Best bottled BBQ sauce

[ladypanther]

As rated by the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/06/29/best-barbecue-sauce-taste-test/

 

1. Great Value Original Barbecue Sauce (Walmart)
Return to menu
Score: 56

We did not see this one coming. We would never have predicted that the house brand for the mega-chain where you can buy both a grill itself and the stuff to put on it would be where we’d find our winner. But the unlikely champ — high fructose corn syrup and all — won over our panel by not offending anyone (no low scores to drag it down) and by offering a classic flavor profile. “Like old-school Burger King BBQ sauce,” said one nostalgia-struck taster. “Sweet without being ketchupy,” said another.

Others praised it for being “complex,” “fruity and a little spicy” with a “honey BBQ” flavor. And while we know we’ll take plenty of heat for crowning a Wal-Mart sauce, the unexpected winner might help assure readers of our methodology. At least, as one editor put it, “no one will be able to say it wasn’t a blind test.” 

Edited July 3, 2023 by ladypanther

[LinvilleGorge]

For the standard tomato based stuff it's Head Country. By miles. Stubb's Mesquite is my #2, the original isn't very good IMO.

For NC vinegar style it's Scott's.

[Cullenator]

Gotta go with Stubb's for bottled sauce.

[Doyle]

 

[Pejorative Miscreant]

Just me, but I’m not a sauce guy.  If my bbq needs sauce I need better bbq. Generally a bit of Texas Pete gets me by.  

On a similar note, my then 16 year old son got a job as a line cook last summer. He caught on fairly well till he had to stock deliveries one morning before opening. Manager told him to take the steak sauce to the pantry.  His reply….
 

What is steak sauce?  
 

True story and Proud papa
 

 

[LinvilleGorge]

On 7/2/2023 at 2:28 PM, Doyle said:

 

If I see somebody putting mustard based slop on good meat I'm calling the law and reporting this crime.

[Cullenator]

1 hour ago, Pejorative Miscreant said:

Just me, but I’m not a sauce guy.  If my bbq needs sauce I need better bbq. Generally a bit of Texas Pete gets me by.  

On a similar note, my then 16 year old son got a job as a line cook last summer. He caught on fairly well till he had to stock deliveries one morning before opening. Manager told him to take the steak sauce to the pantry.  His reply….
 

What is steak sauce?  
 

True story and Proud papa
 

 

Yeah this kinda presumes you're talking what they call BBQ in parts of the world that are not NC.

 

 

Or chicken

[Anybodyhome]

If you're going to use sauce, a nice Kansas City-style red sauce is the only way to go.

[rayzor]

My go to sauces

My kids like Sweet Baby Ray's original. It's ok (kind of boring), but for pork or chicken over a pit it's got to be vinegar based with a serious kick.

I do enjoy smoked pork done well without sauce, but I really love that spicy vinegar tang.

Not a fan of sweet sauces at all.

[rayzor]

And all those in that list....not stuff i get excited about when I see it on the shelf.

[Doyle]

3 hours ago, rayzor said:

My go to sauces

My kids like Sweet Baby Ray's original. It's ok (kind of boring), but for pork or chicken over a pit it's got to be vinegar based with a serious kick.

I do enjoy smoked pork done well without sauce, but I really love that spicy vinegar tang.

Not a fan of sweet sauces at all.

Georges and Carolina Treat are great!  I’ve never tried Scott’s.  

[rayzor]

3 hours ago, Doyle said:

Georges and Carolina Treat are great!  I’ve never tried Scott’s.  

It's very much on par with George's. Can't  go wrong with either. I usually keep both on hand. sometimes the original of the George's and the spicy Scott's. Carolina treat's got it's own thing going on. George's abd Scott's is most likely the bbq sauce I grew up on going to pig pickins.

[cookinbrak]

Haven't used wet sauce in forever.

[rayzor]

On 7/6/2023 at 7:09 AM, cookinbrak said:

Haven't used wet sauce in forever.

Now if we're talking beef steak, I just use coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I don't mess around too much with that.

And there are times when I'm doing chicken on the grill that I just use old bay.

With pork loin chops (probably what we grill the most) my wife has some ginger soy sauce garlic marinade she puts them in overnight.