It’s no secret that America’s best barbecue spots are mostly down South. But, did you know that you can, in fact, get pretty decent ‘cue north of the Mason-Dixon line? It can even be found miles and miles west of the Mississippi—really, in every corner of the country—and it’s all thanks to chain restaurants.
Now, before you take up arms, the common consensus is that these widespread establishments don’t always deliver the best of the best in their respective categories. Nobody does barbecue quite like a one-off, hole-in-the-wall, if-you-blink-you’ll-miss-it kind of joint. But, you must give chains credit for spinning up still-palatable recipes and bringing the smoky and saucy tastes you love to the masses. This inevitably includes classics like the humble pulled pork sandwich.
Defined by its slow-cooking method, shredded appearance, and essential barbecue sauce accompaniments, this sandwich is a bold, hearty favorite for meat lovers everywhere.
I recently tasted five different renditions from popular restaurant chains to find the tastiest mess of a sammie out there. One that is flavorful and tender with a rich, tangy sauce and planted on bread that elevates its savor, making for the quintessential soul food.
Here’s how each chain ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the absolute best place to pig out.
Potbelly
Nutrition: (Per 1 Skinny Sandwich)
Calories: 610
Fat: 31 g (Saturated Fat: 9 g)
Sodium: 1,000 mg
Carbs: 52 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 32 g
Potbelly is one of the few sandwich chains where you’re likely to find with pulled pork on its menu. The meat is, in fact, a recent addition to the joint and appears in two different sandwiches including the Cubano and the Sweet Heat Pork BBQ. I plumped for the latter as its makeup seems more traditional and doesn’t throw ham oddly into the mix. The slow-cooked pork is joined by a sweet heat BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, pickles, and hot peppers, all on toasted white bread. It came out to $6.79 for the skinny size.
The look: As is the case with most of Potbelly’s sandwiches, it appears to be more bread than bulk. The pork scraps and clumps came covered in sporadic globs of thick, dark barbecue sauce, and two pickle slices were tossed into the ring. Hot peppers, on the other hand, were forgotten.
The taste: I am of the opinion that in a good pulled pork, the meat should be able to stand by itself. And, here, it simply can’t. Soggy and riddled with fat, the pork tastes as if it was scooped from a crockpot rather than professionally smoked. The difference between its taste and the output from more bona fide barbecue chains was starkly obvious. As a whole, though, the sandwich isn’t half bad. The sauce is more sweet than heat but has good flavor and a lick of a kick after it’s marinated on your tongue for a second. The pickles are good for a subtle crunch and the bread held up well. I do think that pulled pork is best when teamed up with a fluffy bun rather than a toasty roll, however.
Smokey Bones
Nutrition: (Per 1 Sandwich)
Calories: 590
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g)
Sodium: 1,080 mg
Carbs: 55 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 41 g
Smokey Bones is primarily an eastern U.S. barbecue destination. It’s also the only other establishment in this survey, along with Texas Roadhouse, which is considered to be more of a sit-down restaurant rather than an order-at-the-counter kind of chain. Aside from this, Smokey Bones is also known for taking great pride in its pork, slow-smoking the meat for 11 hours every night over hickory logs and pulling it fresh every day. With this long process at play, the joint’s pulled pork sammie does cost a bit more than most at $13.99. It did come with a side, though—I chose potato wedges—and a plastic ramekin of barbecue sauce.
The look: Unkempt pale pink and tan pork shreds on a glistening golden bun. From the jump, I worried moisture might be an issue, but to address that there was a cup of sheeny red-tinted sauce.
The taste: Compared to others, this pulled meat seemed more bare bones with less seasoning, allowing the hickory smokiness to speak for itself. Salt may be the only other add-in at work, which helps the overall flavor but also gives the pork a ham-like nature, while simultaneously pulling it farther down into the dry category–just as I feared, based on its looks. The element of this sammie that impressed me the most, though, was the sauce. It starts out offensive on the nostrils but is soon brown sugar-sweet on the tongue with low acidity and a touch of smokey spice. Mmmm.
