Hush puppies: a term formerly assigned in my mind to comfortable, yet unfashionable footwear, I discovered what truly owns the name during my visit to an unassuming BBQ joint in Myrtle Beach. This culinary journey changed me, and prompted my search for Boston’s best BBQ.
Throughout the 14-hour drive down my stomach waited in eager anticipation of the savory southern delicacies to be enjoyed. After a long day of beach football and catnaps, it was time to get down to business. I corralled our crew into a small storefront in a strip mall; after doing my research I knew that Little Pigs was our best shot at authentic BBQ in a twenty-five mile radius. The menu was small and straightforward, a blessing for eight ravenous dudes not particularly keen on decision making. I opted for a pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw and my soon to be favorite fried bread – hush puppies.
St. Louis-style ribs with hot BBQ sauce. Photo by Anneliese Scheck
The pork was smoked to perfection, and practically melted in my mouth. The coleslaw was chopped into almost a pulp, and complemented the sweet, succulent sandwich perfectly. The hush puppies were fried to crispy perfection and better than the mozzarella sticks I’m fairly certain they serve in heaven, but instead of cheese they were filled with moist, fresh cornbread, with a hint of cinnamon. Now I’m sure your mouth is already watering, but Little Pigs’ magnum opus has to be their spicy mustard. I drizzled a hint of this on my sandwich and hush puppies while filling my cup with sweet tea (so country of me, golly), but had to rush back and get more at least twice. It had the perfect combination of mustardy bitterness and heat to complement the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.
Fried Chicken meal with cole slaw and mac n’ cheese sides. Photo by Anneliese Scheck
After hearing about all this I’m sure you’re eager to enjoy some fresh, southern-influenced dishes yourself. Luckily Greater Boston has quite a few options:
- Sweet Cheeks Q in Fenway: trendy atmosphere and convenient location very close to BU
- Redbones in Somerville: top-notch St. Louis style ribs and spicy BBQ sauce. Dive bar-like ambience.
- Soul Fire in Allston: James Brown photos on the wall make the inspiration clear. Great fried chicken paired with great music.
- Larry J’s BBQ Café in the Seaport: shack with a window front to order from. Fantastic Collard Greens Try some of these out and get back at me with your thoughts! P.S. All photos are from Redbones (thanks Anneliese!)
Location: 55 Chester St, Somerville, MA 02144 Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 11:30am – 12:30am, Sun 12p,-12:30am