Food

Billy’s adds its barbecue style to the scene

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Focus on the ribs at Billy’s.
Photo: Mikayla Whitmore
Brittany Brussell

Barbecue is like beauty—it’s always in the eye, or on the palate, of the beholder. While most find cooking animal protein over flames or hot coals to be quite attractive, the differences lie in whether the process should be devoted to a certain cut of meat, involve a particular spice blend or benefit from a slather of sauce, among many other preferences.

It’s a good thing Billy’s Bar-B-Que, a West Flamingo newcomer to the local ’cue scene, offers a lineup that covers all bases. Hickory is the wood of choice here, serving as the foundation for everything from pulled chicken and pork shoulder to baby back ribs. Pig parts are put on a pedestal courtesy of a “competition-style” rub that uses many flavors stacked together to create one-bite barbecue.

The brisket ($10.99 on a sandwich) relies on simplicity—salt, pepper and roughly 16 hours in the smoker—and comes in thick slabs, chopped and layered on a handmade corn tortilla with coleslaw ($2.75), and in snap-happy sausage form. Sides also get hit with smoke and supplemented with more meat, like the brisket baked beans ($2.50-$3.50) and macaroni and cheese with bacon crumbles.

If you’re saucy like me, try the signature, vinegar-based White Thunder. It’s a little sweet at the beginning but finishes with a kick that complements the meat and makes the coleslaw light and acidic, helping cut through richness. But at Billy’s, don’t expect anything but the ribs to get the lacquer job. Here, sauce is only an accent to assist with the main event—perfectly smoky meat.

Billy’s Bar-B-Que 4115 S. Grand Canyon Drive #100, 702-445-7764. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tags: Dining, Food
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