FOOD & DRINK

Indy barbecues offer holiday heat

Julie Cope Saetre
Star correspondent
Brisket sandwich from City Barbecue

Want a break from the grill? This Independence Day weekend, let Indy-area barbecue restaurants heat up your holiday.

Get started with one (or several) of these tasty options.

City Barbeque

621 W. 11th St. (plus locations in Avon, Carmel, Fishers and Greenwood), citybbq.com, (317) 333-6234.

• The meat: Beef brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, half chicken, breast/wing, leg/thigh, St. Louis-cut ribs.

• The heat: Original, Sweet Brushfire, mustard-based sauce.

• Fun fact: Restaurant Hospitality magazine named the More Cowbell smoked beef brisket sandwich as one of the top six in the nation.

Open on July 4, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11th Street).

Famous Dave's

3645 Vincennes Road; 8820 U.S. 31 S., Greenwood; 13445 Tegler Drive, Noblesville, famousdaves.com or call (317) 824-0200 (Indianapolis), (317) 859-1102 Greenwood, (317) 773-1700 (Noblesville).

• The meat: St. Louis-style spareribs, baby back ribs, Georgia chopped pork, Texas beef brisket, chicken, rib tips.

BBQ Combo-Hot Link Sausage on Texas toast, brisket, green beans, corn-on-the-cob, mashed potatoes and corn bread muffin taken at Famous Dave's (3645 Vincennes Road).

• The heat: Rich & Sassy, Hot & Sassy, Sweet & Zesty, Pineapple Rage, Devil Spit, Sassy Chipotle, Georgia Mustard, Wilbur's Revenge, several gluten-free varieties.

• Fun fact: "Famous Dave" refers to Dave Anderson, who opened his original barbecue joint in Wisconsin in 1994. He has racked up more than 700 barbecue awards.

Open on July 4, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Florida Cracker Barbque

812 South St., Greenfield, facebook.com/pages/Florida-Cracker-Barbque, (317) 462-7427.

• The meat: Gator tail (it put them on the map), spare ribs, chopped pork, beef brisket; all meats served dry with sauce on the side.

• The heat: Sweet sauce and homemade hot sauce.

• Fun fact: The conch fritters here draw fans from as far as Fort Wayne.

Open on July 4, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

GT South's Rib House

5711 E. 71st St., gtsouths.com,(317) 849-6997.

• The meat: Pulled pork, beef brisket, pulled chicken, baby back ribs, spare ribs, rib tips.

• The heat: Mild, Hot, 911, Vinegar Sauce (North-Carolina style).

• Fun fact: Owners G. Travis and Gladys South started in 1992 with a 1,200 square-foot space that seated 28; today, the twice-expanded restaurant seats 190 in 5,000 square feet.

Closed July 4; open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 3.

Hank's Smoked Briskets

3736 Martin Luther King Drive, hankssmokedbriskets.com, (317) 925-1689.

• The meat: Brisket, baby back ribs, spare ribs, rib tips, pulled pork, corned beef, chicken.

• The heat: Hank's BBQ Sauce, sold at the shop.

• Fun fact: Owner Hank Fields constructed this carry-out-only place himself. The Texas native also travels back to his home state twice a year to buy his mesquite wood.

Open July 4, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Judge's Tip of the Rib Bar-B-Que

2104 W. Michigan St., judgesbbq.com, (317) 631-0340

• The meat: Pulled pork and pulled chicken; ribs; rib tips; beef brisket; chicken wings.

• The heat: Judge's Signature Sauce in mild, medium and hot.

King Ribs Bar-B-Q

3145 W. 16th St., 4130 N. Keystone Ave., 5610 Georgetown Road, kingribsbarbq.com or call (317) 488-0223 (16th St.), (317) 543-0841 (Keystone), (317) 291-2695 (Georgetown).

• The meat: Ribs, rib tips, whole and 1/4 chicken, pulled pork and pulled chicken, pork shoulder, pigs' feet.

King Ribs’ Bar-B-Q chicken.

• The heat: Hot or mild.

• Fun fact: The mac and cheese here has a fan base to rival the ribs.

Open on July 4, 11 a.m. to midnight (16th St. and Keystone Ave.), 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Georgetown Road).

The North End Barbecue & Moonshine

1250 E. 86th St., thenorthendbbq.com, (317) 614-7427.

• The meat: Texas brisket, Carolina pulled pork, turkey breast, one-half chicken, salmon, St. Louis spare ribs, Memphis baby back ribs.

The pulled pork sandwich at the North End Barbecue & Moonshine.

• The heat: The Classic, Sweet KC, Texas Red, Carolina Gold.

• Fun fact: Sources meats from farms that raise pork, beef, turkey and chickens naturally, without antibiotics, hormones or GMO feed.

Closed on July 4; open July 3 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Smokehouse on Shelby

1103 Shelby St., fountainsquareindy.com, (317) 685-1959.

The meat: Pulled pork, beef brisket, baby back ribs, bone-in or boneless chicken breast.

• The heat: Chipotle BBQ, Sweet BBQ, Raspberry Chipotle BBQ.

• Fun fact: The Saturday Special offered on July 4, called Burnt Ends on a Bun, features ends and trimmings from the beef brisket smothered in the Sweet BBQ sauce and served on a bun with two sides. Cost is $7.49, offered as long as it lasts.

Open on July 4, noon to 9 p.m.

Squealers Award Winning Barbeque

5899 E. 86th St., 5515 W. 86th St., 390 East High St., Mooresville, squealersbarbeque.com or call (317) 915-7777 (E. 86th St.), (317) 871-7427 (W. 86th St.) or (317) 834-8888 (Mooresville).

• The meat: Baby back and St. Louis-style ribs, rib tips, pulled pork and chicken, smoked turkey, beef brisket, jumbo chicken wings.

• The heat: Smokey Sweet, Smokin' Hot, Carolina Red and Mustard Madness sauces.

• Fun fact: Will compete among 150 barbecue teams in the 2015 American Royal Invitational on Oct. 3, 2015, in Kansas City.

Open on July 4, 11 a.m. to 11 pm. (E. 86th), 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (W. 86th Street and Mooresville).