A Writer on the Hunt for the 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants Stops in Seattle

Virginia-based writer Johnny Fugitt embarked on a year-long quest in October 2013 to eat at one barbecue joint every day in order to find The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America, slated to be published as a book in summer 2015. In a mere 13 days, his food-filled journey ends, but he recently managed to eat his way up to our neck of the woods during his tour. What did he think of our saucy, smoky scene? Read on.

No search for America’s best barbecue would be complete without a trip to Seattle, right? OK, rather than barbecue, Seattle conjures up images of salmon and Starbucks, coffee and Cobain, Fortune 500 companies and Frasier. Nevertheless, part of my project is giving Seattle smokers a chance to compete with the old smokehouses of the South, Midwest and Texas that drip with tradition like a Seattle downspout drips with rain in December.

Like most of America, a barbecue renaissance has taken place in Seattle over the last 10 years with the number of barbecue restaurants doubling or tripling in this time. In most cities, I am able to easily spot the “can’t miss” barbecue restaurants by looking at reviews from local writers and scouring local websites. Unfortunately, nothing really stood out as the “can’t miss” barbecue restaurant in Seattle, so I had to do a bit more digging. Seattle is a hip town, so I had to wade through a few whiskey bars that moonlight as barbecue restaurants in order to find places more committed to the last syllable of barbecue (‘cue) than the first (bar).

Fortunately, I think I made the right two stops. Hole in the Wall BBQ (215 James Street) has been serving lunch in Pioneer Square since Chuck Forsyth opened the doors 25 years ago. With his son, John, now running the place and Chuck’s granddaughter at the register the day I visited, three generations at the helm is a good start for a restaurant in the barbecue world.

Hole in the Wall BBQ in Pioneer Square

I sampled the brisket and the Pig with Lipstick sandwich which was composed of pulled pork, slaw, dill pickle and I opted for the hot barbecue sauce.

The Pig with Lipstick sandwich at Hole in the Wall BBQ

I loved the experience of Hole in the Wall. It’s a comfortable, fun place run by a kind family and if I worked in downtown Seattle, I would be a regular for lunch.

I think, however, that The Boar’s Nest has raised the barbecue bar in Seattle.

The Boar’s Nest (2008 NW 56th Street) has been open for three years in Ballard and owner Gabe Gagliardi has a great story that led him to where he is today. A native of Tennessee, it took Gagliardi few years of wearing a tie at a desk job to figure out that food was really his calling. After attending culinary school in Chicago and working at a number of fine-dining establishments around the country, he returned to his barbecue roots and opened The Boar’s Nest.

Ballard’s The Boar’s Nest

While Gagliardi initially used a more traditional-style smoker that you will find in the south, the City of Seattle didn’t care for it: health and safety concerns regarding the smoker trumped the regard for barbecue. Nevertheless, he pressed on. And the result of his perserverance was absolutely terrific.

Competition barbecue aficionados prefer ribs to have a little bit of tug to them, but the general public prefers a fall-off-the-bone-style rib. I could hardly pick up the ribs at The Boar’s Nest, as they quite literally fell off the bone. The pork was quite smoky, but in no way too smoky. The fried mac ‘n cheese balls were creamy and perfect, and the panko coating on the fried pickles added welcome crunch to a fried item that often seems greasy and flimsy.

While The Boar’s Nest’s food is also available to locals via Amazon Fresh, I recommend stopping in to have it at the restaurant with a local beer.

In addition to barbecue, I imbibed in a healthy sampling of local beers at Chuck’s Hop Shop and had to visit Paseo for one of my favorite sandwiches anywhere. Seattle isn’t going to be mentioned as a barbecue hotspot anytime soon, but I think its barbecue scene will continue to grow. I’m glad I made the trip.

About the author: Johnny Fugitt is a native of Missouri who currently calls Arlington, Virginia home. He holds a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics and is an Officer in the United States Navy Reserves.