The Best of Summer series is meant to celebrate some of my very favorite summer-time eats.
BBQ is something that is synonymous with summer for me. One of my favorite traditions is starting up the grill, pouring something cold, and having a home-cooked meal outside. Even better though is visiting folks that have the BBQed meat thing down to a science!
For Best of Summer BBQ we visited almost every BBQ joint we could find in Eastern ID, so we could do the “hard work” of trying them out and let you know where you should go the next time the pang for BBQ sauce hits!
Idaho Falls
Grandpa’s Southern BBQ
2 out of 5
Grandpa’s BBQ definitely provides an at home kind of vibe. The restaurant is comfortable and feels like you are visiting a friend. The service is very friendly and attentive.
The food is filling and homestyle . I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with mac and cheese, and my husband had the brisket and beans. We couldn’t leave without trying the peach cobbler too!
All in all, my favorite dish was probably the baked beans. They were delicious!
1540 W. Broadway St.
Idaho Falls
Pitmaster BBQ
4 out of 5
Pitmaster is more of a fast-food style BBQ, but the quality of the food does not suffer at all from this!
The food is flavorful and what I refer to as “Summer-time Comfort Food”. I ordered the Baxter sandwich, a pulled pork sammy with provolone, onion rings, and coleslaw. My husband ordered Rob’s Special, a brisket sandwich with provolone and onion rings.
My favorite thing about Pitmaster is that everything packs delicious flavor. I love their options of BBQ sauce (honey bourbon, spicy, competition).
1305 Fremont Ave
Idaho Falls
For other locations and additional information.
Rexburg
Blister’s BBQ
3 out of 5
Blister’s is found in a small gas station in Rexburg. This threw me for awhile as my husband and I circled around trying to find it assuming that Google was broken. There isn’t much space to stay and eat here, but that didn’t seem to bother the locals. Most tables were filled.
I had the Pulled Pork sandwich with fries, and my husband had the Brisket sandwich. You can order a sweet or vinegar sauce for the pork and I tried the sweet.
I thought everything was good, but it wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t really like the atmosphere, and the BBQ wasn’t enough my style to warrant going back.
15 N 12th W
Rexburg
The Hickory
4 out of 5
Summer is quickly leaving us and everyone needs an alternative to grilling in the freezing cold and snow to satisfy their BBQ cravings. I was told about The Hickory and decided to put it to the test. They definitely passed.
Being my first time there, I obviously had to order ribs. It’s all about the sauce, right? I was not disappointed. They were delicious! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce was the perfect amount of sweet with a hint of pepper. The deliciousness didn’t stop at the ribs. It continued with the hand-cut fries. They are everything you could hope for in fries and are especially wonderful dipped in their tasty fry sauce.
All in all, The Hickory was scrumptious and satisfying. It’s definitely one solution to those winter BBQ cravings and something you’ll have to try for yourself!
485 N 2nd E
Rexburg
Blackfoot
Smokin’ Gun BBQ
4 out of 5
Smokin’ Gun is right across from Blackfoot High School, which means it is close to the football, baseball, softball, and soccer fields! It is very easy to order to go, which makes perfect to take along with as you enjoy your kids’ games.
It is named Smokin’ for a reason – this BBQ has a distinct smoked beef flavor. They have a nice variety of sandwiches – mine was the Razor Back with pork, bacon, and coleslaw! I’m a “sides” kind of person, so what I loved most and what easily brought it to a 4 rating was the fresh cut French fries with fry sauce. YUM! Also, the fresh coleslaw – creamy or vinegar.
This place has a deli-type feel because the kitchen is open for you to watch them cook! This helps give it a friendly local feel. There is a bigger room for more privacy if you want some distance from the kitchen. Staff was friendly and helpful.
544 E Walker St
Blackfoot
Victor
Big Hole BBQ
4 out of 5
This is a wonderful little stop off the side of Center street coming into Victor. There are places to eat outside and some upper level dining which is really cool.
I had some pulled pork and brisket sliders, and my husband had a brisket quesadilla. Everything was delicious and the BBQ sauce was amazing.
The service was friendly and attentive, the atmosphere was beautiful outside, and the food didn’t disappoint.
22 W Center St
Victor
For more locations and other information.
What are your favorite BBQ joints?
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