Best BBQ Sauces and Rubs

Best BBQ Sauces and Rubs

FIRST: BEST BBQ RUBS, 18 tested

rev 20 Sep 2020

B+

Interstate BBQ (Memphis, sold online)

Dreamland rub

Corky's

B/B+

Kosmos Cow Cover (sold online)

Killer Hogs – the BBQ Rub (at Walmart and online)

Dreamland Shake (strong black pepper flavor)

B

Holy Voodoo (from Meat Church, sold online)

Sucklebusters Hog Waller (sold online)

B-/B

Weber Barbecue (Walmart)

B - -

Rendezvous BBQ (Memphis, sold online)

Weber Original (Walmart)

C+/B-

Central BBQ (Memphis, sold online)

C/C+

BBQin Fools Jamaican (Bend, Oregon, sold online)

C

Bucanner BBQ

OLD TEST: (not graded, but in order, with 4 additional ones to the 14 above)

13 May 2011

1. Interstate BBQ, Memphis (also above)

2. Corky's, Memphis (also above)

3. Willingham's, Memphis

4. Rendezvous, Memphis (also above)

5. Big Bob Gibson's (Decatur, Alabama, sold online)

6. KC Masterpiece

7. BBQin Fools Jamaican (also above)

8. Jack Stack

9. Bucaneer (also above)

Best BBQ sauces in 2020 

First tested in 2004, with another test in 2007, and revised 7 Aug 2020.

A

Interstate BBQ, Memphis (can order online from their restaurant).

A-

Cattlemen's Carolina Tangy Gold (creamy mustard flavor; however, the restaurant version from Sysco is even better, but not available for the average person!)

A-/B+

K.C. Masterpiece Classic (not their "Original," but the "Classic." Although similar, "Classic" is the best of all the KC's tried)

K. C. Masterpiece 816 Original (better than their regular Original)

B+

Open Pit from Kraft/Heinz (you add clover honey also to the meat) (restaurant grade in gallon jug not sold in stores but is on internet. I first got it 11 years ago in 2009 from a restaurant food distributor.) It's meant to be a base, wherein you add other ingredients, but its great on its own 

Open Pit alone

B/B+

Rufus Teage Honey Sweet

Heinz Kansas City (better than their Texas and Memphis, similar to K. C. Masterpiece Original)

Sprouts Mustard BBQ - 3/4 reg. sugar

Kinder's Cali Gold

Dreamland (B+ as CAN ALSO USE AS FINISHING sauce for dipping, also great dipping fried chicken into it. As a mustard sauce, however, it's only B/B+ for glazing). Their dipping sauce is also very good for dipping!

B

Heinz Texas

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Golden Mustard

Conagra Open Pit

KC Masterpiece Sweet Honey Molasses

B-/B

K. C. Masterpiece Original

KC Masterpiece Hickory Brown Sugar 

B-

C+/B-

Heinz Memphis

Noble Made Mustard BBQ - 3 g carbs, 1g sugar

True Made Carolina Gold - no sugar

C+

Kraft Sweet Brown Sugar 

C/C+

True Made Carolina Red - very low sugar, 1 G

True Made Kansas City, 2/3 reg sugar, 7 g

C-

KC Masterpiece - Honey Teriyaki 

SEPARATE TEST:

C/C+

Sweet Baby Ray's - Sweet Red Chili

Famous Dave's Georgia Mustard (low in sugar)

Sprouts Asian - 1/2 of reg. sugar'

K. C. Masterpiece 816 Hot

G. Hugh's Maple Brown Sugar (no sugar)

G. Hugh's Carolina Sweet Heat (when tested earlier, this one came right after Kraft Sweet &             Spicy above) - no sugar

Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Wing Sauce

G. Hugh's Honey Mustard - no sugar 

Lillie's Gold - 2/3 reg. sugar

C

Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar

SEPARATE TEST 30 JULY 20 

C

Kraft Sweet & Spicy

Sweet Baby Ray's original

Bone Suckin' 

C-

Stubb's Original - is LOW SUGAR

C - - 

Stubb's Sticky Sweet

Ray's Hickory - no sugar

G. Hugh's Honey Flavored - no sugar

SEPARATE TEST (with others below and above that were re-graded, but these stayed the same:)

C-/C

Primal Kitchen Hawaiian BBQ - 7 g carbs, 1/2 reg. sugar

C-

Noble Made Classic BBQ - 8 g carbs, 2/3 reg. sugar

SEPARATE TEST:

C-/C

Bullseye Original 

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet Teriyaki 

Bullseye Sweet and Tangy 

Guy Fieri's Brown Sugar

Hunt Mesquite Molasses (their hickory smoke sauce: no longer available, was very good)

KC Masterpiece 816 Sweet Maple

Ray's Original - no sugar added - 3 g carb

C-

Kraft - Sweet Teriyaki

Guy Fieri Kansas City

G. Hugh's Hickory - no sugar

Bullseye Hickory Smoke

C - -

Stubbs Smoky Mesquite 

Bullseyes Sweet & Tangy 

SEPARATE TEST:

C-

Famous Dave's Natural Sweet (most of the other Famous Daves were tested in 2004 and 2007 and came up lacking)

Guy Fieri's Carolina 

Culinary Tours Sweet & Tangy Bourbon 

C - - 

Primal Kitchen Golden BBQ Organic Unsweetened - LOW SUGAR

Rufus Teague Maple (by contrast, their Honey Sweet above is VERY good!)

Head Country

C - - -

G. Hugh's Sweet & Spicy - NO SUGAR 

End of 2020 list. 

Best sauces in 2007 (13 tested)

A (in order)

1. Dreamland
2. Hunt's Hickory and Brown Sugar
3. Bullseye Hickory
4. KC Masterpiece Original
5. Kraft Brown Sugar

(Not very good, but in order:)

Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy

Bone Suckin' Sauce (was #4 in 2004)

Famous Dave's Sweet & Zesty

Famous Dave's Texas Pit

Hunt's Original

Western Family Original

Cattleman's original

Kraft Original

Best sauces in 2004

A-B grades (not in order)

1. Dreamland (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
2. Interstate Neeley's (Memphis, TN)
3. Bullseye Hickory
4. Bone Suckin' (Raleigh, NC)
5. Iron Works Spicy (Austin, TX)
6. Smokin Joe Jones (San Diego, CA)

C grade (not in order)

7. Tony Roma Carolina Honey
8. Tony Roma Blue Ridge Smokies
9. Tony Roma Red Hots
10. Sticky Fingers
11. Fiorella's
12. Wingers Amazing Sauce

C- to D grade (not in order)

13. Ring of Fire
14. Western Family Distinctive Selection Original
15. Coopers Old Time
16. Kraft Honey Hickory Smokehouse
17. Nasty Sauce (two guys)
18. Original Arkansas Roscoe's BBQ Hot Sauce
19. Western Family Honey
20. Dakin Farm with maple
21. Famous Daves Sweet & Zesty
22. Armstrong's Pit BBQ Hot
23. Armstrong's Pit
24. Kraft Spicy Honey
25. Dave's Gourmet Insanity Steak Sauce
26. New Brunsfield's Texas BBQ Sauce
27. Michelbob's
28. Damron BBQ Mild Sauce
29. Arther Bryant (in order on this one)