When we’re this deep into summer and it’s too hot to cook, the grill seems to be everybody’s best friend. But even if you don’t have a backyard, or if you just feel like hanging up the utensils for a night, there are some restaurant dishes that offer a taste of the flames or the sweet spice of barbecue sauce, all the while letting you beat the rap of preparation and cleanup. Here’s the pick of them—all of which will have you ready to roll up your sleeves and let your fingers get a little sticky, if need be.
Tennessee BBQ Pork
Each and every step of the way as they are making the pulled pork for the Tennessee BBQ Pork sandwich ($11), the kitchen staff at Edina Grill are ensuring that the meat is everything you want it to be—juicy, tender and well-seasoned. It starts with seasoning the pork and searing it on a flattop, giving it the browning that will help keep the juices in. Then it’s wrapped in foil and slow-roasted for several hours at a low heat—low and slow, you might say—again keeping all the juicy flavor in the meat until it’s cooled and hand-pulled. When your order comes in, it’s tossed back into the skillet for a bit with the house-made barbecue sauce, then placed on the bun and topped with crispy onion strings. The sandwich comes with French fries or cole slaw (make it sweet potato fries or salad for a $1 extra). 5028 France Ave. S.; 952.927.7933
Hours: 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 7 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sun.
Grilled Pork Chop
Experienced home cooks know that brining is the secret to keeping pork chops from drying out when they cook. At Crave, the double thick-cut pork chop on this summer’s menu is brined for 12 hours in a salt, sugar and spice solution before it hits the grill. Then the BBQ glaze is applied in the final stage of grilling so that it caramelizes but doesn’t burn. The sauce is made in-house, with chipotle peppers to give it a little heat and smoke. The chop is accented with a fresh black bean and sweet corn salsa, plus a honey lime vinaigrette prepared with roasted green chilis, tomatillos and cilantro, and mashed potatoes ($22.95). While we’re talking barbecue, be sure to try out the new Crave location in downtown Minneapolis if you haven’t already. It has a separate kitchen featuring a Robata grill, which is a Japanese style of grilling over charcoal. Galleria, 3520 W. 70th St.; 952.697.6000
Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3 p.m., 4 p.m.–9 p.m. Sun.
All American Feast
There might not be any down home barbecue joints in the city limits of Edina, but luckily Famous Dave’s is just a stone’s throw away in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. The All-American barbecue feast is truly a cornerstone of the menu, with a dozen St. Louis-style ribs, roasted chicken, pork or brisket or hot link, creamy cole slaw, beans, a mountain of fries, homemade cornbread muffins and corn on the cob ($57.99). Come to think of it, a carryout order from Dave’s might be the perfect solution for the upcoming Labor Day weekend gathering. This spot, which is home to the original grill and smokers that founder Dave Anderson himself used to cook with, offers several menu items that you won’t find at other Famous Dave’s locations, including beer battered cod, nachos and southern style green beans. Be sure the mark up the calendar for Dave’s Day on August 14th. If your name is Dave, you’ll eat free (an entrée up to $15 in value). 4264 Upton Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.929.1200
Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat.
BBQ Pork Fried Rice
Locavores, take note! The Duroc pork in the BBQ pork fried rice at Big Bowl comes from Compart Family Farms in Nicollet, Minn., and is all-natural and sustainably raised. It’s cut and basted in the oven for an hour while barbecuing. The barbecue sauce is made right on site, with a hoisin base, giving it a sweeter, more Asian flair. Thin slices of the pork are laid across the top of the fried rice, which is cooked with egg and mushroom soy, with scallions sprinkled on top ($12.95). Galleria, 3510 W. 70th St.; 952.928.7888
Hours: 11:15 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., 11:30–9 p.m. Sun.
Dry Spice Spare Ribs
There are two kinds of spare ribs on the appetizer menu at PF Chang’s: wet and dry. The dry spice spare ribs are rubbed with Chinese five-spice powder, and wok-braised in a stock with ginger and onions. The wet version—the Chang’s spare ribs—are more of a Mongolian-style barbecue, in an Asian-style barbecue sauce, seared in a wok as opposed to on the grill so the sauce clings a little better to the rib. Both come with six bones and are priced at $8.95. 2700 Southdale Center; 952.926.1713
Hours: 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–11:30 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
They like to think of the BBQ chicken pizza ($12.99) as their “Big Mac” at California Pizza Kitchen. When co-founders Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax introduced the signature item at the opening of the Beverly Hills restaurant in 1985, it started a craze for their non-traditional bent on pizza. This classic pie starts with barbecue sauce instead of a tomato-based pizza sauce, and then it’s topped with smoked gouda and mozzarella cheeses, BBQ chicken, sliced red onions and cilantro. There’s also a BBQ chicken chopped salad on the menu, with chopped BBQ chicken breast and southwestern inspired ingredients like black beans, sweet corn and tortilla strips, tossed with ranch dressing. 1690 Southdale Center; 952.924.3000
Hours: 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Fri.–Sat., 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Sun.
Grilled Baby Back Ribs
Tender, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs at Pinstripes are the perfect thing to order with a Surly Furious, which was just recently added to the list of craft beers on tap (joining the likes of Bell’s Two-Hearted, Fat Tire and Summit). They are rubbed with herbs and spices and baked in the oven for a couple of hours, then marinated with a balsamic barbecue sauce and grilled over an open flame while again being basted with the sauce. The dish is served with sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and cole slaw ($19). 3849 Gallagher Dr.; 952.835.6440; pinstripes.com
Hours: 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Mon., 11 a.m.–11:30 p.m. Tues., 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Wed.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–12 a.m. Fri., 10 a.m.–12 a.m. Sat.
Tavern-Style Sliders
Who knew that not all burgers on the menu at Tavern on France are mammoth-sized? The Tavern-style sliders are ideal when you’re just looking for a few quick bites. Three mini-beef burgers are topped with the bourbon red sauce—a house made barbecue sauce with a zesty flavor—along with melted smoked gouda and crispy bacon. The sauce is so popular that it pops up on quite a few menu choices, including the full-size Tavern-style burgers, the BBQ chicken flatbread with hand-pulled barbecued chicken, the chicken sesame sticks and the BBQ ribs. If it’s cocktail time, don’t overlook the new drink menu that rolled out this summer. The ginger mojito with fresh ginger syrup, rum, muddled mint and fresh squeezed lime juice is a bona fide thirst quencher. 6740 France Ave. S.; 952.358.6100; tavernonfrance.com
Hours: 11 a.m.–midnight Mon.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Fri.–Sat., 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun.
