Get Your Grill On

In my travels to barbecue restaurants all over the Northeast, I often see chili on the menu, and that’s a good sign. It not only means there’s some creativity in the kitchen, it also means they’re turning over product, making the ‘cue offerings that much fresher. There are so many different meats and styles represented, all of them good if done right. Note that I say “favorite”, not “best,” because your mileage may vary. One other thing: slots #1 and #2 are rock solid, but rankings #3 through #12 are prone to flip-flopping, depending on my mood or my most recent experience.

#1 All Star Sandwich Bar, Cambridge MA
This isn’t a full-fledged barbecue joint, but on a part time basis they offer pulled pork and brisket sandwiches made with the meats smoked a few doors down at Chris Schlesinger’s East Coast Grill. This “no beans, no cryin’” chili, available full-time and containing the brisket from these same pits, is the best combination of meat, heat and spice I’ve ever tasted. You might say “heat and spice” is redundant, but it’s not. There’s plenty of heat from the chiles and there’s plenty of savory flavors going on thanks to the liberal use of cumin and other ingredients that hit you from a different angle entirely. The cornbread that accompanies it is pretty good too. www.allstarsandwichbar.com

#2 Big W’s, Wingdale NY
There are two chilis available here, and both are excellent. Whether you choose beef or chicken, you’ll get a tremendous amount of meat and a mildly spiced broth that enhances the meat without overshadowing it. The nice thing about the brisket chili is that the fat has already been trimmed from the slices. The nice thing about the chicken chili is that it’s healthy enough—and good enough—to eat every day. The nice thing about both chilis is you can include as a side on your combo platter. www.bigwbbq.com

#3 Jake’s Dixie Roadhouse, Waltham MA
This is one of the few chilis out there that’s pure, unadulterated pork, with a very spicy broth. www.jakes-bbq.com

#4 Hill Country BBQ, New York City
The other flavors kick in too, but what you notice most about this chili is that it’s made with beer, and lots of it. There are no beans and though there’s an adequate portion of beef, there’s plenty of that beer and chile pepper-studded broth. If they used larger chunks of the same brisket available in the meat line, I’d rank this a slot or two higher. www.hillcountryny.com

#5 Daisy May’s, New York City
This chili is widely regarded as the best in the city, and not just among barbecue joints. It’s pure beef, served in big, tender chunks, with just enough broth to serve as a lubricant. The spice level is fairly mild, but the flavor is very pleasant. www.daisymaysbbq.com

#6 RUB BBQ, New York City
This is my highest-ranking chili that has beans, and it’s because they blend nicely with the more abundant similar-sized chunks of very smoky brisket. The heat level is medium. www.rubbbq.net

#7 Waterfront Ale House, New York City
Here’s another joint that’s not quite a barbecue joint, but still has barbecue on the menu. It’s also a joint that has two varieties of chili. I haven’t tried the venison and black bean version, but I’m looking forward to it. The beef and pork version, with medium-high heat, is a basic straightforward chili, but one of the best basic straightforward chilis out there. www.waterfrontalehouse.com

#8 Little Danny’s Taste of Texas, South Windsor CT
This bowl of chili is also basic and straightforward, but it’s made with buffalo meat. Different texture, different flavor, and it’s good. If buffalo isn’t your thing, they have beef chili too. www.dannyslittletasteoftexas.com

#9 Buck’s Naked, Freeport ME
It seems as though they take an “everything but the kitchen sink” approach here, because this chili has beef, pork, chicken and a couple of different beans. I’ve only had it once, so I wonder if it changes from day to day. www.bucksnaked-bbq.com

#10 Chili Head BBQ, W. Bridgewater MA
For a Texas style barbecue joint, the beans in the chili are a little out of place, but rather than being unwelcome intruders for texture only, they actually supply much of the flavor. The meat is a combination of ground beef and large brisket cubes. But the really unique thing about this chili is that you can customize the heat level when you order it, on a scale of 1 to 15. Anything over a 10 requires a signed waiver. You can also use El Yucateo hot sauce at the table to add even more heat if necessary. www.chiliheadbbq.com

#11 Redbones, Somerville MA
There are so many appetizers on the Redbones menu, it’s easy to forget about the chili, but theirs is pretty memorable. It’s made with large cubes of beef and the broth is very thin, like beef stock. A little unorthodox, but it gets the job done. www.redbonesbbq.com

#12 Firefly’s, 3 MA locations
The chili here—a mix of brisket, sirloin and pork—is like a microcosm of the restaurant as a whole. Sometimes there’s beans, sometimes there’s not. Sometimes it’s thick, sometimes it’s thin. Sometimes it’s mostly beef, sometimes it’s mostly pork. More often than not, it’s good, and when it’s on, it’s very good. www.fireflysbbq.com