From husband & wife team David Cicollo & Ailish Gilligan, the owners of Brookline's The Publick House comes Roadhouse BBQ, a little piece of Texas in Boston. Roadhouse purchased and transported a 4500 lb. smoker to put in their new rib and beer joint. That's right, a 2 ton smoker, so large they had to sign a separate lease just to hold it. The restaurant is housed in the space formerly occupied by Vinny T's. Roadhouse opened in early September 2008. The highlights are 1) real pit smoked BBQ, 2) a focus on on American craft beers, 3) two great bars, and a 4) a 50 seat outdoor beer garden. Inside there are three rooms: a 35-seat dark mahogany bar, a massive 170-seat 6-plasma screen dining room sporting solid wood booths with antique brick, and the take-out area (where the pit smoker resides). Beerwise, they are offering 40 draughts, among them selections from Six Point, Magic Hat, Ommegang, Allagash, and Dogfish, as well as lesser known brewers like Mojo, Cisco, Avery, Rogue, and Bear Republic. They also feature quite a few more offerings in bottles. Food highlights include pulled pork, ribs, mixed sausages, brisket, and chicken fried steak - all of the items a BBQ joint should have. They offer one side with their entrees, and pricewise, it's certainly not cheap as far as BBQ goes ($19 chicken fried steak), but the food is solid. BTW: In you are a BBQ fan, click here to see a comprehensive (but evolving) list of BBQ places near Boston to try. Or here for the interactive map version.

For a small stretch between Huntington Ave. and Coolidge Corner in Boston on the 66 bus line, there’s an area known as Harvard Square. And no, there’s no affiliation to that other Harvard Square over the bridge in Cambridge. Who knew? The vibe in the Harvard Square in Brookline Village is lively--with a slew of restaurants, coffee shops and interesting stores to keep you busy. The neighborhood's hidden gem? Village Smokehouse, a restaurant that serves up Southern hospitality coupled with an authentic open pit Texas barbeque, gives Somerville's Redbones a run for its money. Also, the haunt has a sense of humor. There's a quote on the side of the restaurant's window that reads, "I wish Coke was still Cola, and a Joint was a bad place to be."

Meat, meat, and more meat. A restaurant that truly celebrates the cow (by eating it), the Midwest Grill also features cow heads and hides dangling from the walls. The main attraction, all-you-can eat Brazilian BBQ Banqet, known as churrascaria, cooks different kinds of meat (including beef, chicken, lamb, and pork) to a juicy turn in a custom-built sword-rotated hearth. The waitstaff carves heaping portions of skewered meat right at your table and keeps going until you tell them “Basta” (“enough”). Live Brazilian bossa nova music adds to the revelry every night starting at 7pm. Churrascaria Prices:

• Lunch: Adults --- $18.95, Kids (Age 8-12) --- $8.95, Kids (Under 8) --- $4.95,
• Buffet Lunch: Hot & Cold Buffet Stations ONLY. $10.95
• Dinner: Adults --- $24.95, Kids (Age 8-12) --- $8.95, Kids (Under 8) --- $4.95
• Appetizers, drinks, and desserts can also be ordered a la carte at the bar.

Tip: After 5pm, there's free parking in the Shell gas station lot down the street.

Redbones is a happy-go-lucky playground for carnivores on the prowl. This Davis Square landmark is possibly the most famous barbecue joint in Boston, it's almost always packed to the gills with people lingering over their pulled pork, ribs, all impeccably slow-cooked. Come prepared for a long wait, which you can spend quite happily in Underbones, the basement bar under Redbones. This mecca of meat is no place for herbivores: about the only vegetarian offering is cornbread, and even that is thoroughly permeated with the aroma of freshly grilled flesh. Heaping full dinners with ribs, sausage, or an assortment of other meats, plus 2 sides and a dessert, run $15-$22. Go with your instincts in ordering, and feel free to point at what your neighbor is having. Come only with good friends who don't mind you using your hands. Redbones Goes Green: The owners at Redbones are committed to running a greener, cleaner restaurant. They're partnered with Green Grease Monkey of Boston to have their old fryer oil recycled and turned into biodiesel. The resulting fuel is biodegradable, non-toxic and great for any diesel engine. Best of Boston Phoenix 2009

It’s little more than an empty lot near Melnea Cass Boulevard, this home of M & M Ribs. For decades, owner Big Moe has smoked up some of the best barbecue in Boston, and if you didn't practically live right there you wouldn't believe it existed. It formerly was on Columbia road for about 25 years and then had a brief stint in Dorchester on Geneva ave. if you want to feel as if you turned off the interstate onto a backroad in North Carolina, then M&M is where you should go. It's a safe bet to find them open from 12 - 6 on weekdays and Saturday. While most chefs work from the comfort of a kitchen, Big Moe makes his bones outside at the grill, and inside this truck. It’s like a rolling restaurant, packed with all the equipment necessary to turn out some of the finest BBQ on the planet. Although this may sound spotty, it adds to the ambiance and experience. The service here is outstanding. "Little Moe," aka the wife of the guy who does the cooking ("Big Moe"), is amazingly kind and helpful. Big Moe himself is great, willing to impart his rib expertise to you if you're willing to listen. The helpings are large - I had a combo platter with both ribs and chicken, in addition to the mac and cheese and collared greens - and you're sure to be full for $10. The sauce was unique, and apparently Big Mo makes it himself every day. The time he puts in shows, because the sauce is very well balanced with initially sweet tones followed by smok y goodness and a lingering spiciness.

