Let’s kick off another (shamelessly borrowed from PTI) new feature at SouthsideCentral. “Food Chain” is where we rank things on a Big Board. The best rise to the top of the Food Chain while the rest are ranked lower. It doesn’t have to be about food, but this first one will definitely be about food… BBQ, that is.
Today’s category is “BBQ restaurants within driving distance of the Southside VA area”. Let’s take a look at the ones we’re going to rank in no particular order…
- Short Sugar’s (Danville)
- Checkered Pig (Danville)
- Dickey’s (Danville)
- Tiger BBQ (Danville) – Closed (within a few months of opening!)
- Short Sugar’s (Reidsville NC)
- Dixie Pig (Martinsville)
Let’s play “Food Chain!”
We’ll start off with Danville’s Short Sugar’s restaurant. Meh… in our opinion, Short Sugar’s quality has really taken a nosedive over the past few years. They do have a great breakfast menu and their weekend rib special can’t be beat. They’ve even started opening on Sunday because of local competition. So, let’s put them on the Food Chain.
Short Sugar’s (Danville)
Next, let’s talk about Checkered Pig. (We’re lumping the Martinsville Pigs-R-Us with them because it’s pretty much the same) Wait a second, you already know what we think of Checkered Pig. We’re placing them ahead of Short Sugar’s.
Checkered Pig > Short Sugar’s (Danville)
Dickey’s is next, and what the hell were they thinking about when the chain decided to locate all the way out near Berry Hill Road? Most people don’t even think of them when it’s time for some BBQ and they’re missing a pretty good meal. It’s a chain restaurant, but the food is still prepared well. If you remember where Dickey’s is, it’s worth the drive to go there. They go below Checkered Pig and above Short Sugar’s.
Checkered Pig > Dickey’s > Short Sugar’s (Danville)
Let’s figure out where the original Short Sugar’s in Reidsville NC goes on our Food Chain. This is the original location of Short Sugar’s and has been in the same location for 60 years. You’ve got the same sauce, the same menu, so is it different? You bet it is. In my opinion, it’s worth the 30 minute drive over to Reidsville and for proof of that, my parents would make that a Saturday night routine back in the 70’s & 80’s. The quality of their food has stayed the same. Hey, they’ve even got a drive-in side on the restaurant. They’re going below Checkered Pig, but above everybody else.
Checkered Pig > Short Sugar’s (Reidsville) > Dickey’s > Short Sugar’s (Danville)
Last one to rank, so let’s go to Martinsville’s Dixie Pig. It’s been around for a long time as well. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten there, but their BBQ had a good sweet taste. Dixie Pig isn’t a place that I’d make a special trip to but if I’m ever in Martinsville, I’ll give them a try. On the Food Chain, they will go above Short Sugar’s (Danville).
Checkered Pig > Short Sugar’s (Reidsville) > Dickey’s > Dixie Pig > Short Sugar’s (Danville)
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Let’s recap…
- Checkered Pig
- Short Sugar’s (Reidsville)
- Dickey’s
- Dixie Pig
- Short Sugar’s (Danville)
There you go, or as Tony Kornheiser would say, “A real MAN’S board!” We’ll have more Food Chains as an occasional feature (and they won’t all be about food). We hope you’ve enjoyed the debut of our new feature. If you agree or disagree with our rankings, let’s hear about it in the comments.
So there you go, SouthsideCentral’s first Food Chain!
Judith and I liked Short Sugar until the day Checkered Pig opened (we had previously gone to the original in Martinsville). But then, we’ve never been to the Short Sugar in Reidsville.
What every happened to Tater Bugs as well. He closed up shop as well just does catering. So you liked Dickie’s? Did the prices come down or something? I went to Short Sugars in Danville about a week ago. Every thing i got was cold. Fries were like they had been cooked for about an hour and it took about 15 minutes to get the food. It was a Monday so could not go to Checkered Pig like I wanted to.. Ratz. Would have prefered that.
I disagree.
If anything I believe that Short Sugar’s quality has improved over the past few months, and there was certainly room for it. I find that now the meat has more flavor and is of better quality. The side items have always been good at SS.
Checkered Pig in my opinion is not good. After several visits I have officially struck it from my list. The meat while of decent quality has very little flavor, but none of the side items have any flavor at all, absolutely none!
Tiger BBQ on the other hand had good side items, but the meat, the one and only time I ate there, had a acrid burning aftertaste that made me ill. It’s not hard to guess why Tiger BBQ didn’t last.
Dickies; haven’t tried it, but haven’t heard anything good about it either.
The best BBQ I have ever eaten is still at Henry James BBQ in High Point, NC. Hands down, this place is the winner!
http://www.henryjamesbbq.com/
There’s a new barbeque pit in Martinsville…Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q. They make their own sauces and also cater. Worth checking out!
http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=54837
So does Short Sugar’s in Danville get bonus points for Obama visiting or points deducted? 😉
I don’t care for Short Sugars anymore. Donnie needs to put some money in the place. The last time I ate there it was in pretty bad shape. Fries are always cold.
Dickey’s has the best BBQ but the location sucks. Checkered Pig gives you 2 bites in a side item that cost over a dollar. They fed the scabs for free that took the jobs at Goodyear when they was on strike. Thumbs down to them and I only stepped in the place once and never again.
Smokey Bones in Greensboro is the best!!!
Short Sugars is by far the best barbecue around! Their sauces are tasty and their hush puppies are the best. Dick’s was expensive and not even cooked on site. Checkered Pig is overpriced and the sanwiches are sooooooo small! Short Sugars is a family type place that makes you feel at home. I have never had cold fries and I eat there often. It still has the best slaw around. The others are mear imitations or wanabees……
I use to eat at Short Sugars real often but after looking around inside all the work that needed to be done, I stopped eating there. I complained about the fries to Donnie and he did say that they cooked them ahead at lunch but after receiving them cold several times I stopped ordering them and my husband continued to get them but they were never hot.
I have known Donnie for many years and have worked for him at another place and really like him but he really needs to put some money into his place.
The owners of Dickey’s are in the middle of a divorce so that will more than likely close them down.
I’ll take Bullock’s in Durham over all of these.
Stamey’s in Greensboro used to be really good….have not been there in a while though….there is a place on Wendover Ave (cannot remember the name of it) in Greensboro that is the best BBQ in the Piedmont/triad area.
I just remembered..it is called “Country BBQ”
Dave it is Smokey Bones on Wendover Ave. YUM YUM
Lexie – why don’t you invest in a GPS or get your head out of your backside?
Smokey Bones (which is total…total CRAP) is on High Point Road — NOT ON WENDOVER AVENUE!
Gee, I realize that leaving the big city of Danville and heading to a huge Metropolis like Greensboro must be pretty ominous for you, but maybe you could..at the bare minimum..Google the address of that joke you think is so great before you try to confuse people.
SMokey Bones…yum, yum? BWAH,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA!
That is right it is on High Point Road. We was in Greensboro on Sunday and rode right by it.We do have a GPS >OOPS< , go >OOPS< yourself.
Editor’s note: Edited for inappropriate language that was appropriate in the way it was used. 😀
Dave, is Stamey’s the place that’s right near the coliseum?
I ate at Checkered Pig for the first time this weekend.
It receives a solid ‘meh’ from me.
The BBQ portion was large and it was reasonably tasty, but it could’ve been served at a higher temperature. The sides (slaw and baked beans were my choice) were tiny and seemed to be right out of a jar/can. The french fries were acceptable but not great, but the hush puppies were really good.