City Barbeque
Nutrition: (Per 1 Sandwich)
Calories: 630
Fat: 36 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 880 mg
Carbs: 31 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 44 g
As a Columbus, Ohio, local and lifelong Midwesterner, I am no stranger to City Barbeque. The chain was founded right here in the Buckeye State capital and is commonly the restaurant my family calls upon when we’re looking for a quick barbecue fix. I typically opt for brisket when the cravings hit, but I was also confident that City Barbecue’s pulled pork would deliver the same level of savory and saucy satisfaction. Just by itself, the sandwich on a bun cost me $8.49 and its only topping is hand-rubbed, smoked-over-local-hickory-wood, pulled-to-order pork. A complimentary sauce choice is also at play. I selected the original, but other options like Brush Fire, Sweet City, Swine Wine, and Lowco are also available.
The look: Pops of pink but the sliced meat mostly shows off a darker brown shade–it almost looks like beef because of this. I was also gifted some surprise turkey on top of the pile, which sent me into a fit of confusion before I realized what had likely happened.
The taste: I wasn’t necessarily disappointed with City Barbeque’s showing. Other chains just seemed to step up even more during this pulled pork go-around. The sandwich was definitely thick, with an abundant amount of peppery meat and frequent crispy ends that featured a deep, charred flavor. The rest leaned towards the oily side though with a bit more blubber than I would have liked. As for the sauce, I would label it as mediocre. Gelatine-like, rich, and a little bit sweet, it’s reminiscent of Sweet Baby Ray’s—not bad, but nothing to rave about. Altogether, and slapped on a soft bun, the handheld is satisfying, but it wasn’t an all-out winner.
Texas Roadhouse
Nutrition: (Per 1 Sandwich)
Calories: 870
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 13 g)
Sodium: 1,220 mg
Carbs: 62 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 22 g)
Protein: 68 g
Beefy, legendary steaks are the centerpiece at Texas Roadhouse. But, they are also accompanied by other meaty specials like burgers, ribs, and pulled pork served by itself and in sandwich form. Either way, it comes slow-cooked and with some kind of undisclosed sauce. For the sandwich specifically–which cost me $12.49–it’s plopped onto a Texas-sized bun and a side of steak fries, plus on-the-house rolls are not to be forgotten.
The look: I’m not sure if I would call the bun Texas-sized but the amount of meat sure was. I actually had to knock some of it off so I could form a manageable sandwich. If anything, I knew I wouldn’t go hungry after this meal.
The taste: The tender pork lands pleasantly between greasy and too dry. Its natural juicy flavors complement the buttery and toasted bun well, creating cohesion in every bite as well as a savory heartiness. And that’s before I even added in the sauce. The condiment is thinner but classic in terms of taste with sugary notes but also punchy hints of Worcestershire. The only problem is that I needed more of it to cover the abundant meat. Seriously, those tiny cups are never enough. I don’t know what Texas Roadhouse was thinking.
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
Nutrition: (Per 1 Sandwich)
Calories: 522
Fat: 23 g (Saturated Fat: 6.5 g)
Sodium: 1,314 mg
Carbs: 51 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 19 g)
Protein: 26 g
Dickey’s says it smokes “coast to coast” with over 500 locations across the country, making it the largest barbecue-focused chain in the United States. It serves up every kind of smoked meat you can think of from wings and ribs to turkey and Polish kielbasa. But, I was after the classic Southern Pulled Pork Sandwich with smoked pork on a brioche bun. A la carte, it came out to $10.99 and I selected the original sauce as my dressing of choice. The other sauce options were extensive, though, including spicy barbecue, sweet barbecue, Carolina barbecue, buffalo sauce, hot sauce, and even house-made ranch–I hope no one is taking advantage of this last choice.
The look: More compact than the others. It was easily handled and I didn’t have to worry about stray pieces of pork falling out. The meat has a great look and coloring to it though, hiding under the squishy yellow bun.
The taste: I’ve seen various comments online calling Dickey’s out for not being “authentic” barbecue. But I, for one, think its pulled pork sandwich is a classic and up to scratch for a chain offering. The meat is tender and I particularly liked its seasoning–some kind of garlicky, salty fusion. It’s juicy yet doesn’t saturate the toasty brioche bun. Like the rendition from Texas Roadhouse, this sauce is less viscous. But, it stands out for being extra tangy and is additionally the only one that wakes you up with just a light touch of spice. It just works. So, when you can’t quite make it to a hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop barbecue joint in Kansas City or Memphis, this will certainly do.
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