Simmering and smoking. Sweet and savory. Mouth watering, messy, and delicious. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is a carnivore's dream. Whether you are craving buttery corn and molasses soaked beans, or finger licking meat, this Best of Boston favorite will be sure to please! Families and young professionals come from far and wide to dig into heaping pulled pork platters and imposing slabs of ribs, amid a southern roadside environment (counter service only). Lunch and dinner hours yield vastly different atmospheres: Noontime visitors enjoy a quiet, relaxed environment and rarely have a problem nabbing an open seat (there are only 12), while most nights bring standing-room-only crowds, forcing larger groups to skip the wait for a seat and take their meals to go.

Barbecue joint in West Newton. Business is mostly takeout, but there are a few counter-style seats. In the summer, there are also a couple of small tables outside. In addition to street parking, there is a municipal parking lot across the street. Save a few bucks (and some tough decisions) by ordering a bountiful "feedbag" (assorted meats and sides) for either four or six people. ^[1]

Located in an old Dairy Queen. The room is all booths, with World War II posters that have taken on new meaning, and a roll of paper towels on every table. The tablecloths are red-and-white-checked oilcloth, a touch both Eastie and Southern. Whether it's an order of fall-off-the-bone ribs or cut-with-your-fork brisket, the barbecue faithful acclaim the exceptional tenderness of Uncle Pete's meats; racks of ribs are smoked over apple, hickory, or oak woods for up to three days. Prices are also worth noting: A heaping portion of moist pulled pork or juicy turkey tips and a choice of two sides (try the tangy Asian slaw or thick-cut onion rings) rings in at around $10. This is white barbecue, Northern barbecue, and yes, East-Boston-Italo-American barbecue — but it has its own integrity Pete also serves the older style "East Boston barbecue" — still popular at Barney’s and Santarpio’s — consisting of wood-grilled lamb and tenderloin tips on skewers. Tip: Before ordering a full rack of Uncle Pete's award-winning ribs, consider starting off with a three-rib sampler as an appetizer so you can determine if you prefer the beef or pork variety.

Ak's Take-Out and Delivery is one of Mission Hill's hidden gems. While Ak's food wouldn't exactly fall into the gourmet category, they offer a huge array of pizza, subs, salads, and more that are kind to your tastebuds and your wallet. The pizza - the crust is thick and chewy, although the toppings, as with the calzones, are plentiful. The best part of these calzones are the size. They may seem a little expensive, but that is because the large is literally a giant pizza folded in half. They are massive and can last up to 3 days in leftovers due to volume. Their large subs start at about six dollars, while their large pizzas start at eight dollars. Ak's also has some excellent dinner packages that are, like their other fare, generously portioned and inexpensive. This is a great choice for any college student with a limited budget but a bottomless stomach, as their prices are much cheaper than their competitors and their portions are more than generous. The only downside to Ak's fantastic and fast delivery service is their minimum delivery of ten dollars, as well as an additional $1.50 charge for delivery. Ak's is open every day from 11 AM to Midnight. However, beware: There is no seating at the actual restaurant, so you'd do well to stick to takeout!

Entering their 15th year in business serving up family style barbecue and much more. They have a full menu to satisfy your hunger. The Staff Speaks English, Falamos Portugues, and Hablamos Español Delivery charges: $2.00 Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, $3.00 West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Mattapan. Prices subject to change without notice. 10% gratuity will be added for orders over $100.

If you're willing to make the trek to Inman (c'mon, just leave the Square, it's not that hard!), East Coast Grill and Raw Bar offers a nice change of pace and excellent food. This tropical-urban grill, with its Southern and Asian stylings, is a favorite spot for BBQ and seafood lovers. Start with something delectable from the raw bar (half-dozen oysters $10.50), then dig into extremely fresh fish ($20-$24) or barbecued meat ($9-20). Great list of beer, wine, sangria, and creative mixed drinks. To fend off that hangover, stop by the Su Latin Brunch and go crazy at the Make-Your-Own Bloody Mary bar. Entrees $10-25. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. Sky-blue walls and playful fixtures contribute to the charming environment filled with an upbeat clientele. Many patrons opt to forgo a table in one of the dining areas for a couple of stools at the casual bar, the better to enjoy awesome mango puree margaritas and other quasi-tropical concoctions. Friendly service matches the ambience; laid-back without being indifferent. Parking costs $5 in the lot that's directly across the street at the Cambridge Nissan shop.

FAMOUS DAVE'S HAS CLOSED, presumably a victim of the recession.

Great comfort food and slow roasted bbq and ribs. It even has it's own parking lot in the Fenway area. This locale not only serves up heart food and BBQ, it has a large proch for outdoor dining, live music, and free parking. It does not take a genius to know that is hard to come by in Boston.

Excellent brazilian BBQ buffet menu that changes daily. The also have an a la carte menu, as well as a sandwich menu. Try the House Special - $9.50 - Carne de hamburguer, carne de frango, pernil, bacon, ovo, queijo, presunto, palmito, milho, alface, tomate, batata. Or maybe the Muqueca on Sunday (brazilian style fish stew with cilantro and tomato). Trilingual menu.

Excellent brazilian BBQ buffet menu that changes daily. The also have an a la carte menu, as well as a sandwich menu. Try the House Special - $9.50 - Carne de hamburguer, carne de frango, pernil, bacon, ovo, queijo, presunto, palmito, milho, alface, tomate, batata. Or maybe the Muqueca on Sunday (brazilian style fish stew with cilantro and tomato). Trilingual menu.