Just off the heels of my last trip for Kansas City BBQ, it was time for the annual Nugget Rib Cook-Off in Sparks, NV near Reno. I love barbecue and especially love ribs, so this was a great opportunity on a Labor Day weekend. I have been to Reno many times and have gotten to know the city and region. The rib cook-off is very popular and draws a large crowd from all over the west, including many fellow travelers on I-80.
As soon as you exit the freeway, you can smell the smoke and meat. It is rather intoxicating and worthy of a Homer Simpson drool. Parking and admission are free, and the venue is next to the JA Nugget Casino which provides air conditioning, video poker, and a time out to digest massive amounts of barbecue pig. BBQ outfits come from all over the United States and set up stands to sell their wares, but the main event is pork spare ribs. All the vendors sell ribs in varying quantities, including sampler packs of 3-4 smaller ribs to try. I prefer my ribs dry with a good rub with sauce on the side; most mop their meat during the smoke.
First up was Yazoo's BBQ from Mississippi. These guys have a solid rib - although fall-off-the-bone tender! Good balance of smoke without being too dry. The rub was a little weak, but the above average sauce made for a good start.
Next was Carson City BBQ from Carson City, NV of course! These ribs look good, but they had little pork or smoke flavor. I detected no rub, but the texture was spot-on tender.
These are good ribs from Just North of Memphis BBQ from Minneapolis, MN of course! The rub was excellent with lots of spice and flavor. The smoke was a little light, but still present. They were very meaty and tender, and the BBQ sauce was really good. I could eat a whole rack of these beauties.
After losing some money in the casino, I got lucky again with The Barbecue Company from Phoenix, AZ. These were awesome ribs. They rub and mop their ribs with a great sauce that caramelizes and makes a smoky-sweet glaze for tender porky ribs. Finger lickin' good to the extreme.
I have been to Chicago many times and love the city and its people. Please do not think of Chicago when you try ribs from Chicago BBQ. These ribs had little flavor, even when doused in average tasting sauce. The texture was great, but without flavor you might as well be chewing paste.
Finally, time for NorCal to represent with Armadillo Willy's BBQ. These were average ribs. Moderate rub and decent smoke. Nothing too aggressive and a little lacking on the amount go meat on the ribs. The sauce was a sweet chipotle blend which was delicious, but not enough to make up for a uninspiring rib.
I have been to BJ's Nevada Barbecue Company in Sparks before, and I always enjoy the restaurant. This time, the ribs were just missing something. All the elements were there, but I think they lack in comparison to other options.
Bourbon and BBQ? That sounds like a great combination from Bourbon Q from Kentucky. They are the official sauce of the Kentucky Derby and make a great variety of sauces, including bourbon whiskey of course. After tasting their ribs, they should just stick to the sauce. They were overcooked and light on the rub. I should have matched their sauce with some of the better ribs.
After sampling ribs all day, I did feel a bit like a stuffed pig, but it was still a great day. Even bad BBQ is still pretty good. The people watching was great and there was a lot of non-meat stuff going on in the area including live music and all sorts of displays and vendors. If you like ribs, you should try your luck on this one. Enjoy the rest of my pictures below.
I want to eat all of this.
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