Forget the fireworks. This month it’s all about the smoke…as in the hickory smoke rising from your local barbecue joint. With outdoor eating at its height, here are nine area favorites you must try.
SUGAR’S RIBS
Sugar’s Ribs2450 15th Ave ‘ 423-826-1199
Sunday – Thursday, 11am – 9pm
Friday – Saturday, 11am – 10pm
The melt-in-your mouth meat at this East Ridge restaurant is so good, it hardly needs sauce. But just for good measure, Sugar’s offers six house-made barbecue sauces ranging from a vinegary Carolina Red style to a thicker Tennessee Sweet & Goopy. Their Hot Lips concoction is one of the most unique hot sauces in the city, offering a slow and lingering burn from jalapenos, habaneros, garlic and onions roasted on the restaurant’s wood-fired grill – an invention of owner Lawton Haygood.