700 2007 2745665 50082 TonyO 2 3050208 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. Fri Oct 19 12:08:38 -0700 2007 2762203 121761 bullygirl 1 2762284 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_type.php?product_type_id=8 Wed Jul 18 15:07:37 -0700 2007 2745665 19135 abf005 1 3047055 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 Thu Oct 18 12:24:55 -0700 2007 2745665 110450 smhenson2 1 3047248 RedTail Ale makes a pretty good bottled bbq sauce. Thu Oct 18 13:12:04 -0700 2007 2745665 98577 rfneid 1 3047408 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. Thu Oct 18 13:46:30 -0700 2007 2745665 15750 Mandymac 1 3047695 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. Thu Oct 18 15:12:28 -0700 2007 2745665 19148 aynrandgirl 1 3050287 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. Fri Oct 19 12:28:07 -0700 2007 2745665 11290 jfood 1 3063777 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. Wed Oct 24 13:08:29 -0700 2007 2745665 137223 ScoreYourLife 1 4489091 Red Parka Pub BBQ Sauce http://www.redparkapub.com/rpp-products.htm It has a great flavor, smokey with a bit of spice. Nice consistency to, not too thick, not too thin. Mon Mar 09 17:57:18 -0700 2009 2745665 50258 Axalady 1 4489765 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. Mon Mar 09 22:03:19 -0700 2009 2745665 10312 applehome 1 4489796 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/ Mon Mar 09 22:19:07 -0700 2009 2745665 148886 duck833 2 4490766 Cowboy ketchup http://www.onlyinrhodeisland.com/newencorrel8.html Tue Mar 10 08:59:08 -0700 2009 4489796 24648 Sean 3 4492092 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. Tue Mar 10 14:17:26 -0700 2009 4490766 24492 jumpingmonk 1 4493824 I am a big fan of Stubs and Sweet Baby Rays Wed Mar 11 07:15:05 -0700 2009 2745665 202497 MattInNJ 1 4539546 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. Thu Mar 26 05:20:20 -0700 2009 2745665 105717 alkapal 1 4539990 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. Thu Mar 26 08:01:41 -0700 2009 2745665 60617 rednyellow 1 4574757 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-brand-pappy-s-bbq-sauce.html Tue Apr 07 08:31:38 -0700 2009 2745665 192643 sunangelmb 1 4883681 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/cart2/product.php?productid=16458&cat=0&page=1 Thu Jul 23 07:52:16 -0700 2009 2745665 19135 abf005