These BBQ Side Dishes Blew Me Away

John Tanner writes about some of the best BBQ sides he ate in 2023, including top-notch Brunswick Stew, Slaw, and Hash and Rice.

This week’s guest article is written by John Tanner, founder of John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog. John is based in Washington, D.C., and has been writing about barbecue joints, events, and notable people in BBQ since 2015.

Man does not live on barbecue alone, still less does woman. You really want something to eat that’s delicious in its own right, that will go with all sorts of things. In the meal, something to balance the rich meat or fill you up so you can afford the meat course.

I’ve posted lists of my favorite Barbecue and Pretty Fine Dining meals of 2023. Here are some of the star side dishes from my many barbecue meals of the year. Each is a great accompaniment to barbecue, and each tastes great.

Brunswick stew from Porkey’s Barbecue. (Photo by John Tanner)

Brunswick Stew, a stew of various meats and vegetables, is a common barbecue side, and its origin is claimed by Georgia, Virginia, and, less vocally, North Carolina. Oddly, the best I had in 2023 was at Porkey’s Barbecue, a carryout in Lothian, Maryland. It’s the only version I had that didn’t need a few dashes of barbecue sauce, a key element in my grandmother’s recipe.

The Hash and RIce from McCabe’s Bar-B-Q. (Photo by John Tanner)

While others were fighting over Brunswick Stew, South Carolinians invented Hash and Rice, a staple of local barbecue places. The hash is made by slowly cooking and stirring various hunks of pigs and cows with onions and whatever else suits the cook’s fancy, including a preferred barbecue sauce. The varieties are endless, and all of them are tasty. My favorite was the one Dave McCabe spends six hours stirring in a big pot at McCabe’s Bar-B-Q in Manning, South Carolina, just off I-95.

The “Atomic Slaw” from Smokies Hickory House impressed. (Photo by John Tanner)

Slaw is one of the most common sides. Western North Carolina places offer a top-notch red slaw that I love, but the two standouts of 2023 include the Atomic Slaw at Smokies Hickory House in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a crunchy mix of cabbage, carrots, and jalapeño. It’ll get your attention with that touch of jalapeño, but what emerges is a bright and sparkling flavor.

The flavorful Ginger Sesame Slaw from Odd BBQ. (Photo by John Tanner)

The second standout was the Ginger Sesame Slaw at Odd BBQ in Chantilly, Virginia, which is marked by abundant ginger, a layer of sesame flavor, and a bright purple color that comes, I imagine, from red cabbage. The slaw is bursting with addictive flavors and by itself merits a visit to Odd BBQ.