All-Day Barbecue Ideas

The great thing about barbecue, as operators are learning, is that diners who love it will order it all day.

By Scott Hume, Editor-in-Chief -- Restaurants and Institutions, 5/27/2008 4:19:00 PM

The great thing about barbecue, as operators are learning, is that diners who love it will order it all day. If you have barbecued ribs or brisket, or slow-smoked pulled pork, you have the makings for dozens of great breakfast items, sandwiches, appetizers and entrées.

Here are some of the many creative—if nontraditional--ways operators are using barbecued meats throughout the day:

• BBQ Omelet ($9.50): Slow-roasted pulled pork and smoked Gouda cheese folded into an omelet.
--Old Vine Cafe, Costaa Mesa, Calif.

• Pulled Rib and Brisket Chili ($5.95): Award-winning chili with beef and pork, loaded with sour cream, Cheddar cheese, onions and jalapeños.
• BBQ Quesadilla ($9.95): Tortilla stuffed with chopped brisket, pulled pork or chicken, with peppers, onion, Cheddar cheese, Memphis sauce, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.
--Old Glory Bar-B-Que, Washington, D.C.

• BBQ Spring Rolls ($7.95): Rolled chopped barbecue served with chili glaze.
• The North 40 Salad ($9.95): Brisket, Jack cheese, bacon and mesclun greens.
--Jake’s Dixie Roadhouse, Waltham, Mass.

• Dixie Chips ($6.95): Tri-color tortilla chips with pulled pork spiced with a blend of chili seasonings and mixed with black beans, corn, barley and tomatoes. Salsa, jalapeños, sour cream and Cheddar cheese top it off.
Bar-B-Q Rueben ($7.50): A traditional Reuben sandwich with a twist: smoked corned beef.
--One-Eyed Jacks Mokehouse Grill, Lockport, N.Y.

• Brisket Chowder ($2.99): Slow-cooked brisket, potatoes, green onions and sour cream.
--Brisket Basket, St. Petersburg, Fla.

• Lone Spur Pasta ($11.50): Smoked chicken or Cajun shrimp with penne pasta and fajita vegetables in chipotle-Alfredo sauce; served with Texas toast.
--Lone Spur Grill and Bar, Minnetonka, Minn.

• Rattler’s Minis ($6.99): Barbecued meatballs or barbecued tri-tip on a freshly baked roll.
--Rattler’s Bar B Que, Santa Clarita, Calif.

• Pig Skins ($6.99): Four half potato skins filled with pulled pork, cheese and jalapeños with a side of  barbecue sauce.
--Hog Heaven Open Flame BBQ, multiple locations

• BBQ Nachos ($9.95): A huge portion of fresh tortilla chips topped with BBQ beans, Cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, sour cream, guacamole and house-made pico de gallo.
--Southern Hospitality, New York City

• Toasted Ravioli “St. Louis Style” ($11.95): ravioli with braised pork and smoked-tomato sauce.
--Blue Smoke, New York City

• BBQ Taco Salad ($7.99): Mexican rice, beans and choice of barbecued beef brisket, chicken or pork topped with lettuce, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, sliced black olives, sour cream and mild jalapeño dressing.
--Q’s Family restaurant, Carson City, Nev.

• Pulled Pork Tacos ($8.00): With navel orange and red-onion salsa.
--Flying Mango, Des Moines, Iowa

• Smokehouse Fried Potatoes ($4.29): Fried potatoes covered with Cheddar and brisket bits with choice of sauce.
--The Galax Smokehouse, Galax, Va.

• Chipotle Chicken Salad ($9.79): slow-cooked, hand-pulled chicken served with chipotle mayonnaise on a freshly baked roll with a side of pickles, slaw and chips.
--Hog House Barbecue Restaurant & Bar, Station, N.Y.