BRUSHFIRE BBQ - TUCSON, AZ

This has always been our favorite bbq place in Tucson. Well, during Tucson #1 there was a great one on 22nd and Craycroft but that closed early on during our stay. I have always had great shredded chicken and pulled pork and Bill and I have split their rack of baby back ribs quite a few times and all this food has been delicious.

Including their sides; (exc. for their grilled bread; flavorless and very dry. oh and their corn on the cob but then again what does one expect getting corn in the winter in Tucson!!) their bbq'd beans are just zippy enough, coleslaw not too drenched in sauce, crispy fries, super sweet potatoes.

But our last 2 visits have been disappointing. We ordered during one of our dinners there during what we are now thinking might be a decline commensurate with the opening of their "small batch" ice cream place next door baby back ribs and some of them weren't very tender and the 1/2 rack was smaller than all other times.

And last night Bill had pulled pork and i had shredded chicken (they have several bbq sauces on the table so you can experiment; everything from way hot steaming palate to sweet molasses). Bill's sandwich was just ok. My shredded chicken was just on THIS side of tender and it wasn't shredded; it came in 2 huge chunks like a breast had been hacked in half. The coleslaw on the sandwich was put on the bottom of the roll and soaked through. I didn't get the onions i asked for. and the side of potato salad seemed like they had forgotten the mayo.

Very disappointing. Glad we are heading into the land of bbq. In fact, bill and i are already remembering with fondness some fantastic droolingly good bbq in Texas and Arkansas and Mississippi and North Carolina. Here we come!