"There's something to be said about the appeal of chain restaurants. In theory, customers can walk into any location and get much the same experience. There's nothing wrong with that, especially considering some chains take quality seriously. Chain barbecue restaurants are fewer and farther between than, say, steakhouse chains, and that's because of some unique challenges, including the differences between beloved regional styles. However, the one thing that unites great barbecue is the need for great sides - which is why we're here."
"When we here at Tasting Table polled readers to find out what the best barbecue side dish was, beans and potato salad took the top spots. And we absolutely agree, but we also got curious about which chain barbecue joints were putting as much effort into the sides as the meat. So, we started scouring countless reviews to find the best, and learned almost immediately that those getting the highest praise were leaning into creativity."
"Rudy's advertises itself as selling real Texas-style barbecue, but one of the fan favorite sides might be considered more of a New Mexico thing than a Texas one. Green chiles are wildly popular in the Land of Enchantment, so much so that if you order an ice cream sundae in New Mexico, you might just get one with chiles as a brilliant secret ingredient. It's also what gives the Rudy's green chile stew a smoky and spicy kick that's inspired attempts at making copycat recipes,"
Chain barbecue restaurants are rarer than steakhouse chains due to regional-style differences and operational challenges. Great barbecue depends heavily on standout side dishes, with beans and potato salad ranking highly among fans. Evaluation focused on chains with more than 20 locations and sides that appear on regular menus. Selection criteria included rave reviews, high ratings, fan recommendations, recipe requests, and copycat attempts. Chains receiving the most praise tended to emphasize creativity in their side offerings. Rudy's green chile stew exemplifies a distinctive side, offering a smoky, spicy kick influenced by New Mexico chiles.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]