Some Like It Hot

Tucson is home to a bevy of barbecue joints

BY VALERIE VINYARD

Tucson boasts a slew of barbecue restaurants, each with its own spin, whether it’s St. Louis, Carolina, Texas, Kansas City or Memphis style.

Some are sweet. Some are smoky. And all of them are delicious.

We focused on three award-winning barbecue restaurants in town that are worth a visit. Each also o ers takeout for those who are still hesitant to dine inside.

Ken’s Hardwood Barbeque

5250 E. 22nd Street 745-4746, kenshardwoodbbq.com Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; closed Sundays and Mondays

Upon entering Ken’s Hardwood Barbeque, guests are greeted with a delicious aroma of smoked meat.

Pretty much everything is homemade at Ken’s. After all, he has four generations of family and their recipes to rely on.

A couple of items stand out: billiard-size balls of fried mac and cheese and the Alabama white sauce. The crispy outside of the fried mac and cheese gives way to decadently sauced macaroni. The Alabama white resembles ranch salad dressing, but the mayonnaise-based sauce’s full avor and subtle kick elevate it past mere ranch.

Owner Ken Alexander is often behind the counter or in the kitchen working his magic. Alexander learned how to cook at age 9 from his mother, grandparents and uncle, who owned Sadler’s Family Cafe in Nashville.

After the Raytheon Missile Systems employee left after 27-plus years in 2015, he took the advice of countless family and friends and opened a restaurant.

Alexander picked up a food truck in Georgia and drove back to Tucson, where the Louisville native has lived since 1984.

After that became successful, Alexander moved operations to a brick-andmortar restaurant at 5250 E. 22nd Street in 2017. The building has housed barbecue restaurants for more than 60 years, including its last tenant, Jack’s Original Barbeque.

Ken’s Hardwood Barbeque remains very much a family business, with seven or eight relatives on the payroll. On a recent evening, Alexander was in the kitchen while his granddaughter manned the counter, taking orders and dishing sides and sauces into containers.

Alexander, who has visited almost 50 countries, described his food as a compilation of avors and styles, such as St. Louis-style ribs and Carolina-style pork and chicken.

“In order for it to be a success, you have to put some of you in it,” Alexander says.

Brother John’s Bourbon, Beer and BBQ

1801 N. Stone Avenue 867-6787, brotherjohnsbbq.com Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays

Tucson natives John Aldecoa and his brother, David, opened Brother John’s Bourbon, Beer and BBQ in December 2015.

The partners transformed the former cavernous Wildcat House nightclub into a still large but welcoming space that includes an L-shaped bar and restaurant that includes a stage for live music.

The space is still about 10,000 square feet and has a 350-person capacity, but the brothers used some of the original cedar wood to partition o areas into a private dining room and other spaces. They also have expanded the outdoor dining patios to accommodate about 200 diners.

“We only use fresh meats,” says John Aldecoa, noting that they source their fresh meats from co-op farms.

“What I don’t sell today, I won’t sell you tomorrow.”

Of course, the kitchen could use some of the unsold product to make other items, such as brisket jerky and burnt end nachos ($9.25), an impressive plate bursting with cheese, chives, jalapenos, meat and avor.

Aldecoa described his restaurant as a multiconcept barbecue with Mexican in uences. Brother John’s also has about 500 whiskeys and bourbons, as well as 51 beers on tap. Beer lovers should check out the $2 specials on 10-ounce beer on Tuesdays.

Its website states, “Fusing traditional Southern-style barbecue with Southwestern and Latin avors.”

However, “we’re more than just barbecue,” Aldecoa says.

Other dishes include sandwiches ($9$14), burgers ($10.50-$14), salads ($7.50$20) and entrees ($13-$24).

The express lunch, available from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, includes one meat and one or two sides ($9.50 or $12.50). It’s a generous portion with well-prepared food.

Brush re BBQ Co.

2745 N. Campbell Avenue and 7080 E. 22nd Street 624-3223 (Central), 867-6050 (East) brush rebbq.com Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

Besides fantastic barbecue, Brush re BBQ Co. also makes its own creamy, rich ice cream.

The ice creamery is located at the 22nd Street location, but 10 avors, including Cookie Monster, Twix and Strawberry, were available at Brush re’s original location on Campbell Avenue. There’s even a Tennessee Honey ice cream for people who are at least 21 years old.

The Campbell location is full of football memorabilia, including helmets, jerseys and photos, and a slew of awards on its wall from Zagat, Tucson Weekly and the Hu ngton Post. Six televisions are “dialed into sports,” according to manager Debbie Wick, who has worked for Brush re about three and a half years.

“It’s original,” she says. “Our sauces, our rub, the way we smoke the meats.”

Much of the menu o ers regular and hungry sizes.

Meals include sauce, a half loaf of garlic bread and two sides ($13.29-$20.89) and include unusual o erings such as smoked salmon ($17.39) and smoked meatloaf ($13.29-$18.79).

Sandwiches come on toasted garlic bread and range from the mild or hot sausage sandwich ($9.29 regular size) to the prime rib sandwich ($18.49 hungry size). Make it a meal and add a side for $2.50 to $6.59.

Like other barbecue joints, Brush re offers family feasts ($49-$56), including the fantastic ($56) family ribs, which comes with one rack of sticky ribs and 1 pound of brisket, pork, chicken or sausage. All family feasts come with two sauces, two sides, four pieces of grilled garlic bread and four cookies.

The Campbell Avenue spot has a dozen beer taps, while the much larger 22nd Street location has a full bar and happy hour menu.

Wick vouched for the sign on the wall that states, “Caution – Habit forming.”

“It’s true,” she says. “We get repeat customers who come in and get the same thing all the time.”